The crème de la crème of SA wine take on the world. Given a budget of R9K by Spar liquor executive Ray Edwards, Cape Town retailer Caroline Rillema presented a selection of currently available wine gems (including several Platter 2010 five star stunners) to judges of the Spar Orange River Winemaker of the Year Competition on the banks of the mighty Groot Gariep in Upington yesterday.

Served blind (natch) while France may have come tops in all classes bar Chardonnay, SA was far cheaper and almost on the pace. Three extra wines were comped by Joachim Sa, the big cork in Amorim SA and judge at the richest wine competition in SA. The rest of the judging panel consisted of Guy Webber and Abé Beukes, winemakers at Stellenzicht and Darling Cellars respectively, former editor of WINE magazine Fiona McDonald, Spar wine consultant Tinus van Niekerk, Caroline and I.

Out of six Sauvignon Blancs (or should that read Sauvignons Blanc?), my favourite by a grassy green mile was Le Mont Damnée 2007 from Henri Bourgeois (R329) followed very closely by a giant asparagus in the shape of GT Ferreira’s Tokara Elgin 2008 (R100).

The damned mountain gets it by a short head thanks to that flinty, gun smoke character; real Louis L’Amour stuff. Bruce Jack’s Berrio Weathergirl 2008 (R108) was up there too – far less showy than a Los Vascos 2008 from Chile which impressed in the mid-palate department.

The freak of the flight came from Marlborough in New Zealand. Called Clos Henri 2007 (R295) and also made by Mr. Bourgeois, this was a World War I wine – mustard gas in the trenches and no quarter given. An Entre-Deux-Mer from Château Marjosse 2007 completed the line up, but at R179, was some distance off the pace.

Among Bordeaux-style blends there was a battle royal between Johann Krige’s leathery Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2006 (R280) and Giulio Bertrand’s sweet berry fruited Morgenster 2005 (R295) both Platter five star stunners. A close race until both wines were outclassed by a monster Château Giscours from the fabled 2005 vintage (R700).

The coffee/mocha La Clémence Pomerol was deemed not worth the R885 sticker price while the Château Leydet-Valentin 2005 bought by Joachim at Heathrow for £15, was.

Two Châteauneufs for R500 each, both 2006 vintage, the Domaine du Pegau and Domaine du Caillou les Quartz showed a traditional versus New World face of the Rhône and we all preferred Pegau.

In the Chardonnay department, Kevin Grant’s Ataraxia 2008 (R120), green melon on toast, easily outclassed a Petit Clos Blanc des Teurons Premier Cru 2005 (R185) and a 2006 Jayer-Gilles Hautes Côtes de Beaune (R175).

A stunning Malbec 2007 Terrazas de los Andes from Argentina – liquid cherry tobacco – and a miraculously fresh 1956 Rivesaltes fortified red rounded off a morning well spent in Upington. A town where the lady asked her husband “what do you plan to do today?” “Nothing.” “But that’s what you did yesterday.” “Yes, and I’m not finished yet.”

By Neil Pendock