Winemag top-rated South African wines

Winery of The Year 2025: Delaire Graff

Delaire Graff sits spectacularly atop the Helshoogte Pass outside Stellenbosch, an estate originally established in the early 1980s by John and Erica Platter, founders of the Platter’s Wine Guide. Since 2003, it has been owned by diamantaire Laurence Graff OBE, who has seamlessly blended luxury hospitality with premium wine production.

Under the guidance of winemaker Morné Vrey since 2009, the focus has been on estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, complemented by carefully selected purchased fruit. This year, as part of the Prescient Fund Services Reports, Delaire Graff’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2022 was judged best in category with 96 points, while four other wines placed in the Top 10 of their respective categories: Banghoek Chardonnay 2024 (95 points), Terraced Block Chardonnay 2024 (94 points), Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (95 points) and Botmaskop 2021 (94 points).

Ratings were conducted blind by a three-person tasting panel using the 100-point system, with final scores determined through discussion and retasting where necessary. The panel included Christian Eedes (Winemag.co.za editor and panel chair), Ndabezinhlhe Dube (director of operations at the President Hotel, Cape Town), Spencer Fondaumiere (chairman of the South African Sommelier Association), Malu Lambert (wine writer), James Pietersen (CEO of Wine Cellar), Francois Rautenbach (wine and hospitality specialist) and Jolette Steyn (Head of Sales and Imports, Wine Cellar).