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Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020 claims the competition’s highest honour as KWV secures two major titles, supported by 12 Double Gold and 12 Gold wine medals.
KWV has delivered another landmark performance at the 2026 Veritas Awards, claiming two of the competition’s highest honours: the Duimpie Bayly Veritas Vertex Trophy for the fourth time in its history, and the Top Achiever title for cellars entering eleven entries or more for the sixth time in seven years.
The results extend two remarkable winning streaks for KWV: three consecutive Vertex victories and four consecutive Top Achiever titles.
Leading the celebrations was Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020, which claimed the coveted Vertex Trophy, making it only the third Cap Classique to receive this distinction since the award’s introduction in 2017. The trophy recognises the competition’s overall champion, selected through a further evaluation of the Double Gold-winning wines.
For Kobus van der Merwe, KWV Senior Winemaker: White Wine, the significance of the award goes beyond the trophy itself: “It is rare to encounter a wine with this level of consistency and such an extraordinary award-winning pedigree, even over an entire winemaking career.”
Consistency recognised across KWV’s wine portfolio
KWV’s Top Achiever title was accompanied by 12 Double Gold medals across its wine portfolio, a new record surpassing its previous high of eight in 2025. A further 12 Gold medals brought its combined tally to 24, reflecting quality across premium red wines, Cap Classique, fortified wine and mature vintages.
Particularly noteworthy was the performance of older wines, with eight Double Gold medals awarded in the Museum Class. Six went to The Mentors collection, highlighting the ageing potential of wines that have developed over several years in bottle.
KWV’s 2026 Veritas Double Gold-winning wines:
Wine and Cap Classique
- Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020
- KWV Roodeberg Reserve 2023
- KWV The Mentors Perold 2023
- KWV Classic Collection Cape Tawny NV
Museum Class
- Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2019
- KWV Roodeberg Dr Charles Niehaus 2017
- KWV The Mentors Cabernet Franc 2017
- KWV The Mentors Canvas 2017
- KWV The Mentors Chenin Blanc 2023
- KWV The Mentors Grenache Blanc 2021
- KWV The Mentors Perold Tributum 2017
- KWV The Mentors Pinotage 2017
The Gold medal results revealed another interesting measure of consistency, with several consecutive vintages recognised. Cathedral Cellar Chardonnay 2024 and 2025, The Mentors Chenin Blanc 2024 and 2025, and The Mentors Cabernet Franc 2022 and 2023 each received Gold.
The Mentors Petit Verdot also earned Gold for both its 2023 vintage and the 2017 vintage entered in the Museum Class, further demonstrating the collection’s capacity for maturation.
For KWV Chief Winemaker Justin Corrans, the results reflect the collective expertise, sound judgement and consistency that have become hallmarks of KWV’s winemaking.
“We are ecstatic to be recognised at this level again. What makes me especially proud is that this success extends across so many of our wine styles. Different varieties, vineyards and vintages present their own challenges, yet our team continues to deliver.
“From grape to bottle, there is a dedicated, hardworking team behind every wine. Their experience, judgement and commitment are what make results like these possible, and they deserve every bit of recognition that comes with them.”
KWV Brandy adds to the celebrations
KWV’s spirits portfolio contributed a further two Double Gold medals, awarded to KWV 15 Years Brandy and KWV XO Brandy.
Five Gold medals followed for KWV 5 Years, KWV 10 Years, KWV 12 Years, KWV 20 Years and KWV VSOP Signature Release.
The results add to the achievements of the World’s Most Awarded Brandy, extending KWV’s success beyond wine to its internationally recognised brandy portfolio.
A remarkable journey for Laborie Blanc de Blancs
The Veritas Vertex Trophy crowns an exceptional awards season for Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020, which was named Best Wine on Show at the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge just weeks earlier. There, it also received the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs and Double Gold, marking the third occasion that Laborie’s Blanc de Blancs has secured the competition’s overall title, following victories in 2005 and 2023.
The 2020 vintage also earned 96 points and Gold at the 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show, while Tim Atkin MW awarded it 92 points in his 2026 South Africa Report, naming it Best Value Sparkling Wine of the Year.
Yet behind its remarkable run of awards lies a particularly meaningful story: a wine crafted during the uncertainty of 2020, from a single Chardonnay vineyard block in Wellington, and matured for five years on the lees.
“The 2020 Blanc de Blancs was made during Covid, so there is something quite special about seeing something so beautiful emerge from such a challenging time. I am incredibly proud of this wine,” says Van der Merwe.
“It all starts with terroir and how we allow the vineyard to express itself. Timing is everything with Cap Classique, particularly when it comes to harvesting. We don’t simply harvest a vineyard from one end to the other. Our team walks the vineyards, taste the grapes and assess each block individually. Sometimes we identify just ten rows that have exactly the character we’re looking for.
“From there, the decisions become even more precise. Which grapes will benefit from a little barrel maturation? Which should be picked earlier to preserve the freshness and tension we need in the base wine? There are so many variables, and every decision influences the final result. I believe it is in that fine-tuning, in the smallest details, that we get closest to perfection.”
For Van der Merwe, the ultimate lesson of the wine’s journey is patience:
“You cannot rush these wines, especially a Blanc de Blancs. Every stage matters, and a decision made at any one point can have an enormous impact years later. Today, that patience has been rewarded.
“It takes an entire team to make something like this happen, from the people harvesting the grapes to those working in the cellar and on the bottling line. I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve achieved together.”