KWV’s Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020 takes the crown at Amorim Cap Classique Challenge
Double Gold, the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs and the competition’s overall title add to a standout year for this stellar Cap Classique.
Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020 has been crowned Best Wine of Show of the 2026 Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, after receiving Double Gold and the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs at South Africa’s premier specialist competition for Cap Classique.
The triple accolade extends the impressive winning streak for Laborie’s vintage Blanc de Blancs at the competition dedicated exclusively to South African Cap Classique. It further cements the KWV label’s reputation as a standard-bearer for excellence, underscoring Laborie’s position as one of the country’s most trusted and consistent Cap Classique brands.
A winning pedigree
This marks the third time Laborie Blanc de Blancs has been crowned overall winner of the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge. The wine first claimed the competition’s Best Wine on Show title in 2005 and repeated the achievement with the 2017 vintage in 2023. Now, Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020 has added a third overall victory, securing Double Gold, the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs and the coveted Best Wine on Show title.
Sacha Muller, White Winemaker at KWV, was at the awards to receive the trophy on behalf of Laborie.
“It was a very special moment to hear Laborie Blanc de Blancs announced as Best Wine on Show,” says Muller. “Receiving the award on behalf of the team made it even more meaningful, particularly knowing that this is now the third time a Laborie Blanc de Blancs has taken the competition’s top honour. It is a result we will remember for a long time.”
Its latest success also follows two significant endorsements earlier this year. Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020 scored 96 points and a Gold medal at the 2026 Investec Trophy Wine Show, before British Master of Wine Tim Atkin named it his Best Value Sparkling Wine of the Year in the 2026 South Africa Report, where it received 92 points.
For Kobus van der Merwe, Senior Winemaker, White Wine at KWV, who is responsible for the Laborie Cap Classique portfolio, being named overall winner is particularly meaningful.
“It tells a much bigger story than any single award. It speaks to a style that has been able to deliver consistently over time. It is a real honour to receive this recognition from the prestigious Amorim Cap Classique Challenge, and I am extremely proud of the team. It reflects their passion, consistency and pursuit of excellence.”
A stand-out performance for the 2020 vintage
Made entirely from Chardonnay, Laborie Blanc de Blancs is produced according to the traditional method of secondary fermentation in bottle. The style combines the freshness expected of Blanc de Blancs with the additional texture and complexity developed through bottle maturation.
On the nose, the wine shows green apple, citrus and lime, layered with notes of toasted bread, hazelnut and nougat. The palate is creamy, round and structured, with a fine mousse, lively acidity and a long finish.
The Double Gold adds further weight to an already compelling set of independent results for the 2020 vintage and reinforces Laborie’s credentials in one of the most competitive categories in South African wine.
The Amorim Cap Classique Challenge has been held annually since 2002 and is regarded as a key benchmark for South African Cap Classique, bringing the country’s leading examples of the style together for specialist judging.
For Laborie, the latest result is another chapter in a track record increasingly defined not by one exceptional vintage, but by consistency across successive releases.
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