South Africa: New releases

The Family White is a blend of Chenin Blanc alongside Grenache Blanc, Verdelho, Roussanne, Palomino and Semillon. It shows the classic tautness of the Paardeberg’s granite soils, but with a few years in bottle, it flourishes, becoming waxy, mineral, honeyed but yet still savoury. This is stunning. Orchard fruit, grapefruit and a hint of cinnamon. This is so complex, so much tension and a finish that lasts an age. Brilliant.

The Klipkop Chenin Blanc is planted next door to the Golden Slopes vineyard. Planted two years earlier, in 1966, it’s a richer, more fruit forward expression of Chenin: there's richness but also delicacy on the finish. So much to like here.

The Golden Slopes Chenin Blanc vineyard is situated at the very entrance of the Kalmoesfontein estate, with vines planted in 1968. It takes its name from the large yellow granite blocks that you’ll find in the vineyards, and is a taut, mineral expression of Chenin Blanc.

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 44 year old vineyard. There's stunning texture, and a slightly honeyed note that lasts an age. Brilliant.

In 2017 he added the Alphabetical White to the range. But not wanting to replicate what others were doing, this is predominantly Roussanne, with a drop Chardonnay from the farm. It’s crisp, textured, and easy to enjoy.

Brazen is a blend of Fernao Pires - from 37 year old vineyards in the Swartland - alongside amphora-aged Palomino from a 47 year old vineyard in Piekenierskloof, and Grenache Blanc from the Voor Paardeberg. It’s a savoury, textured, vibrant white, with a mineral finish that lasts for minutes.

Ultra, meanwhile, takes its name from the farmer’s love of trance music - and more specifically a gig named Ultra. It’s a Chenin Blanc from the Swartland, and is generous, textured, and astonishingly good value.

Aasvoel is Verdelho, from a single plot in Stellenbosch, that Pieter’s always desperate to get his hands on. So much so, that he feels like a vulture - Aasvoel in Afrikaans - waiting to pick over the vineyard. It's a textured, mouth filling white, but with loads of focussed energy.

Perhaps surprisingly, one of the most exciting wines in the cellar is their Semillon. It comes from some of the Cape’s oldest vineyards, planted in 1902 and 1942, along with a drop of Muscat, also planted in 1902. Gottfried uses eggs, barriques, and now amphorae for this wine, that’s one of the most textured, complex we know. It has to be tried.

Last but not least is the smallest production, the Noble Late Semillon. Next to the Franschhoek river, a maximum of 3,500 bottles are made every year from this vineyard, although they’re looking to expand this with plantations of Muscat de Frontignan and Sauvignon Blanc. Since the vineyard moved to organics, they’ve noticed a better quality of botrytis, and this is a truly brilliant sweet wine. Although it sees 2 and half years in new oak, it’s not syruppy, but rather has impeccable balance.

Cartology is the backbone of the estate, and is, in Chris’s words, “a vinous exploration of Cape heritage.” It comes from dry farmed bush vines, with a minimum of thirty years old, and most of forty to fifty years old, from around the Cape: from the Skurfberg, Piekenierskloof, Paardeberg, Bottelary, False Bay and Tygerberg, while in 2019 the 10% Semillon component comes from the 1936-planted La Colline vineyard in Franschhoek. The 2019 is brilliant: on a par with the spectacular 2017. Incredibly textured, with notes of grapefruit oil and a herbal note, too. Brilliant.

In 2019 this is a one-off: just 5,000 half bottles of a straw wine: Lost & Found. It comes from a Hanepoot (Muscat of Alexandria) vineyard that was referred to as productive in 1900, but which was likely planted in the 1880s. 450+g/l of residual sugar, 7% alcohol, and spectacular acidity make an explosive wine that will last forever, if you can let it. Notes of marmalade and apricot jam, and still a real savoury, saline character. This really is a treat.

A new name, but not a new wine, for 2019, is the Broom Ridge. It was formerly known as Fire by Night, but comes from the farm that Chris and Suzaan bought in 2019, so Chris wanted a new name to tie the wine to that place. It’s a blend of a few different vineyards, planted between 1972 and 1985 on various slopes, and is an incredibly taut, focussed expression of Chenin Blanc. On the Paardeberg, the decomposed granite soils bring a tension to the wine, which has a slightly herbal character, notes of lemon zest, and a long and saline finish.

Huilkrans comes from the Oudam farm on the Skurfburg, and produces pitiful yields. The vineyards were planted between 1974 and 1989 on a gentle south-facing slope, at 450m above sea level. Notes of burnt orange peel and apricot kernel on the nose, while the palate is zingy and so, so focussed. There’s none produced in 2020, and Chris can’t be sure that the vineyard will ever produce a meaningful quantity again.

Nautical Dawn comes from a Stellenbosch vineyard, facing east and in sight of the ocean, planted in 1978. Here, the shallow granite soil warms fast, and the resulting wine has a breadth, volume, and ripeness that’s not found in Chris’ other wines. There’s notes of yellow fruit, and plenty of spice here. It’s mouth filling and silky, with a long and voluminous finish.

Magnetic North comes from a high mountainous ridge at 520m elevation, with two parcels quite close together on a gentle south-east facing slope. One was planted in 1984, the other in 1981, and the wine is taut and incredibly explosive: a legend in the making. Notes of grapefruit oil, and an almost tonic-like character.

The Hemelrand Vine Garden is a blend, in 2019, of 42% Roussanne, 22% Chardonnay, 16% Chenin, 16% Verdelho, and 4% Muscat, from a vineyard planted in 2010 on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, on the same farm where you’ll find Chris’s cellar. The farming here is incredibly precise - Chris can talk for hours just about the cover crops - and the wine gets better and better every year. The nose is so pure and focussed here, with lots of yellow fruit, and savoury lift. This is a real bargain: a pick of the range.

The Clay Shales is the pinnacle of the white production here, and is a Chardonnay from a single vineyard on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. With tons of tension, as well as breadth of flavour, it’s surely a contender for South Africa’s best Chardonnay.

The 2019 Agnes Chardonnay comes from five different plots in the Overberg and Hemel-en-Aarde valleys. It’s a beautiful, pure, energetic Chardonnay, with real character. With notes of peaches, flowers, and a long, saline finish, it’s a white that will bring pure joy.

For David & Nadia, here two grapes reign supreme. Their Chenin comes from seven old vine vineyards planted between 1962 and 1984, on the different soils of the Swartland. It’s a true an expression of Swartland Chenin as you’ll find. This is taut and energetic, with yellow fruit and a lovely, long, pure finish.

The latest addition to the range is the Plat’bos, and this is just the second 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. Very citrus in character, there’s plenty of grapefruit here, and also hints of gunflint and rose petal. Very complex, and very grippy, notes of fennel come through on the finish. This is taut, linear, and profound. Bravo.

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. Slightly shy on the nose at first, this is all about floral detail and texture, and an incredibly mineral, savoury palate. The finish is focussed and very, very long, and the wine seems to blossom with time on the palate. Leave it a few years.

Aristargos is a white blend, of Chenin blanc (47%), Sémillon (13%), Clairette blanche (11%), Viognier (10%), Marsanne (8%), Roussanne (6%), Verdelho (3%) and Grenache blanc (2%), and is all about silky, layered fruit. There’s a lovely richness to the palate here, that’s well balanced with grippy tannins and lots of salinity. The finish is incredibly focussed, with nectarine and orange blossom. Really really good.

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. Deeper on the nose than the Skaliekop, this has notes of peaches and sea spray on the nose. There’s a spicy character to the palate: hints of fresh ginger and plenty of palate weight. Really very impressive.

The Rall White is a blend of 68% Chenin, 28% Verdelho and 4% Viognier, with the Verdelho giving incredible vibrancy and freshness. Mainly from the Swartland, some of the Verdelho comes from Stellenbosch. Lovely tension and purity here. Notes of lemon oil, ginger, grapefruit and lots of savoury notes on the finish. Very delicate and fragrant, and there’s a real energy that cuts right across the palate.

Peter-Allan managed to convince his father-in-law to buy a few grapes from parcels of old vine Chenin Blanc, to make the Elodie Chenin Blanc. It comes from five different vineyards, all of which are over 35 years of age, including Chris Alheit’s Paardeberg farm, and some Durbanville fruit. It's a joyful interplay between bright yellow fruit and crisp acidity: not to be overlooked.

Here, on the Oudam farm, vines planted in 1961 on deep, sandy soils craft a brilliant white, that would go toe-to-toe with any wine being produced in South Africa today. But here the drought is taking its toll. The 3 hectare vineyard would, ten years ago, produce 8-10tons a vintage. Now it will produce a maximum of 5 tons, and has dropped as low as 1.7tons in the driest years. And that means there’s not very much to go around. What there is, is spectacular. Not to be missed in 2019.

On a Cabernet block that wouldn’t ripen, Ginny grafted Albariño vines, and from it she makes an example that’s crisp, refreshing, and has you dreaming of Cape summers. This 2020 has a lovely texture, and a cool, cleansing finish. Lovely.

The Hamilton Russell Chardonnay, meanwhile, shows generosity of fruit, and spice that comes from 45% new oak, but also plenty of minerality and focus. It’s a classically styled, Côte de Beaune-like expression of the grape.

This Chenin Blanc is different from all the other Chenins in our range: it comes from Elgin, one of the coolest grape-growing regions in South Africa. Planted on Bokkeveld Shale - not all that dissimilar to the soils of the Loire’s Savennières - this is as cool and precise as South African Chenin gets.

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.

The Terrasse White comes from terraced vineyards, including the old Riverside Chenin Blanc vineyard, planted in 1971, which is also bottled on its own. The Terrasse also has Chenin from two younger vineyards and varying fractions of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, and from 2017 some Roussanne and Marsanne from recently planted vineyards. It’s a white that ages beautifully. This is beautiful perfumed, notes of rose petal and plenty of fresh peach. All about salinity on the finish. Very good indeed.

Planted in 1971, this old vineyard creates a linear Chenin that's all about yellow fruit and texture. There's beautiful floral lift on the finish, and just a hint of anis and rooibos. Brilliantly balanced, and very long.

late harvest Sauvignon Blanc that takes its name from a spring that sits near to the vineyard. Here, raisins are produced by pinching the stem of the grape bunches while they ripen on the vine. The result is a luscious sweet wine, that balances all that sugar with beautiful acidity.

The 2019 Clara comes from three high altitude vineyards, with the Perdeblokke added for richness and intensity. It’s an astonishing Sauvignon. Notes of peach and spearmint swirl from the class, with a textured palate, and real focus on the finish. Matt Day is a brilliant winemaker, and this shows why: this is one of the best Sauvignons we know.

The Metis Sauvignon Blanc was inspired by Matt’s time in Sancerre. It comes from a single plot at high altitude, with more granite in the soil than the single vineyards. Treated naturally in the cellar, with as little intervention as possible, Matt leaves this on the lees for longer than when he started, and is putting more and more of the blend into oak. The result is a wine that impresses with its tension and sizzling energy, but that doesn’t lack breadth, or mouthfilling texture.

The 2017 Vin de Constance is another example of how Matt Day has moved the style of this into something that is stunningly elegant, without losing any of its purity and freshness. This is remarkable - explosive on the nose with fresh apricots and thyme, there’s incredible poise and freshness here. The finish is long and savoury - this is sweet but not overbearing. Bravo - a match for the greatest sweet wines of the world.

The 2017 Vin de Constance is another example of how Matt Day has moved the style of this into something that is stunningly elegant, without losing any of its purity and freshness. This is remarkable - explosive on the nose with fresh apricots and thyme, there’s incredible poise and freshness here. The finish is long and savoury - this is sweet but not overbearing. Bravo - a match for the greatest sweet wines of the world.

The Age of Grace Viognier is beautifully textured. From a vineyard in Elgin, at high altitude on rose-quartz soils, this is sensual and exotic, without being overblown: a brilliantly balanced Viognier.

The Reserve Viognier shows how this finickety grape suits the cool climate of Greyton, with an incredible sense of balance.

The Reserve Chardonnay shows stunning minerality alongside a little more richness than the straight Chardonnay. We can see why Neal Martin called it, “almost Corton Charlemagne like”.

The Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc gives away the winemaking in the name. A blend of fruit from the Lismore vineyards, and also from a vineyard overlooking Walker Bay. Cool temperatures preserve acidity, and this is all about texture and minerality. Delicious.

The Chardonnay comes from vines planted on the estate, and is made in a more Chablis-eque style than the Reserve, with steely citrus character, and lots of freshness on the finish.

Chenin Blanc from Durbanville just outside Cape Town. The Blouklip shale soils give a real richness to the fruit. There’s lovely purity here. Quite rich and spicy, with lovely energy, too. This is nicely balanced, with plenty of darker fruit on the palate.

Lindi Carien is the estate’s keynote white. In 2019 it’s a blend of Chenin Blanc, from the Uitkyk farm on the Paardeberg, from 36 year old vines, Verdelho from Stellenbosch, and Grenache Blanc, from the slow ripening Piekenierskloof. It’s named after Franco’s wife - who forewent an engagement ring as he bought his first supply of grapes. Really impressive drive here. So focussed with lemon oil notes, and a long and savoury finish.

Trust your Gut is Lukas’ attempt “to make the perfect western cape Chenin”. In 2019 it’s 73% from the Paardeberg, from next door to Eben Sadie’s farm, which brings texture and tension, and 27% from the granite soils of Stellenbosch’s Polkedraai, which brings intense yellow fruit. The name refers to the importance of the picking date for these grapes: in the 2019 vintage, Lukas has got it spot on. This has lovely green pineapple notes, with loads of savoury elements, plenty of salinity, and a slightly creamy, zesty finish.

Kamaraderie was the first vineyard he started with - the farmer was best man at Lukas’ wedding. This Chenin Blanc vineyard is situated in Paarl, in the Klein Drakenstein mountains. The vineyard was planted in 1960, and produces a stunning white, that needs time to unfurl. It’s much more savoury, and tightly wound than the relatively opulent Trust Your Gut. Lots of tension on the palate, so textural and intense. There’s a lovely mouthwatering finish, with notes of fresh peach and honeydew melon, as well as thyme. The name refers to the help that Lukas needed in his first vintage, having broken his leg, as well as the sense of togetherness that he thinks defines the wine trade. Sadly there was no Kamaraderie made in 2020.

The Chardonnay here is a slightly richer style than is the fashion with some of South Africa’s new wave winemakers. It comes from four different plots on the estate, from different soil types, all facing south to preserve freshness. And the wine is creamy and intense, but still with plenty of saline focus. It’s a joyful white, from a truly historic estate.

Newest in the range (for the time being - she’s adding Grenache Blanc to complete the trilogy next year) is Marelise's Grenache Gris. This comes from the only vineyard she knows of in South Africa, that’s just seven years old. It’s a spectacular wine: textures, savoury, and stunningly long, you’ll struggle to find a better food wine.

Wary of the propensity of Chenin Blanc to lose acidity when ripening, Marelise wanted something to add vibrancy to the white. The Chenin comes from a 1979-planted vineyard on the Paardeberg, from the same farm as the Grenache, and a 1982-planted vineyard in Botrivier, while the Verdelho comes from the Voor Paardeberg. This is a beautifully elegant, textured white.

The Kweekamp Chardonnay comes from a high altitude vineyard, planted on limestone. Limestone, the top pick for Chardonnay plantations throughout the world, is a rarity in the Cape, and this is a tense, mineral yet pleasingly open expression of the grape, with a lovely lick of oak spice. Just five barrels are made. In recent years, as well as being bottled by the Bruwers, this vineyard is also around one third of the blend of Capensis, South Africa’s most expensive Chardonnay, made by Jackson Family Wines.

The Groot Steen Chenin Blanc comes from just three rows of a six hectare vineyard, planted thirty years ago on alluvial soils near the Breede valley. It doesn’t go through malolactic fermentation, and remains tense, but with ripe notes of greengage and peaches.

The Quartz Chenin sits between the Schist Chenin with its ripeness, and the taut and lean Granite Chenin in style, and comes from a 38 year old vineyard, also on the Kasteelberg

The Granite Chenin Blanc is taut and nervy, from a 43 year old vineyard on the Paardeberg. This will need some time.

Chenin Blanc makes up the spine of the Old Vines White, and it’s supported by Grenache Blanc, Macabeo, Verdelho, Clairette Blanche, Semillon Gris, and Viognier. Some of these sites are impressively old, with Chenin of up to 65 years old, and 60 year old Semillon Gris, while even the Viognier, from iron rich soils, is 21 years old. It’s a wine where balance is key, and where taut minerality is juxtaposed with a ripe, fruity, core. It’s a joyful, ageworthy wine.

Chardonnay in the cape, and more specifically in Stellenbosch, has been much maligned. A lot of this is down to the plant material, which was often virus infected, or not even Chardonnay at all. But a parcel high on the Helderberg mountain challenges that, with a lovely lemon oil character, and impressive mineral length. Just 6,000 bottles are produced, however.

The wine that is perhaps receiving the most attention currently is the Olerasay No.2, awarded 100 points by Neal Martin. Every year since 2008, they’ve held back a barrel or two of their Straw Wine, made from the Chenin Blanc grapes that have the best acidity at harvest, from the Kasteelberg, and the Paardeberg. They refresh a solera each year with the new vintage, and this is the just the second time they’ve bottled a portion. It is spectacular.

A wonderfully cool and collected Chardonnay, that shows why the Newton Johnsons are masters of both this and Pinot Noir. Notes of apple blossom and wet stones, and an incredibly long, mineral finish. A brilliant, focussed white.

The 2019 Bosberaad Chenin Blanc comes from the beautiful Waterval farm, that borders Adi Badenhorst’s property on the Paardeberg, farmed lovingly by Franziska Wickens. She’s the wife of Jasper Wickens, who used to be Adi’s winemaker and was in the same class at university as Paul (and Matt Day, of Klein Constantia - the South African wine trade can sometimes seem a very small place!) More specifically it comes from a 0.4hectare vineyard that was planted in 1980, right in the middle of the valley. It’s one of the coolest sites on the Paardeberg: running alongside a river bed, here the sun rises late and sets early, and results in a beautiful crisp, precise wine, which is all about subtlety and finesse. The 2019 is stunning: notes of lime blossom and golden delicious, with beautiful phenolic bitterness on the finish. In a few years time this will be even better.

First produced in 2015, his Grenache Blanc comes from 600-650m elevation in Piekenierskloof, and is a taut, elegant expression of the grape. This is really rather beautiful. Notes of apple blossom and ginger spice, and a silky and flowing mouthfeel. There’s an almost tonic feel to the finish. Cleansing and refreshing.

Named after Donovan’s young daughter, it comes from schist soils, from a farm just outside Riebeek Kasteel, that Donovan and his team farm themselves. Tiny yields and incredibly hard work account for the higher price point. Very focussed but expressive on the nose, the palate is a coiled ball of energy. This is so well defined, with notes of orange blossom, and plenty of cintru on the palate. Stunningly long, this is grown up Chenin Blanc.

And the most curious of all, perhaps, is his Cinsault Blanc. This is the only example we know of, from anywhere in the world. From a 33 year old, 0.2ha vineyard in Wellington, planted with a mutation of Cinsault Noir, just 650 bottles are produced. It’s just 11% alcohol, and is bright, vibrant, and delicious.

Made from vines that were first planted 21 years ago, and named after Anne and Craig’s daughter. Incredibly Burgundian in style, the granite soils here give taut minerality and restraint, while the finish on the wine is astonishingly long.

The Reserve White is a Sauvignon Blanc, that’s vinified and aged in 95% new French oak barrels. It’s as serious as this grape variety gets: it astonishes with its texture, depth, and length.

This is a blend of 50% Chenin Blanc with 50% Palomino It comes from a rare thing in South Africa: a vineyard planted on pure limestone, just 2km from the ocean, planted between 1958 and 1967.

The white equivalent of Columella is Palladius: the Swartland white. It’s a blend of all eleven official Swartland white varieties, and comes from seventeen different vineyards across the region, mainly on the Paardeberg, but with vineyards by the coast in St Helena Bay, and on the Piketberg.

Made from parcels of Chenin Blanc Bush vines on the decomposed sandy soils of the Skurfberg, the wine that takes this mountain’s name comes from plots that were planted between 1940 and 1955.

The Kokerboom vineyard is some four and a half hours north of the winery, making picking it a real logistical challenge. It’s a Semillon (known as green grape in Afrikaans) plot, planted in the 1930s, and is a mix of both the green (green green grape) and red (red green grape) mutations of the variety.

The Mev Kirsten is the oldest vineyard of Chenin Blanc in the Cape. Found in the Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch, much of the plot was planted in the 1920s, and takes its name from the owner, Mrs Kirsten.

The white equivalent of Columella is Palladius: the Swartland white. It’s a blend of all eleven official Swartland white varieties, and comes from seventeen different vineyards across the region, mainly on the Paardeberg, but with vineyards by the coast in St Helena Bay, and on the Piketberg.

From a 32 year old vineyard in Stellenbosch, this is a wonderful example of Cape Sauvignon Blanc, from a master winemaker. 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.

The Savage White remains as Cape White Blend. A mix of 64% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon and 16% Chenin Blanc, with fruit from Kaaimansgat, Villiersdorp, Piekenierskloof and Stellenbosch, it’s a wine that’s all about texture and finesse.

The Sijnn White is a blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 17% Viognier and 13% Roussanne, and is a wine that’s all about texture and palate weight. Charla manages to keep the acidity here beautifully: this remains chiselled and impressively long.

Comes from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, at 150m elevation and just 1.4km from the sea, and a north facing site. This is the warmest site Hannes works. Very Burgundian. Lots of intense fruit, intense and peachy, with plenty of vibrant acidity and a long, textured finish. There’s beautiful detailing, and a complex but nicely rich finish.

The Ridge vineyard is the youngest vineyard Hannes works with, from the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge ward. Here there are the same soils as in Vrede, but with an east-facing slope, and at 330m above sea level, the wine is much cooler and more savoury, with the harvest undertaken some 25 days later. Much cooler than the Vrede in style, there’s ripe golden delicious, plenty of salinity, and an orange blossom character that comes across on the finish. This is Chassagne to Vrede’s Meursault.

Lovely texture to this Chardonnay, half of which spent time in amphora. Impressively juicy and fresh palate, with a very saline, long finish. Very good indeed.

The 2020 Grenache Blanc is another hit from Chris Williams. Lemon pith and wet stones on the nose, and a long, savoury, beautifully textured palate. Incredibly well balanced, and fine-boned, it’s a simply delicious wine. And it’s one of the best value wines in our range.

This Viognier is one of South Africa’s finest. It comes from the farm next door to Meerlust in Stellenbosch, from a cool, maritime site. And that makes it a savoury, restrained example: more akin to top Condrieu than most of South Africa’s rich, jammy examples.

Made by talented winemaker Miles Mossop, this is an astonishingly good Sauvignon Blanc, with just 15% Semillon in the blend. Notes of green pineapple, as well a sea spray and ginger, and plenty of grip on the palate makes this a simply delicious wine. It’s wonderful now, and just so quaffable (particularly at this price), but will continue to evolve over the next 5-10 years.

A new wine in John's range, this comes from 35 year old Sauvignon Blanc bushvines in the Citrasdal mountains, on the Skurfberg itself. This is an impressive, textured Sauvignon: a really serious expression of the grape. All about nuance and the interplay of palate weight and acidity, this is a stunning wine, produced in tiny quantities.

Produced from the only Semillon Gris vineyard in South Africa, from the “Siebritskloof” valley on the Swartland's Paardeberg. Partial skin fermentation gives this a beautiful copper hue, and the nose is stunning, with aromatics of apricots, ginger, and orange peel. A unique wine, this is one to buy every year.

A blend of 36% Roussanne, 25% Semillon, 22% Chenin Blanc, 11% Chardonnay and 6% Clairette Blanche, the 2019 Rocking Horse is another spectacular wine from John Seccombe. It’s a wine to secure on first release every vintage: it won’t disappoint

A new wine for L&W from John, this is a Chenin Blanc from the Swartland's Paardeberg mountain, from 40 year old vines planted in the Langkloof valley in 1979. The wine is bright and vibrant, with amazing texture. Already delicious, it's sure to age impressively.

From a 56 year old vineyard on the Paardeberg, these old clones give a very different expression of Semillon from newer, more productive clones. This is rich, powerful, but with stunning acidity: a simply brilliant white from John, that you shouldn't miss.