South Africa: New releases

Made by pinching the tops of the bunches, concentrating the sugars, and acidity, in the grapes, this is a really lovely sweet wine from Alex Starey. Green pineapple, ginger, and a hint of lemongrass create a very refreshing but intensely sweet wine. This is a blend of vintages, hence (for the one and only time) it's a N/V wine.

A small parcel of this, the single vineyard Chenin Blanc from the outstanding 2017 vintage, has been made available to us. It was planted in 1971, and this is in such a lovely place right now. Textured, lifted, and incredibly fine-boned, this is a stunning Chenin Blanc.

This 2017 from Keermont reminds us why we loved this vintage so much. A blend of Syrah from four vineyards, with just a dash of Mourvèdre, it’s energetic, intense, with a gorgeous structure of fine-boned tannins. And the finish goes on and on, and more and more complexity emerges. Just so delicious.

From a North-East facing vineyard, this is all about intense fruit and spice. There’s a floral element here that wouldn’t look out of place in the best Côte-Rôties, and there’s also remarkable fruit purity. This is so long and fine boned. Brilliant.

Much more savoury and structured than the steepside, this is much more Cornas to Steepside’s Côte-Rôtie. The palate has notes of lavender and other herbs, and there’s also loads of bloody notes. From a vineyard that sees no morning sun, it’s no surprise that it’s so savoury and complex. This will age spectacularly.