Old Road Wine Co. Grand-mére Semillon 2020

Old Road Wine Co. is part of the Artisanal Brands portfolio that includes Backsberg and Fryer’s Cove and is owned by DGB executive chairman Tim Hutichinson and a group of investors. Top of the range are three Single Vineyard wines, these being StoneTrail Chenin Blanc, Pepper Wind Syrah and perhaps the pick of the bunch which is Grand- mére Semillon.

Grand-mére comes from La Colline, the famous Franschhoek vineyard planted in 1936, grapes shared with Alheit Vineyards and Boekenhoutskloof. In the case of the current-release 2020, 80% of the wine was matured for nine months in 500-litre barrels of which 15% were new and 20% in clay amphorae.

The nose shows a top note of straw before citrus and white peach plus a hint of flinty reduction while the palate is well balanced with excellent fruit purity and bright acidity before an intensely savoury finish. It comes across a rather youthful and should gain breadth and texture with time in bottle. Price: R310 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.