Flagstone Wines Celebrates a Year to Remember
07:41:002024 has been an extraordinary year for Flagstone Wines
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Flagstone Head Winemaker, Gerhard Swart, and his team celebrate being crowned 2024 Prescient Winery of the Year by Winemag.co.za: Left to right: Willene Roelofse, Karel Jasson, Errol Matabeni, Dumisa Ntsukumbani, Edward Hammers, Mia Boonzaier and Gerhard Swart |
2024, a year to remember, with an exceptional yield of prestigious wine awards and outstanding ratings.
Flagstone’s stellar 2024 story of success, locally and internationally, has included endorsements from Winemag.co.za’s Reports; Top 10 Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, and Pinotage Competitions; SA Terroir, Veritas, and Michelangelo Awards; The Drinks Business Global Syrah Masters; and International Wine And Spirit Competition (IWSC). These celebrations peaked when Flagstone was crowned Prescient 2024 Winery of the Year by Winemag.co.za.
This recognition from esteemed wine judges and panellists showcases the premium quality of Flagstone Wines across ranges, varietals and price points, paying tribute to the passion, creativity and dedication of Flagstone’s vineyard and winemaking teams led by Head Winemaker, Gerhard Swart.
WINEMAG.CO.ZA’S PRESCIENT BEST WINES SOUTH AFRICA 2024 REPORT
Flagstone Wines was crowned 2024 Prescient Winery of the Year by Winemag.co.za for outstanding wine ratings, across the board, throughout the year.
- Prescient Chenin Blanc Report 2024: Flagstone Paradigm Chenin Blanc 2023 – Top 10 and Best Wine Overall (95/100)
- Prescient Chardonnay Report 2024: Flagstone Two Roads Chardonnay 2022 – Top 10 (94/100)
- Prescient Signature Red Blend Report 2024: Flagstone Dragon Tree Cape Blend 2021 – Top 10 (93/100)
- Prescient Pinotage Report 2024: Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2021 – Top 10 (93/100)
- Prescient Cabernet Sauvignon Report 2024: Flagstone Music Room Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 – Top 10 (92/100)
- Flagstone Free Run Sauvignon Blanc 2023 - Top 10 Winner
- Flagstone The Surge Sauvignon Blanc 2023 - Top 20 Finalist
- Top Achiever for Cellars with 10 entries or less
- Four Double Gold Medals
Flagstone Word of Mouth Viognier 2023
Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2021
Flagstone Treaty Tree Classique White Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023
- Three Gold Medals
Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz 2019
Flagstone Dragon Tree Cape Blend 2021
STANDARD BANK SA CHENIN BLANC CHALLENGE 2024
- Flagstone Paradigm Chenin Blanc 2023 - Top 10 Winner
- One Double Gold Medal
- Four Gold Medals
Flagstone Dragon Tree Cape Blend 2021
Flagstone Treaty Tree Classique White Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023
Flagstone The Surge Sauvignon Blanc 2023
ABSA TOP 10 PINOTAGE AWARDS 2024
- Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2021 - Top 10 Winner
- Flagstone Truth Tree Pinotage 2021 - Top 20 Finalist
- Flagstone Treaty Tree Classique White Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2023 - National Winner for White Cultivar Blends
- Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz 2019 - Gold Medal
- Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2021 - Gold Medal
- Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2008 – Winner
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| Flagstone Head Winemaker, Gerhard Swart, receives the 2024 Prescient Winery of the Year Trophy presented by Winemag.co.za. |
INFORMATION ON FLAGSTONE
Flagstone Wines, an icon of innovation within the formidable Accolade Wines’ portfolio, is located on the outskirts of Somerset West at Paardevlei, an exciting, upcoming, vibrant area in the Helderberg.
Flagstone Philosophy and Handcrafted Wines
“At Flagstone we aim to make wine that respects our 350-year-old winemaking heritage, while always celebrating the magnificence of nature. We want to make gorgeous wines that stimulate your brain as much as they please your tastebuds.
Flagstone celebrates creativity and innovation with a winemaking methodology of ‘vines need to be pruned, but ideas must be left to grow wild’. Wine is ‘the marriage of nature and human imagination’. Mother Nature provides the grapes, but flashes of inspiration and creativity transform them into fabulous, captivating wines.
The creativity behind Flagstone is visible in our range of wine’s distinctive names and unique stories — inspired by our country, our people and our winelands — evocative tales captured in fascinating pen-and-ink label artwork.
Flagstone wines are produced with a massive commitment to craftsmanship and care, twinned with an equal dedication to ethical viticulture and environmental protection. Since the 2020 vintage, our wines have been certified vegan, with only plant-based fining agents used in the cellar. Beyond creative flair and ethical production, it is what’s inside the bottle that really counts, and Flagstone delivers on both quality and value.
Every handcrafted bottle of Flagstone wine is a journey with many twists and turns. It can never be hurried and there are no shortcuts. Step by step our fanatical dedication guides us to our journey’s end: the rewarding taste of delicious, distinctive wines. It’s a painstaking approach that has won us more than a few awards. And, more importantly, a legion of wine lovers who savour the unhurried quality of Flagstone.
Flagstone’s Head Winemaker, Gerhard Swart, believes that one should never stagnate, ‘You always have to be thinking about how you can stand out from the crowd — be it more interesting labels, varieties or combining particular terroirs to create wines that are intriguing and unique.’ Gerhard has a celebrated winemaking journey, having worked with prominent mentors Bruce Jack and Chris Keet on his way to leading Flagstone’s wine production. Gerhard has taken Flagstone to new levels of excellence and is responsible for a handsome trophy cabinet and wine bottles that glitter with awards.”
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| Flagstone Head Winemaker, Gerhard Swart. |
Ever-innovative winemaker and savvy marketer Bruce Jack started Flagstone in 1998 in a run-down shell of an old depot at the V&A Waterfront. At the time this was South Africa’s first winery without its own vineyards, drawing on five core vineyards across the Cape managed in long-term partnerships with farmers. Flagstone became distinct for its quirkiness and willingness to buck established trends, and this drew a loyal and passionate audience of wine lovers who appreciated what Flagstone stood for and fell in love with the wines.
Wine production outgrew the Waterfront location and in 2002 Flagstone moved to an old dynamite factory, originally built by Cecil Rhodes, in Somerset West. With thick walls and huge doors, perfect for moving equipment in and out, this location has proved ideal for making all Flagstone wines.
In 2007 Flagstone was sold to Constellation Brands, the world's largest wine company, which was renamed Accolade Wines in 2011. Today Flagstone is an icon of innovation within the formidable Accolade Wines portfolio.
Bruce Jack’s longtime highly acclaimed protégé Gerhard Swart is Flagstone’s head winemaker. A philosophy that blends ambitious dedication, and a fastidious attention to detail with an insatiable thirst for knowledge, is key to Gerhard’s success as a winemaker. Bruce Jack believes that Gerhard is the best winemaker he has ever met.
A VISIT TO FLAGSTONE WINES
A hidden gem on the outskirts of Somerset West, the Flagstone Cellar Door offers a unique experience for wine lovers. Expect a warm welcome from excellent and knowledgeable hosts, a relaxed atmosphere, and a wide range of superbly crafted wines offering outstanding value. Flagstone recently introduced Cheese Boards (from Dalewood Fromage) to enjoy alongside your wines.
Follow Flagstone on social media for information about their Music Events, Movie Nights, Special Tastings and Celebrations, and Winemaker’s Dinners. And don’t miss the bi-monthly Food and Wine Pop-Ups which present a wonderful occasion to savour top-tier food and wine in peaceful surroundings.
You will find Flagstone Winery at Paardevlei, WR Quinan Boulevard, Somerset West. To visit Flagstone, enter Paardevlei opposite the Strand Golf Estate entrance, take the first exit at the roundabout to check in with security, and then follow the signs to the winery.
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Flagstone Winery and Tasting Room Address: W.R. Quinan Blvd, Paardevlei, Somerset West, 7129 Telephone: Flagstone Winery: +27 21 852 5052; Tasting Room: +27 21 850 5891 Trading Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 16:00; Saturday: 10:00 – 15:00; Sunday: Closed |
You can buy Flagstone Wines at the Cellar Door, at select grocers and wine merchants nationwide, and online at https://flagstonewines.com/our-shop/
Website: http://flagstonewines.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/flagstonewines/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/flagstonewines
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Flagstonewines/
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FLAGSTONE’S AWARD-WINNING WINES
Flagstone FREE RUN SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023
“This top-class free-run Sauvignon Blanc, crisp with ethereal aromas and long, lingering, yummy flavours, is a vivid expression of the favourable terroir of carefully selected vineyards; and pristine winemaking. Fresh, exuberant and memorable — a refreshing wine that captures the essence of summer!”
Region: Cape Coast — 45% Elgin, 42% Darling, 13% Stellenbosch
Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for up to 5 years
Price: R150
This wine is proudly vegan.
The name: “Free Run is made from the juice that runs freely from the press to produce an exceptional wine — crisp and fresh but lingering.”
Tasting notes: An upfront herbaceousness is followed by a bombardment of green fig, passion fruit, star fruit and limey aromas, ending with a distinctive, bright flintiness. The complexity of the nose follows through onto the palate giving this wine a full, crisp and lively mouthfeel and a lingering aftertaste.
Food: The Flagstone Free-Run Sauvignon Blanc pairs well with dishes that offer a certain amount of zest, combining particularly well with veal limone and grilled calamari. Also try it with steamed asparagus, spaghetti vongole, avocado soup or herbed risotto!
FLAGSTONE THE SURGE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2023
“This premium wine displays all the classical cues of a cool-climate, high-altitude Sauvignon Blanc from Darling. The unique dryland soils, close proximity to the icy Atlantic Ocean, pronounced diurnal temperature differences and long growing season produce elegant, vibrant Sauvignon Blancs with a notable sense of place. Crisp, bold, and refreshing!”
Grape variety: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Region: Darling Fermentation: Stainless steel tanks
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for up to 5 years
Price: R255
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “A Surge is a sudden, powerful, forward or upward movement, especially by a natural force such as a tide. In the afternoon in the vineyard, the warm air rises and pulls in the cold air from the ocean, cooling down the vineyards, and directly impacting the unique flavours you will find when opening this bottle. Watch out, it will hit you like a surge!”
Tasting notes: This wine is wonderfully expressive exuding enticing aromas of asparagus, green fig, citrus and passion fruit with a hint of guava. The nose is mirrored on the elegant fruit-forward palate, accompanied by crisp invigorating acidity, leesy complexity, and a long flavoursome finish. This wine is a proud showcase for cool-grown Darling fruit!
Food: This wine pairs perfectly with an array of dishes, from fresh oysters or any white fish on the braai to grilled chicken with avocado, goat’s cheese salad, and creamy pea risotto.
FLAGSTONE TREATY TREE CLASSIQUE WHITE / SAUVIGNON BLANC SEMILLON 2023
“The Flagstone Treaty Tree Classique White is crafted passionately with food in mind. It is carefully blended to be layered and complex, but very drinkable. The combination of overnight skin contact, concentration of fruit and the meticulous care taken in making this wine, all contribute to the ageability of the wine.”
Grape variety: 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 45% Semillon
Region: Darling Fermentation: 35% barrel fermented in 100% French oak (43% new) for 6 months
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for another 10 years
Price: R150
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “This wine is named after Cape Town’s ancient Treaty Tree that has stood in the heart of Cape Town for centuries. Still standing in Woodstock, this wind-sculptured Milkwood has witnessed so much of our past, including a 1509 battle between the Khoi San and Portuguese mariners and the signing of a peace treaty beneath its great boughs, between the British and Dutch in 1806.”
Tasting notes: A fine example of a harmonious marriage of vibrant Darling Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The wine jumps out of the glass with focused aromas of gooseberry, asparagus and citrus with hints of spice, and seduces the palate with a texture of creamed honey. The flavours are taut citrus fruit framed by a suggestion of toasty oak. An extraordinarily complex and satisfying mouthful!
Food: The wine pairs amazingly well with shellfish and fish. Favourites include steamed mussels in a tomato-based sauce; crayfish cooked in the shell on the braai with olive oil and garlic basting; and snoek braaied the traditional way with marmalade.
FLAGSTONE TWO ROADS CHARDONNAY 2022
“Rich and round, this wine exudes excellent fruit concentration matched by bright acidity.”
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay
Region: 58% Wellington, 42% Darling Fermentation: 70% barrel fermented in 90% French and 10% Hungarian oak (35% new) for 3 months.
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for 3-5 years
Price: R150
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “Two Roads refers to the Robert Frost poem whose lines appear on the label. Our winemaking mantra is to question everything with respect and always take the road less travelled.”
Tasting notes: The nose shows captivating floral notes of lemon blossom and bright citrus with hints of cinnamon spice. The palate is full but balanced, with complex citrus and white peach notes, and a touch of spice.
Food: Enjoy this wine with salmon fish cakes, chicken makhani and chicken salad with peach, mango and macadamia nuts.
FLAGSTONE WORD OF MOUTH VIOGNIER 2023
“This wine’s ample body and wonderful aroma make an unusual and exciting combination.”
Region: Stellenbosch
Fermentation: 40% barrel fermented in French and Hungarian oak (30% new) for 6 months.
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for another 3 years
Price: R150
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “Word of Mouth is one of the most effective ways to spread news and share a discovery, and that’s how Flagstone would like their Viognier to become more widely known — a wine of such exciting substance that you can’t help but tell your friends about it.”
Tasting notes: Aromas of watermelon and peaches greet you on the nose, with a floral hint. Summer fruit aromas follow through on the palate with a touch of spiciness. Medium-bodied with gorgeous, sweet peaches and honeyed pears, yet bone dry, with acid brightness and a lingering aftertaste.
Food: Viognier is a food wine. It is fantastic with seafood, but also try it with salads, smoked salmon and spicy dishes. A particular favourite pairing is steamed mussels in a masala coconut broth.
FLAGSTONE PARADIGM CHENIN BLANC 2023
“Crafted from a Certified Heritage Vineyard – bushvines planted in 1979 in Agter-Paarl – this wine is wonderfully poised with brisk freshness and gorgeous fruit purity kept intact with judicious oaking.”
Grape variety: 100% Chenin Blanc
Region: Agter-Paarl Fermentation: 52% stainless steel, 48% barrel fermented in 88% French and 12% Hungarian oak (65% new) for 6-8 months
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for up to 5 years
Price: R 255
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “Like a story, this wine has a beginning and an end. Born from a single idea, it encourages one to push the conventional understanding of how a wine should taste. The name urges the drinker to shift any preconceived assumptions and challenge any concept or notion of what it should be.”
Tasting notes: The wine entices with expressive aromatics of peach, pear and dried fruit with a hint of lime. Gorgeous stone fruit notes abound on the palate, with a dusting of mixed spice, finishing with a well-balanced, crisp acidity.
Food: The Flagstone Paradigm Chenin Blanc is a perfect companion to seafood and spicy dishes.
FLAGSTONE WRITER’S BLOCK PINOTAGE 2021
“This wine is crafted from dryland bushvines in the Swartland. These vines grow in one of the highest-lying areas in the region. They are rooted in deep red soils with excellent water retention, enabling the vines to ripen the fruit perfectly even in dry conditions. We’ve been using the same exceptional Pinotage block for nearly two decades. A passion for South Africa’s signature varietal has seen Flagstone’s head winemaker, Gerhard Swart, crowned a veritable ‘Pinotage King’, with consistent placings in the ABSA Top 10 Pinotage Awards; Platter’s Pinotage of the Year accolade, and a glitter of stars and medals to adorn our Pinotage bottles.”
Region: Swartland
Fermentation: Barrel fermented and matured in 45% French, 42% American and 13% Hungarian oak (25% new) for 18 months
Cellaring: 5-10 years
Price: R 380
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “South Africa is a unique place to grow grapes for wine. The different soil types and the soaring mountains surrounding the vineyards create astounding complexity, sometimes so overwhelming you get stumped for choice of words. Like an author embracing the challenge of difficult subject matter, we’ve utilised this complexity to unlock majestic wine.”
Tasting notes: The nose reveals a wonderful balance of ripe, dark red fruit like mulberry and blackberry with mocha chocolate and Indian spice, underpinned by a bewitching hint of bramble. The palate is rich and powerful yet elegant. Flavours of ripe strawberry, cherry and darker blackberry are wrapped in a caress of vanilla and dark chocolate. It is luscious and full, with good fruit density, bright acidity, velvet tannins and a long finish!
Food: This versatile Pinotage pairs well with a wide spectrum of dishes. Favourites are braaied springbok fillet, spicy lamb stew and Indian curries.
FLAGSTONE DARK HORSE SHIRAZ 2019
Region: 34% Paarl, 32% Wellington, 15% Breedekloof, 11% Darling, 8% Walker Bay
Fermentation: 45% French, 40% American, 15% Hungarian oak (20% new) for 16-18 months
Cellaring: Keep for 5-10 years
Price: R 380
The name: “Shiraz grows like it wants to fly away. And the cautious farmer will mutter that nothing good will come from such a wild thing. But the right soil and climate to balance this effervescent nature and ancient wine crafting methods ensure a delicious, age-worthy wine with a silky structure and a brooding, mysterious nature. A real Dark Horse, capable of surprising you with its power and energy. The Dark Horse is our touchstone, our mantra, our dreams reflected!”
Tasting notes: The nose displays a concentration of dark fruit, white pepper, cigar box and mint supported by subtle spicy undertones, which flow over to the palate. The wine is big and round on entry, with silky smooth tannins that show well even when the wine is young. This is a perfectly balanced wine with dense pure fruit and a lingering aftertaste.
Food: Delicious with a Kudu fillet served with couscous and a red wine reduction.
FLAGSTONE DRAGON TREE CAPE BLEND 2021
“The Flagstone Dragon Tree Cape Blend is our underground revolution wine. This is the one wine in our range we have confidently described as a cult wine since its first release in 2000. It’s the wine the winemaking team buys more of than any other. Enough said! What makes Dragon Tree such a successful cult wine is the tannin structure. The clever combination of Pinotage with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon gives a distinct tannin structure that we can produce year after year. These three varieties work beautifully together.”
Region: Cape Coast
Fermentation: 12-18 months in 42% American, 42% French and 16% Hungarian oak (13% new)
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for 3-5 years.
Price: R165
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “The wine takes its name from a Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco) given to the Port Captain of Cape Town, by a passing ship’s captain. Planted at the V&A Waterfront well over 100 years ago, it still grows today above what used to be Flagstone’s barrel maturation cellar in the Waterfront before our winery moved to Somerset West in 2002. According to ancient Greek legend, when dragons were mortally wounded, they would fly out to sea to die. Only where a dragon’s blood spilt would a Dragon Tree then grow.”
Tasting notes: The wine shows rich dark fruit, cigar box, and mint aromas with sweet and spicy undertones leading to an explosion of fruit on the palate reminiscent of cherry pie, forest berries and baked plums. This is a well-balanced wine with great depth, fresh acidity and a long finish — a lush, full-bodied stunner!
Food: Enjoy this wine with smoked impala carpaccio served with a strawberry, roasted beetroot, watercress and balsamic vinaigrette salad, or with seared tuna and pak choi in a sesame-soy dressing.
FLAGSTONE MUSIC ROOM CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2020
“Ripe, rich and spicy, powerful but precise, with a dense core of succulent black and red fruit, lively acidity and firm yet refined tannins. A blockbuster Cabernet!”
Grape variety: 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot
Region: Cape Coast — 78% Wellington, 22% Stellenbosch Fermentation: 100% barrel fermented in 82% French and 18% American oak (30% new) for 16-18 months
Cellaring: Enjoy now or keep for up to 10 years
Price: R380
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “Our Founder, Bruce Jack’s grandmother, Elsie Fraser-Munn, was a legendary music teacher and performer. In her Music Room, practice made perfect. Patience, dedication and attention to detail are similarly required to craft great Cabernet. The music on the front label is a beautiful choral piece composed for her by the renowned South African composer, Peter Klatzow.”
Tasting notes: On the nose blueberry, cassis, and ripe black plum mix with cool cedar whiffs and the faintest hint of basil, all wrapped up in serious, warm, toasty oak. The palate is all about chunky, chewy, magically integrated tannin. Luxurious deep-pile velvet fruit with mint-sprigged red berries and Christmas fruitcake lead to a persistent finish.
Food: Rack of Karoo lamb and pan-wilted garden-fresh spinach.
FLAGSTONE TRUTH TREE PINOTAGE 2021
“Delicious and moreish with dark, juicy, rich fruit intensity, swirls of dark chocolate and spice.”
Grape variety: 97% Pinotage, 3% Tempranillo
Region: 55% Swartland, 20% Paarl, 13% Agter-Paarl, 10% Stellenbosch, 2% Wellington Fermentation: 70% French and 30% American oak (10% new) for 19 months
Cellaring: Can be enjoyed now but will keep well for another 3-5 years
Price: R165
This wine is proudly vegan
The name: “The Truth Tree is the translation of the common name in isiXhosa for an Erythrina or Coral Tree (Lucky Bean Tree). Native to South Africa, it is breathtakingly beautiful with a spreading canopy of striking red flowers. It is said that the Xhosa believe that if you tell a lie in the shade of a Truth Tree, terrible things will befall you. As a result, important village council meetings would always be held in the shade of the Truth Tree. In our vineyards and cellar, we go to great lengths to allow vineyard and terroir expression, to create wines true to the cultivar.”
Tasting notes: A seductive bouquet of blackberry fruit, dark chocolate, and fine spicy notes unfolds on the rich, full-bodied, well-balanced palate — dense and textured with pure fruit, fresh acidity, and fine tannins.
Food: Pinotage is very versatile when it comes to food. It loves grilled, braaied or roasted meats, venison and game birds, spice and chillies. A favourite is slow-cooked duck drizzled with a pomegranate and cardamom gravy and served with potatoes roasted in duck dripping and a green salad of bitter leaves
PURCHASE FLAGSTONE WINES
You can buy Flagstone Wines at the Cellar Door, at select grocers and wine merchants nationwide, and online at https://flagstonewines.com/our-shop/
Flagstone Winery and Tasting Room
Address: W.R. Quinan Blvd, Paardevlei, Somerset West, 7129
Telephone: Flagstone Winery: +27 21 852 5052; Tasting Room: +27 21 850 5891
Trading Hours: Monday to Friday: 10:00 – 16:00; Saturday: 10:00 – 15:00; Sunday: Closed
Website: http://flagstonewines.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flagstonewines/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/flagstonewines
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Flagstonewines/
HASHTAGS: #FlagstoneWines #FlagstoneAwards #WineryoftheYear
Issued by: POSY & JEREMY HAZELL - PR & WINE CONSULTANT5S
Pictures: SUPPLIED
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