Wines are explained by means of a textural description as well as scored on a five-star scale. Back in the first edition, four stars were more than enough. But few would question the undoubted increase in quality of South African wine over the intervening two decades. Or the explosion of new names and labels, which has made it a physical impossibility for one man to taste all the wines on offer. To this end Platter has been joined by 10 associate tasters, including yours truly.
Ratings are where any numerate wine guide can come unstuck.
Some days it's up, some days it's down. If wines have their own biorhythms, rather than attempting to pin a star onto a moving target, far better to describe the thing. In this the guide succeeds. They're certainly in for this edition, along with all the unavoidable disagreements and pointed differences of opinion they necessarily generate. Written in an inimitable style, it was always a refreshing and off-beat analysis of the industry.