South African Wine

A harmonious blend of barrel fermented, old vine Franschhoek Semillon with Sauvignon Blanc from high altitude vineyards in Stellenbosch. Made with Wildeberg's cornerstone philosophies of minimal intervention winemaking, wild ferment and coarse filtration to capture the essence of the source vineyards and soils.

A single vineyard Pinot Noir from the cool Elgin region near Grabouw. Elegant and light in style, with an abundance of ripe red berries, juicy strawberries and subtle spices on the nose which follow through on the palate where it marries perfectly with a savoury meatiness.

Longridge Wine Estate

Daschbosch is one of the country’s oldest wineries, dating back to 1754 and this is one of my favourites from the estate. From 60 year old vines, it’s on the intense side – the fruit has been worked pretty hard to give a real richness and texture with bags of stone fruit flavours balanced by a taut acidity on the finish.

From Chris- "Pinotage has a reputation of being something of a “Marmite” variety and, in truth, I still blow pretty hot and cold with it. It’s very much a South African speciality - a cross between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir that’s been around for 80 or so years. At its best it’s all about lush, brambly fruit – loganberries and blackberries, at the other end of the scale it reeks of acetone and burnt rubber. I remember a tasting with Andre Van Rensberg, then winemaker with Vergelegen, who responded to a question with the retort “I’ve never killed anyone, never stolen from anyone and never planted Pinotage.” Any road up, I think this is rather good. Delheim were the first to produce a rose Pinotage in 1976 so they’ve had plenty of time to finetune their act. This is elegant and clean-as-a-whistle with more than a hint of strawberry fruit. Proper summertime rose."

The grapes from the Helderberg region stem from an old vine block dating back to 1974. Aromatic on the nose, yet soft and smooth on the palate. Lightly tinted and medium bodied, this wine greets you on the nose with aromatic floral notes which follow through onto the palate with ripe strawberries, cherries, sweet spices and soft tannins on the mid palate.

Accolades.

NEW RELEASE 92/100 Tim Atkin MW 2017; 4 ½ * – Platter Wine Guide 2018

Longridge Wine Estate

Single vineyard wine from the Helderberg region with notes of cinnamon and sweet spices. Barrel matured with ripe yet soft tannin.

Accolades.

4 * – John Platter Wine Guide 2017, South Africa; Top 100 SA Wine Awards; 93/100 Robert Parker – Wine Advocate 2017; Top 100 & Double Platinum Awards 2017

Longridge Wine Estate

Dark garnet with a violet rim. Fresh lifted berry fruit that draws you in! Full yet elegant with bramble aromas and cream, cassis and black cherry flavours on the palate with structure provided by fine tannins with a long rich, ripe finish.

The long wild yeast ferment provides bready aromas and additional complexity to the wine. Dried herbaceous notes, including fennel and aniseed from the nearby Fynbos, dominate the nose, followed by a creamy lemon character. The palate is reminiscent of the nose, with great textural complexity (attributable to the long, slow wild yeast fermentation), and more herbal characters.

The grapes for False Bay Whole Bunch Cinsault Mourvedre stem from bush-vine Cinsault (mostly old vines) in Stellenbosch and The Swartland, along with a small proportion of Mourvedre from Stellenbosch which adds a savoury depth to the wine. Although The Swartland is not as coastal as most of the vineyards used for the False Bay wines, it is an area where, quite frankly, grapes from old vines are available at the required prices. Thankfully, the area's old vines produce naturally low yields and retain good acidity despite being warmer and less windswept than Stellenbosch, so cooler, coastal Atlantic winds are less of a necessity for these gnarly old vines. Made by Waterkloof's talented young Cellarmaster Nadia Barnard. Balanced grapes are hand harvested, whole-bunch pressed and fermented spontaneously with wild yeast in stainless steel and wooden foudre. The wine is left on lees for a minimum of three months before bottling. No additions other than sulphur as a preservative. Grown, made and bottled in South Africa.

Old bush vine Cinsault forms the backbone of this ‘proper’ rosé. A pale, spicy and textural Rosé mostly sourced from bush-vine Cinsault with summer fruits on the palate and a lovely clean, savoury, dry finish.

False Bay Vineyards

Drought resistant Grenache Blanc vines thrive in Swartland’s granite-rich, sandy soils resulting in this fresh and expressive style. Ripe, peachy aromas on the nose, gently spicy with notes of apricot and dried mango. A pithily generous palate, full flavoured and fleshy with a crisp salinity on the finish.

The wine shows concentrated marzipan and citrus notes, with underlying hazelnut and lime notes, which adds to layered complexity. The wine is seamless, with flavoursome and long finish.

Beautiful fruit purity of limes and ripe gooseberry, with tropical, floral and fine herbal notes, ruby grapefruit and white pear drop on the finish. This is cool climate Sauvignon Blanc – vibrant, mineral, elegant, balanced and delicate, with a long, layered and complex finish.

Iona

Distinct notes of minerality, combined beautifully with citrus and lime aromas on the nose are complemented by shortbread and dessert peaches on the palate, ending in a refreshing, lingering and perfectly balanced finish.

Longridge Wine Estate

Dark and concentrated in colour, this wine greets you on the nose with aromas of ripe red fruits, plums and pencil shavings which follow through onto the palate with chewy black cherries, sweet spices and tannins on the mid palate. The wine ends with a lingering umami finish.

Longridge Wine Estate

A medium bodied wine with a savoury nose and slight cedar characters. Ripe, yet soft tannins complement the aromas of plump dark, red fruit and ripe strawberries with a hint of dark chocolate and cocoa on the nose.

Longridge Wine Estate

A toasty marmalade, pineapple, lime and honey nougat character on the nose gives way to a fresh acidity on the mid pallet ending, in a long lingering finish, with tropical fruits and charry vanilla.

Longridge Wine Estate

An elegant, well rounded wine with soft juicy tannins, the nose offers sweet spices, cassis and ripe berries, sugared orange peel, rooibos and a smoky charcuterie character which follows through onto the palate, with a long and lingering aftertaste.

Longridge Wine Estate

Elegant, fresh cherry and red berry nose with undergrowth melange. The palate is pure with lovely texture and sweet cherry fruit dominates with spicy undertones. The wine is fresh and intense with real vibrancy.

An untraditional style, where elegance and true character prevail over colour and intensity. Gently compelling with aromas of the earth and stony minerality. The palate includes red fruits, cherries, a hint of spice and creamy refreshing acidity. This is pure, elegant, restrained Cinsault with warm notes of crushed rocks and the regions dry earth.

Iona winery uses organic practices in the cultivation of their wines. Minimal intervention whilst the grapes are growing with hand harvesting to select only the best grapes for the wines.

Succulent black cherry aroma, bright but delicate and hints of forest floor, with underlying floral and spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is powerful, with silk-textured length.

Iona

43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 9%Malbec

Blackberries, plum spicy hints and cedar against a cigar box background. The wine is well balanced with mouth filling fruit, elegant oak flavours and silky tannins.

Raka Wines

On the fecund plateau of Piekenierskloof there exists some extraordinary bush. Dwarfish, seemingly petrified stumps punctuate a high rolling landscape of ryegrass and rooibos. Amongst these are old plantings of Grenache Noir, Chenin Blanc and, here and there, Palomino. Strange Kompanjie has isolated one such block for a teeny release of old vine Palomino, planted in 1977.

Fresh and zesty aromas with notes of almond skin, fennel and even a little jasmine. A bright natural acidity on the palate with a teasing top note of grassy fennel, almond nuttiness and the residual salinity of an old dry grown vineyard. Drink slowly to take all this in.

Ripe peach and tropical fruit on the nose with fresh citrus notes. Honeyed and textured on the palate with crisp acidity and hints of honeydew melon and lychee leading to a bright, zesty finish with fresh lemony acidity.

Classic ancient vine Semillon selected from 2 small plots, the oldest planted in 1905. The fruit for the Wildeberg wines comes from the Franschhoek Valley only, hand-harvested, naturally-fermented and gently matured in the mountain barrel hall on the farm. Restrained, delicate aromas with bright citrus fruit offset by savoury, waxy notes. The palate has an impactful attack of taut, stony, highly textural citrus tang and terrific mouthfeel. A subtle, beautifully balanced wine with layers of expression.

Harvested from Chenin blanc bush vines planted in 1977. Skin fermented (naturally) until dry. Punch down, once daily. The wine was then pressed and matured in 400 litre Ceramic eggs for 7 months.

A briny nose of lemon zest, beeswax and freshly crushed sea-salt, the palate delights in an immediate attack of tangy citrus twang, sandpaper texture and cheek-tickling breadth of freshness. Rich and generous nonetheless, this has a long, lemon drizzle cake texture, flavour and nuance, if that cake was made absolutely bone dry.