Wine Region: Paarl

(2013) Quarter each from Swartland, Durbanville, Paarl, Darling. Part fermented in foudre, part in barrel and 25% through carbonic maceration. Nice deep yellow/gold, with bright lemon rind and apple skin fruit that seems tangy and fresh, some nuttiness and a hint of toffee too, I prefer the oak handling on this. On the palate the there is a honeyed sweetness to this, and there's a dry, apple-core finish that is dry and succulent, a bit of fat.

(2013) Based on Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon (60%), with Viognier, Riesling (30%) and with Muscat, Gewurz, Chenin, Verdelho or Nouvel - it changes. Parts of the blend are barrel fermented and aged. The best wines of the vintage are put on the table and selected. Creamy oatmeal leesy character here, a lemony character too, seems light with a touch of floral character in a gentle complexity. The palate has a freshness, a poise and a succulent juiciness that has some flesh and has some sour orange acidity adding a bracing, slightly saline character. An interesting wine that has both weight and creaminess, but the finish has that salty, freshness and subtle intensity.

(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) 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc from within Paarl. A little bit of woodiness and smoky oak at first, a touch of cedar. Quite an intense fruit beneath, with the palate nicely juicy and fresh - much more fruit focused than the Manor House, the spiciness is there and those plum skin bittersweet notes, but the fruit drives through melding with spice and a touch of chocolate to add depth to the finish. Lovely stuff.

(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) 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.