South Africa 2021

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.

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.

In the early 20th century, Caperitif was mentioned in many of the greatest bartending books, and now Adi is bringing this Vermouth-like aperitif back to life. 46 different ingredients are infused into a wine base, which is fortified with grape spirit. It's utterly delicious, and transports you to the cape immediately. We love it with tonic and ice, but check our Adi's website for more cocktail ideas.

54% Chenin Blanc, 14% Semillon, 13% Roussanne, 9% Viognier, 6% Grenache Blanc and 4% Palomino. This is just so good. Floral on the nose, there’s notes of marzipan and sea spray, and then stem ginger and plenty of grippy texture on the palate. Our favourite SA white blend, surely.

A blend of Shiraz, Grenache Noir, Cinsault, Tinta Barocca and Touriga National, there's wonderful depth here, with notes of fynbos and lots of spice, with clove and dried thyme shining through. This is incredibly pure and fine boned: a brilliant wine from Adi and his team.

A unique wine in our South Africa offer, this is mainly Roussanne, with a drop of Chardonnay. It's all about texture and bright fruit. Roussanne can be a little heavy, but there's none of that here: it's savoury and fresh, with just a hint of herbal lift.

The Full Moon White is a field blend from a single vineyard on the Swartland’s Uitkyk farm, a farm where plenty of others source grapes. Just a handful of bottles are made of this blend of Chenin, Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay, from a 45 year old vineyard. Lovely weight on the palate, and plenty of energy. Delicious.

From a vineyard that only really started being productive at the age of 65, this is so lifted and pure. It's one of the best examples of Cinsault we know of in South Africa. Just so delicious.

A cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon, with very refined tannins, a little clove spice and lifted lavender notes, and a lovely core of dark fruit. Pieter is so talented when it comes to this grape variety.

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.

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.

The 2019 Epilogue underlines its credentials as one of South Africa's best Syrahs, and one of the best wines here in general. It's almost Hermitage like in intensity, with dried herbs and a hint of iron oxide on the finish. Reenen's wines get better and better. Don't miss this.

All the fruit for this comes from upper part of the vineyard, and is the result of three separate picks. This is lower in alcohol than usual, and has loads of yellow and greengage fruit, and lots of saline tension. Just so alluring: brilliant.

Chris comments that the 2020 Magnetic North had the most perfect grapes he’d ever seen. It’s from a 550m high vineyard, 30km from the coast, on red soils, with just 1.3 tons picked this year. This is stunning, and totally unique. It’s so savoury and herbal, with incredible focus and a finish that lasts for minutes. Stunning.

A blend of 32% Chardonnay, 25% Roussanne, 13% Chenin Blanc, 13% Verdelho, 5% Muscat, this is the first vintage this has been predominantly Chardonnay. This is so complex and delicious, and gets better and better every year. A brilliant wine from a wonderful producer.

The vineyard takes its name from from the final use for the land before vineyards were planted: to shoot a film about Napoleon. Here, clay and iron rich soils with schist, just 6km from the ocean give plenty of structure: this is an intense Pinot Noir. Notes of pomegranate and a hint of citrus complete the picture on this brilliant wine.

The Hoë Steen, literally high Chenin Blanc, comes from tall bush vines (hence the name) planted in 1968 on iron rich soils some 40km to the west. South facing it ripens late, and there’s a bed of limestone, virtually unheard of in the Swartland, that brings nervy acidity alongside the wine’s creamy texture. There’s a lovely peachy core here, and a long and saline finish. Brilliant.

The latest addition to the range is the Plat’bos, and this is just the third vintage released. This is a 1981 planted vineyard on decomposed granite, right nextdoor to Skaliekop. North facing, it’s the warmest site, and produces a spicy, ageworthy Chenin Blanc. The 2020 has remarkable yellow fruit, and a long, savoury, delicious finish. Bravo.

The first single vineyard they made was the Skaliekop, from a vineyard planted in 1985 on the Paardebosch farm. This vineyard is an anomaly: an island of schist on the normally granite Paardeberg. Indeed, the name means hill of Shale, and this gives a mineral, reserved character to the wine. This has notes of fennel and lime blossom, and the potential here is outstanding.

This comes from the legendary Skurfberg, from the Oudam farm. At this stage it's very tightly wound, with notes of thyme and fynbos, and incredible drive. Give this a couple of years, and it will be brilliant.

From the Oudam farm on the Skurfberg, this is perhaps the biggest bargain there is from this legendary mountainside far up the wild west coast. Notes of pink grapefruit and blood orange on the nose, and there's plenty of Chenin texture here, too. Bright, piercing acidity completes the picture on this ageworthy Chenin.

The Chi Riesling is from the cool region of Elgin, and reflects Jessica’s love for all things Mosel. Indeed, the soils here, at 300m of altitude and 10km from the ocean, are red slate, just like the hillsides above Urzig. It’s slightly off-dry (although in German classifications it would be classed as dry), and is a pure, savoury Riesling that’s simply delicious. Chi means ‘life force’, reflecting the energy Jessica seeks in her Riesling, and also refers to Chiuta, the African rain god: Elgin is the wettest part of the Cape. This ages brilliantly.

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.

Paul Sauer needs no introduction, and the 2018 is another brilliant example. Crunchy black fruit, notes of cigar box and plenty of graphite, too, with brilliantly rendered tannins. This lives up to the hype.