South Africa: New releases

The Ramnasgras Cinsault is as pure and complex an expression as you’ll find of Cinsault, also known as Hermitage in South Africa, and the country’s workhorse red grape. It comes from a vineyard planted in 1966, and is ageworthy, mineral, and stunningly long. There's loads of pomegranate fruit, salinity, and iron oxide in 2019. So complex.

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.

Just twelve long rows make up the Raaigras Grenache vineyard. Planted in 1952, it’s the oldest Grenache vineyard in the Cape, and faces south east, allowing the longest ripening time possible. Adi jokes that its name rhymes with Rayas, but this is a serious, delicious, ageworthy Grenache in its own right.

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 Family red is predominantly Shiraz, with Grenache, Tinta Barocca, and Cinsault alongside. It’s a wine for Braais and rich stews, with an impressive tannic backbone and tons of depth. So pure and floral, so much texture and fragrance. This gets better and better, with more freshness and precision

And who says Cinsault can't age? A cellar release of a special, old Cinsault vineyard on Adi's farm.

A cellar release of a special wine, from the oldest Grenache vineyard in the Cape.

And who says Cinsault can't age? A cellar release of a special, old Cinsault vineyard on Adi's farm.

A cellar release of a special wine, from the oldest Grenache vineyard in the Cape.

Working out of Glenelly’s cellar in Stellenbosch since 2016, and with the help of the winemaker there, Luke, it’s now a Cabernet Franc-led blend, with the fruit mainly from the Glenelly farm itself, and it’s consistently delicious.

From Darling David Cope makes a couple of barrels of foot-pressed Full Moon Grenache. This is definitely on the elegant side of this grape variety, at between 12.5% and 13% alcohol, and with a beautiful floral, delicate character. It’s a brilliant Cape Grenache.

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.

BIG is Pieter’s ode to South African Cabernet Sauvignon. It comes from eleven different vineyards, with 8 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 Cabernet franc and 1 Petit Verdot, all from different altitudes. There's so much vivacity and life here: forget about the jammy Cabernets of South Africa's past

Prausis biodynamically farmed Voor Paardeberg Shiraz, with a little Pinotage from Darling in the blend. It’s juicy and just so drinkable.

Little William is a Syrah from the high-altitude Ceres plateau. It’s as pure and fragrant a Syrah as you’ll find in the Cape: think top-notch St-Joseph, or there’s even a little Cote Rotie about it.

Little William is a Syrah from the high-altitude Ceres plateau. It’s as pure and fragrant a Syrah as you’ll find in the Cape: think top-notch St-Joseph, or there’s even a little Cote Rotie about it.

A blend of 71% Syrah, 11% Grenache, 9% Cinsault, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, and just a dash of Viognier, the 2019 Chocolate Block is a wonderfully pure, elegant expression from the heart of the Swartland. Red berry fruit and wild flowers drift from the glass, while the palate shows crystalline purity and a beautifully mineral finish. It punches way above its weight: that they manage to produce this in such quantities is one of the wonders of the wine world.

The first wine that put this estate on the map was the 1997 Syrah, and even today the estate Syrah remains a South African benchmark. Since 2016 it’s been entirely Swartland fruit, benefitting from the minerality of the Porseleinberg, and the rounded fruit from the brown schist of Goldmine. Gottfried has also tweaked the vinification for this, focussing more on larger oak, and a purer expression of Syrah.

The Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon comes from four different sites, including some coming on stream from the estate itself. It’s a wonderfully exuberant yet pure expression of Cabernet, that’s one of the Cape’s finest. A little Cabernet Franc makes it into the blend, too, which gives a touch of floral character.

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.

Reenen Borman’s Epilogue Syrah has fast become one of the legendary wines of the Cape, and this 2018 demonstrates why. Notes of rust and wild berries, with wild flowers giving lift and energy. Incredibly pure, focussed, and long, this is more than a match for the greatest wines of the Rhône. It’s not to be missed.

Awarded 97 points by Christian Eeedes, the 2019 Sons of Sugarland from Reenen Borman is a stunning single vineyard Syrah from the Karibib vineyard in the prized Polkedraai area of Stellenbosch. It's reminiscent of great Northern Rhone Syrah, with peppery fruit and tons of texture, and a blood orange element too. This is complex, long, and delicious. Bravo.

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.

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.

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 2019 Mabalel is a delicate, perfumed Pinot Noir from a master of the grape variety in Peter-Allan Finlayson. Notes of pomegranate and grapefruit swirl with wild strawberries and plenty of spice. So elegant and finessed, it’s a real beauty.

The 2019 Cuvée Cinema has a bit more richness than the Malabel. Intense darker fruit and a real juicy intensity combine with slightly grippy tannins, and a very savoury, stony finish. There’s a wonderful interplay between sweet and sour here; a brilliant, complex Pinot Noir.

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.

The 2019 Peter Max is yet again a wine that simply has to be tried in 2019. Crunchy strawberry fruit and white pepper, and a rosehip quality too. Very finely judged, and so delicious. A go-to Pinot Noir.

The name of this rather gives it away - a 100% Whole Bunch cuvee made in tiny quanities, that's vibrant, silky, and long

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.

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.

With virtually no old vine Grenache in the country, David & Nadia’s Grenache is centred on a single Paardeberg vineyard planted in the early 2000s, with further plantations due to come online in the coming years. It’s a pure and vibrant expression of the grape, that comes in at just 13.5% abv. Almost Pinot on the nose. The palate has notes of liquorice and pomegranate, and some real saline grip. This is mouth watering and fresh. Lovely fragrance and purity here.

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.

Red blend Elpidios started as a Syrah driven wine, but has, since 2017, been grenache focussed. Just 5,000 bottles are made of this blend of Grenache (33%), Syrah (31%), Carignan (12%), Cinsault (12%) and Pinotage (12%), that ages absolutely wonderfully. Beautiful perfume, very bright cranberry fruit, with wild strawberries, too. This is incredibly up front and beautiful at this stage, and is hard to resist. But that mineral note, and the quality of the tannins, suggest an impressive aging potential.

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.

Made‌ ‌with‌ ‌40%‌ ‌whole‌ ‌bunch,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Syrah‌ ‌on‌ ‌Sandstone‌ ‌is‌ ‌floral‌ ‌with‌ ‌stunning‌ ‌purity‌ ‌and‌ ‌loads‌ ‌of‌ ‌strawberry‌ ‌and‌ ‌cranberry‌ ‌fruit.‌ ‌So‌ ‌silky‌ ‌and‌ ‌elegant,‌ ‌it‌ ‌smells‌ ‌so‌ ‌gorgeous:‌ ‌of‌ ‌violets‌ ‌and‌ ‌white‌ pepper. This is such a pure expression of Syrah. Brilliant.

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.

For Peter-Allan, the challenge with Cabernet Franc is avoiding any form of greenness in the wine. So picking date is key; so too is managing extraction. But in 2017 he’s really found his feet: this is one of the best examples of the grape we’ve come across in the Cape.

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.

Alongside his love of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Anthony is also a huge believer in South Africa’s Pinotage. And that led to the purchase in 1996 of the Ashbourne estate, just inland from Hamilton Russell’s vineyards. He named the property after his great, great grandfather, who was Lord Chancellor of Ireland in the late 1800s. The first Ashbourne Pinotage was released in 2001, and it’s as serious an expression of this sometimes-maligned grape variety as you’ll find: a wine that impresses with its silky texture and depth of fruit, time in the bottle will allow it to flourish even more.

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.

We were totally blown away by Lucinda’s Cinsaut, when we tasted it for the first time last year. It’s from a 1974-planted vineyard in Darling, on red sandy soils, and she’s making it in a style that’s most reminiscent of top Beaujolais. With 50% Carbonic Maceration, and the rest whole bunch fermentation, this brings out a really floral, elegant side to the Cinsaut grape. It’s a really beautiful red.

In 2015 she started with the Nom Pinot Noir. It comes from Kaaimansgat Vineyard in Elandskloof, the same plot that Peter-Allan Finlayson’s Malabel comes from. Indeed, it was Peter-Allan who originally planted the plot in 2008. The vineyard is at 700m of altitude, but the property, which is mostly planted with apple trees, goes even higher. On the peaks that surround the vineyard, there used to be snow every month of the year other than January. Nom stands for nombulelo (gratitude in “Xhosa”) and Nomkhubulwane (a forgotten African goddess of agriculture), and the stunning label was designed by Isabella Kuijers. This is wonderfully floral and lifted, with incredible energy. Delicious.

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 Om Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard planted on the Hemel-en-Aarde ridge in 2006, just 12km from the sea, at 300m of altitude. Here, the soils are granitic with plenty of clay, and the resulting wine is more savoury and earthy than the perfume of the Nom. For Jessica, Om symbolises the concept of universal creation, while the word is also synonymous with peace. Much more depth than the Nom, with darker fruit, and slightly grippier tannins.

Paul Sauer is the calling card of the estate, named after the farm’s most famous owner. It was the first South African wine to be awarded a perfect score by a major international critic, with the 2015 receiving 100 points from Tim Atkin MW. In 2017 it’s a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Merlot, from vines of an average of 29 years old. It is, as always, a contender for South Africa’s finest Bordeaux blend.

For many people, Pinotage is what Kanonkop does best: indeed most winemakers in South Africa view it as the benchmark for this divisive grape variety. The grape variety was first planted on Kanonkop in the 1940s, and this comes from bush vines that are aged between 31 and 65 years old. Fermented in open top concrete tanks, and aged in 80% new barrels, it’s a wine that blossoms with time in bottle, becoming more and more reminiscent of its Pinot Noir roots.

The Estate Cabernet Sauvignon could be thought of as a mini Paul Sauer. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from vineyards averaging 26 years old, this is a structured, powerful wine in 2015, that will need plenty of time to come around.

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.

From a 0.7ha vineyard on a ridge, planted on red clay with a base of granite, the 2016 Steepside Syrah is a floral, perfumed example of the grape, that wouldn’t look out of place in Côte-Rôtie. There’s real drive on the finish, which lasts an age. This is grown up, and brilliant.

Alex is also passionate about the Cabernet Franc produced on the estate, and is making a single vineyard wine, the Pondokrug Cabernet Franc. From deep clay soils, this is an intense, ripe and powerful wine, but one that benefits from Alex’s delicate winemaking. Really savoury, floral, and very delicate, too. Lovely length here. This is outstanding with plenty of tension. Really Cabernet Franc in character, with clear terroir definition.

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.

If Steepside is Côte-Rôtie, this is Cornas. Remarkable ferrous depth here, with grippy tannins and real concentration to the core of fruit. Planted on Sandstone soils, this is incredibly deep, intense, and powerful. A superb Syrah, from an impressive producer.

Made from three vineyards: Steepside, Topside and sweetwater. Nice nose, intense, floral and plenty of texture. Love the density here, there's lots of iron oxide with good length. Lovely purity and texture. Excellent tannins, very pure.

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.

Just a lovely Rose from Matt Day, only bottled in tiny quantities, and only in magnums. So much texture and salinity here, it has you reaching for glass after glass.

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 Syrah is a blend of 30% Greyton fruit, and the rest from a shale and sandstone vineyard in Elgin. These cool vineyards produce a Syrah that’s all about pepper and rose petal: a joy to behold.

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 Reserve Syrah is a spectacular wine. From decomposed shale soils, from one of the coolest areas in South Africa, it’s a stunningly elegant, defined, perfumed expression of the grape: a truly profound wine.

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.

Howard John is in honour of Franco’s dad, and is a red blend that comes, from 2019, entirely from the Swartland. Lovely fruit. So much delicate energy, lovely mouthfeel. Plenty of perfume, then grip and a long and pure finish. Very detailed and very long.

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.

In honour of Franco’s newborn daughter, Lua Ilse, he’s made just 777 bottles of Grenache from young vines in Piekenierskloof, a delicate, perfumed expression of the grape.So pretty - Pinot on the nose, so refined and fine, and such beautiful tannins. This is a real stunner.

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.

This is made from Cinsault fruit from Stellenbosch, and is made in a pale, delicate, provencal style. Wild strawberries and crunchy cherries on the nose give way to a textured, intense palate, that’s simply delicious. This is a wine you can’t stop drinking: from a real star of South Africa. Not to be missed.

Breton is the old Loire name for Cabernet Franc, which are some of Lukas’ favourite wines. This comes from the farm on the Polkedraai where Lukas lives, and is, in his words, “a glass of wine you want to smell the tension on”. This is a baby, but has impressive potential. Lots of graphite and wild berries, and blueberries in particular. There’s lovely energy here: it’s very Loire-like. It will require a few years in bottle: with that, it will be a truly glorious glass of red wine.

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.

For Lukas, a good glass of Cinsault should be like jumping into weightlessness, shouting Geronimo. This comes from 40+ year old vines on the Helderberg, and as a one-off some vines from Bot Rivier. It’s a charming red, incredibly delicate in colour, but with the stuffing to last a few years. Notes of wild strawberries and glâcé cherries, with a herbal lift, too. Amazing length and tension: it’s one of the Cape’s best Cinsaults.

Also from the Polkedraai comes Graft, a single vineyard Syrah from the highest vineyard in the area, from which you can see False Bay, that’s shared with Reenen. It’s Hermitage in style and substance, with incredible length. And Lukas’ attention to detail is shown by the fact that he spent three years securing the barrels for this, talking to dozens of Rhône winemakers in the process. In 2019 this is beautiful. There’s a touch of tapenade, but also lots of pure fruit character, and the floral nose that you’d expect from Polkedraai Syrah.It’s a beautifully balanced wine.

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.

Stars in the Dark Syrah comes from Elim, near Cape Agulhas, in the far south of the Cape. In 2019 it comes from two separate vineyards. The first, planted on Koffieklip soils, brings a floral, fragrant element, while the second, on schist, brings much more savouriness and a restrained fruit profile. The interplay between the two makes a refined, impressive Syrah, that is sure to age beautifully.