For many years, the country was challenged with trade sanctions imposed by the apartheid regime. This, coupled with the KWV cooperative's power at the time to set prices and drive quantity over quality shifted South African wines further from global recognition. At the emergence from the regime in the '90s, the country started to make headway toward the international fine-wine podium.
More recently, however, a sharp increase in input costs since the pandemic for everything from fertilizer to packaging and shipping has hampered reinvestment. According to the 2023 harvest report from the Wines of South Africa (WOSA), the country has had a much smaller harvest in terms of volume – perhaps one of the smallest in more than a decade. "Load shedding" is a household phrase to all saffas and the wine industry is no exception; the national energy provider of South Africa is so often unable to meet electricity demands that power is cut for hours at a time and blackouts have become a norm, making irrigation at crucial points of the season impossible.
Despite electricity issues and pockets of out-of-season rain, the 2023 vintage is reportedly a boon for winemakers and viticulturists across the cape. Although yields may be lower, the quality, particularly for whites, is high. Conjunctively, an in-depth look at the most expensive wines from South Africa proves that there is plenty of monetary value as well as quality.
The World's Most Expensive South African Wines on Wine-Searcher:
| Wine Name | Score | Ave Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokara 'Telos', Stellenbosch | 95 | $368 | |
| De Toren The Black Lion Shiraz, Stellenbosch | 90 | $271 | |
| De Toren Book 17 XVII, Stellenbosch | 93 | $269 | |
| The Sadie Family Die Ouwingerdreeks 'Skurfberg' White, Citrusdal Mountain | 94 | $226 | |
| The Sadie Family Die Ouwingerdreeks 'Mev. Kirsten' Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch | 95 | $214 | |
| Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage, Stellenbosch | 93 | $157 | |
| The Sadie Family 'Columella' Red, Swartland | 93 | $157 | |
| 4G Wines The Echo of G Red, Western Cape | 92 | $145 | |
| Jordan Cape Winemakers Guild Sophia, Stellenbosch | 91 | $137 | |
| Spier Frans K Smit, Stellenbosch | 91 | $130 |
Once again, the Tokara 'Telos' takes home gold as the grand winner of the most expensive wine produced in South Africa. Around 1000 bottles are produced each year, the most of which the Stellenbosch estate is capable of producing. Named after the Greek term describing the end of a goal-oriented process, Tokara 'Telos' takes the top spot at $371, accomplishing its self-assigned destiny. It seems the critics agree with an aggregated score of 95 points and if one were to compare what 95 points would cost in Burgundy or Bordeaux, it is clear that the better value is in the African nation.
De Toren estate was one of the first in the country to produce classic, premium-quality Bordeaux-style wines so it is somewhat of a surprise to see The Black Lion Shiraz awarded the silver medal. Extremely close in third however is De Toren's Book XVII which is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend with Malbec and Cabernet Franc that was awarded South Africa's Highest Rated Wine Ever by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2015. 90 and 93 points, and $272 and $271 respectively, for some of the best wine in the country, is undeniably fantastic value.
Chenin Blanc is the most planted white grape in South Africa, yet fourth and fifth are the only spots awarded to the variety. Mev Kirsten and Skurfberg are varietal wines of which The Sadie Family allocates exclusively to a waiting list for $219 and $208 respectively – a steal for 94 and 95 points. In a true celebration of Steen (a South African synonym of Chenin Blanc), Mev. Kirsten is named after the late owner of one of South Africa's oldest Chenin Blanc vineyards, planted between 1905 and 1920.
South African Wine: competing against the classics with its unbeatable value
Kanonkop is a fourth generation family-owned estate that is considered a pioneer of the South African wine industry and its flagship grape, Pinotage. In faith to this, its Black Label Pinotage securing sixth spot proves that the notoriously volatile variety, when produced with precision and care, can be a premium quality wine deserving of 93 points. For $158, one can take home what is considered South Africa's equivalent of a Premier Cru or First Growth.
The Sadie Family 'Columella' is the top-scoring wine from the Swartland, at 94 points. This Syrah-based blend spends 12 months in French oak prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered, on the market for an average price of $147. Winemaker of The Sadie Family estate, Eben Sadie is reportedly aiming to pitch South African wines onto the global-premium platform, and as the third wine from the estate on the list, and the only wine from Swartland, it seems to be doing remarkably well.
The Echo of G is the second wine to the 'First Growth of the Cape' from 4G Wine Estate, it has climbed up from tenth spot last year up to eighth at an affordable $146 and 92 points. Stylistically a blend of Bordeaux varieties with Syrah, it spends 18 months in French oak barrels sourced from seven different cooperages.
The Jordan Cape Winemakers Guild is an association of the country's finest winemakers with a collective knowledge of 45 members. Each year it produces small quantities of unique wines that are exclusively for auction. This strategy has proven successful in terms of monetary value with the Sophia awarded 91 points with an average price of $138.
Finally, we finish with a historic producer. Spier is one of the oldest wine farms in Stellenbosch established in 1692. After jumping from $70 to $120 in 2018, the Frans K Smit red blend has remained remarkably stable in price over the past five years. Today, $130 will get you 91 points of vino value, a true gift from the Rainbow Nation.
