Seven wines from the Doolhof Wine Estate’s portfolio received recognition form Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate website, eRobertParker.com. This site is an independent consumer’s guide to fine wine, and the ratings are widely regarded as the most influential in the wine world. Robert Parker’s rating system employs a 50-100 point quality scale, called Parker Points®.

It is Parker’s belief that the various twenty (20) point rating systems do not provide enough flexibility and often result in compressed and inflated wine ratings. The Wine Advocate takes a hard, critical look at wine, and the tasters are known to rather underestimate a wine’s quality than to overestimate it. The numerical ratings are utilised only to enhance and complement the thorough tasting notes, which are the primary means of communicating the judgements.

Neal Martin, the taster who samples the South African segment of the wines described Doolhof’s wine portfolio as follows: “Doolhof offer a reliable, occasionally excellent range of full-bodied but well-balanced and fresh South African wines from Paarl and Wellington”.

The highest scoring wine was the 2011 Dark Lady of the Labyrinth Pinotage, described by Neal as “one of the best Pinotages that I have tasted. It has a lovely nose of dark plum, mocha and mulberry that is fresh and vibrant, managing to tread the line by being immediately identifiable as Pinotage, but far fresher and vital than you imagine. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, lively dark cherry, plum and mulberry fruit with hints of coca and sage. The finish is precise and long, finishing of this fine Pinotage with some style. Drink now – 2017”.

Here is a list of the wines and the ratings received.

2011 Doolhof Dark Lady of the Labyrinth Pinotage, 92 points

2008 Doolhof Lady in Red Estate Reserve, 90 points

2008 Doolhof The Minotaur, 89 points

2010 Doolhof Lady in White Estate Reserve, 88 points

2008 Signatures of Doolhof Merlot, 88 points

2009 Signatures of Doolhof Cabernet Franc, 88 points

2008 Signatures of Doolhof Pinotage, 86 points

From the site, the ratings are described as follow:

90 – 95:
An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.

80 – 89:
Above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavour as well as character with no noticeable flaws.