🏆 Decanter World Wine Awards 2026 — Platinum, 97 points
The Hartenberg The MacKenzie 2022 has been awarded a Platinum medal and an outstanding 97 points at the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards — the world’s largest and most influential wine competition. Platinum sits just below Best in Show, placing this Stellenbosch flagship blend among the very finest of more than 17,000 wines judged from 58 countries, and making it one of only eight South African Platinum winners.

2022 Vintage — Bottelary Hills, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Hartenberg has been farming the Bottelary Hills since 1692. The estate sits across cool, north-facing slopes near the foot of Bottelary Mountain, with a patchwork of soil types — dolerite, decomposed granite and Cape shale — that lends itself naturally to structured Bordeaux-style reds. The MacKenzie is the flagship Bordeaux blend, named after the MacKenzie family who acquired the estate in 1948 and shaped its quality-led, single-estate identity ever since.

The 2022 vintage is a classic Stellenbosch Bordeaux blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon and joined by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot — all hand-harvested from estate vineyards. Open-tank fermentation with gentle extraction, followed by extended maturation in French oak (a measured proportion new) to build structure and savoury depth without overshadowing the fruit.

The 2022 release shows a deep ruby core with a fragrant nose of cassis, blackcurrant leaf, cedar, graphite and a fine floral lift. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, generous and complete — concentrated dark fruit, supple ripe tannins, lifted spice from new oak and a long, savoury, mineral finish. A serious Bordeaux blend built to age — excellent with rare beef, slow-cooked lamb shoulder, or hard mature cheeses.