A.A. Badenhorst single vineyard releases 2019

As a wine producer, do you aim to scale up or stay to true to your art by producing site-specific in necessarily finite volumes? Swartland winemaker Adi Badenhorst seems to have achieved both, Secateurs being his relatively big-volume, popular label while also making a series of small-batch, single-vineyard wines, current releases including no less than five different examples of Chenin Blanc! Tasting notes and ratings as follows:

A.A. Badenhorst Bokveld Pinot Noir 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
Grapes from Ceres Plateau. Red cherry, a hint of rose-like perfume and spice on the nose. Juicy and fresh with fine tannins. Super-light and elegant. Alcohol: 12.5%.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Ramnasgras Cinsault 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
The nose shows cherry, cranberry and raspberry with some floral perfume and spice in the background. Light yet intensely flavoured and well balanced – pure fruit, good freshness and a very savoury finish. Alcohol: 12%.

Editor’s rating: 93/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Ringmuur Cinsault 2018
Sold out.
Made using carbonic maceration. Super-fragrant with notes of incense, rose water and pelargonium. Supremely delicate on the palate, this is thrilling to drink. Alcohol: 12.5%.

Editor’s rating: 93/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Sk’windjiesvlei Tinta Barocca 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
Reduction, dark fruit and earth on the nose. Super-dense without being weighty, the tannins are firm making for an intensely dry finish. Alcohol: 13.5%.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Sout van die Aarde Palamino 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
A somewhat curious nose with notes of white fruit, fresh herbs and sea breeze. Lean and fresh with a super-dry finish, this is very striking. Alcohol: 12%.

Editor’s rating: 91/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Dassiekop Steen 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
From a 1964 vineyard on a neighbouring property. A pretty nose with notes of flowers and white peach. The palate is tightly wound with good fruit concentration and bright acidity before a nicely dry finish. Carries its 14.5% alcohol well.

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Klip Kop Haut-Granitika Steen 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465

Top notes of flowers and herbs before white and yellow fruit plus hints of earth and spice. The palate shows lovely focus and energy – pure fruit, fresh acidity and a gently savoury finish. Alcohol: 14.5%.

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Kelder Steen 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
From a 1968 vineyard. Yellow fruit, some yeasty complexity and spice on the nose. Relatively rich and broad with plenty of flavour. Alcohol: 13.5%

Editor’s rating: 94/100.

A.A. Badenhorst Piet Bok se Bos Steen 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
The nose is quite open and expressive – potpourri, citrus and peach while the palate is soft and round with good fruit expression and moderate acidity.

Editor’s rating: 93/100.

Lives up to its name.

A.A. Badenhorst The Golden Slopes Chenin Blanc 2018
Wine Cellar price: R465
From a 1968 vineyard higher up on the property with a high percentage of clay. A slight note of reduction before citrus and stone fruit with flowers, earth and spice in the background on the nose. The palate is marked by excellent fruit concentration, zesty acidity and an extraordinarily long, pithy finish. Vivid and vibrant, utterly seamless, profoundly good.

Editor’s rating: 97/100.

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