August Bank Holiday Cellar Raids: Day Two

From the vineyard next to the cellar - Kelder in Afrikaans - this is as bright and energetic a Chenin Blanc as you’ll find. Volumes are miniscule, and the vines were planted in 1972. Floral and intense.

Planted in 1954, this old block of Cinsault gives an intense and refined expression of the grape. There’s real energy here, and there’s also notes of fynbos, negroni, and very fine but almost Nebbiolo-like tannins.

From a vineyard planted in 1968 at the entrance to Adi’s property, this has lots of yellow fruit and an almost tropical note, but remains taut and mineral on the finish.

From a vineyard planted in the 1940s, which also provides Eben’s Skerpioen, this is a saline, pithy, long, delicious white that’s one of Adi’s hidden gems.

Fewer than 1500 bottles are made of this, from a vineyard planted in 1966. This is intense and vibrant, and there’s so much concentration and depth of flavour. A brilliant Chenin Blanc.

Tinta Barocca has huge potential in the Swartland, this parcel, planted in 1972, shows it beautifully. There’s notes of iron oxide and black pudding, with a core of dark fruit. Structured and intense, this will age brilliantly.

Miniscule production here - just 800 kg of grapes or so come from this wall-surrounded vineyard, planted in 1963. It’s savoury and spicy, with notes of ginger and rooibos. This is intense and stunningly pure.

From the same vineyard on the far west coast of the cape as Eben Sadie’s Skerpioen. This Palomino is savoury, fresh, and beautifully balanced. It’s a curious, long-lived white that’s seriously impressive.

A serious Cinsault from a vineyard planted on the Paardeberg in 1954. This has notes of liquorice, rose petal, and lifted strawberry fruit. And it will age brilliantly, too. Powdery tannins complete the picture. You can almost taste the soil here. Brilliant.

A blend of half Chardonnay and half Pinot Blanc, from the Gouges clone, this is fresh and zippy, with notes of mandarins and a hint of fresh hazelnuts. There’s incredible acidity on the long, savoury finish, which has you reaching for glass after glass. Brilliant.

A new project from Querciabella, all the fruit comes from high altitude vineyards on the Ruffoli hill, in the commune of Greve. Classically made, this is a profound, complex, ageworthy wine from Querciabella. There’s so much going on here, and the texture is astonishing. A new benchmark for Chianti?

Querciabella’s Super Tuscan, the 2017 Camartina is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese. The trick here is the estate’s high-altitude vineyards, bringing freshness and poise alongside astonishing depth of flavour and complexity. One of Italy’s greatest wines, this shouldn’t be missed.

South African winemaker Manfred Ing has been elevating this estate since his arrival and the Querciabella wines are considered to be some of the most exciting wines to be coming out of the Chianti region. A blend of 70 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Sangiovese, the 2019 vintage displays the richness and concentration that you would expect from a warm vintage, combined with the complex layers from a long growing season and long, cool autumn. Bramble fruits, wild herbs and sour cherries combine with dark chocolate and clove spice. Tannins provide great structure and the backbone from a wine with a juicy, concentrated core.

The 2020 Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. It's a rich and dark expression this vintage, with layers of blackberry, black plum and cassis. There's lots of complexity, with freshly roasted coffee, dark chocolate and dry spice. The tannins are bold too, and densely packed, adding to the rich texture here.

Planted in 1972 and 1978. Quite dark and powerful, lovely energy, silky, very cherry, lovely tannic character, hint of rose and talc too, nice texture and very good energy and length. Racy but a sweetness of fruit. Cassis on the finish, and good length.

From a plot planted in 1948, this has strawberry on the nose, touch of spice, and is silky and almost Pinot. There’s notes of pomegranate, lovely acidity, mouth watering and very long, flowing tannins, and a very fine and silky finish. Luminous

The fruit comes from the San Sebastiano vineyard in Monforte, a site that has exceptional expositions for the Barbera grape. A significant amount of whole cluster and whole berry fruit goes into this Barbera that is aged exclusively in concrete to preserve the wine’s true expression. Sour cherry and damson fruit take hold of this red fruit focused wine. Subtle reduction adds some complexity, along with the wine’s mineral core.

This is a brilliant example of the results of an intense Monforte site, and the careful, elegance-inspired winemaking of Lara and Luisa. Notes of petrichor and baked earth, and some balsamic notes give way to wild flowers and mulberries. The finish is structured, but the tannins are enrobed in wonderfully juicy fruit. A spectacular second Barolo from Lalù.

Contrada is the estate's 'Cru' and is made up of 90% Carricante and 10% indigenous white grapes. The wine spends 12 months in large oak and a year in bottle. Yellow stonefruits combine with honey and pink grapefruit. There is a saltiness and steely character on the palate, yet there is a concentration and density with a long length

The 2021 Testamatta is sourced from various hilltop vineyards with a bit of altitude providing some coolness to this warm vintage. The philosophy here is to make transparent, approachable wines, so techniques avoid anything that might create too much concentration in the final wine. There's a savoury, earthy element to the wine that brings that approachable, gourmand feel they are looking for, and the fresh black cherry fruit and violet, rose petal complexity builds on that appetising quality. The tannins are lithe and subtly frame the wine, leaving it feeling classic and effortless in style.

Ultra, meanwhile, takes its name from the farmer’s love of trance music - and more specifically a gig named Ultra. It’s a Chenin Blanc from the Swartland, and is generous, textured, and astonishingly good value.

Aasvoel is Verdelho, from a single plot in Stellenbosch, that Pieter’s always desperate to get his hands on. So much so, that he feels like a vulture - Aasvoel in Afrikaans - waiting to pick over the vineyard. It's a textured, mouth filling white, but with loads of focussed energy.

A left field blend from Pieter: Grenache, Cinsault, Pinot, Syrah and then some Chenin Blanc & Viognier. This is a ripost to those who claim Pieter is a jack of all trades, master of none. It's so easy drinking, but with the structure and length to make it interesting.

Brazen is a blend of Fernao Pires - from 37 year old vineyards in the Swartland - alongside amphora-aged Palomino from a 47 year old vineyard in Piekenierskloof, and Grenache Blanc from the Voor Paardeberg. It’s a savoury, textured, vibrant white, with a mineral finish that lasts for minutes.

The 2021 Syrah is a brilliant iteration of this legendary wine from Boekenhoutskloof. This outstanding vintage has resulted in a wine that has delicacy and focus, but also incredible structure. Notes of violet and dark fruit, and lots of energy on the finish. Spectacular.

While the Epilogue Syrah gets all the plaudits, the Sons of Sugarland is arguably just as good, if not even better. It sees no oak, and is a peppery, suave, floral expression of the grape. With bottlings like this, it's no wonder that Reenen is regarded as one of the Cape's Syrah masters.

Sourced from a 2.5 hectare parcel at the top of Falletto, the red label Le Rocche del Falletto Riserva is one of Barolo’s most iconic wines. Dark and layered, the 2017 iteration of the wine offers up an aromatic intensity that’s perfectly wrapped in suave, impeccably judged tannins. This year's top Barolo from Bruno Giacosa is outstanding, and yet again it’s well worth seeking out.

Mineral, fine, and remarkably complex, this 2018 is a really lovely wine. The palate has cherry fruit with some rose petals, and then lifted notes of seville oranges, and just a hint of spice. There’s a quinine-like minerality that comes through on the finish, making the finish of the wine very long, and making you reach for another glass.

Attractive perfume of red cherries, wild flowers and raspberries combine beautifully with a savoury gravelly note. The palate is very precise with a zesty acidity and well knit tannins. An approachable Barolo that showcases the best the region has to offer.

Sourced from across the Barbaresco region, from trusted suppliers, this is a wonderfully fragrant example of the region's everyday grape variety.

Yet another wine that shows just how good the 2014 vintage is. Soaring aromatics, incredible finesse, and remarkable length. A complete wine.

Silky, supple, and charming, the 2018 Barbaresco from Giacosa is a wonderful example of what makes Barbaresco so alluring. Rose petals and some citrus fruit, too, and there’s also a real energy on the palate. This is very fine-boned, and there’s an almost Pinot-Noir like clarity to the finish.

As with all of the wines at Giacosa, this is a lovely expression of the grape variety. Lots of cherry yoghurt here, with plenty of spice, too. Serve slightly chilled for a delicious red for summer.

A parcel within a single vineyard. Rocche sits at the top of the hill and has the oldest vines within the vineyard. Complex layers of red plums, cherries, rose and sweet clove and cinnamon spice. There is a herbal note on the palate as well as a leather that adds intrigue, with firm powdery tannins that are quite prominent now, but will almost certainly calm down in a couple of years. This is a classy wine that needs time.

Asili is a great vineyard in Barbaresco, and 2019 is a brilliant vintage. The result is a wine that dazzles with its intensity and finesse, and also with its nobility. The tannins are grippy but fine-boned, and the fruit is perfectly ripe. This lasts an age.

Wonderfully fresh and vibrant, particularly for a 2017, this has notes of cinnamon and freshly cut flowers swirling from the glass. A finessed and classy Barbaresco, that's surprisingly ready to go.

Yet another wine that shows just how good the 2014 vintage is. Soaring aromatics, incredible finesse, and remarkable length. A complete wine.

Bruno Giacosa put lots of emphasis on his Roero Arneis, and this is one of the best examples as a result. There’s lovely drive, with pithy pears, and a slightly savoury, floral character, too.

2008 was an outstanding vintage in Piedmont, and this shows it off. A rare treat.

From a more exposed site, fermented on the skins of the amarone, to bring richness and power alongside the stunning perfume. It’s then aged in 500 litre tonneaux for 18 months, bringing spice and textural complexity. One for the cellar.