Radford Dale new releases

The Winery of Good Hope have added a top-end Gamay Noir, The Antidote 2017, to its Radford Dale range of wines, this prompting a tasting of a number of the current releases. Notes and ratings as follows:

Radford Dale Thirst Clairette Blanche 2017
Price: R135
Some reduction on an otherwise shy nose. Indistinct citrus and peach on the palate – light, fresh and approachable.

Editor’s rating: 87/100.

Radford Dale Thirst Gamay Noir 2017
Price: R135
Cranberry and herbs on the nose. Pure fruit, fresh acidity and a salty finish. Beaujolais Nouveau in style, it’s well balanced and entirely charming.

Editor’s rating: 88/100.

Radford Dale Thirst Cinsault 2017
Price: R135
Cherries and plums on the nose. Lovely pure fruit, fresh acidity and nice tannic grip. Light but extraordinarily flavoursome. Has a completeness about it despite an alcohol of just 10%.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

Radford Dale The Renaissance of Chenin Blanc 2016
Price: R335
From a Polkadraai vineyard planted in 1974. 14% skin contact for 48 hours. Matured for nine months in older oak barrels of various sizes. An extraordinarily complex nose of flowers, hay, citrus, peach and spice. Excellent fruit concentration, weight and texture – seems more forceful than its 12.5% alcohol would suggest. Layers of flavour and great length.

Editor’s rating: 96/100.

Radford Dale Chardonnay 2016
Price: R240
From a Polkadraai vineyard. Pear, white peach and a hint of lemon. Pure and fresh with driving acidity and a pithy finish. Light bodied, clean and precise. Perhaps a little too understated for some.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Radford Dale Black Rock 2015
Price: R290
From the Swartland. A blend of mainly Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan plus a little Grenache, Mourvèdre and Viognier. The nose shows quite a stark reductive note before ripe red and black fruit plus hints of earth and spice. Plenty of juicy fruit and crunchy tannins. Appealing but a bit foursquare.

Editor’s rating: 90/100.

Radford Dale Syrah 2014
Price: R240
From Stellenbosch. Red and black fruit, turned earth and intense black pepper. Relatively full bodied but not without freshness, the tannins nicely firm. Steady and hard working.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

Radford Dale Freedom Pinot Noir 2016
Price: R335
From Elgin. Matured for 10 months in older French oak. A not unpleasant hint of reduction before red and black fruit, musk, herbs, graphite and earth. Full bodied but balanced – a good core of fruit and crunchy tannins.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Counteracting big alcs.

Radford Dale The Antidote Gamay Noir 2017
Price: R335
From Stellenbosch. Winemaking involved carbonic maceration in a 7 000-litre foudre before maturation lasting six months in older barrels. Red fruit, earth and pronounced but not unpleasant notes of fynbos and fresh herbs on the nose.   Light bodied with racy acidity and prickly tannins. Not a perfect wine but most intriguing.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

Radford Dale Frankenstein Pinotage 2016
Not yet released.
From Stellenbosch. Fermentation was half whole-bunch and half whole berry. A gorgeous nose of cherries, flowers and musk. The palate has a wonderful transparency about it with pure fruit, fresh acidity and chewy tannins. Dense but not heavy, the overall impression savoury rather than sweet.

Editor’s rating: 95/100.

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