Wine Region: Paarl

(2021) This is a Cabernet in a depp-set, ripe and opulent black fruit style. There's a fruit-skin savouriness and depth as well as espresso grounds and cocoa. Super sweet, mouth-coating blackcurrant fruit, plenty of tang of black plum and cherry skins and fresh, biting tannins. Acidity is good, adding extra freshness and there is something just a touch herby in the background which adds some light to the shade of the sonorous black fruit. Big, powerful stuff.

(2019) Sourced from old vines in Paardeberg, Paarl, close to the Swartland border, this is organic Shiraz, 80% whole bunch-pressed. This has juiciness and jammy ripe fruit character to loads of chocolate richness and ripeness. So bold and full flavoured, smooth tannins and acidity, and another cracking wine.

(2019) From vneyards in Paardeberg. Bright cherry lips and candy floss, backed up with Grenache dry nuttiness, complex, the oak toasty beneath and a touch of meat. The racy acidity is glorious on the palate, savoury orange, Aperol orangey bitters, peppery spice then excellent red fruit. Lovely freshness and cherry brightness.

(2019) From Paarl vineyards on the Swartland border. A more creamy, slightly more plush character, though that is from the vineyard and lees, as there’s no oak influence here. There is such lovely sweet sweet, ripe apple and pear, but like the Chenin/Verdelho, there is such freshness, running mountain stream clarity to the acid and mouthfeel. Plenty of spice, herby characters and a touch of tensioning tannin.

(2019) From bush vines planted in 1956, this was whole bunch pressed, only the free run juice was used for natural fermentation in 3rd-fill French oak barrels. Natural style, with that hint of funk and light earthiness, lightly nutty. Lots of sour and juicy apple. Very nice fruit that becomes sweet like Mandarin and even nectarine, fully ripe, but that dry savoury acidity punches through and balances beautifully.

(2016) From Paarl based Tim Martin Wines, a new name for the UK, this ramps up the solid and sweet fruit intensity over their 'Chad' Chenin Blanc bottling, a satiny white with great freshness and lusciousness, more texture and roundness than the Chad, but pin sharp with focused acidity in the finish.

(2013) Only 10.8% abv. Chenin Blanc with Semillon, Riesling and Gewurz, and a little Muscat. 200g/l residual sugar. Toasty orange aromas, lovely barley sugar and those leafy touches of tobacco and tea leaf. Gewurz perhaps adding a touch of exotic Lychee too. Deliciously creamy and sweet, but has freshness and a bit of lemon and apple bite over the luscious honey and delicious length.

(2013) 65% Paarl fruit, 35% Swartland. Two components fermented in barrel, one with indigenous yeasts, three further months in barrel for these after blending, but one third tank fermented. Subtle and nutty, some Cox's Pippin fruit. The palate has an intense sweetness of fruit, a real hit of honey and the vanilla and cream adding to the impression of sweetness. In fact only 2.88g/l sugar, but overall impression is sweetness despite a very good, dry apple acidity.

(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) Lovely, gently minty and nutty oak, a touch of toffee suggesting very ripe fruit. The palate has delicious fruit: floral and nectarine quality, with dry apple at the core. Very nice acidity and a clean, mint-touched finish.