STRAW WINE FROM THE ORANGE RIVER STRIKES 91pts IN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW

http://www.wine.co.za/news

[LIAGOW] Congrats to the wine making team, had the privilege of tasting and buying the wine, really something spectacular. Well done!!!!

Orange River Cellars' maiden Straw Wine has achieved international recognition for this far-flung Northern Cape winery by garnering a score of 91 points in the influential International Wine Review.

The Orange River Cellars Straw Wine 2010 was included in a list of 21 South African sweet wines making up the International Wine Review's recommended sweet category. International Wine Review, published in America, is a leading indicator of wine trends and quality throughout the world. Tasting the Orange River Cellars Straw Wine, the publication's reviewers described the wine as such: "Beautiful golden amber in colour, this is a creamy smooth, beautifully balanced wine with lots of ripe sultanas and stone fruit, and just a hint of crème brûlée. Air-dried Colombard grapes are fermented and aged in used barriques. Best served well-chilled." According to Rianco van Rooyen, wine-maker at Orange River Cellars' Keimoes Winery, one of the five wineries in the Orange River Cellars stable, the quality of the fruit and the warm temperatures during harvest time when the straw wine grapes need to be air-dried gave him the idea to attempt this category. "We were more than pleasantly surprised at the result as the fruit was concentrated in perfect balance during the air-drying, keeping acidity, sugar and prime fruit flavours in harmony," he says. "The recognition from the International Wine Review is further proof that the Orange River region is showing its ability to produce wines of increasing quality, as vindicated by this and other accolades for our other wines." Orange River Cellars also achieved a score of 88 points for it Lyra 2009, a Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet, proving the wineries' abilities to produce classic-style red wines, too. Koos Visser, marketing manager at Orange River Cellars, says the local and wine world is becoming increasingly aware of the improved quality of the region's wines. "We have one of the biggest teams of viticulturalists - six - of any winery in South Africa, so fruit quality is improving in leaps and bounds due to scientific research and farming best practices," says Visser. "Orange River Cellars is also committed to innovation, giving our wine-makers the opportunity to follow their passions by experimenting with new wine styles. "And in the case of the straw wine, this commitment really seems to have paid off!" THE REST OF THE WINES TASTED: De Wetshof 2005 Edeloes Noble Late Harvest (Robertson) - 91/100 Jardin (Jordan) 2010 - 91/100 Mellifera Noble Late Harvest Stellenbosch (Bottelary) - 91/100 Kanu 2005 Kia-Ora Noble Late Harvest (Stellenbosch) - 92/100 Ken Forrester 2009 T Noble Late Harvest (Stellenbosch) - 93/100 Miles Mossop 2007 Kika (Stellenbosch) - 92/100 Mulderbosch 2007 Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest (Stellenbosch) - 91+/100 Nederburg 2010 Winemaster’s Noble Late Harvest (Western Cape) - 91/100 Neethlingshof Estate 2011 The Maria (Stellenbosch) - 92/100 Boschendal 2009 Vin d’Or (Coastal Region) - 91+/100 De Trafford 2009 Straw Wine (Stellenbosch) - 92/100 Fairview 2010 La Beryl Blanc (Paarl) - 91/100 Keermont 2010 Fleurfontein (Stellenbosch) - 91/100 Mullineux 2010 Chenin Blanc Straw Wine (Swartland) - 94/100 Orange River Cellars Straw Wine (Northern Cape) - 91/100 Rustenberg 2010 Straw Wine (Coastal Region) - 90+/100 Groot Constantia 2008 Grand Constance (Constantia) - 92/100 Klein Constantia 2005 Vin de Constance (Constantia) - 94/100 Boplaas 2005 Cape Vintage Reserve Port Klein Karoo (Calitzdorp) - 91/100 Riebeek Cellars 2005 Cape Vintage Port Style (Swartland) - 91/100 Rietvallei 2008 Muscadel 1908 (Robertson) - 91/100 Rietvallei 2010 Red Muscadel (Robertson) - 88/100 THE SWEET WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA (UPDATED) - READ THE FULL ARTICLE