COVER STORY | QUOIN ROCK
The Quoin Rock 2014 Black Series MCC shows prominent notes of green apple, honeyoats, biscuit, and lime aromas, supported by interesting mineral characters.
How QUOIN ROCK estate is cleaning up the competition
WINNING WINES
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ollow the dusty road through the Knorhoek Valley, and you'll find Quoin Rock sitting oh-so-pretty. Along with views for days, this historic wine estate provides a dream-like setting for wine-tasting, picnics, fine dining and tranquil mountain escapes. Tucked away on top of a hill, Quoin Rock is still considered a bit of a hidden gem when it comes to Stellenbosch wine estates. But, this hidden gem is beating big names at one of the world’s largest international wine competitions. At this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), the proudas-punch estate took home both gold and platinum medals for their Vine Dried 2019 vintage and 2014 Black Series MCC. Held in London, 2021 saw the DWWA competition invite more than 160 judges (including 44 Masters of Wine and 11 Master Sommeliers) to judge a whopping 18 000 wines from 56 countries.
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IN THE WORDS OF THE WINEMAKER Schalk Opperman, Quoin Rock’s winemaker says, “We’re incredibly proud to be listed among the top South African wine farms and believe that it is the magnificent terroir Quoin Rock calls home that helps us create quality wine.” When asked about receiving a Platinum Medal for the Quoin Rock 2014 Black Series MCC, Schalk says, “It shows that we’re serious about our MCC, that it can compete with the best of Champagne.” Schalk describes their platinum winner MCC as a classic Champagne-style blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A rare-vintage release, this bottle of bubbles is made from hand-picked grapes that have been whole-bunch pressed and stored in French oak barrels. The gold award-winning Vine Dried 2019 vintage is a Sauvignon Blanc made from whole-bunch grapes that were cold-soaked for 12 hours, pressed-off to holding tanks, and left to settle for 2 days, this dry white wine was then left to mature in French oak barrels for 5 months. It’s not the first time that Quoin Rock has achieved this kind of success at the Decanter Awards. In fact, for the last 6 years, every wine entered in the competition has achieved a score worthy of a medal. “It is what motivates us to keep momentum and passion in what we do,” says Schalk.
SOUTH AFRICAN CONNOISSEUR
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2021/09/01 12:21
