South African Wine

This gem of a wine comes from a small plot of Clairette planted in 1977 and almost forgotten, until the vineyard was salvaged more than four decades later. This wine is crafted with minimal interference allowing the fruit of these once untended, unirrigated old bush vines to express a unique provenance.

Delicately aromatic with lychee, greengage and citrus fruit. Taut and textural palate with apricot, mango and ripe citrus stone fruit. Concentrated yet restrained, the fruit perfectly balanced by fresh acidity and mineral notes. Gently savoury and long on the finish

The grapes are sorted, de-stemmed and crushed. Fermentation process started with juice still on the grape skins, whereafter the wine was left on the grape skins for a further 6 months. The clear wine was then racked, blended and bottled. Intense savoury nose with notes of dried citrus peel, marmalade, brown spice and almond skin. Full flavoured and textural on the palate with flavours of apricot kernel and fruit peel followed by a fine bitter orange finish.

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.

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 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

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

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.

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.