Post HouseVineyard
ACCLAIM
While we enter very few competitions we regularly submit our wines for rating with the world’s leading wine publications. We have a consistent 90+ record for most of our wines, however this is a small selection of the ratings that we are most proud of.
WINE SPECTATOR
This US magazine is also available online. Full time tasters (James Molesworth for SA) taste wines blind every day and publish comprehensive vintage reports.
96 Highest score ever awarded to a SA red. Syrah 393 2011
95 Syrah 393 2012, 2009 & 2007
94 Elevation 393 2005, Syrah 393 2010, Cabernet Sauv 2009, Straw Wine 2007
93 Elevation 393 2008, Syrah 393 2008, Straw Wine 2009
92 Elevation 393 2006 & 2007, Blueprint Syrah 2007 & 2011,
Chenin Blanc 2008, 2011 & 2012
91 Chenin Blanc 2009 & 2010, Cabernet Sauv 2006 & 2007, Blueprint Syrah 2006, 2008 & 2009
"But let me make this clear if a decade's worth of reviews haven't made it clear enough already: David Trafford makes some of the most distinctive, compelling wine in South Africa. And his Syrah is one of my favorites."
- James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
JANCIS ROBINSON
Jancis Robinson MW has been writing about wine since 1975 and is responsible for many reference books on wine including the Oxford Companion to Wine and, with Hugh Johnson, The World Atlas of Wine. All ratings out of 20.
17.5 Blueprint Syrah 2012
16.5++ Syrah 393 2012
16.5+ Merlot 2010
STEPHEN TANZER
Stephen is an American wine critic, editor and publisher of the bimonthly since 1985.
94 Straw Wine 2007
93 Elevation 393 2006
92 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 & 2009, Blueprint Syrah 2011,
Straw Wine 2010
91 Elevation 393 2008 & 2009, Syrah 393 2007 & 2011
Chenin Blanc 2012 & 2013, Blueprint Syrah 2007,
Merlot 2007, Straw Wine 2008
90 Syrah 393 2010, Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 & 2008, Blueprint Syrah 2008 & 2009
THE WINE ADVOCATE
Robert Parker is widely acknowledged to have been the most influential wine critic in the world. He now has a team of tasters and Neal Martin is responsible for tasting SA wines.
93 Blueprint Syrah 2009
92 Elevation 393 2008, Syrah 393 2007
91 Elevation 393 2007, Syrah 393 2009, Chenin Blanc 2011, Blueprint Syrah 2011
90 Elevation 393 2005 & 2006, Syrah 393 2008 & 2010, Chenin Blanc 2010 & 2012, Blueprint Syrah 2008, Merlot 2007
TIM ATKIN
95 Syrah 393 2014, Straw Wine 2015,2018,2021, 2020 Merlot 2014, Elevation 393 2014, 2015, 2016
94 Syrah 393 2012, 2013 & 2015, Blueprint Syrah 2014,
Chenin Blanc 2015 & 2017 & 2018, Straw Wine 3V, 2017,
Cabernet Franc 2014, Merlot 2015, Chenin Blanc Reserva 2018
93 Elevation 2011 & 2012,2013, Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 ,2014,2015,2017,2018,Blueprint Syrah 2012,2013,2016,2017,
2021 Straw Wine 2010, Chenin Blanc 2016,2023 Merlot 2012,2016,2019,2020 Syrah 393 2016, Skin Macerated Chenin
Blanc 2023
92 Merlot 2010,2011, Elevation 393 2009 Syrah 393 2018 Chenin Blanc 2020, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
91 Elevation 2018
PLATTER WINE GUIDE
The leading local guide, all wines are tasted sighted and 5 star wines nominated and then tasted blind by a panel.
The following wines all received 5 stars:
• Chenin Blanc Reserva 2018
• Blueprint Syrah ‘08,’12, ‘15
• Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
• Syrah 393 ’05, ’08, ’18 ’19 (’08 Wine of the year)
• Elevation 393 ’13, ’14 ‘15
• Straw Wine ‘17 ‘18
• Merlot 2016
• Cabernet Franc 2015 (CF of the year)
• CWG Perspective ’06, ’17
• Drawing Board 2019
CAPE WINEMAKERS GUILD
David Trafford has been a member of the Guild since 2000. The CWG is an association of some of the finest South African winemakers and membership is by invitation only.