Multiple awards for Benguela Cove at the Michelangelo Wine Awards 2022

In the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards Benguela Cove Wine Estate was awarded a Platinum medal, two gold medals and one silver medal.  

The Michelangelo Wine and Spirits Competition, Africa's largest wine and spirits competition, is unique in Africa in that all judges hail from five different continents. Throughout the competition's history, there have been more than 263 individual judges from 47 countries. An international 100-point OIV judging system is used by panels of 5 judges to judge all entries. 

What do these awards mean?

Platinum Award

In order to receive a Michelangelo Platinum medal, wines and spirits must score at least 96 points out of 100. This remarkable level of excellence was achieved by only 19 entries worldwide in 2022. Among the total entries received in 2022, these 19 outstanding products rank among the top 1.15 percent. 

Johann Fourie, cellar master at Benguela Cove says: 

“In addition to our Chardonnay, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Moody Lagoon, we have recently achieved great success and our team could not be prouder. 

“Patience in waiting for the right conditions together with meticulous care in both the vineyard and the cellar paid off in the form of our Michelangelo Platinum medal.”  

The estate’s Vinography Petit Verdot 2020 and Lighthouse Collection Syrah won gold medals which again highlights Benguela Cove’s quality across various wine ranges but also for both red and white wines, says Johann Fourie 

Our Winemakers’ notes each of our award-winning wines

Vinography Chardonnay 2021 - Platinum Award winner 

This wine exuberates elegance. Immaculately constructed to honour fruit with a delicate balance between all the components. The fruit and acidity add to that beautiful and lingering length that is translated into the wine’s intensity and concentration on the palate. The smart use of oak adds structure and texture with a saline trail for a dry, rounded finish. 

Vinography Petit Verdot 2020 - Gold Award 

The power of this wine lies in its elegance and all the delicate nuances that define a sophisticated red wine. It delivers on a montage of dark fruit like mulberry, hemmed with a gentle perfume of incense, freshly pruned roses, and hints of dark chocolate. To balance the fruit, baking spice, graphite notes, and a slight peppery note add a savoury gloss.  

Lighthouse Collection Syrah 2020 - Gold Award 

There is nothing shy about this wine and one is met with an abundant display of violet, Turkish delight and mulberry followed by nuances of leather, cherry tobacco leaf and pepper as it opens up over time in the glass. As expressive and aromatic as it is, a twist awaits on the palate with a smokier, cumin-spice savoury character and mouth-filling intensity. Well-chiselled silky tannins and an assertive acidity conclude with notes of dark chocolate and blueberry fruit. 

Lighthouse Collection Moody Lagoon 2020 - Silver Award 

The balance of dark fruit and wild cherries in this blend will mould this wine into an array of dishes. Mulberry and blueberry are embraced with notes of cedar, both dried herbs like coriander seeds and the smell of crushing fresh herbs in your hand, leaving faint hints of rosemary behind.  

About Our Winemaker

It takes skill, focus and precision to lead a grape into becoming wine - especially wines of this caliber. Awarded Diners Club Winemaker of the year 2015, cellar master Johann Fourie has the ability to uphold this discipline while also enjoying the freedom to be a wine raconteur -  unpacking the story behind every soil, slope and microclimate that brought the grapes here. 

Experimental, yet finely in tune with that which nature has so generously bestowed onto this estate, Fourie looks forward to mapping out many vintages underlining his craft; pursuing the essence of place captured in every bottle.