KWV’s exclusive Centenary highest rated product in Platter’s 2020

KWV’s Centenary, the rare and once-off limited connoisseur brandy, received a near-perfect score of 99/100 in the Platter’s by Diners Club South Africa Wine Guide on 8 November 2019 – making it the highest-rated product in this year’s Platter’s 2020 guide.

Platter’s is one of South Africa’s longest standing wine guides and highlights the quality of wines and spirits determined by a seasoned group of professional tasters. Wines and spirits scored 95/100 or more are considered 5-Star.

Producers who manage to secure a 5-Star rating are generally considered to represent the pinnacle of South Africa’s wine and spirits industry. Reflecting on this honour, KWV CEO Boyce Lloyd said: “KWV is exceptionally proud to stand among the Platter’s laureates for our limited-edition Centenary brandy. We were one of the first commercial distillers of South African brandy and we continue our tradition of crafting the finest brandies with pride. To be recognised by the esteemed Platter’s community in this fashion is a huge honour.”

KWV master distiller Pieter de Bod

The Centenary was crafted by KWV master distiller Pieter de Bod and his team and includes some of the very first brandy made by KWV in 1926, along with brandy from the only barrel rescued from a fire that razed KWV’s historic cellars in 1942. The balance is completed with KWV’s rarest brandies with an average maturation period of 37 years. Only 100 bottles of this limited-release brandy were launched as part of KWV’s centenary celebrations in 2018. It is the most exclusive brandy ever produced by KWV, and at a price tag of R100 000, it is also the most expensive South African brandy ever made.

It is, without a doubt, a brandy in a league of its own. This is exactly what Cape Wine Master, Winifred Bowman, who is the expert Platter’s taster assigned to KWV brandies experienced: “It is the most complex, delicate and flavourful South African brandy I have ever tasted. It has remarkable length. Pure South African sunshine in a glass. You won’t get better than this.”

In the guide, the Centenary’s score is supported with the following praise: “Combines ethereal, elegant delicacy with subtle intensity. Delectable sherry notes within its complexity, but so fresh. Mellow and deeply satisfying, reverberating endlessly.”

Average consumers not able to pay the premium price tag of the Centenary, can take solace in KWV’s range of other 5-Star ratings in the Platter’s 2020 guide, which elicited similar high praise from Bowman:

KWV Nexus (95/100): “Elegant, regal and oh-so-smooth, with a dry, lingering citrus bite. Astounding quality.
KWV 20 Year Old (96/100): “Beautifully balanced with supreme oak support. Long, mellow, mature notes carry to sweetish finish.”
KWV 15 Year Old Alambic (97/100): “Smooth, fine texture and good balance, great complexity from a range of rich fruitcake flavours.”
KWV 12 Year Old Barrel Select (95/100): “A triumph. Rich, robust with caramelised nuts as well as peaches, pear drop on the nose.”
KWV 10 Year Old Vintage (95/100): “Exquisite 100% potstill. Jewel bright and delicate with citrus aromas, dried apple, spice and dark chocolate on the palate.”

These 5-Star brandies can be purchased by visiting www.kwv.co.za.

Did you know?

In 1926, KWV created South Africa’s first commercial brandy – a feat that would solidify the brand’s reputation as a pioneer in the local and global spirits industry.
KWV’s brandy facilities are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Centenary has an average maturation period of no less than 37 years and boasts a unique ﬂavour proﬁle of honey, tawny port, vanilla and ground cinnamon.

For KWV Brandy orders, contact KWV Emporium on +27 21 807 3007/8 or send an email to wineemporium@kwv.co.za for more information.

Issued by: FEED THAT BIRD COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS
Pictures: SUPPLIED

©2019 Herman Lintvelt - WineTourismZA