Longridge Wine Estate

With a series of awards and a trophy cupboard which, it’s fair to say, is more along the lines of Barcelona than Birmingham City this is a truly impressive line-up. Stars of the show were the ridiculously pretty, The Emily, a Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend that just cries out to be drunk, a delicate, beautifully balanced 2015 Chardonnay, the truly exceptional, Bordeaux style, Eklipika 2014 – widely regarded as one of the country’s finest reds and, for me the real surprise – Pinotage 2015 – it’s Pinotage Jim but not as we know it; bright, full of sweet red fruit and not a trace of burnt rubber in sight.

Currently in conversion to organic viticulture, Longridge are fast becoming one of the Cape’s most highly regarded wineries. Since we visited in February, Neal Martin’s Wine Advocate notes and scores have been released with seven of their wines receiving 90+ ratings; no surprises that these include Clos du Ciel and Ekliptika but what has really delighted us is the 92 points awarded to the Pinotage 2015 which he describes as “outstanding” and the 90 points for the “regular” Chardonnay.

Winemaker Jasper Raats spent a number of years in New Zealand notably working with our friends Henri Bourgeois at Clos Henri before returning to South Africa in 2006. Not sure whether it’s the French influence, Kiwi inspiration or Afrikaaner experience but this is a phenomenal range of wines.

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