Tim James: South Coast wines challenge SA’s price spiral

The pricing of serious, characterful Cape wines has shown a pretty relentless upward movement in recent years – though the current international market decline means that this must already be presenting many producers with problems. And, I suppose must also be deterring some of the brighter-minded ones from pushing their luck. Look at someone with the reputation of Donovan Rall, for example, and see how many of his wines stand (surely not for long!) on the shelves at around R300. Thorne & Daughters wines for R350…. There are some truly remarkable bargains out there. I think it fair to guess that, overall, never has pricing less reflected quality, looking comparatively.

I have some more bargains for you, from the mostly rather lesser-known winemakers and viticulturists grouping themselves under the “South Coasters” banner. Two years back I wrote enthusiastically about their second trade show and remarked that “It was all a bit like the earlyish days of the revolutionary Swartland: a bunch of (mostly) young winemakers, enthusiastic, ambitious, and hungry, excited about their explorations of their rediscovered landscape, and making generally interesting, original and rather good wines”.

There were two new producers in that show, up from eight the previous year. But this year Kindred Coast and Charla Haasbroek seem to have withdrawn, with one new entrant, Bobby Wallace’s Off the Record label. So, nine of them, drawing grapes from Elgin in the west through to beyond Stanford in the east. I can’t report here, let alone adequately, on all the wines I tasted at their Cape Town show, strategically timed just before Cape Wine (and I deliberately omitted tasting Saurwein, as I had written about them just recently). But there wasn’t a dud in the room. The majority of the wines retail under R300, some a bit more, and only the excellent pinots of Saurwein and Thamnus (the latter also with a chardonnay at the same level) going at R500 a bottle or more.

Syrah for example. Lelie van Saron 2022, from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde is a fine example of medium-weight aromatic, red and darker-fruited syrah at under R300, immensely drinkable now but far from lacking potential. Brunia Syrah 2023 (a bit over R300) is even finer; the 40% wholebunch fruit adding to the fragrance, it has a gorgeous intensity, a decently firm structure, all is in balance and there’s a succulent moreishness. Mark Stephens’s Deep Rooted Hinterlands Syrah 2023 (R245), also from Stanford-area fruit, is a little quieter in its perfume, but very promising in its youthfulness, with a subtle intensity and a long beautifully dry, light-feeling finish. I have to also mention Off the Record Syrah 2023 (R330), though it shouldn’t really have been in this company as it comes from the high-lying Ceres Plateau – but it has such finesse and dry elegance to its tannins that I’m glad Bobby Wallace brought it along together with two Elgin wines: the ripe-flavoured and rich but finely fresh Chenin Blanc, and Cabernet Franc 2023 off the Wallace family farm, also with fine dry tannins, supporting the succulent, wild-edged red fruit and dry-leaf aromatics.

All of Natasha Williams’s range is predictably impressive, in fact. There’s a new Pinot Blanc 2024, a delicious wine with a lemony green-tinged freshness. Just the thing for a hot summer when you’re wanting something new. And, when you’re wanting a classic, the upcoming Chardonnay 2023, from three Hemel-en-Aarde Valley parcels, half matured in concrete, half in oak, is extremely good – limey, textured and lengthy, an honour to the area in which she has her day job (at Hasher). Another chardonnay, from just outside  the Hemel-en-Aarde, in what will be the Shaw’s Mountain ward, comes from Van Niekerk Vintners; this Goue Rif 2024 is both lightly delicate and intense, with a pleasing phenolic touch. Another good value chard at R235. To go with the lovely and crunchy Van Niekerk Sonwater Chenin (10% Clairette) and their excellent, elegantly charming but firmly structured, dry-tannined Rebellie Grenache – the dry and grippy Martelie Rosé is also from grenache.

Like Natasha, Albert and Anmar van Niekerk are winemakers with day jobs – both at Gabriëlskloof, for whom Anmar is winemaker, and where Albert is involved with both Crystallum and Thorne & Daughters. Also there for a while as viticulturist was Christopher Keet, who now specialises in cabernet franc for his Weather Report label. There were two single-vineyard versions on offer, in addition to the multi-regional blend called Climes of Cabernet Franc. The delightfully named Land of Birds was new to me, a Bot River wine to complement the better-established Flight Farm ex Elgin. Both are mid-weight, refined and elegant versions; the former has fine sweet fruit married to a notably firm tannin structure, the latter with an easier, well-balanced textured structure and complex, savoury fruit.

The Maanschijn team of Paul Hoogwerf and Doug Mylrea, based just outside Hermanus, are stalwarts of the South Coasters grouping, and among the best established. The range has evolved over the years, however, and looks set to start featuring monovarietal wines (and dropping the Brunch Club label). But for now the Herbarium Cape White and Cape Red 2024 blends (R295) are in the lead – the White both generous and rather fascinating, with blackcurranty sauvignon dominant, grippy and interesting; the Red, from syrah, mourvèdre and cab sauvignon, gently aromatic to start with  and then flavourful but seriously built, even a little austere.

Brunia’s White 2023 (R285) must also be warmly welcomed, as a characterful sauvignon-semillon blend with character and complexity. It has more palate weight and texture than the admirable  straight Sauvignon Blanc, as usual a herbal, crisp and succulent wine that stands out from the crowds of same-same sauvignons and is well worth exploring even by those who are not over-enamoured of the variety. There’s also a Brunia Pinot (R310), which is pretty, charming and lightly fresh.

I mentioned the Deep Rooted Syrah. Mark Stephens also makes a standout sauvignon blanc in the Journey to the Centre of the Universe Blanc Fumé (with a little semillon), with a real cool-climate character of blackcurrant leaf to its enticing succulence. There’s always great elegance to Mark’s wines, and it’s certainly there in the Sense Pinotage Rosé (that variety’s only showing at this tasting) and Touch Me Verdelho, which has a particularly lovely balance.

The Cape South Coast produces some of the country’s great pinots and chardonnays especially, at eye-watering prices. Here are some future stars and not just with syrah – though that’s certainly a revelation, and affordable compared with some of the established greats. Altogether worth exploring – though I fear the wines would not all be easy to find at your local retailer.

• Tim James is one of South Africa’s leading wine commentators, contributing to various local and international wine publications. His book Wines of South Africa – Tradition and Revolution appeared in 2013.