(2019) Feels slightly broader on the nose, creamier, a touch more smokiness than the Quartz. The fruit bursts with ripe, nectarine and lightly flinty and smoky notes again. The fruit has a terrific sour apple and lemon acid tartness and precision, it has those mouth-watering, bitter notes that scythe through the burgeoning opulence of the fruit. Mouth-filing and delicious, with a hugely long finish. From 20- 30-year-old vine, this spent 11 months in neutral 500-litre French oak.
(2019) From Swartland fruit, the funkiest, toasty nose, a touch of marmalade in this old Chenin, just a beautiful fruit sweetness and precision on the palate, but flooded with flavour but that precision of salts and minerals and the wild ferment touch of funkiness and tobacco. Again, no retail availabilty at time of reveiw.
(2019) From seven vineyards across the Swartland, all older than 35 years, mostly grown on the granitic Paardeberg mountain. Whole-bunch pressed, matured on the lees in neutral 300-litre barrels, without stirring. There’s some lemon peel and a red apple, juicy character. On the palate, racing with lemon and orange oil bitterness, beautifully off-setting the sweetness of the fruit.
(2019) From the Klipkop vineyard, planted in 1966, this fermented for 16 months on the lees. It has a nose of melon and lightly waxy citrus skins. The palate burst with juicy, ripe, pear and melon, recently bottled and will settle, but just thrilling orange acidity that is vital and full of energy. Stockist at time of review is for an earlier vintage.
(2019) Steen is the old name for Chenin Blanc in South Africa. A lot more funkiness than the Klipkop, with melon skins, apple cores and a dry character. Absolutely sparkling fruit sweetness and clarity, a great texture and grip here, a bitter almond oil touch to the finish, smooth and long, though concentrated fruit and pith acids balance out in the finish.
(2019) Chenin from granite, Verdelho and a touch of Viognier. All fermented in old oak, mostly big barrels, though the Chenin in older 225l barriques. There’s a bittersweet character here, and lots of juicy apple skin and firm pear flesh. Lots of lemony acidity, lemon jelly softness yet good acid bite.
(2019) A fascinating mutation of Cinsault, not a blanc de noirs, made with skin contact and fermented in amphora, this is lovely with creaminess and a touch of light dusty earth, fine crisp palate, still has weight and texture and a lovely lemon confit finish, long and distinctive.
(2019) From two vineyards of dry land Chenin Blanc bush vines, planted in 1980 and 2002. Fermented and aged in small and large oak barrels, this has sweet earth on the nose and sour lemon and lemon rind fruit. The palate is all about orange and clove, the skin-contact giving grip and a real whip of acidity and tannin finishing very briskly and racily.
(2019) Around 19% Verdelho, from Swartland, and Chenin from Swartland old vines with a little from Bot River. Natural yeast and very little intervention. Older oak, large barrels. Very little oak influence, just a touch of almondy undertone. Nice spices here, touches of ash and tobacco, touches of clove and wheat beer. Lovely pure, light and fresh lemon and lime fruit. There is lovely sweetness here, like the juiciest orange or lime, into a long, lightly spicy finish.
