In the world of South African sparkling wine, few awards carry quite as much weight as the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge. This year, the top honour has gone to a familiar name.

KWV's Laborie Blanc de Blancs 2020 has been named Best Wine on Show at the 2026 edition of the competition, the country's premier specialist event dedicated exclusively to Cap Classique. It also secured a Double Gold and the Trophy for Best Blanc de Blancs, completing an impressive triple.

This is not beginner's luck. It is the third time a Laborie Blanc de Blancs has been named overall winner. The wine first claimed the title in 2005, repeated the feat with its 2017 vintage in 2023, and has now done so again with the 2020.

Sacha Muller, White Winemaker at KWV, accepted the trophy on the label's behalf. "It was a very special moment to hear Laborie Blanc de Blancs announced as Best Wine on Show," she says. "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."

The win caps a stellar 2026 for this vintage. Earlier in the year, it scored 96 points and a Gold medal at the Investec Trophy Wine Show, before British Master of Wine Tim Atkin named it his Best Value Sparkling Wine of the Year in his 2026 South Africa Report, awarding it 92 points.

For Kobus van der Merwe, Senior Winemaker for White Wine at KWV and the man responsible for the Laborie Cap Classique portfolio, the overall win means more than a single trophy. "It tells a much bigger story than any single award. It speaks to a style that has been able to deliver consistently over time," he says. "I am extremely proud of the team. It reflects their passion, consistency and pursuit of excellence."

Made entirely from Chardonnay, Laborie Blanc de Blancs is crafted using the traditional method, with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. The style marries the freshness expected of a Blanc de Blancs with the texture and complexity that only bottle maturation can bring.

On the nose, it offers green apple, citrus and lime, layered with toasted bread, hazelnut and nougat. The palate is creamy, round and beautifully structured, with a fine mousse, lively acidity and a long, satisfying finish.

Held annually since 2002, the Amorim Cap Classique Challenge is regarded as a key benchmark for the category, bringing the country's leading examples together for specialist judging. For Laborie, the latest result confirms a track record defined not by one exceptional vintage, but by consistency across successive releases.

Which makes it an easy choice for your next celebration, and a very good reason to find one.