FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 05 August 2026 –

SOUTH AFRICA — Twenty wines from 10 producers have received the 2026 Absa Vintage Pinotage Award of Excellence, following an assessment of 29 entries by a panel of Cape Wine Masters. The awards recognise Pinotage wines that have developed successfully in bottle and demonstrate the ageing ability of South Africa’s signature cultivar. Under the awards’ criteria, every wine meeting the qualifying threshold receives an Award of Excellence.

The 2026 recipients range from the 1995 to the 2016 vintage. The oldest wine, Bouwland Bush Vine Pinotage 1995, was already more than three decades from vintage when assessed. The results also show a marked regional concentration: 15 of the 20 awarded wines carry a Stellenbosch (includes Simonsberg-Stellenbosch) Wine of Origin, with two Breedekloof, one wine each from WC, Paarl and Constantia. Seven recipients are from the 2016 vintage, while five producers – Beyerskloof, Flagstone, Kanonkop, L’Avenir and Spier, account for 15 of the 20 awards.

That concentration tells an important story about wine libraries. Beyerskloof alone has six awarded wines, covering vintages from 1995 to 2016. The estate’s first Pinotage was produced and bottled in 1995 and won an Absa Top 10 award the following year. Its presence in the 2026 results, alongside wines from 1996, 1998, 2007 and two from 2016, provides a rare record of one producer’s work with Pinotage over more than two decades.

The individual wines also carry histories that help explain their place in this year’s line-up. Beeslaar Pinotage 2016 came from a single Stellenbosch vineyard of dry-farmed bush vines, then 23 years old, and was matured for 20 months in barrel. The producer’s technical information identified a cellar life of 15 to 20 years. Fairview Primo Pinotage 2011 was made from a dryland Agter-Paarl vineyard where the crop was reduced to one bunch per shoot; the grapes were hand harvested and sorted, fermented in open-top barrels and matured for 20 months in oak.

Several recipients had already earned recognition closer to their release. L’Avenir Pinotage 2001 had previously received an Absa Top 10 award as well as gold medals at Veritas and the Michelangelo International Wine Awards. Simonsig Redhill Pinotage 2016 was named Best of Show South Africa at Mundus Vini, while Groot Constantia Pinotage 2016 was named Top Pinotage at the 2018 Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards. Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2015 received a Veritas gold medal, and Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2012 was selected for Cathay Pacific’s long-haul business-class wine list in 2014.

The Cape Wine Masters’ notes across the awarded wines repeatedly referred to freshness, balance, integrated tannins, length and, in several cases, an absence of obvious ageing. Grangehurst Pinotage 2006 was described as an excellent example of a 20-year-old wine that was still maturing, while the oldest Beyerskloof and Bouwland wines retained notable vitality.

“The Absa Award of Excellence for Vintage Pinotage reminds us just how beautifully Pinotage can develop with time. This year’s awarded wines, ranging from the 1995 to the 2016 vintages, show the depth, character and remarkable ageing ability of our South African variety. We salute the producers who had the foresight to keep these wines in their cellars and share them with us today. I would like to encourage every Pinotage producer to put aside a few bottles from each special vintage and enter them in the years to come. The more mature wines we can showcase, the stronger the story we can tell about Pinotage and its rightful place among the world’s great wines,” said Beyers Truter, Chairman of the Pinotage Association.

“South Africa’s wine producers continue to show remarkable resilience, innovation and adaptability in a changing market,” said Anand Naidoo, Managing Executive for Client Coverage Pan-Africa at Absa Business Banking. “These awards recognise not only exceptional Pinotage, but also the partnerships that help build sustainable businesses and strengthen confidence in the future of the sector. At Absa, we are proud to walk this journey with producers and industry partners who continue to preserve our wine heritage while creating new opportunities for growth.”

The 2026 recipients are: Beeslaar Pinotage 2016; Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2016; Beyerskloof Pinotage Reserve 2016; Beyerskloof Pinotage 2007; Bouwland Pinotage Reserve 1998; Beyerskloof Pinotage 1996; Bouwland Bush Vine Pinotage 1995; Fairview Primo Pinotage 2011; Flagstone Truth Tree Pinotage 2015; Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2012 and 2011; Grangehurst Pinotage 2006; Groot Constantia Pinotage 2016; Kanonkop Estate Pinotage 2016 and 2009; L’Avenir Grand Vin Pinotage 2007; L’Avenir Pinotage 2001; Simonsig Redhill Pinotage 2016; and Spier 21 Gables Pinotage in magnum from the 2016 and 2015 vintages.

Absa’s long-standing partnership with the Pinotage Association reflects a shared commitment to South African wine, heritage and enterprise. The Absa sponsored competitions recognises the work of family-owned farms, established estates and winemakers whose cellars preserve an important part of the country’s wine history.

The Pinotage Association calls on all producers holding Pinotage wines older than 10 years to consider entering future awards. Setting aside bottles from strong vintages is essential: without producer wine libraries, the industry cannot assess, document and demonstrate how Pinotage develops over time.

Special recognition and appreciation to the 2026 panel lead by Bennie Howard, Anton Swart, Colin Frith, Christine Rudman and Sandy Harper. All seasoned Cape Wine Masters.

For more information contact brand@pinotage.co.za.

PHOTO CAPTION:

Back left to right: Nathan Valentine (Simonsig Family Vineyards), Daniel Keulder (Groot Constantia Wine Estate), Abrie Beeslaar (Beeslaar Wines), Lara Barnard (L’Avenir Wine Estate), Beyers Truter (Chairman Pinotage Association), Anand Naidoo (Absa Managing Executive), Jeremy Walker (Grangehurst), Anthony De Jager (Fairview)

Front left to right: Dirk Coetzee (Pinotage Association Exco), Anri Truter (Beyerskloof Wines), Johan Jordaan (Spier Wines), Gerhard Swart (Flagstone Winery), Cameron Muir (Kanonkop).

–ENDS-