What the Saboteur White from Luddite in Bot River has tended to lack in finesse, it makes up for in personality and the new 2018 is no different. A blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and wooded Sauvignon Blanc, the nose shows lots of flinty, smoky reduction, this character somehow quite winning, before lemon, naartjie, orange and some waxiness. The palate meanwhile is rich and thick textured (despite an alcohol of just 12.5%) but equally, there’s no shortage of verve and the wine is super-flavourful. Nothing subtle but so delicious! Approximate retail price: R175 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 93/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

As published in the September 2019 issue of Decanter: It’s early morning on a clear but chilly day in May and the air above Elgin is filled with all sorts of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft spraying for fruit fly. In terms of plantings, this is apple and pear country first and wine country a distant second. The valley situated some 75km south-east of Cape Town and surrounded by mountains has over 6 400ha of apples, nearly 1 500ha of pears and less than 750ha of vineyard in the ground (down from perhaps 1 000ha a decade ago).

It’s not difficult to understand the focus on deciduous fruit rather than wine grapes. One hectare of vineyard yields five to 15 tons of grapes, while the equivalent of apples yields 100 tons. Revenue accruing from a hectare of vineyard is in the vicinity of R70 000 to R120 000 whereas it starts at R300 000 for apples and go all the way up to R700 000.

The first commercial apple orchards date from the early 1900s whereas the modern era of wine farming only really began in 1986 when Paul Cluver Wine Estate planted Riesling vineyards as part of a joint venture with what was then Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery, later to be subsumed under South Africa’s largest liquor company Distell. Leading industry figure Neil Ellis, meanwhile, was busy exploring a negociant model, acquiring grapes from across the winelands in order to make the best possible wines and the area also caught his eye – he being the first to release a wine officially demarcated as “Elgin” in 1990.

The apple industry was to suffer a major decline in the 1990s as global production outstripped demand, due in large part to China entering the market, and this prompted a wave of new vineyard plantings. Apple prices soon recovered, however, somewhat retarding the development of the Elgin wine scene since then.

Those that persist with wine farming believe they are on to a good thing, however. Elgin lays claim to being the coolest wine-growing area in South Africa and in the most basic terms the wines do have a particular elegance about them. 

Does size really matter, though? Paul Cluver Jnr, managing director of a major family farming business, their 1 600ha estate including some 82ha of vineyard, is not too worried at this point in the area’s history. “Elgin is 10 000ha in its entirety. The Côte de Nuits must be all of 1 000ha – you don’t necessarily need a lot of vineyard to make a big impression.”

“[Elgin’s] USP is fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at a fraction of the price of Burgundy,” Paul Cluver of Paul Cluver Estate.

The Cluver portfolio consists of Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in various guises but ultimately the focus is on the two Burgundian varieties. “Our USP is fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at a fraction of the price of Burgundy,” he says. “The identifying character of Elgin is higher acidities and lower pHs in our wines – because of our cooler climate, we get phenolic ripeness without losing freshness.”

Cluver would like to see more producers make Chardonnay and Pinot Noir their focus because he feels that this would send a strong collective message to the world but concedes that it’s early days for the district in terms of being certain about what its strongest offering might be. Vineyards are scattered far and wide and differ significantly in terms of soils, aspect and proximity to the ocean. For all the critical acclaim that Chardonnay has gained in recent times, it does seem that Elgin can produce outstanding examples of just about any variety bar perhaps late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, some examples tending to look a bit thin and weedy.

Another attraction of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to many growers is that they theoretically have no price ceiling. The most planted variety, white or red, in the valley is Sauvignon Blanc and while the overall quality is high, there is a resignation that it will never fetch much of a premium, at least when made in an unwooded style. A few cellars are experimenting with Blanc Fumé and Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends with impressive results but all reports are that such wines don’t have much of a popular following.

If vineyards are to compete with apple orchards, then Elgin is compelled to position itself as a premium growing area and here age of vines becomes important – more mature vines providing more complete grapes, the result being wines of greater dept and detail. Unfortunately, however, in the rush to plant that occurred in the early 2000s, plenty of sub-standard material went into the ground, a variety of viticultural problems now manifesting themselves precisely when said vines should be coming into their own.

Elgin wine producers are also subject to significant non-agricultural pressures. For one thing, the district has become something of a social unrest hotspot as the ongoing process of rural to urban migration plays out and there are regular labour disputes. For another, wildfires are becoming a more and more regular occurrence, often damaging vineyard. Happily, climate change is seen as having less impact in the immediate future than it might in other winegrowing areas.

So what prospects for Elgin going forward? Paul Wallace, long-serving consultant viticulturist in the area, is not inclined to become disconsolate. “We’re still scratching the surface in Elgin. We’ve already found out that we’re good at Chardonnay but there are other varieties that can do very, very well. I’ve been at this for 20 years and I’m still learning – why this and why not that.” You feel Wallace has a point – in a relatively short space of time, and of a very small base, this district is already producing some of South Africa’s most compelling wines. The future is bright. Probably quite chilly but bright.

W.O. Elgin at a glance
Founded: First vineyards of modern era planted in 1986; declared a ward of the greater Overberg district in 1990; declared a district in its own right in 2011
Defining growing conditions: higher altitude with vineyards planted between approximately 300m and 500m above seal level, ocean proximity, specific cloud cover sequencing, high cold units and a large diurnal range – cool nights allow the vines to resuscitate themselves prolonging grape maturation, annual rainfall: 800 – 1 200mm
Vineyard area: 739ha
Structure: 53 growers and 12 cellars
Main grapes: 37% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Chardonnay, 14.5% Pinot Noir, 8% Syrah

Ten names to know
Almenkerk
This property is owned by the Belgian/Dutch Van Almenkerk family. Patriarch Joep retired to South Africa in the early 2000s and convinced son Joris and his partner Natalie to undertake wine farming. They acquired an apple farm which they converted to vineyards and built a 300-ton capacity cellar, this facility also used by smaller producers in the area.

Elgin Ridge
Brian and Marion Smith sold their IT business based in southwest London at the end of 2006 and bought a small property in Elgin in April 2007. Today their 6.5ha of vineyard are certified biodynamic – a compost preparation programme ensures high humus levels in the soils while ducks take care of pest control.

Highlands Road
Port Elizabeth attorney Michael White acquired this property in 2004, appointing the talented Vanessa Simkiss as winemaker in 2015. Some 9ha of vineyard are planted to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Noir and Shiraz but it is the Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blend known as Sine Cera that to date has most impressed.

Iona
Back in 1997, when the Elgin wine scene was comparatively under-developed, former engineer Andrew Gunn acquired a run-down apple farm surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and forestry plantations and converted it to a vineyard. Today, Iona has one of the most accomplished portfolios of wines in the district, a recent development being two so-called Monopole Series Chardonnays.

Oak Valley
Founded in 1898 by Sir Antonie Viljoen, a medical doctor who graduated from Edinburgh University in Scotland, the 1 600ha property is currently run by his great-great-grandson Christopher, wine a small but important part of a high-quality agribusiness that also includes cut-flowers, cattle and pigs.

Paul Cluver Estate Wines
This 2 200ha property has been in the Cluver family since 1896, wine currently forming part of a bigger farming business which incorporates apple and pear orchards, a Hereford stud and eco-tourism activities, including amphitheatre concerts and mountain biking trails. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir under the top-end Seven Flags label are South African benchmarks.

Richard Kershaw Wines
British-born Master of Wine Richard Kershaw has been active as a winemaker in South Africa for some 20 years, establishing his own label in 2012, the focus for the most part on Elgin on account of its cool climate. Kershaw is nothing if not academically minded and his approach to winemaking is fastidious as he seeks to understand how site and clone combine to best effect.  

Shannon Vineyards
In addition to apples and pears, James Downes also farms some 12ha of vineyard on this family-owned property on the banks of the Palmiet River. Downes is known for his meticulous viticulture, Shannon Vineyards selling grapes to a number of leading producers but its own-label wines made since 2007 by Gordon and Nadia Newton Johnson in Hemel-en-Aarde are also highly acclaimed.

Spioenkop
At one point, Koen Roose imported South African wine into Belgium but always had his heart set on winemaking and set about learning on the job before acquiring a property in Elgin in the mid-2000s. Something of a maverick, Roose works with unirrigated vineyards which is unusual for the area but which he feels gives him a more authentic expression of site. In addition, he champions Chenin Blanc and Pinotage also not common to Elgin.

Vrede en Lust
Dana Buys, highly successful in the information technology sector, first bought the Vrede en Lust property in Paarl towards the end of the 1990s but realizing the potential of Elgin to provide high quality grapes, subsequently acquired a farm called Casey’s Ridge in that district in 2005. There are now some 60ha under vineyard, much of the grapes going into experimental bottlings under the “Artisan Range” label.

The Family Reserve Pinot Noir from Newton Johnson in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde is highly acclaimed (see review here) but what of this cellar’s more affordable examples of the variety? Tasting notes and ratings for current releases here:

Felicité by Newton Johnson Pinot Noir 2018
Approximate retail price: R110
Grapes sourced from across the Cape South Coast and typically matured in a combination of tank and old oak. The nose is very primary with some smoky reduction before black cherry and some musk. The palate is rich and full with fresh acidity and sleek tannins. Massively over-delivers in terms of quality relative to price.

Editor’s rating: 90/100.

Newton Johnson Walker Bay Pinot Noir 2017
Approximate retail price: R225
From younger vineyards on the Newton Johnson property. Matured for 11 months in mostly older oak. The nose shows red fruit, pelargonium and spice while the palate is light bodied with bright acidity and fine tannins, the finish possessing a salty quality. Plenty of hipster appeal.

Editor’s rating: 90/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir won silver at this year’s Wine Label Design Awards, Simone Hodgkiss of Pearly Yon responsible for creative, and more recently a chance to try the 2018 vintage. Longstanding Hamilton Russell Vineyards employee Berene Sauls is behind the undertaking and her colleague Emul Ross makes the wine.

Grapes from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, winemaking involved 10% whole-bunch fermentation before nine and a half months of maturation in French oak, 25% new. The nose is very pretty with notes of red and black fruit, musk and fresh herbs. The palate, meanwhile, is medium-bodied and tightly wound with good fruit concentration, fresh acidity and super-fine tannins, the finish long and savoury. Pretty damn delicious! Price: R499 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

After several weeks in the United States this summer, one of the more pertinent things I noticed in the wine retail environment was the diversity of quality product offerings at multiple price points. The American business community just seems to ‘do retail’ so professionally and with such an incredible level of enticement. Where local US (mostly Californian) brands were not necessarily available, they were seamlessly substituted with a diverse array of international alternatives. But essentially, almost every price and style offering was catered for from $10 dollar whites and reds all the way up to $100+ premium brands. Something for everyone, products for every depth of pocket.

Much of this stands in stark contrast to the US proposition that used to be encountered in the UK market in the late 2000s. Essentially, the product offering suffered from the “donut effect” with a multitude of very average quality entry level mass market brands flooding the supermarkets from the big corporate winemaking conglomerates and then… nothing. Well certainly nothing after about £7 (R130) per bottle until you reached the “indie merchant” echelons of £25+ (R465) bottles, where of course the sky was the limit. Before I became much better acquainted with the overall US offering, I would spend an age wondering where the middle ground had disappeared to. In fact, the middle ground did indeed exist and was flourishing, just not in the UK market. These high-quality, well packaged and presented brands were being reserved for sweet spot pricing in the US home market. It is only when you looked at the retail shelves in the US itself that you realised how many brands never left local shores.

This was a serious problem regularly identified by the UK trade buyers and became a rallying point to which the generic promotional bodies eventually directed a lot of effort and resources to address as it was highlighted as a clear point holding back the broader market development and success of the US wine category in the UK. Almost a decade later and Wines of California now regularly presents multiple trade tastings which are segmented into offerings of “Wines Under £20 Retail” or “Premium Wines Over £50 retail” etc. The result of this targeted pricing strategy has been to broaden the appeal of the US wine category to all levels of consumers. In so many ways, when I look at South African wine category offerings in the UK, I can’t help but to feel a certain sense of deja-vu with the growing chasm between the entry level offerings and the burgeoning premium categories.

All fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) marketeers will regularly harp on about the need to have clear uninterrupted ladder pricing in order to allow consumers to trade up. But in essence there is so much more to it than simple economics of budget size. Wine is such an emotional product that draws on so many more purchasing cues than normal manufactured consumables. Consumers take ownership of a brand, they assimilate it into their lifestyles and engage on so many more levels with the product… from region to winery, from individual terroirs to specific winemaker personalities. They incorporate what they drink into their greater personal identity. It’s not simply about whether you are a Coke or Pepsi kind of guy.

Having these complex cues and multiple levels of engagement are certainly one of the great added value elements of the wine category. Diversity and complexity of message is celebrated as a strength, not a weakness. So South African producers should pay far more attention to the diversity of pricing levels within their offerings. Clearly, the temptation to go super niche and focus solely on higher margin premium quality offerings is very great and with the notion of modern consumers perhaps drinking less but better, this direction of marketing and segmenting may well seem the correct way to go for many wineries. But as so many of even the top premium Bordeaux Chateau have discovered, you need to have more affordable and accessible everyday products to introduce consumers to your brand. For many, the only viable route has been to introduce second and even third wines into their portfolios. But within a South African context, our producers still have the economic viability and flexibility of multiple brand ranges that tap into the consumers broader willingness to engage and offer loyalty.

I have certainly always championed the notion of celebrating home-grown market success before taking on the complexities of international challenges. But let’s make sure as an industry, we don’t sleepwalk into the trap of the “donut effect” that could certainly disrupt South Africa’s ongoing success and growth in mainstream export markets like the UK, the USA and Europe. Let’s make all our very best products at all price points available to thirsty and supportive international consumers.

• Greg Sherwood was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and as the son of a career diplomat, spent his first 21 years travelling the globe with his parents. With a Business Management and Marketing degree from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Sherwood began his working career as a commodity trader. In 2000, he decided to make more of a long-held interest in wine taking a position at Handford Wines in South Kensington, London and is today Senior Wine Buyer. He became a Master of Wine in 2007

When the wine producers outside of Hermanus opted for the particular demarcations of Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, the decision was met with some scepticism as to how meaningful this would be but considering the efforts of Hannes Storm who makes three examples of Pinot Noir, one from each ward and the thinking starts to look inspired.

Storm Vrede Pinot Noir 2017
Approximate retail price: R620
W.O. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Dark fruit, some tea leaf-like fragrance, some earthiness and a touch of smoky reduction. Good fruit density, lemon-like acidity and smooth, mouth-coating tannins. Lovely balance and layers of flavour.

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

Storm Ignis Pinot Noir 2017
Approximate retail price: R620
W.O. Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. A complex nose of red and black fruit, musk, spice and a little charcoal. The palate shows great purity of fruit, fresh acidity and firm but fine tannins, the finish long and dry.

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

Storm Ridge Pinot Noir 2017
Approximate retail price: R620
W.O. Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Black fruit, a slight meaty quality and spice on the nose. Full bodied with particularly fresh acidity and relatively firm tannins.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

The Cuvée Clive is the top-of-the-range bottling from Méthode Cap Classique specialists Graham Beck made with Chardonnay from mostly Robertson as well as Darling, the base juice undergoing 100% barrel fermentation. The newly available 2014 has a complex nose, the first impression being a hint of reduction before opening up to reveal blossom, green apple, lemon, orange, fresh white bread and a little spice. The palate is particularly rich and flavourful with bright acidity and a creamy mousse, the finish having a slightly saline quality. Price: R780 a bottle.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

The seventh annual South Africa Special Report by Tim Atkin MW has just been launched. Major achievers were as follows:

• Winemakers of the Year: Eben Sadie and Paul Jordaan of The Sadie Family Wines

• Young Winemaker of the Year: Bernhard Bredell of Scions of Sinai

• Grower of the Year: James Downes of Shannon Vineyards

• Co-operative of the Year: Windmeul Kelder

• Winemaking Legend: Gyles Webb of Thelema Mountain Vineyards

• Best Cellar Door Experience: Creation

• Overall White Wine of the Year: 2018 Sadie Family ’Te Voetpad, Swartland

• Overall Red Wine of the Year: 2017 Boschkloof Epilogue Syrah, Stellenbosch

• Overall Rosé of the Year: 2019 Holder Dorper Elmie Rosé, Stellenbosch

• Overall Sparkling Wine of the Year: 2014 Graham Beck Cuvée Clive, Western Cape

• Overall Sweet Wine of the Year: 2016 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Constantia

• Overall Fortified Wine of the Year: 2017 De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve, Calitzdorp

• Red Wine Discovery of the Year: 2018 AA Badenhorst Ringmuur Cinsault, Swartland

• White Wine Discovery of the Year: 2018 Wolf and Woman Chenin Blanc, Swartland

Of the 2 118 wines tasted, 161 rated 95-plus on the 100-point quality scale. These were:

WHITE

99
Sadie Family ‘T Voetpad 2018

98
Alheit Vineyards Magnetic North 2018
Alheit Vineyards Radio Lazarus 2018
Sadie Family Mev Kirsten 2018
Sadie Family Skurfberg 2018

97
Alheit Vineyards Huilkrans 2018
David & Nadia Hoë-Steen Chenin Blanc 2018
Sadie Family Kokerboom 2018
Sadie Family Skerpioen 2018

96
AA Badenhorst Klip Klop Steen 2018
Alheit Vineyards La Colline Vineyard Semillon 2018
Alheit Vineyards Nautical Dawn 2018
Boschendal Appellation Series Elgin Chardonnay 2017
Cape Point Isliedh 2018
Creation Art of Chardonnay 2018
DeMorgenzon Chardonnay Reserve 2018
Lionel Smit Series One #1 White 2017
Leeu Passant Chardonnay 2017
Opstal Estate Carl Everson Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2018
Paul Cluver Seven Flags Chardonnay 2018
Rall Ava Chenin Blanc 2018
Restless River Ava Marie Chardonnay 2018
Reyneke Reserve White 2017
Sadie Family Palladius 2017
Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2018
Uva Mira Chardonnay 2017
Wolf and Woman Wines Chenin Blanc 2018

95
AA Badenhorst Sout van die Aarde 2018
Alheit Vineyards Cartology 2018
Anthonij Rupert Cape of Good Hope Serruria Chardonnay 2017
Ataraxia Chardonnay 2018
Bartho Eksteen Houtskool 2017
Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc 2018
BLANKbottle Aasvoël 2018
BLANKbottle Epileptic Inspiration 2018
Bloemendal Suider Terras 2016
Botanica The Mary Delany Collection Chenin Blanc 2018
City on a Hill White 2018
Constantia Glen Two 2018
Crystallum Clay Shales Chardonnay 2018
David & Nadia Aristargos 2018
David & Nadia Plat’bos Chenin Blanc 2018
David & Nadia Skaliekop Chenin Blanc 2018
DeMorgenzon Chenin Blanc Reserve 2018
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2018
Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonnay 2017
JC Wickens Swerwer Chenin Blanc 2018
Kaapzicht The 1947 Chenin Blanc 2018
Klein Constantia Block 382 Sauvignon Blanc 2018
La Vierge Apogée Chardonnay 2017
Lammershoek Mysteries Die Oranje 2017
Lismore Barrel-Fermented Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Lismore Chardonnay Reserve 2018
Lismore Viognier Reserve 2018
Lourens Family Wines Lindi Carien 2018
Metzer Family Maritime Chenin Blanc 2018
Miles Mossop Saskia 2016
Mont Blois Kweekkamp Chardonnay 2018
Mulderbosch Single Vineyard Block W Chenin Blanc 2018
Mullineux CWG Semillon Gris 2018
Olifantsberg Grenache Blanc 2018
Opstal The Barber Semillon 2018
Raats Family Eden High Density Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2018
Rall White 2018
Scions of Sinai Granietsteen 2018
Spioenkop Riesling 2018
Spioenkop Sarah Raal Chenin Blanc 2018
Stellenrust Artisons The Mothership Chenin Blanc 2018
Thorne & Daughters Paper Kite 2018
Tokara Director’s Reserve White 2016
Trizanne Signature Wines Sondagskloof Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Van Loggerenberg Kameraderie Chenin Blanc 2018
Vergelegen GVB White 2016
Waterkloof Circle of Life White 2016
Wildeberg White 2018

RED

99
Boschkloof Epilogue Syrah 2017

98
Porseleinberg Syrah 2017
Sadie Family Columella 2017
Shannon Black 2015

97
Delaire Graff Laurence Graff Reserve 2015
Keet First Verse 2015
Lismore Syrah Reserve 2018
Terracura Wines Trinity Syrah 2017
Thelema Rabelais 2015
Waterford Estate The Jem 2014

96
Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2017
Boekenhoutskloof The Journeyman 2017
Boschkloof CWG Epilogue Syrah 2017
Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2018
Crystallum Bona Fide Pinot Noir 2018
David & Nadia Elpidios 2017
Glenelly Essence 2010
Glenelly Lady May 2014
Hartenberg Gravel Hill Shiraz 2015
Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2017
Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2016
KWV The Mentors Carmenère 2017
Leeu Passant Dry Red 2017
Miles Mossop CWG Maximilian 2014
Mullineux Iron Syrah 2017
Newton Johnson Seadragon Pinot Noir 2018
Newton Johnson Windansea Pinot Noir 2018
Raats Family MR de Compostella 2017
Rall Ava Syrah 2018
Sadie Family Treinspoor 2018
Savage Red 2017
Sijnn Red 2016
Stark-Condé Oude Nektar 2016
Storm Wines Vrede Pinot Noir 2018
Vilafonté Series C 2016

95
AA Badenhorst Ringmuur Cinsault 2018
Alto MPHS 2015
Arendsig Inspirational Batch 8 Pinotage 2018
BLANKbottle Little William 2018
Catherine Marshall Finite Elements Pinot Noir 2018
Crystallum Cuvée Cinéma Pinot Noir 2018
De Toren Fusion V 2016
De Trafford Merlot 2014
Delaire Graff The Banghoek Blend 2016
Delheim Vera Cruz Estate Pinotage 2016
DeMorgenzon CWG Gravitas 2017
DeMorgenzon Syrah Reserve 2017
Eikendal Infused by Earth Cabernet Franc 2017
Gabriëlskloof The Landscape Series Syrah on Sandstone 2017
Hartenberg The Stork Shiraz 2015
Jordan Sophia 2015
Kershaw Syrah Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22 2017
KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot 2017
Leeuwenkuil Heritage Syrah 2017
Longridge Maandans 2017
Miles Mossop Max 2016
Mullineux Granite Syrah 2017
Mullineux Schist Syrah Roundstone 2017
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2018
Overgaauw Estate Tria Corda 2015
Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2018
Rall Cinsault 2018
Restless River Main Road & Dignity Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Reyneke Reserve Red 2016
Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmond 2015
Savage Thief in the Night 2018
Scions of Sinai Swanesang 2018
Shannon Mount Bullet Merlot 2016
Stark-Condé Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2017
Storm Wines Ignis Pinot Noir 2018
Van Loggerenberg Breton Cabernet Franc 2018
Warwick Cabernet Franc 2016
Waterford Library Collection Cabernet Franc 2016
Waterford Library Collection SP Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Waterford Library Collection Spring Shiraz 2017

SPARKLING

96
Graham Beck Cuvée Clive MCC 2014
Silverthorn Jewel Box MCC 2015

95
Boschendal Jean Le Long Prestige Cuvée MCC 2009
Le Lude Magnum Vintage Cuvée Magnum MCC 2013

SWEET

98
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2016

97
Mullineux Straw Wine 2018

96
Paul Cluver Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2017

95
Boekenhoutskloof Noble Late Harvest 2016
Savage Straw Wine 2018

FORTIFIED

96
De Krans Cape Vintage Reserve 2017

95
Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve 2017

To buy the report, click here.

A tasting of the 95-plus point wines takes place on Friday, 13 September at the Westin Hotel in Cape Town. To book your ticket, click here.

Few people seek out airport dining but sometimes travellers have to sustain themselves in such situations. In recent years there have been attempts to create better-eating experiences at airports all over the world but somehow, they seldom succeed. There is only so much burnt coffee and giant Toblerone that can be consumed before tired, hangry tantrums set in. Which is why finding Gounden’s at Lanseria airport was such a sweet surprise.  

This teeny-tiny, brand new restaurant sits amidst the car hire companies on the walkway between the parking area and the airport terminal. Lanseria being a small aerodrome, the walkway serves both coming and going passengers. It is a clean-lined white box of a space, with eight bar stools and a single table. It makes up for the slightly clinical décor with boisterously brilliant food.

The Lanseria Gounden’s has no connection (other than a shared surname and ancestral ethnicity) with the iconic KZN restaurant of the same name but it is none the worse for that. I have never before wished for a flight delay but the meal described below had me longing for inclement weather and/ or goats on the runway.  Sadly, neither transpired so my travelling companion and I had only half an hour to feast before we flew.

We started our meal with light, crisp mutton mince samosas (R8 each) served with a punch of bright green chilli chutney and a slosh of cooling amasi soured milk. There is no liquor license at Gounden’s but the fridge is full of Cokes and Cream Sodas which provided us with pleasant compare and contrast, sweet to spice sipping. My friend followed his samosas with a vibrant, red sauced chicken curry (R60) accompanied by a tart, tangy carrot pickle and two roti flatbreads with which to tear and scoop.

I ate mutton curry bunny chow (R80) which was generously packed with tender meat and sauce-infused potato chunks. Exuberantly pungent masala gravy soaked into the plump white bread walls in all the right ways. A knife and fork was offered to me but only weirdos eat bunny chow with cutlery so by the time I reached the bottom of the bread my fingertips were turmeric stained and smelt richly of ginger, garlic and happiness. Finicky flyers can relax safe in the knowledge that the tiny dining room has a small sink station to cleanse pre and post bunny hands.  

We were full to bursting (and dangerously close to missing our flight) but greed gave us the strength to share a tub of superb soji (R40). Even under ordinary circumstances, this cardamom and semolina pudding is the kryptonite against which I am powerless to resist so imagine my delight when I saw that the Gounden’s soji was dotted with flaked almonds which had undergone a red and green Bollywood colour wash. This gorgeously gaudy dessert gave us just the right sugar rush to hurry onto our plane and into the sky.

Gounden’s Fresh Durban Cuisine: 065 526 1594; Multi Storey Parade, Lanseria Airport, Lanseria; Trading hours; Sunday – Friday:  07h30 – 20h30;  Saturday:  07h30 – 18h00

• Dr Anna Trapido was trained as an anthropologist at King’s College Cambridge and a chef at the Prue Leith College of Food and Wine. She has twice won the World Gourmand Cookbook Award. She has made a birthday cake for Will Smith, a Christmas cake for Nelson Mandela and cranberry scones for Michelle Obama. She is in favour of Champagne socialism and once swallowed a digital watch by mistake.

Miles Mossop, winemaker at Tokara in Stellenbosch from inception, left after the 2018 harvest to concentrate on his own brand Miles Mossop Wines, a recent tasting revealing an astonishingly strong portfolio of wines. Tasting notes and ratings as follows:

The Introduction Chenin Blanc 2018
Wine Cellar price: R129
From Stellenbosch and Swartland grapes. Peach and apple on the nose. Clean and correct on the palate – medium bodied with bright acidity and a savoury finish.

Editor’s rating: 88/100.

The Introduction Red 2017
Wine Cellar price: R135
46% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. Matured for 18 months in old oak. Red and black fruit, some attractive herbal character and a little turned earth on the nose. Juicy and fresh with fine tannins, the finish nicely dry. A very attractive, stylish entry-level red.

Editor’s rating: 89/100.

Chapter One Cinsault 2018
Price: R220
From Swartland grapes, winemaking involved 50% whole-bunch fermentation before maturation lasting nine months in a concrete tank. Red cherry, fynbos and earth on the nose. The palate is lean with pleasantly sour acidity and very grippy tannins, the finish super-dry (alcohol: 12%). Super-geeky. Total production: 993 bottles.

Editor’s rating: 90/100.

Chapter Two Chenin Blanc 2018
Price: R220
From a 48-year-old Paardeberg vineyard on granite. Top notes of hay and herbs before pear, white peach and apple plus a little leesy complexity. Great fruit purity to go with a lovely line of acidity, the finish long and saline. One 400-litre barrel produced, resulting in 517 bottles.

Editor’s rating: 95/100.

Chapter Three Chenin Blanc 2018
Price: R220
From a 34-year-old Stellenbosch vineyard on slate. Some struck-match reduction, yellow peach, apple and some lanonlin on the nose. The palate is rich with a creamy texture, coated acidity and a savoury finish (alcohol: 14%). Well balanced and complex. One 400-litre barrel produced, resulting in 520 bottles.

Editor’s rating: 95/100.

Saskia 2016
Price: R285
68% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette Blanche, 13% Verdelho and 6% Viognier, grapes from the Swartland and Voor Paardeberg. A gorgeous nose showing white and yellow fruit, flowers and herbs. The palate is exceptionally vivid – lovely fruit purity, zippy acidity with just a touch of phenolic grip on the finish. A wine of great precision, the different components combining seamlessly.

Editor’s rating: 97/100.

Max 2016
Price: R385
44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 23% Petit Verdot. Matured for 22 months in French oak, 29% new. A rather pretty nose with notes of predominantly red fruit, herbs and violets. The palate is relatively medium bodied (despite an alcohol of 14.5%) with good freshness and fine tannins, the finish long and dry. Understated and refined.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Kika 2017
Price: TBC
Noble Late Harvest. From Chenin Blanc, 30% of the grapes were botrytis infected. Some subtle mushroom-like character to go with citrus and stone fruit on the nose. The palate is super-concentrated with bright acidity and a pithy finish. Has a delicious sweet ‘n sour character. Layers of flavour, balanced and long.

Editor’s rating: 95/100.

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