(2024) Spier's traditional method rosé cones from the
Western Cape and is 100% Pinot Noir. A small percentage was fermented in old French oak barrels, and it was aged on the lees for 14 months. Coppery-pink, the bubbles are moderate and aromas are of rosy red apples and pastille fruits. Though Brut, there is an impression of sweetness and a zippy burst of lemon.
(2024) South Africa's Warwick Estate has chosen to make this wine from 100% Pinotage, and it works well. The colour is pale pink with a hint of gold, and aromas floral, bright, suggesting raspberry and citrus. With only 11.5% alcohol it has plenty of zippy acidity to cleanse the palate, while the pulpy, soft summer fruits fill-out the mid-palate.
(2024) It's fair to say that Colombard is not the world's sexiest grape. A staple of Armagnac and Cognac production, but rarely seen as 'fine wine', Ian found a 1983 vineyard planted on sand, in the far north of coastal Swartland and has treated it with the care afforded all of his wines. It opens with a delightful peach and Ogen melon suggestion of fruitiness, even hints at lychee and mango, but there's a leesy element and layer of saline that keeps that in check. The palate has real texture given the 11% alcohol, an orange undertow of acidity supporting those creamier, fruity characters. Delightful.
(2024) This gossamer-light, 12.5% alcohol Cinsault comes from a 1968 vineyard in Darling. It is a superb example of balanced, delicate wine-making but never at the expense of aroma, flavour or complexity. Pale garnet edging toward tawny in colour, it is so aromatic: florals are the top notes, violet, old rose, almost patchouli-like for a fleeting moment, then a core of crushed mineral salts, cherry and rose-hip and a fine dusting of cedar aided by 12 months in older oak complete the compelling picture. The palate is dry and savoury, all of that aromatic lift translating to fresh, mouth-watering lightness on the palate where the red fruits mix with stony, mineral characters from the acidity and very fine, lightly sandy tannins. The finish is long, with a little spice and truffle character, in a fabulous wine that might well cellar in the style of a serious red Burgundy.
(2024) Ian Naude named this wine after his grandfather and references Cape wines of the 50s and 60s as its inspiration, 82% Cinsault being blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and a little Cabernet Franc. Having been lucky enough to taste such old wines, largely thanks to Michael Fridjohn, I get it immediately. Fruit comes from a 1968 vineyard in Darling and it is aged in older French oak barrels. It's a dry, cranberry, herb and rose-hip scented wine of light colour and low alcohol. And yet the palate has such intense, inherent sweetness of cranberry and redcurrant, with some of the tartness of those berries and a background of warming clove spice. I have absolutely no doubt that this ultimately delicious wine will age well for decades.
(2024) From West Coast vineyards way up in the north of Swartland, Chenin Blanc is 83% of the blend along with Colombard. It does not see oak, but was left on the lees "for as long as possible," according to Ian. The nose has a mealy, slightly almondy character, balanced against delicate lime and blossom and a hint of leafy dill. In the mouth it is fresh and saline, again lime and crunchy yellow apple, hinting at fuller peach but always stopping just short of anything too obvious. Long, focused, the natural feel of the wine yielding to fresh acidity in the finish, even a hint of delicate spice.
(2024) In the funky wine spectrum for sure, this non-vintage wine is 82% Chenin Blanc and 18% Grenache Blanc, 60% from the 2022 vintage, the rest from components going back to 2016. Some portions saw skin-contact, others were deliberatly maderised or aged under flor. Lemony in colour, the nose has butter and lanolin notes, considerable complexity with ripe golden delicious apples and subtle nuttiness too. On the palate a richness to the texture, fat lemony fruit and a delightful balance between fruit ripeness and sheer, sherbet lemon acidity. A lovely, dry, gastronomic finish.
(2023) This is 100 Grenache, from the Gabb family and vineyards in the Western Cape, specifcally around Citrusdal next door to Swartland. Pale in colour and with just 11.5% alcohol, it has a bon-bon nose, a little suggestion of passion fruit too. On the palate more than a hint of sweetness and a fairly light character, perhaps verging on feeling slightly dilute. £7.99 as part of a mixed dozen.
(2023) This is nicely vibrant and tropical-fruited Sauvignon Blanc, with grapes sourced from cooler climate vineyards in Elgin, Walker Bay, Darling, and Stellenbosch, as well as selected parcels from the Breedekloof region. Perhaps it's that blending of soils and climates that gives the wine both body and ripeness, and plenty of keen acidity. It sees no oak, but is aged on the lees for a few months, which undoubtedly adds an edge of richness to the texture, the succulent mango and lychee exotic fruit flowing into limey acidity at the finish. Nicely done. On offer in Sainsbury's at £7 at time of review. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.
(2023) The Dynamite red is 100% Shiraz grapes, mainly from vineyards in Swartland, Perdeberg, Wellington, and Paarl. From soils predominantly made of decomposed shale and granite, the fruit of the cooler 2021 vintage was harvested two weeks later than average and a portion of the wine was aged in 225-litre barriques, French and American oak, for 12 months. It's a meaty and yet juicy Shiraz, with bags of plummy flavour and a spice kick of tannin, and probably a good contender for summer barbecues.
