This year’s judges were James Pietersen (panel chair), Wine Cellar’s MD and a regular judge in this and several other leading local wine competitions; winemaker Boela Gerber Cape Wine Master of Groot Constantia and Richard Kershaw Wines (the eponymous label of Richard Kershaw MW); Penny Setti, former sommelier at Chef’s Warehouse and now owner of Penny Noire wine bar; Malu Lambert, an award-winning wine writer and contributor to Platter’s South African Wine Guide and a selection of titles, including jancisrobinson.com, Decanter and The Buyer; and newcomer to the panel, Spencer Fondaumiere, sommelier and chair of the South African Sommeliers’ Association. The associate judge was Shawn Mathyse, winemaker at Ken Forrester wines.