Jancis Robinson Ratings

South African Brilliance 2023

Wine Reviews by Jancis Robinson

She is the Grande Dame of wine criticism, the first woman to hold the title of Master of Wine since the mid-1980s, and has authored some of the most important standard works on wine. We are, of course, talking about Jancis Robinson. Her ratings and scoring scales are internationally recognized and valued by wine lovers and professionals worldwide.

Robinson uses the 20-point rating system in her reviews, where she assesses various aspects of the wine, such as appearance, aroma, taste, and overall impression, on a scale of 0 to 20 points. Her ratings are considered well-reasoned and never unfair. The British wine critic, who still publishes a wine review every two weeks in the «Financial Times», is strict and considered more frugal than generous when it comes to awarding points. 18 points from her is already a true eulogy.

Here's what the scale looks like:

• 20 – Exceptional wine
• 19 – Top class
• 18 – Better than excellent
• 17 – Excellent
• 16 – Stands out from the crowd
• 15 – Average
• 14 – Dull and boring
• 13 – Borderline faulty or unbalanced
• 12 – Faulty or unbalanced

Jancis Robinson, along with Tamlyn Currin, published 133 tasting notes for current sparkling, white, and rosé wines and 162 tasting notes for red wines from South Africa in October. Tamlyn Currin writes: «Four recent tastings in London showcased the cream of South African wine, demonstrating that South African wines truly belong to the cream of the crop at the top tier, full stop. Jancis and I tasted over 250 wines together, and our ratings are consistently so high that a 16 in a line like this seems low, and a 17 ordinary. But that is not the case. Our scoring scale has not suffered from inflation. South African winemakers are simply doubling their quality.»

What do top-rated wines from other countries cost?

Here are a few notable examples:

Château Palmer 2017 – France – 17.5 points – approx. CHF 300.-
Château Pétrus Pomerol MC 2018 – France – 19 points – from approx. CHF 4000.-
Vega Sicilia Valbuena 5º 2019 – Spain – 18 points – approx. CHF 150.-
Penfolds Grange Bin 95 Shiraz 2019 – Australia – 19 points – approx. CHF 650.-
Dominio de Pingus, Pingus 2017 – Spain – 18+ points – approx. CHF 850.-
Opus One Robert Mondavi Baron Philippe Rotschild 2019 – USA – 18+ points – approx. CHF 400.-

And South Africa?

Although more expensive wines are often associated with higher quality, the South African wine market shows that this is not always the case. It is possible to find first-class wines at a reasonable price, especially in South Africa. This is also confirmed by this year's ratings from Jancis Robinson. Both established wineries and Young Guns have contributed to raising the quality and reputation of South African wines. It is an exciting time to discover and enjoy wines from this country. See for yourself.

White Wine & Rosé

*alternative vintage
** available soon

Red wine

*alternative vintage
** available soon

The lists are updated upon arrival of new vintages.

Photos: jancisrobinson.com

Jancis Robinson «South African brilliance 2023 – sparkling, white, rosé», from 17.10.2023

Jancis Robinson «South African brilliance 2023 – reds», from 24.10.2023