There are few examples of the Cape Bordeaux Red Blend as elegant and sophisticated as MR De Compostella and the recently released 2021 again shows great refinement. A blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 17% Malbec and 2% Petit Verdot, the nose shows top notes of roses, violets and herbs before red and black berries, olive, oystershell, vanilla and pencil shavings. It’s medium bodied (alcohol is 14%) with succulent fruit, fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins making for a creamy texture. Price: R2 050 a bottle.
CE’s rating: 95/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
Darling property Groote Post has just launched Pinch of Salt Chardonnay 2023 (price: R220 a bottle). A replanting process featuring superior clones was started nine years ago and grapes come from these vineyards, winemaking involving 50% fermentation in stainless steel tank, 30% in oak barrels and 20% in clay amphorae before maturation lasting six months.
Aromatics are markedly primary at this stage with notes of blossom and lemon while there’s nice weight to the palate – pure, clean fruit matched by zippy acidity before a dry finish. This should only gain in complexity with a year or two in bottle. Alc: 13%.
CE’s rating: 89/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
Does the wine that could have been Magentic North 2022 deserve declassification? Grapes from two ungrafted Skurfberg vineyards, Chris Alehit felt it wasn’t quite up to standard and has released it as “Gone South” selling for around R450 a bottle whereas the last vintage of Magnetic North, which was 2020, went for around R810 (no 2021 due to a faulty tank gasket).
Alheit, I think, is being overcautious. Aromatics are beautiful – flowers, fynbos, hay, citrus and peach while the palate is vivid and compelling – concentrated fruit, electric acidity and a super-dry, slightly bitter finish. Great texture but also drive. Great proportions all-round. Some might say it lacks the depth of previous vintages whereas I would argue that it gains in elegance. Alc: 13%.
CE’s rating: 98/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
Volumes of the Shiraz from Bot River cellar Luddite were greatly reduced in 2015 through to 2020 firstly due to the infamous drought and then from the knock-on effect of that prolonged dry period as the vines slowly started to recover.
To tide the business over, Luddite owners Niels and Penny Verburg have released small quantities of 2010 and now 2013 from their personal stocks, tasting notes and ratings as follows:
Luddite Shiraz 2010
Price: R1 080
Matured for 24 months in barrel, approximately 25% new. The nose shows black berries, liquorice, a slight meatiness, earth, pepper and spice. On the palate, the fruit is still intact and the tannins grippy. Full bodied (alcohol is 15.1%) but balanced and still possessing plenty of detail – a hearty, satisfying wine. Total production: 10 500 bottles.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Luddite Shiraz 2013
Price: R1 485
Matured for 24 months in barrel, 15% new. A cooler vintage and the resulting wine is a little less bold as a result (although alcohol remains 15%). Aromatics of red and black berries, a definite fynbos note, pepper and other spice. The palate is not quite as full as 2010 – good fruit delineation, lemon-like acidity and powdery tannins, the finish possessing a salty quality. A little mellowness starting to appear as you might hope after a decade in bottle.
CE’s rating: 92/100.
The latest vintage 2020 (R1 010 a bottle) rated 94 when tasted in March – see here.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
The ascent of the Damascene label continues. A partnership between winemaker Jean Smit and David Curl, former owner of Bordeaux’s Chateau Gaby, grapes are sourced from around the winelands. Tasting notes and ratings for the new releases as follows:
Damascene W.O. Swartland Chenin Blanc 2022
Price: R495
Grapes from two Paardeberg vineyards planted in 1979 and 1983 respectively. Tangerine, orange, peach, earth, ginger and other spice on the nose while the palate has good weight and snappy acidity, that intriguing bitter quality that this variety often shows on the finish. A little extra broadness compared to the previous vintage. Alc: 12.92%
CE’s rating: 94/100.
Damascene W.O. Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2022
Price: R495
Grapes from three Bottelary vineyards planted in 1972, 1980 and 1982 respectively. Complex aromatics of pear, peach, nectarine, lemon and fynbos while the palate shows very good delineation and directness – pure fruit and bright acidity before a salty finish. Absolutely packed with flavour. Alc: 13.14%.
CE’s rating: 95/100.
Damascene Semillon 2022
Price: R495
From two Franschhoek blocks planted in 1942 and 1962 respectively. Matured for 11 months in 1000-litre foudre. Wonderfully complex aromatics of lime, peach, nectarine, thatch, floral perfume and dried herbs while blackcurrant reveals itself with time in glass. The palate, meanwhile, is exceptionally well balanced with great clarity of fruit, no shortage of freshness and a salty finish. Alc: 13.21%.
CE’s rating: 96/100.
Damascene W.O. Stellenbosch Syrah 2022
Price: R495
Grapes from Bottelary and Polkadraai. 75% whole-bunch fermented. Matured for 11 months in 2 000-litre vats. Gun-smoke like reduction sits alongside notes of floral perfume, red and black berries, fresh herbs and white pepper. The palate has lovely poise and detail – relatively light-bodied but great flavour intensity, vibrant acidity and fine tannins. Alc: 13.1%.
CE’s rating: 98/100.
Damascene W.O. Swartland Syrah 2022
Price: R495
Grapes from Riebeeksrivier on schist and Paardeberg on granite. 75% whole-bunch fermented. Matured for 11 months in 2 000-litre vats. Flinty reduction before red and black berries, lavender, olive, some meatiness and pepper. Rich and round – lots of ripe fruit, moderate acidity and powdery tannins. Alc: 12.93%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Damascene W.O. Cere Plateau Syrah 2022
Price: R495
60% whole-bunch fermented. Matured for 11 months in 1 000-litre vats. Red currant, raspberry and black cherry to go with orange, jasmine and white pepper. Light-bodied (alcohol is 13.16% with lemon-like acidity and a creamy texture. Super-elegant. Alc: 13.16%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Damascene Cabernet Franc 2022
Price: R495
Grapes from a Bottelary vineyard. Matured for 11 months in 1000-litre foudre. The nose is deeply perfumed with notes of cranberry, strawberry, potpourri and dried herbs. Good clarity of fruit, bright acidity and powdery tannins – already quite accessible. Alc: 13.33%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Damascene Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Price: R495
Grapes from Fruit from Bottelary, Helderberg and Vlottenburg (near Polkadraai Hills). Matured for 12 months in barrique before being transferred to 2 000-litre vats for a further 12 months. Enticing aromatics of rose, violets, red and black berries plus pencil shavings. The palate is not short of concentration or depth despite an alcohol of just 13.56%. Great purity, bright acidity and immaculate tannins – grippy without being astringent, the finish super-long.
CE’s rating: 97/100.
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The Banghoek (or Banhoek) valley is not amongst the best known winegrowing parts of Stellenbosch, but it is certainly among the loveliest – as anyone who’s looked out from Delaire Graff at the crest of the Helshoogte Pass can attest. Bernard le Roux, winemaker at Zorgvliet Wines, halfway down the steep road with Boschendal at its foot, suggests ruefully that people whizzing down – perhaps on their way to Franschhoek, or even slightly labouring uphill if they’re in a car like mine – don’t always notice the vineyards and wineries on either side.
Incidentally, the Zorgvliet website gives a good account of the origins of the name “Banghoek” – Frightening Corner. The area, it says, “was originally known as ‘De Bange Hoek’ which is how it was indicated on a transport map of Zeven Rivieren in the year 1704. Not only was it dangerously steep but there were gangs, escaped slaves, lions, leopards and other wild animals in the dense forest area. Travelers were wary of this area because many were attacked by these animals and slaves that escaped from prison and thrown into the river.” It’s not so scary these days.
As to wine, in fact it’s for not much more than a decade or so that there have been more than a few Banghoek wineries attracting serious attention and making it a significantly plausible vinous destination. The undoubtedly famous Thelema and Tokara, up near Delaire Graff on the watershed that forms an appellation boundary, opted to be part of Simonsberg-Stellenbosch when given the choice. Two of that lofty trio were established well before the turn of the century, with Tokara starting slowly to establish itself then, and so was Camberley. Then came some small operations: Zorgvliet (also making the wines for Le Pommier), Rainbow’s End, Vuurberg, and Clouds. Two of today’s more prestigious Banghoek producers, Oldenburg and Bartinney, bottled their first vintages only in 2007 and 2008 respectively. A grand newcomer, US-owned Capensis, established its home farm in the valley even more recently.
For the first time in over ten years, I visited Zorgvliet last week, ignoring the wedding and function centre, the Country Lodge and the restaurants – well, not all of the restaurants, as I had a good lunch at De Herenhuis in the historic old manor house, after tasting through the current releases with Bernard.
There was a good Cabernet Franc Rosé 2023 to start with, fragrant, quite intense, dry and fashionably pale. Zorgvliet Sauvignon Blanc has a high reputation in competitions and I understand why, as it stands out from the enormous pack with points of difference: the 2022 has a charming fragrance rather than being overpoweringly aromatic, there’s scarcely a granadilla within sniffing distance – rather, gooseberry and a little blackcurrant, with a greengage bite to the palate. All very deft, beautifully balanced. A part old-oaked Semillon 2022 (a tiny bottling) is also a touch different from the mainstream, with what Bernard describes as “buchu” in addition to the lemony notes. Also a substantial wine, though textured, racy and succulent.
Those wines are all around R150; the flagship white, Simoné 2021, is R250 ex-farm. It blends sauvignon and semillon equally (the juice for this wine going straight to barrel) and, given the quality of the varietal wines, the blend is unsurprisingly good. Suavely but forwardly aromatic, with juicy acidity and a phenolic touch making for a fine grippiness that balances the creamy texture.
Nonetheless, I feel that the heart of Zorgvliet is its red wines, all from Bordeaux varieties. They always were somewhat on the ripe, bolder side of typical Stellenbosch reds, but Bernard has brought a refinement to them – one remembers that he was for some years the winemaker alongside Zelma Long at Vilafonté, so it isn’t surprising. The 2020s I tasted are still big and ripe, but less blockbusterish in aim: the oaking is restrained, the tannins are all beautifully managed and there is a pleasing balance to them.
At one end of the gradation in this aesthetic is the Merlot, which is just what most people want from Stellenbosch merlot: deep colour, big, round and rich, no greenness, friendly and approachable early. The Cabernet Franc comes across as at the other end of the aesthetic. Bernard has deliberately pulled back from ultra-ripeness, partly through work in the vineyard. So he’s embraced the dry-leaf, herbal element inherent to the variety, but without any green vegetalness, and it remains firmly in the Bordeaux style rather than the lighter Loire-ish style that is cropping up more frequently in South Africa these days. Just 20% new oak, a good grip from the fine tannins, sweet fruit but the finish dry enough; the 14.5% alcohol perhaps only obvious in that sweet touch (all Bernard’s wines are properly dry). It’s quite fresh, and rather delicious already, though it will certainly age pretty well.
I found it interesting to compare the Franc with the Cabernet Sauvignon, which has rather similar statistics (though it does have more new oak: 40% rather than 20%), and yet comes across as bolder, riper and richer, though not as powerful as some warm-country cabs.
There’s also a varietal Petit Verdot – just 10% new oak, underlining its pure-fruit – indeed quite fruity – charm. Lengthened a bit by cab sauvignon, this is far from the showiness the wine used to offer, and is in fact rather refinedly delicious, though certainly not escaping traditional richness and bold presence. It should be noted, by the way, that these reds are extremely good value in today’s market: they are line-priced at R190 ex-farm, which would be hard to match for this quality in Stellenbosch reds.
Richelle, the flagship blend of all those varieties (the two cabs always in the lead, especially sauvignon, though the blend is responsive to what the harvest delivers) is R450 for the current 2019, also not a bad price as these things go. It adds some elegance and subtlety to the package, the tannins firm but dry. I tasted four vintages – the happily cruising, beautifully fruited and succulent 2015, with tannins starting to resolve convincingly; the particularly good, intense but subtler 2017; a rather lighter 2018, nicely quieter in character, but maybe less well balanced and certainly less intense. The 2019 coming onto the market now is also a clearly very good year, delivering clean, pure and fresh, though sweetly ripe, fruit. A very recommendable Stellenbosch Bordeax-style blend.
Talking of blockbusterish power and otherwise, a footnote: I was delighted to see that in the past few years Bernard has abandoned that vulgarly ostentatious, over-big, specially moulded “Stellenbosch” bottle. He did say, however, that he thinks the move initially at least cost them some customers, which is depressing to note. But the customers do appreciate Richelle’s waxed top rather than the standard capsule he experimented with, so that is now a permanent fixture.
The Moya Meaker wines, as made by Jean Smit, come from Habibi farm in Elgin, owned by David Curl and wife Genevieve Hamilton-Brown – Genevieve’s late mother, Moya Meaker, who was crowned Miss South Africa in 1959, lending her name to the range.
Moya Meaker Riesling 2022
Price: R300
Fermented and matured in concrete. Enchanting aromatics of pear, peach, lime, green apple, white pepper and spice with just a touch of reduction in the background. The palate shows good clarity – clean, sweet fruit playing off against punchy acidity, the finish super-dry. Alc: 12.35%.
CE’s rating: 92/100.
Moya Meaker Pinot Noir 2022
Price: R300
Matured for 11 months in 300-litre barrels, 20% new. Exotic aromatics of red cherry, orange, rose and white pepper. The palate is luscious but not weighty or sweet. Lovely bright acidity to go with super-fine tannins, this grows in refinement with each new vintage. Alc: 13.37%.
CE’s rating: 92/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
This year marks 20 years since May de Lencquesaing, of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande fame, purchased Stellenbosch property Glenelly. Maiden vintage of the pinnacle wine called Lady May was in 2008 and it has quickly become one of the best examples of a Cape Bordeaux Red Blend to be had, the 2015 rating 96 points, the 2016 95 and the 2017 97 on this website.
The recently released 2018 (price: R795 a bottle) is more than just a commendable effort in what was a super-dry vintage. A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet franc, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot, the wine matured for a total of 24 months in French oak barrels, the first 12 months as individual components in 30% first-fill barrels and then, after blending, taken back to 70% first-fill barrels for an additional 12 months.
The nose shows black cherry, cassis violets, chocolate and pencil shavings while there is very little herbal character to speak of. The palate is super-concentrated and smooth textured although not entirely without verve. A sleek and powerful wine, alcohol is 14.8%.
CE’s rating: 95/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
The Newton Johnson label may date from 1997 but the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir bottlings entirely from their own Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley fruit only came in 2008, a reminder that the modern fine wine project in South Africa is remarkably young.
On a recent visit, managing director Bevan Newton Johnson and wnemaking brother Gordon showed various older vintages but declined to pour anything further back than 2012. “We aren’t embarrassed by those older vintages but it’s only from 2012 that we feel we started getting wines illustrative of what this property is truly capable of,” says Bevan.
It was an insightful tasting in the sense of a refinement of approach over time was obvious. Combine favourable vintage conditions and this cellar is capable of some of the best examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in the country, the Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2017 and the Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2019 being two of the finest local examples of these two varieties I’ve tasted in recent times (both rated 97 points).
The Newton Johnsons are positive about the 2022 vintage, the heatwaves that affected other areas just before harvest less of an issue here. Tasting notes and ratings as follows:
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Chardonnay 2022
Price: R490
Grapes from three blocks, two north-facing and one south-facing. Matured for 11 months in 228- and 500-litre barrels, 25% new. Aromatics are still very primary with notes of citrus, oatmeal, a hint of vanilla and some flinty reduction. The palate is intense but not overly weighty – extra-concentrated fruit and scintillating acidity before a savoury finish. Pure, energetic and beautifully poised, this is years off drinking at its best. Alc: 13%.
CE’s rating: 96/100.
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2022
Price: R590
Grapes from multiple blocks on the farm, each with a slightly different soil structure but essentially granite based. Limited whole-bunch fermentation. Matured for 11 months in 228-litre barrels, 29% new.
Exotic aromatics of red and black berries, orange, earth and a touch of reduction. Impressive depth of fruit, bright acidity and fine-grained, tight-knit tannins. Rich but balanced, this is Pinot at its most seductive. Alc: 14%.
CE’s rating: 94/100.
Newton Johnson Seadragon Pinot Noir 2022
Price: R800
From the oldest vineyard on the property planted in 2003, the soil being granite on clay. The nose shows cherry, cranberry and strawberry, some floral perfume, vanilla and flinty reduction. The palate is medium bodied with bright acidity and fine tannins. Elegant, balanced and dry. Alc: 13.5%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Newton Johnson Windansea Pinot Noir 2022
Price: R800
From a vineyard featuring heavy clay, the resulting berries having thicker skins. Red and black cherry, earth and spice on the nose while the palate has excellent fruit density, punchy acidity and admirably ripe fruit tannins. A wine of both breadth and depth – succulent fruit upfront, the finish decidedly long and dry. Alc: 13.5%.
CE’s rating: 95/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
Immediately after the recent Ireland-New Zealand Rugby World Cup semi-final won by the latter, All Blacks centre Reiko Ioane apparently said to outgoing Irish captain Johnny Sexton, “Enjoy retirement and don’t miss your flight”. Some may view this as not very classy, but the Irish give as good as they get, their flank Peter O’Mahony last year memorably telling New Zealand counterpart Sam Cane that he was a “shit Richie McCaw”, McCaw being Cane’s predecessor as captain and all-round legend.
The absence of banter in the world of wine debates, at least when it comes to formal channels, is curious. Why is this? For one thing, wine is not a binary matter of right or wrong, winners or losers. There’s an unavoidable subjective element to wine appreciation and this inevitably requires some circumspection and humility on the part of debate participants. One commentator might be more knowledgeable and experienced than another but ultimately, no one can argue that their personal taste is superior to someone else’s.
One of the best ways to learn about wine is to appreciate that everyone’s experience is different, and discussions are an opportunity to enrich your own understanding. Seeking to grasp the nuances of another person’s encounter with a wine and how it differs from your own is a highly effective way to enhance appreciation.
Another, less admirable, reason to explain the absence of banter when it comes to wine is that egos are fragile and reputations supposedly easily damaged. Criticise a leading winemaker or prominent property, however playfully, and you stand the chance of being quickly ostracized by the wine establishment.
Still, the missing banter in wine discussions is something of a disappointment. Wine enthusiasts are often regarded as having an exaggerated respect for the subject by the uninitiated and the absence of banter only exacerbates this. It is, to put it bluntly, a missed opportunity for a livelier and more engaging discourse.
As the rugby anecdotes above demonstrate, banter adds an element of entertainment and excitement. Wine discussions all too often become overly serious or academic and could certainly do with more light-hearted fun.
Those of us highly involved in wine world are kidding ourselves if we don’t recognise that outsiders see it as overly complex and elitist. More banter can humanize the discussion, making it more approachable and relatable to a broader audience. Describing wines as “masculine” and “feminine” is so last century and “minerality” is baloney. There, I said it…
Nor does banter always have to be confrontational. One area of wine where there certainly is a difference of opinion is between proponents of natural as opposed to regular wine and this often gets acrimonious. What would be far more useful is a bit of good-natured banter as a tool for mutual edification – participants encouraged to explore and justify their viewpoints, leading to a richer exchange of ideas and knowledge.
Wine appreciation is too often dominated by received wisdom – a set of beliefs and standards that people have come to accept as true: “Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t make serious wine” or “Added sulphur is bad” or “Swartland is hipper than Stellenbosch”. Banter, however, allows individuals to express their unique perspectives more openly, helping to keep the wine scene as vibrant and open as possible. Established norms and trends need challenging and those of us who love wine could all afford to take ourselves less seriously.
In closing, I can recommend the following three Instagram accounts that treat the wine industry with refreshing irreverence: 1). @frau.foudre – wine writer, Australia/New Zealand wine ambassador: 2). @shittywinememes; and 3). @six_parallels_south – producer of kosher wines from the Yarra Valley, Heathcote and Bendigo.
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