Fine and Rare

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.

From the great 2021 vintage this is a wine of both breath of fruit yet tense, vibrant energy. Coming from red clay soils on Malmesbury, this has notes of apricot and lots of lime blossom. Flinty, floral and mineral it is a truly multi-dimensaional wine. There’s lots of minerality on the finish, and it lasts an age.

From a vineyard planted in 1953, the finest site on Kanonkop’s estate in their eyes, just 6,500 bottles are produced of the Black Label Pinotage. It’s powerful and intense, but it’s the quality of the tannins that’s simply remarkable. A unique wine: this needs to be tasted to be believed.

The superstar Christo Le Riche does it again with this, a selection of their longest standing single vineyard in their range. This is totally and utterly stylish. Serious Cabernet with graphite and gravel at its core. Tannins run from front to back with focus and relentless energy. There is a hint of some blue fruit on the mid palate, but this is otherwise quite a brooding cassis driven, coiled style of Cabernet with very subtle cedar and sandalwood notes.

A blend of 85% Chenin Blanc and 15% Clairette Blanche. The Chenin is old bush-vine fruit sourced from the Paardeberg in the Swartland, while the Clairette Blanche is sourced from vines in the same area of 43 years old. The Chenin is fermented in an older 400 litre French barrel while the Clairette Blanche is fermented in a concrete egg before blending. The nose opens with white flowers, fennel - this is really delicious. There is a crystalline and saline feel with subtle savoury notes of miso. Aromas of peach and apricot on the palate with some apple skin with ocean spray freshness on the finish.

The Dry Red is inspired by the South African reds of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. At this time, wines labelled as Cabernet Sauvignon would frequently have a considerable proportion of Cinsault, and this is an equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Cinsault, and is a wine built for long ageing.

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.

This single vineyard Cabernet Franc represents only the second release from this exceptional site. Planted stok-bypaaltjie on the east-facing slopes of Leeu Estates, this benefits from the cooler morning sun and long-slow ripening period. Beautifully pure, aromatic nose of violets, earth, pepper and cherry blossom. There is a real sense of energy here, the feel of the tannin is so finely managed - pixelated and very fine. Stylish.

A lavish wine with dense fruit, soft spice and violets. The lush black and red fruits merge to a savoury core, strewn with mineral characters and freshly turned earth. The firm framework and granular tannins are rooted in the clay soil, lengthened by fine, sinewy tannins in the finish.

This Chardonnay from Newton Johnson originates from the estate's best single vineyard site, demonstrating the clarity and energy characteristic of the granitic soils within a cool maritime climate. Confident, flinty (but not too much), crystalline, this is measured and taut from start to finish. Spiced pear, acacia flower, peach skin, this is very finely detailed.

Very pure on the nose, with notes of citrus and stone fruit. Very tight and young - and lots of energy. This is very stony - salty and mineral, with lots of citrus. Craig likens it to St-Aubin, and we can see what he means.

From the northern part of Elgin on shale soils that lie over clay. The wine shows intense black plum and bramble fruit, with black pepper and some subtle charcuterie notes. Fine grained, powdery tannins with crushed iris lingers on the finish.

The grapes for this wine are carefully sourced from a specific block in the Hemel-en-Aarde RIdge. It is crafted exclusively from clone CY548, renowned for imparting stony, meaty, robust flavours to the wine. This has a Chablisienne style, absolute focus with a saline, mouthwatering core. Orange peel, white grapefruit, and bitter lemon notes, with is perfectly chiselled. Delicious

Eben wants his signature wines to be “true inhabitants of the land”, reflecting their Swartland origins. When Columella started in 2000, it was a blend of Syrah and Mourvèdre. But that has now evolved into a blend of six of the seven official grape varieties of the Swartland, adding Grenache, Carignan, Cinsault, and Tinta Barocca (the only missing variety is Pinotage - in Eben’s words, “a grape that was made by man”).

Eben’s benchmark red from a legendary vintage, this is a beautiful wine in 2017. It’s a blend of Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault, and is Sadie’s ode to Swartland. Silky and fine, with astonishing energy, it’s one of the great wines of the world.