South Africa 2024 - Full List of Wines

From the vineyard next door to the cellar - Kelder in Afrikaans - this is a quintessential Paardeberg Chenin Blanc. Planted in 1974, the vines are now considerable in size, and this has orchard fruit and lots of spice.

It's hard to explain just how easy this is to drink. A blend of Shiraz, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Mourvedre and Grenache, it's juicy, supple, and fresh with ease and joyfulness in the glass.

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.

The 2020 Raaigras is a beautiful Grenache, coming from just twelve long rows of the vineyard in front of the estate, planted in 1952, making it the oldest Grenache in the Cape. It’s delicate and floral on the nose, with a power and intensity that builds over the palate. There’s stunning freshness here, and a long and mineral finish. Beautifully done.

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 Chenin that would make many German GG producers blush. Electric on the palate, this is pure, crystalline and saline. Primarily a mineral wine, there are notes of white peach, pear and stone fruit with white flowers and verbena. This is a wonderful effort from Sebastien Beaumont in the Bot River.

From Somerset West, with 60% Cabernet Franc this year. This is utter class, not overdone in the slightest with aromas of white pepper, violets, fresh strawberry and cherry. Grilled herbs and cocoa dust linger on this detailed, finessed Bordeaux blend.

A Cinsault Shiraz blend with the Cinsault sourced from a 72 year old vineyard in Darling. This is supple and vibrant showing fresh summer berries, cola and crushed violets. Some wild herbs, fresh earth, and a little white pepper spice on the finish which is wonderfully long.

A single vineyard Chardonnay from Stellenbosch taken on in 2022 making this the second vintage for Pieter. The wine sees 40% untoasted new oak giving a faint acacia and vanilla pod note with fresh stone fruit. The vineyard faces into False Bay accounting for the real purity and salinity on the finish.

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.

Saline, long, and with a mouthwatering texture, Boekenhoutskloof’s Semillon stands out as one of South Africa’s highly lauded white wines. It’s sourced from three different old vine vineyards, planted in 1902, 1936, and 1942. This has lots of orange blossom on the nose, with plenty of drive. And on the palate, the wine displays a touch of smokiness, and plenty of complexity and spice. The 2021 vintage is not to be missed.

Quickly gaining cult status, this is a spicy, peppery, elegant style of Syrah with an almost ethereal lift. Focus and supple on the palate with notes of wild herbs, iris, blood orange, and black cherry it offers just a little ferrous twist on the finish. Extremely fine.

A brilliant Chenin from the young Kiara Scott. From old vine Chenin Blanc, planted in 1985, which is grown on decomposed shale and granite. It offers restrained aromatics of pear skin, honeycomb and golden citrus with just a hint of toast. The palate is deep and concentrated. Yellow apples, kumquat and peaches sing above the chalky texture and fine, crystalline finish.

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.

Only 3800 bottles made of this shimmering Pinot. Using 40% whole bunch fermentation, there are notes of rose petal, allspice and nutmeg, with wild herbs mingling with the vibrant cherry and pomegranate fruit. A deliciously complex Pinot with layers of fruit and spice on the finish.

An intense, bold style of Chenin this offers real intensity of apricot and stone fruits on the palate, notes of salted almonds, acacia and peach skin. The soils is very shallow shale soils in the Paardeberg, which gives the wine a real mineral focus.

From a vineyard planted in 1984, only 999 bottles were made this year. It is wonderfully pure, opening out on the mid-palate with notes of orange blossom, bitter melon, and apricot. Very fluid and saline on the finish.

From a vineyard planted in 1968 this is more flinty, spicy and driven in style. Offering notes of white grapefruit, verbena, with real tension at its core this is a beautifully chiselled Chenin.

At the moment the most reserved of the range, it also holds the most promise. Planted in 1981 on the Paardebosch farm the soils are primarily decomposed granite. Leading with notes of pear, white peach, and white flowers, there is also hints of ginger, lemongrass and chalk dust. Very crystalline and tense right now, this will age gracefully.

From the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, this is beautiful, lifted style of Pinot with impressive freshness and intensity. Opening with a little spice and grilled herbs on the nose there is a core of dark berry fruit, and fine-grained tannins that linger, it's a very classy Pinot Noir.

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. The palate offers fresh red berries, cherry blossom and a little pepper on the finish.

Abrie Besselaar is a true master of Pinotage, and the Kanonkop Estate Pinotage in 2021 is simply brilliant. It offers bright cherry fruit, plum with notes of wild thyme, a little cocoa and a supple, fine-grained tannin. This wine will age gracefully, offering super fine aromatics, that become more and more Pinot like.

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.

The most iconic Pinotage from the Cape is Kanonkop’s Black Label. From a vineyard planted in 1953, the finest site on Kanonkop’s estate in their eyes, just 6,500 bottles are produced of this wine. Laden with delicious oak spice, it’s powerful and intense, but yet so poised and effortless. Morello cherry, dark chocolate, coffee beans, wild herbs, with fresh violets the spectrum of flavours is immense. A unique wine: this needs to be tasted to be believed.