The Platter’s by Diners Club South Africa Wine Guide 2018 was launched at Cape Town’s The Table Bay Hotel on 3 November 2017 with over 200 guests in attendance. The VIP’s included wine producers who had achieved the maximum 5-star rating in the new edition – reserved for wines that are “South African classics” and scored 95 points or more.

A total of 111 5-star wines are featured from a total of over 8000 wines scored in the 2018 guide. Publisher of the internationally recognized guide, Jean-Pierre Rossouw says: “As per last year all wines that were scored 4.5-stars (90 points) or higher in the primary assessment went into a second round of tasting, conducted blind (without sight of the label) by small panels experienced palates from outside the team.

Le Sueur Wines is the dream of De Krans Wines winemaker Louis Le Sueur van der Riet. This dream was born during his first harvest in 2006 and turned a reality in November 2014 with the release of the maiden vintage of Le Sueur Wines Chenin Blanc 2014. The objective of the brand is to make wines which are unique to the Klein Karoo terroir and method of production.
 
In 1925 Prof Isak Perold successfully merged Pinot Noir and Cinsault (Hermitage) to create the world famous South African grape Pinotage, resulting in superb dark medium to full-bodied red wines.

Le Sueur Wines took up the challenge to recreate this fusion by blending Pinot Noir from the cool Outeniqua Mountains and Calitzdorp Cinsault, planted in 1966, resulting in a soft and elegant red wine. A Paradox to the better known Pinotage varietal wines. ‘Pinotage’ in its natural form, unfiltered and unfined.

The 5-star Le Sueur Paradoks 2016 (a 50/50% blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut) has just recently been released at De Krans Wines in Calitzdorp, with only limited quantities of 1000 bottles of this hand-crafted wine available at R175/bottle. The wine is described in the Platter’s Wine Guide as being a Calitzdorp Cinsaut bright red fruit, Outeniqua Pinot Noir’s deeper berry, cherry and earthy notes – perfumed charm and elegance of both, dry, fresh, lightish and harmonious.”

The Le Sueur Natural Barrel fermented Chenin Blanc 2016 (R125) scored 4-stars in the same guide, and 90 points at a recent tasting of South African wines by MW Tim Atkin.

For more information contact Louis van der Riet on lesueurwines@gmail.com or 044 213 3314. Follow us on Twitter @LeSueurWines or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/LeSueurWines.