A Platterful of judgements 14 November 2007

Tweaked, conservative, occasionally controversial – the latest edition of South Africa’s leading wine guide is released

The cover this year is red, with white print. Or, if you prefer the publisher’s description (delivered with customarily vague charm and irony) at the book’s launch, it is ‘vintage velvet pinotage with faultless pearl lettering’ – though we’ve surely never seen pinotage quite as bleeding red as this. The name – the name is actually different this year: it’s just Platter’s South African Wines 2008, instead of John Platter South African Wine, which is what is changed to some years ago after being John Platter’s South African Wine Guide for many years since its founding in the mists of Cape wine pre-history. Strangely, though, the word 'Guide' has continued to appear on the spine of the book despite having disappeared from the title page. No doubt, however, most people will continue to refer to the book simply as ‘Platter’, ignoring the comings-and-goings of words and apostrophes as the publisher remains apparently irresolute about it should officially be named.

This note on the launch is not really a review (which would be inappropriate coming from someone who is listed as a ‘taster’ and, rather exaggeratedly grandly, an ‘associate editor’)  but it must be pointed out that while much in Platter  2008 is the same as usual (for better or for worse), there is something new, apart from some good design tweaks and 60 or 70 new wineries, which is the Winery of the Year, an accolade based on the editor’s assessment. (This simple methodology was decided on by the tasters, in a vote of confidence in the breadth of knowledge and experience and safe, wise judiciousness of the Platter editor, Philip van Zyl – without whom, let it be said, it is unlikely that this book could maintain the standard of excellence it does – a standard recognised by it twice in recent years being given a prestigious international award as the world’s best annual wine guide).

So at least there was something to announce at the launch, which is otherwise an event singularly lacking in tension, as the five-star wines have long since been revealed. Cape Point Vineyards is this year’s Winery of the Year – not only because of its three five-star ratings. but also because, as van Zyl said, ‘beyond exceptional quality and consistency, they also embody many other qualities recognised by winelovers everywhere, including a real sense of place and that elusive but essential “wow” factor’.

Another announcement made at the launch is that of the Wine of the Year – the wine most enthusiastically welcomed by the panel of tasters judging (blind) the candidates for five stars. The clear choice this year was the Bouchard Finlayson Tête de Cuvée Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 2005.

Superquaffer of the Year (superquaffers are 'entry-level wines which are exceptionally drinkable and well priced'), also decided on by a vote after tasting nominations from the various tasters, is Simonsig Estate’s Chenin Blanc.

Otherwise, the contents are the same as usual, built around tasting notes  – mostly beneficially briefer than previously this year, though there are still many which indicate too little with too many words. Along with the notes are star-ratings of most of the currently available South African wines; these are the result of ‘sighted’ tastings (except for the final judgement of five star wines which is done ‘blind’ ) by a team of 15 tasters – most of them with some degree of professional involvement in some part of the local wine industry and one (rather anxiously?) noted as bringing ‘a hearty consumer perspective’. Of course not all will agree with all the assessments – I myself certainly don’t agree with many: for example, with the taster who decided that Sadie Columella 2005 wasn’t even worth considering as a five-star candidate, and I think that there are generally too many high ratings for mediocre wines; but I have no doubts that some fellow tasters and some of those who consult the book will raise an eyebrow or two at my own high and low scores.

Apart from the tasting notes, perhaps a quarter of the book is devoted to background information about the local industry and to the context of drinking South African wine, with  an advertorial element in the notes on wineland ‘eat-outs’ (a rather quaint formulation, surely, for a list of restaurants?) and ‘stay-overs’ (another verb laboriously doubling as a noun, and another list of paid-for entries).

There’s also a foreword by Beyers Truter which will have many of those reading it regretting that he doesn’t stick to the winemaking which he does so well. Though perhaps there will be those who appreciate its eccentricity, even other than the ‘black school teacher’ he cites as having been convinced to drink ‘only red wine’ because of learning from Beyers of its resveratrol content. (Is it a sign that the patron saint of the homegrown grape is so doubtful about convincing people that pinotage is delicious that he now thinks he must persuade them to drink it as a health aid?)

But Platter, or Platter’s, is really for those who enjoy wine apart from its resveratrol content (and are perhaps a little anxious in choosing, and wanting some advice). There will be the whingers, as usual, and those who treat the volume as some sort of bible – but the overwhelming many will welcome it as one of the more useful tools available in the pleasant task of selection. At a recommended retail price of five cents less than R140 it costs about the same as a bottle of fairly fancy cabernet sauvignon, and not all that much more than the outrageous amounts people are apparently willing to pay for some sauvignon blancs these days. Doesn’t that count as pretty good value?

– Tim James