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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The 2020 Empire Strikes Back is a blend of Verdelho, Marsanne, Viognier, Roussanne, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, and is fragrant, textured, and impressively long. There’s a ripeness to the fruit here, but it’s not overblown: rather, it’s all about layers of flavour and precision on the saline finish. It’s a brilliant South African white: one to discover.

The 2020 Little William Syrah is a stunning, cool-climate Syrah from one of South Africa’s most dynamic producers. It’s cool, fresh and perfumed, with lots of floral lift and a really mineral finish. This is so delicious now, but will age well, too.

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.

From young wines on Chris’ own farm, from Oudam and Arbeitsend farms on the Skurfberg, and from Piekenierskloof. All dry farmed Chenin, this is so complex and fragrant, with plenty of up front fruit and a long and fine finish. Brilliant: a fine debut.

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.

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.

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 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.

From seven different vineyards, planted on different soils, with planting dates ranging from 1968 to 1985. This is the best yet: suave and silky, with just enough palate weight and a lovely thread of acidity.

49% Chenin Blanc, 10% Roussanne, 9% Semillon, 8% Marsanne, 7% Clairette Blanche, 6% Viognier, 5% Verdelho, 4% Grenache Blanc and, for the first time, 2% Colombard . This is a stunning blend, with lovely weight, floral lift, and a mouthwatering finish. Very nice indeed.

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.

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.

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.

2017 was a spectacular vintage in South Africa, and this Cabernet Sauvignon is a brilliant iteration from Kanonkop: possibly the best we’ve tasted from here. This is fine-boned, crunchy, but with perfect ripeness. Don’t miss this.

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.

Taking it's name from the horses that used to work this plot, the Perdeblokke is a real beauty in 2020. There's such energy here, alongside the opulence we've come to expect from this warm site. Sweet and sour in character, this will convert even the most anti-Sauvignon wine lover.

Just a few hundred bottles of this single block are produced: for Matt, it's a play thing, something that informs the rest of his winemaking. Notes of ginger and fresh grapefruits swirl from the glass of this wine, that's all about texture and purity. South Africa's best Sauvignon Blanc?

Block 382 is a single vineyard at the top of the Klein Constantia hillside, and the 2020 is intense and pure and remarkably textured. Just a few hundred bottles are produced this: we're thrilled to be able to offer it in the UK.

The 2016 Kaaimansgat Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique from Krone is a stunning fizz that puts many Champagnes at double the price to shame. Notes of apple and a hint of fresh ginger on the nose, as well as citrus peel, there’s a focussed palate with just the right amount of richness. This is utterly delicious and long. It’s well worth discovering.

The 2020 Phoenix Chenin Blanc comes from a single old vine, organically-farmed vineyard in Paarl, planted with bush Chenin Blanc vines. 70% was vinified in tank, with 30% in barrel (the barrel component was aged at Radford Dale while Sam’s cellar was rebuilt, and hence the wine isn’t labelled organic - Radford Dale isn’t organic). The wine is brilliant. Focussed and textured, with real vibrant energy and an incredibly long finish, it’s not to be missed. 

A blend of grapes from Greyton and Cape South Coast. Lovely energy here, with fynbos and tapenade notes, and then a core of dark fruit. Very nicely done.

The 2018 Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc comes from a blend of fruit from the Lismore vineyards, and also from a vineyard overlooking Walker Bay. Creamy, with notes of nettle and manuka honey, and a lovely lifted grapefruit finish. This is textured and poised, with a persistent finish. Really rather lovely.

The most improved wine in Franco’s cellar, this is a stunner in 2020. It’s a blend of 44% Grenache Noir, 31% Cinsault, and 25% Syrah, and is floral, lifted, and so light on its feet. There’s such perfume here, as well as incredible energy. Just such a delight.

From a vineyard on the Piekenierskloof planted in 1977 at 750m altitude, on sandy soils (remarkably close to the Skurfberg), Steen means Chenin Blanc in Afrikaans, while Skuinskap refers to the training method that's typical up here, more commonly used for table grapes. It's a tense, vibrant expression of Chenin, that's sure to have an impressively long life ahead. Just 1,333 bottles produced.

For Lukas, a good glass of Cinsaut should be like jumping into weightlessness, shouting Geronimo. This comes predominantly from 40+ year old vines on the Helderberg, and is one of our favourite Cinsauts from South Africa. Floral and fine, with citrus lift and real salinity, it's an absolute beauty. Slightly chilled, it's ready to go right away - but it will surely age brilliantly, too.

Lukas is a huge fan of Loire Cabernet Franc, and the Breton is definitely more in this style than most examples from the country. The 2020 is perfumed, with notes of violets and a minty lift, while the palate is silky, saline, and very long indeed. It's from the Polkedraai, from the estate where Lukas lives, and the wine is the hidden gem of his range. Not to be missed.

The 2020 Trust your gut is absolutely gorgeous. Floral, perfumed and wonderfully lifted, there's a core of grapefruit and elderflower, as well as greengage and yellow plum, and then leesy complexity on the palate. There's such drive on the finish, from the Paardeberg fruit, and then a peacock's tail of flavours emerges. Remarkable, and for this price a must-buy.

The 2020 Graft, Syrah from the Polkedraai, is a wonderfully pure, peppery expression of Syrah. There's high-toned fruit that's lifted and floral, and then there's silky tannins and plenty of freshly ground pepper on the finish. Really suave and cool, this is one of SA's best Syrahs.

Lukas van Loggerenberg lamented the lack of a rosé culture in South Africa. And so he decided to do something about it. This comes from Cinsault vines, from the closest vineyard to the southern ocean in Stellenbosch, on the sandy soils of the lower slopes of the Helderberg. More akin to top Bandol rosé than easier, quaffing styles, it’s saline, savoury, and totally beguiling. A total bargain at this price.

The 2020 Stars in the Dark comes from 3 different sites within the Cape Agulhas ward, in the far south of the African continent. With parcels on clay, shale, and koffieklip, and each plot treated differently, this is a stunningly pure, silky, complex Syrah. Notes of wild flowers and white pepper swirl from the glass, while the palate has astonishing purity and focus. There's the salinity on the finish that we've come to expect from this great wine. This is not to be missed.

The 2020 Experimental Blanc comes from a single Semillon vineyard planted in Elgin. It's a vibrant, pure, textured while, with stunning purity and a long and focussed finish. This will age beautifully: bravo Sam.

The 2019 Connect the Dots comes from 3 different sites - 2 in Elgin, that have subsequently been ripped out, and one in Stellenbosch, on the Helderberg. The wine is whole bunch fermented, and has lift and pepper spice, and a really beguiling texture. This is a real beauty.

The Syrah is as true an expression of this grape variety in the Swartland’s varied terroirs as you’ll find. In 2018, it’s a blend of four parcels planted in the stony Shale and Schist based soils of the Kasteelberg; two parcels of dry-land, bush vines grown in the decomposed Granite of the Paardeberg; and one on the rolling, iron-rich soils west of Malmesbury. The vines are aged between 22 and 30 years, and while it was delicious on first release, it’s a wine that is ageing impressively. There’s slightly less whole bunch this year, and it’s really open, grippy, and very fine.

From a plot in Franchhoek planted in 1932, there are just 5,000 bottles of the Franschhoek Old Vines Lötter Cinsault.

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 a parcel planted in 1900, this is an incredible Cinsault of depth and power, and remarkable structure. Tiny quantities produced.