Savage new releases

By , 23 August 2021

“The increments to be had in the cellar are tiny while they are infinite in the vineyard,” says Duncan Savage of Savage Wines who takes pride in working various sites across the winelands for his impressive portfolio of wine. Tasting notes and ratings for the new releases as follows:

Savage White 2020
Price: R293
76% Sauvingon Blanc and 24% Semillon (the first vintage since 2014 to exclude Chenin Blanc) from Kaaimansgat, Villiersdorp and Stellenbosch. Matured for 10 months in old 500-litre barrels. Expressive aromatics of naartjie, peach, blackcurrant and just a touch of granadilla and pineapple. The palate is rich and dense (alcohol is 14%) with well-integrated acidity.  Polished, plush and poised.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

Savage Never Been Asked To Dance 2020
Price: R293
Chenin Blanc from a Paarl vineyard planted in 1956. The nose is complex with notes of pear, peach, citrus, herbs and a hint of wet wool. The palate shows great clarity – concentrated fruit, punchy acidity and a savoury, slightly bitter finish. Manages to combine weight and texture with a particular energy.

CE’s rating: 96/100.

Savage Follow The Line 2020
Price: R293
From Darling Cinsault plus a small portion of Syrah. 50% whole-bunch fermentation. Raspberry, ruby grapefruit, herbs and slight peppery note on the nose. The palate is lean and fresh with some stalky bite on the finish – a delicate wine.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

Savage Thief in The Night 2020
Price: R293
64% Grenache, 26% Cinsault and 10% Syrah, grapes from Piekenierskloof. 10 – 20% whole-bunch fermentation. Cherries, plums and a hint of spice on the nose. Medium bodied with fresh acidity and soft tannins. Nice weight and texture with lots of subtle layers of flavour.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

Savage Girl Next Door 2020
Price: R405
From a tiny vineyard in Fish Hoek. The nose shows some flinty reduction before dark berries, pepper, kelp, sage and fennel. The palate is lean and a little angular – less immediately charming than previous vintages but still very striking. A precise wine with snappy acidity and fine tannins.

CE’s rating: 96/100.

Savage Are We There Yet? 2020
Price: R293
A 50:50 blend of Touriga Nacional and Syrah from Malgas. 10% whole-bunch fermentation. Evocative aromatics of red, black and blue berries, dried herbs, incense and earth. The palate is full-bodied and smooth-textured, the finish long and dry. Perhaps the best resolved vintage to date while remaining as flavourful as ever.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

Savage Red 2019
Price: R303
From Stellenbosch Syrah. 70% whole-bunch fermentation. Red and black berries, white pepper and fynbos on the nose while the palate is medium bodied with good fruit expression, fresh acidity and powdery tannins. Seamlessly made, it’s already quite approachable but equally has the structure to reward some bottle maturation.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Not Tonight Josephine 2020
Price: R405 per 375ml bottle
A straw wine from Piekenierskloof Chenin Blanc. Peach, apricot and hay on the nose while the palate is focused and relatively light for a wine with a residual sugar of 312g/l – good fruit definition matched by a lovely line of acidity, the finish nicely dry.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.

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