(2024) Last time I tasted this wine was the 2014 vintage and indeed, the wine was not made again until the 2019 vintage when Ian could once again access the fruit. Pale in colour and featherweight with 11% alcohol, there's a definite rose-hip and redcurrant lightness to the aromas and on the palate. A little creamy and vanilla nuance from old barrel ageing is way in the background. Firm, small and savoury red fruits with a herbal nuance on the palate dominate in this savoury, dry and light wine with very fine tannins and sour cherry acidity to balance.

(2023) This is a 1978 planting of the rare Barbarossa, of which only a few hectares exist in the world. With eight months maturation, it's a blend of partially dried and fresh grapes, in an Amarone style. Intriguing nose, chestnut and gentle beetroots earthiness, creamy fruit, but brambles and subtle juiciness. There is great juiciness on the palate, ripe black berries and sweetness really pushes through. Good balancing acidity again.

(2022) David & Nadia are Swartland stars, nurturing low yielding old vineyards to create some excellent wines. Nadia is a soil scientist who understands their vineyards intimately. This Grenache, with a modest 13% alcohol, has a pale and translucent colour, and a rather Pinot-like nose, gently mushroomy and gamy, but with such a lovely fragrance. Floral and small red berry fruit notes are to the fore. Juicy and buoyant on the palate, theres no shortage of sweet, pulpy red berries, a delicate coffeeish underpinning and refined, unagressive tannins and acids supporting rather than dominating the finish.  

(2019) One year in 500-litre barrels and foudre for this wine, made from several vineyards in the Swartland. Fine, bloody and delicately meaty nose, exotic fine spices, a touch of rose and bracken character. The palate ripe and sweet fruited. Such lovely tannin structure, a firm and steely backbone and long, pure fruit, tannin and acid balance.

(2019) Elim fruit is the source for this bottling. Very cool climate aromatics with a lovely perfume flitting between game and a floral, violet notes, peppery and herby, but there's a sense of the fruit being ripe and juicy beneath. No new oak. Such a taut, lean profile, pure and ripe fruit, a really lovely cool climate Syrah.

(2019) In the blend 60% comes from a 1992 Swartland vineyard, fermented in concrete, the rest from a 1982 Darling vineyard fermented in barrel. A nice coffee and cream note to the soft, spicy, lightly truffle character, the palate also soft in terms of the creamy berry fruit, but there’s a real firmness to tiny dry berries, but that spice, fine, tannins and a surge of clean lemony acidity. Lovely.

(2019) Made with 30% whole bunches and very little interference to allow the natural extraction without too much force. Marelise thinks this is the best grape in South Africa. Dryland bush vines in Swartland, though there is also Botriver coming on stream, and a little in this blend. Light, elegant perfume, some nuttiness and dry reducurrant fruit. There is terrific crunch here, with spicy orange peel and clove, but that run of dry, small red berries carries through it. A leaner, more taut style, but I really enjoyed this.

(2016) Love the extra ounce of ripeness and lusciousness on the nose over the 2004. Still herbal and with delicious kick of acids and pepper and earthy spice, but more glossy fruit. The palate has intense concentration. A really grippy, but arguably finer wine, with that smoother texture and sweetness so appealing.

(2016) A light herbal fragrant note to this, seems lighter and a little less substantial than some of the previous vintages. Certainly spicy and cedary, and has fruit but an elegance because of that lighter body, and it is delightful to drink now.

(2016) A Collumella in a more up font, fruit-forward and glossy, rounded style, but that herb and briar, earth and spice note is there, hints of truffle and undergrowth. The palate has a really firm stripe of liquorice tannin and taut acidity with so much juiciness and precision, but this one needs time for the structure to soften just a touch.