(2013) Seems to be a quite a lot of chocolate and char on this, as guessed and confirmed, more American oak used, a big creamy nose of dark, ripe black fruit. Quite creamy and chunky, with plenty of fruit depth, loads of spice and mocha, but it does have plummy sweet fruit and juiciness, the tang of the finish is good. Quite long, the oak is prominent.

(2013) >From Philadelphia. Very nice schist, cool, peppery aromatics. \Tight blackcurrant fruit beneath. There's a fat, sweet black fruit suppleness, with a rounding chocolate and coffee beneath, and a nicely grippy and tangy, lots of bracing acid and tannin bite adding a lovely freshness to a big wine.

(2013) Grenache, Carignan, Shiraz, the first two old bush vines, from Swartland and towards Wellington, Shiraz from Philadelphia. A little baked and leathery on the nose, a little nutty note, then good fruit comes through, black and red fruits but very solid. A touch of meatiness. Lots of full, confiture sweetness on the palate, a chocolaty richness and juicy quality, a big raft of savoury, racy fruit despite the big-scaled quality of this wine.

(2013) Paarl fruit. Fresh cassis and black cherry, not too much oak on the nose, but there is a subtle pencil-shaving/smokiness and touch of chocolate. The palate has full fruit sweetness, quite a nice elegant cherry edge and chocolate note, but then an awful lot of slightly raw oak dominates the palate, with the wine finishing on oak spice and tannin dryness.

(2013) 50% Sangiovese, 45% Barbera, 5% Nebbiolo. Fermented separately and into old 500l barrels, then after a year it is blended and back into barrels for a few months, mostly Romanian with a touch of American. Does capture the lighter cherry character of these grapes, with a smoothing infill of vanilla, and a touch of the Sangiovese tobacco in the background. The palate has lovely texture: it is creamy and quite plush, but medium-bodied and has a sense of red and black fruit to give a little freshness. Is the oak a little too charry just in the finish? But then the juicy cherry acidity is excellent and it finishes long and focused on fruit. Very good and will age, power but supple precision.

(2013) 83% Paarl fruit, 10% Swartland, 7% Banhoek, 25% whole berry. This goes into barrel for 18 months, 85% French. Nice kirsch and cherry brightness of red fruit, with a very ripe profile, added to by the creamy oak overlay. Oak arguably a little dominant on the palate, this is very creamy and ripe and richly chocolaty, masses of big Barossa power.

(2013) 65% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Lovely meat-stock touched black fruit, with some smokiness and though solid and foursquare, seems quite cedary and refined. Very nice sweet fruit, lots of depth, lots of silky texture and weight, with rich chocolaty tannins and a fine acidity keeping it crisp.

(2013) Rounded, lots of violetty, bright fruit and a touch of kirsch as well as a touch of tobacco, but lovely sweetness of fruit comes through. The palate has very nice, sweet and bountiful fruit, lots of power and concentration, lovely long finish with lots of density and power here, a big wine and plum-rich and sweet, but the coffee and big structure is there.

(2012) This wine has a promising blood red but quite solid colour, thought there are oxidised notes on the nose, and a slightly ferrous character. On the palate the sweet fruit is more than holding on, with a touch of chocolaty richness still, juiciness and some spice. A surprisingly enjoyable Ruby Cabernet, thought it was pointed out that at this time Ruby was one of a small list of new varieties for South Africa which could be bottled as varietal wines even with as little as 30% of variety in the blend.

(2010) Eighteen months in oak. Only 3% Viognier, but all varieties picked and fermented together. Big, very perfumed nose, with lots of high, kirsch-like fruit, violet and a cedary, smoky background. The palate has an inky density, the creamy blue/black fruit powering through sweetly. Very juicy, a big, full mouthful that's silky and full, with the oak tannins and toast quite powerfully grippy. The final impression is spice and liquorice, which I think could be pulled back slightly, but a huge mouthful of wine at the price.