Elgin Vintners Merlot Claims Trophy in Global Fine Wine Challenge

Elgin Vintners Merlot 2019 showed its class against 600 of the best of New World wines, winning the overall Merlot Trophy in the 2022 Global Fine Wine Challenge in Australia.

Elgin Vintners was one of only two South African wineries to win an overall trophy across 22 classes of wine varieties and styles in the exclusive, invitation-only challenge. South Africa’s top 120 wines competed against 120 each from four other leading New World winemaking countries, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada.

The 2019 Elgin Vintners Merlot received scores between 95 and 98 from an international panel of Masters of Wine, who commended the wine’s typical cool-climate brightness, freshness and vitality; its flavour complexity, classic structure and superb balance.

2019 was an excellent vintage and this wine just continues to shine and showcase the quality and distinctive style of Merlot that is produced in our unique elevated cool climate valley. Not only does our Merlot 2019 continue to earn accolades from local and international critics and in competitions as it matures into its full elegance and grace, but it is much-loved by consumers too for its fresh fruit purity and soft power.

Elgin Vintners Merlot 2019 has a four-star rating in the 2023 Platter’s South African Wine Guide and was ranked one of South Africa’s 10 best Merlots in the 2022 SA Merlot Forum competition. The wine was scored 91 points by Tim Atkin MW in his authoritative SA Special Report and 90 points in the Gilbert and Gaillard guide.

The Global Fine Wine Challenge (previously the Six Nations Challenge) aims to highlight the very best of New World wines and promote their quality and rich regional diversity.

A leading local wine authority in each of the five countries personally selects and invites 120 of their country’s top wines to compete in the challenge. The South African selector is well-known wine critic and international judge Michael Fridjhon.

* Buy Elgin Vintners Merlot 2019 at R230 from our online shop at https://elginvintners.co.za/buy-wine/