South Africa: New releases

One of the most underrated wines on our list, this is a blend of 10 varieties that ages spectacularly. Pithy, textured, with brilliant volume, it’s a white that you really have to discover.

Shiraz 58%, Cinsault 14%, Tinta Barocca 14%, Mourvèdre 9%, Grenache Noir 5%. The 16th release of this benchmark red, that’s smoky, intense, and finely structured. A real stunner, from a great vintage, you’ll want to let this age.

Tinta Barocca is one of the great grapes of the Swartland, and this comes from a single vineyard planted in 1966. Floral and intense, and almost bloody in character, this is remarkably well balanced, and very long indeed.

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.

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.

The style that Andre has made his own, this is an ageworthy white, with lots of bright yellow fruit, a savoury character to the palate, and also lots of energy. This is surely a match for Andre's old baby, the GVB from Vergelegen.

A Malbec that comes from Keermont’s vineyards, and named in honour of Alex Starey, this is such a joyful wine. Juicy and intense, with lots of blue and black fruit, and also simply brilliant freshness. A delight.

A Cabernet Sauvignon from the high-altitude, cool Ceres plateau, this has so much going for hit. There’s just a hint of greenness, but that gives this lift and life. It’s a cool-climate Cabernet that offers incredible value for money.

Verdelho from the Helderberg, this takes its name from the Vulture, as in its early years Pieter had to hang around and wait for others to take their fill before he could access the vineyard. Now his grapes are more secure, and this is always a favourite: a wine all about texture, length, and definition.

The first release of this Chardonnay, from just four rows of a Chardonnay vineyard on the Helderberg. This is grippy and fine boned, with lots of ginger spice, and also a lot of freshness on the finish.

100% merlot from Stellenbosch, this blew us away when we tried it in February. From a vineyard on the Simonsberg, this has notes of blueberries, and then also lots of violet character, and a charming, saline, mineral finish. Brilliant.Just 902 bottles made.

From the vineyard we’ve come to know and love for Retirement at 65, this is a pure Cinsault. It’s delicate in colour, but there’s so much intensity and vitality here. Notes of rose petal, and also a core of spice. Charming.

Grenache blanc, Verdelho, Grenache Gris and other bits and pieces, all sourced from the Voor-Paardeberg, this is a delicious mediterranean-inspired blend, that has so much savoury, herbal character, with pith, and long finish. We’re fascinated to see how this ages.

Is this the best Syrah that Boekenhoutskloof have made? Surely a worthy successor to the legendary 1997: this gets better and better under Gottfried's management. Now 90% from Porseleinberg's blue schist soils, and 10% from Goldmine's brown schist, this has astonishing aromatics, with wild flowers and pure fruit, and the palate is so refined and elegant. There's minerality on the finish, which lasts for minutes. This is undoubtedly a match for the world's greatest Syrahs.

Mainly Grenache, with around a third Syrah, this is made in a fresh, lifted style, for easy drinking. It's inexpensive and easy to approach, with red berries, cherries, pepper and rose. It gives a lot of bang for your buck.

A blend of parcels of younger vines, from the Swartland's Malmesbury Hills and the Paardeberg, as well as sites throughout Stellenbosch. 2022's selection also meant that some serious old vine fruit made it into the blend, making it even better than usual. Complex yet approachable, this is the best example yet.

54% Grenache, with less Syrah than usual, this red blend has lots of focus, very fine tannins, and a long, fynbos-infused finish. Very nicely judged, charming, and already approachable.

From five vineyards in the Swartland, this has lots of Thyme and Pomegranate notes, with wild strawberries and lots of focus, too. There’s tension and salinity, and a long and pure finish. Beautifully done.

A blend of nine varieties, this gives a lovely impression of the vintage. There are notes of pineapple and peach, as well as plenty of spice and herbal notes. Beautifully complex, but also refreshing and approachable, this is a lovely white wine.

From eight vineyards, including the four single vineyards, from across the Swartland. A lovely wash of fruit here, with notes of fresh honey and hay. There’s a power and purity to the palate, and there’s also real grip and salinity. This will age brilliantly. A bargain.

This is a brand new wine from the Helderberg in Stellenbosch, generally thought of as the finest spot in South Africa for growing Bordeaux varietals. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, and shows lots of cassis fruit, savoury spice, and there's wonderfully refined tannins. This is a brilliantly exciting new wine: you should join this journey from the very beginning.

From the Laing's farm on the Skurfberg, this is a remarkable old vine Chenin Blanc vineyard. There's notes of orange blossom and rind, and an almost negroni-like perfume. So complex, piercing, and delicious, it's no wonder that the wines from the Skurfberg are so sought-after.

Just an incredibly delicious Merlot from Ginny's Stellenbosch estate, this is plummy, juicy, and fine-boned, with a lovely thread of acidity. One to pop and pour.

From Kaaimansgat, from the same vineyard as Peter-Allan Finlayson's Malabel, this is a cool climate Pinot Noir that dazzles with its freshness and purity. Jessica has to battle the baboons here for the grapes, but it's well worth it: this is floral, delicate, and very long. Not the most powerful, the finish lasts an age.

From the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, this is a wine that shows impressive freshness and intensity. A core of dark berry fruit, with lots of spice on the nose and the palate, and fine-grained tannins that linger, it's a very classy Pinot Noir. It's a shame there's so littler.

While Paul Sauer gets the plaudits, this is a brilliant value red from Kanonkop. In 2018 it's intense and refined, with notes of cassis and dark cherry, and also lots of grippy tannins and store cupboard spice. A benchmark Cabernet from the Cape.

Arguably the Cape's greatest Pinotage, Abrie Besselaar has crafted something impressive in 2020. A core of morello cherries and some darker fruit gives way to a palate with some savoury notes, alongside fynbos and a hint of smokiness. Where this wine really excels is with some age: it becomes more and more Pinot like. Squirrel away a case or two while you can.

A blend of 46% Chenin Blanc 20% Chardonnay, 14% Sauvignon Blanc, and coming in at an easy 13.5% alcohol, this is a wine all about pithiness and bright freshness. There’s an easygoing nature to this, but don’t underestimate its ability to age: a 2009 alongside was very impressive.

This has more intensity and up front fruit than the 2017 at the same stage. There’s really crunchy berries here, notes of pepper spice, and then also a lot of fynbos and spicy complexity. Such a brilliant Syrah for the price.

The more elegant of the two single vineyards, the 2018 Steepside has notes of blood orange and also lots of red berries and a real sense of energy on the palate. The nose is almost ethereal in its character: this is a beautiful wine.

Named in honour of American heiress Clara Eliza Hussey, a former owner of the Klein Constantia estate, the Clara is an unparalleled South African Sauvignon where only the best grapes of the vineyard make the cut. Sauvignon Blanc shines in the granite soils of the Constantia hillside, and only free run juice is used. The result is a light, bright and aromatic wine. Truly delicious.

An iconic, historic wine from South Africa, the 2020 Vin de Constance is beautiful, with an unctuous, nectar-like texture, ripe apricot, and honey flavours.

A South African benchmark. The first vintage after the fire, 2021 is a spectacular year. This has remarkable intensity on the palate, with notes of white pepper, wild strawberries, but also a hint of black olive. So complex, long, and poised, in ten years this will be remarkable.

From a range of vineyards across the Cape South Coast region, this is an intense and wonderfully poised cool climate Syrah. Notes of pepper and graphite, and lots of lifted red berry fruit. There's a focus and length here. Delicious.

A newer wine for Lismore, this comes from Walker Bay, and has plenty of points of difference from the Chenin Blancs from Stellenbosch and the Swartland. Notes of orange blossom and jasmine, alongside a core of apple fruit, and lots of texture.

A blend of Shiraz, Cinsault, and Grenache, this is a wine that gets better and better with every year that goes past. So much pretty fruit, with tension and lots of savoury notes. There’s a purity to the finish, and lots of mineral savouriness that shines through. Gorgeous.

A blend of 52% Chenin Blanc from a 61 year old vineyard in Piekenierskloof planted on its own rootstocks, alongside 27% Verdelho and 13% Colombard. This is very saline and fresh, and there’s lots of pithy fruit, too. Delicious.

From a single vineyard planted in 1977 on the decomposed sandstone of the Piekenierskloof, this is a brilliant Chenin Blanc. There's a luminosity here, and also a real freshness. But don't let the subtlety fool you: this is a serious wine, with a lot of potential in it.

Named in honour of Franco's daughter, Lua, this is a delicate, perfumed, almost Pinot-like Grenache from the Piekenierskloof. Tiny quantities are made, and its rightly soughtafter. Notes of pomegranate and wild strawberries, and also lots of spice on the finish. Just so pretty, long, and refined.

61% of this comes from the Paaderberg, with the rest from the Polkadraai. And that gives this wine a brilliant balance of Stellenbosch yellow fruit, and Swartland savouriness. It’s full of energy: a benchmark Chenin Blanc from the Cape.

A wine that Lukas dreamt up when he spent 8 days in hospital with Covid. From the Swartland, this has 9% Grenache, 3% Cinsault, with the balance made up of Syrah planted on Schist. Generous and velvety, but still with finesse, it’s utterly delicious.

In 2022, Lukas sees this as his blue-eyed boy. 45% is aged in concrete to maintain purity, and this is a wine all about subtlety and balance, with wonderfully refined tannins and a core of pure fruit on the palate. Wonderful stuff.

A blend of 70% fruit from Lammershoek on the Paardeberg, planted in 1966, with a 1980-planted vineyard also on the Paadeberg. This is savoury and saline, and there’s lots of fynbos and confit lemon character. Long, savoury, and so vibrant.

From the Rustenhof farm, with the closest Cinsault vines to the ocean, this is stunning. Bright and juicy, 40% stems brings a lift and a herbal complexity. There’s purity and aromatic complexity, yet it remains so lively and fun. Delicious.

Lukas calls this his easiest wine to make: it’s 100% whole bunch fruit, aged in concrete tanks. Salt and pepper on the palate, with amazingly fresh fruit, and tannins that coat the mouth and last an age. Just such a brilliant Syrah.

From a vineyard farmed by sand in Niemandsrivier, in Elgin, this is cool-climate Syrah that shows lots of pepper and slightly darker fruit than the Stars in the Dark. Planted in 2006, this is another standout wine from one of the cape’s biggest talents.

Includes Agulhas fruit for the first time, so this is 84% Elgin (Niemandsrivier) 9% Agulhas, 7% Stellenbosch. It’s bright and lively, with notes of blood orange and a core of crunchy cherry fruit. Very fine tannins are present but not overbearing, and the wine is long, focussed, and very fine indeed.

This is a blend of: 34% Stellenbosch Chardonnay (skin fermented for 11 days); 9% Stellenbosch Chardonnay; 26% Bott Stellenbosch Old Vine Chenin; 17% Stellenbosch Old Vine Muscat (fermented for 7 days on skins and stems); 11% 2020 Reserve Chardonnay aged for 2.5 years in Barrel; and 3% Cool Climate Elgin Riesling. It’s complex and delicious, with lots of bright acidity, notes of lemon curd, and sea spray. Long and poised, it’s an impressive white.

The wine that made Sam’s name, two sites just 8km from the ocean go into this. It’s so expressive and fine, with the salinity and minerality that makes it such a remarkable wine. Already so drinkable, this will age wonderfully, too.

From the Voor Paardeberg, this is a complex and well-balanced Grenache Blanc. It has notes of yellow fruit and plenty of spice and herbal notes. In no way overblown, this is a masterclass in balance from Marelise.

A long, cool vintage has brought an impressive iteration of this much-loved wine. Notes of Fynbos and tapenade, and then a tense and stony finish. This is very intense, slightly austere, with impressive tannins. It will age wonderfully.

From 2 blocks on the Helderberg, this is from 28 to 25 year old vines. There’s a core of blackcurrents, that are crunchy and refined. This is smoky and peppery, with lots of complexity on the finish. A delicious Stellenbosch Cabernet.

This is like a blend between the granite and schist syrahs. There’s a ripeness to the fruit, with notes of cherry and dark bramble. But there’s also a tension and intensity to the acidity, which keeps it all in balance, and very long indeed. There’s so much volume here: a very impressive wine.

From Jakkalsfontein farm, now owned by Adi Badenhorst. Lots of purity and focus, they’ve worked with this block since 2005. Very delicate and fresh on the finish, with lots of floral character.

So much perfume on this, from their own Roundstone farm. There’s a lot of herbal complexity, as well as ripe black cherries, and a meatiness. This is classic Schist Syrah: so complex and with a ton of definition.

From the Eikerlan vineyard on the Paardeberg, one of the highest altitude spots here, this is incredibly focussed and mineral, with notes of lemon pith and anis. So intense, precise, and long.

From the Mullineux’s own vineyard on the Paardeberg, this has a breadth and density. There’s extra phenolic intensity here, from the thicker skins, and that brings a grippiness and a more yellow fruited character. More intense.

Due to the vintage being warmer and drier, more stems were used in 2022. This has a lot of tension, which is balanced with ripe yet perfectly fresh fruit, and a lot of mid palate weight. This remains a benchmark for the Hemel-en-Aarde.

Very fine and pithy. Really nice fruit definition, that is fresh and juicy - and there’s also lots of cool fruit. Nicely balanced. There’s a very bright energy and good depth and density here. Good value.

Lower vigour than the Seadragon, here the family benefitted from being able to wait for harvest in 2022. They let it hang for an extra week, and the resulting wine has 40% stems included. It’s dark and opulent, but also very saline and savoury. Impressive.

What used to be called Patatsblanc, this is blend of Colombard and Chenin Blanc. The wine is intense and focussed, with beautiful definition of fruit. Easy going but precise, there's an almost Chablis-like character to the fruit on the finish.

The 2022 Bosberaad comes from the same vineyard as usual: one of the coolest on the Paardeberg. It's tense and vibrant. Notes of grapefruit pith and anis swirl from the glass, while there's plenty of ginger spice and orange peel on the palate. This is a benchmark Chenin from Paul and Pauline: a bargain at this price.

A blenc of Chenin from the Paardeberg (including some of Donnovan's most prized grapes), Verdelho, and Viognier. As with all of his wines, this is much more about texture than fruit intensity. It fills the mouth, and lasts an age.

From 2 vineyards on the Piekenierskloof, aged in concrete eggs, this is an incredibly intense, saline, textured white from Donnovan. One of the Cape's best Grenache Blancs, this is seriously impressive, with energy, texture, and concentration.

Mainly from a vineyard in Darling, this is all about perfume and fragrance. There's a lot of tension here, and also very fine tannins, and a wash of floral notes on the finish. Very pretty, and very long.

The only Cinsault Blanc we know about, with just a few hundred bottles made. This is apple-fruited, textured, and saline, and is so much more than a curiosity. Long and pithy, and incredibly delicious, you'll be reaching for another glass.

This is a brilliant iteration of one of the most interesting reds in our range. From a region that is marginal for Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 is beautifully floral, with hints of oak and refined but grippy tannins. There’s real tension on the long, savoury, mineral finish.

From a bush-planted old vines in Stellenbosch, this is a wonderful example of Cape Sauvignon Blanc, from one of South Africa’s most exciting talents. On the nose, orange blossom and plenty of grapefruit pith, while the palate is tense, textured, and stunningly long. This would pass for a wine at double the price. A brilliant white: not to be missed.

Just 12.5% alcohol from this parcel, next to Chris Alheit's Nautical Dawn. 2022 was a brilliant vintage here, and this has so much yellow fruit and pith, and also a very long and intense finish. So lively, but with real gravitas.

A vineyard planted in 1996, this is the last bushvine Stellenbosch Syrah left. Dense and saline, this has a lot of tannin, but also the fruit inteensity to balance. This will age brilliantly.

Mainly a 1988 parcel, but with some 1968 vines, too. The wind is key for this wine, Bernhard explains. It's an energetic Cinsault, that's all about lift and brightness, and red berries and spice. The finish is saline and has you reaching for another glass right away.

A small production white from Rudiger Gretschel, that's a blend of 90% Chenin blanc and 10% Palomino. It's savoury and grippy, and really showcases the potential of the Piekenierskloof to make world class wines. This is a really impressive white blend, that's well worth discovering.

A single parcel in the remote Piekenierskloof produces this impressive Pinotage: surely one of the Cape's most exciting. Just a handful of bottles are made, but this is expressive, fine boned, and very long indeed. There's notes of red berry, minerality, and just a hint of spice on the finish. Don't miss this.

A Bordeaux blend with a little Syrah and Sangiovese, this is a really charming, approachable wine from Schalk and his team. Notes of morello cherry, and also plenty of cinnamon and clove spice. Just delicious, and great value.

The third vintage of this reborn wine, that's predominantly Cabernet Franc. It's grippy and intense, but more approachable than the 2019 at the same stage. However, this is sure to age brilliantly, with the freshness, tannic structure, and flavour complexity to make old bones.

The Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard on the Hemel-en-Aarde ridge, and is a delicate and perfumed, with crunchy cranberries, and notes of thyme and fynbos. Fine boned but with plenty of stuffing, it's clear why the producers in the valley are so excited by 2022s. This is beautifully judged.

The 2021 Grenache Blanc, sourced from vines grown on the famed granite soils of the Voor Paardeber, is another magnificent effort from winemaker Chris Williams. Displaying pithy citrus fruit and a round, enveloping texture, it's an incredibly well-balanced and fine-boned wine. 2021 was a brilliant white wine vintage across the Cape, and this is consistently one of the best value wines in our range. Not to be missed.

The 2020 Viognier from The Foundry is a really lovely expression of this grape variety. It has a little of the peach character you'd expect of Viognier, but it remains brilliantly balanced, with plenty of saline minerality on the finish. Just delicious.

Arguably our favourite Roussanne from the Cape. It comes from the Voor Paardeberg, and is surprisingly deep in colour. Aged half in terracotta and half in older oak, this is all about grip and tension rather than oiliness. Just such a complex, delicious wine.

In 2022, Chris Alheit ended up with more fruit than he expected. And so, with the help of Richard Kelley MW, this wine was born. It’s fresh, vibrant, and completely delicious. There’s notes of pith and straw, and vibrant acidity on the palate. The finish is long and saline: while these grapes didn’t make the grade for the Alheit’s legendary wines, this bears more than a little bit of their mark.

From a vineyard in Paarl planted in 1956, yields from here are absolutely miniscule. There's pure peach on the nose, with plenty of citrus lift and a beautifully textured palate. A lovely addition to our range.

A 44 year old vineyard on the Paardeberg makes this classic Swartland Chenin Blanc. Notes of nashi pear and straw, with bright citrus and a luminosity to the fruit. Very long and focussed, with a huge potential for ageing.

Bukettraube is likely a grape you don't know brilliantly, but it's found its home in a few small vineyards in the Cape. Hanneke and Pauline are doing something quite special with it, making an utterly delicious Pet Nat. Sometimes likened to Muscat, this is floral and peachy, with very fine bubbles, and a vibrant finish. A delicious fizz.

From an old Palomino vineyard at 670m of elevation, which sees some skin contact, this is an impressive wine from Pauline and Hanneke. It's incredibly complex, with notes of ginger and guava, and also lots of fynbos character on the finish. It's the kind of wine that has you reaching for glass after glass.

The second vintage of this delicious Pet Nat, that's almost muscat like in its aromatics and complexity. There's a simple deliciousness here, with vibrant fruit, intense freshness, and so much joyfulness.

This is an ageing Cabernet Franc bushvine on the edge of the Paarl appellation, that’s grown on weathered sandstone and decomposed granite soil. It’s a very silky, elegant expression, with lots of top floral notes, and then very silky tannins, too.

Chris Keet's Weather Report is a brand new producer, and he focusses on Cabernet Franc from the Cape. This is a blend of sites and soils, and is a really lovely wine. Informed by the best examples of the Loire, but with a little more SA sun, it's silky and savoury, and very long indeed. A brilliant first vintage.