Shannon new releases

Vineyard plantings at Elgin farm Dunmanway, home to Shannon, have shrunk from some 12ha to just over 6ha as apples and pears prove far more profitable, yet wine quality remains exemplary. Until now, Gordon Newton Johnson of Newton Johnson Family Vineyards has largely overseen winemaking, but production is gradually being handed over to Johann Fourie of Benguela Cove. Tasting notes and ratings for the latest releases follow:

Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Price: R125
50% own grapes, 50% from a near-by vineyard managed by James Downes. Floral perfume, lime, green apple, and some leesy complexity on the nose. The palate is that much richer and more complex than 2023 – good fruit weight, well integrated acidity and a gently savoury finish. Well balanced.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

Oscar Browne Chardonnay 2023
Price: R395
Matured for 11 months in 228-litre barrels, 23% new. The nose shows lemon, orange, some leesy character, as wells as hints of vanilla and spice. Dense fruit and well-integrated acidity before a savoury finish. Very good in the rich, powerful style that is becoming the hallmark of this label. Alc: 14%.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

Rock n Rolla Pinot Noir 2023
Price: R645
Grapes from a single block planted in 2000 to clone PN 113. Matured for 12 months in 228-litre barrels, 50% new. The nose is still remarkably primary with notes of red berries, musk, pepper, a touch of vanilla and some reduction. The palate has plenty of weight and substance but also zesty acidity and silky tannins (alc: 14%). The 2021, also remarkable on account of its concentration, is currently drinking beautifully and my November 2023 score of 92 was unnecessarily conservative.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Mount Bullet Merlot 2021
Price: R595
Grapes from 3ha vineyard planted to five different clones. Matured for 20 months in 225-litre barrels, 25% new. Red and black berries, olive, violets and herbs on the nose. The palate has a disguised power about it – succulent and fresh with fine tannins. Precisely made and wonderfully balanced. Alc: 14%.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

Black 2020
Price: R1,500
Made from one French and one Italian clone from the Mount Bullet vineyard. 50% new oak. Red and black berries, some meatiness, some maltiness, earth and spice on the nose. Medium bodied, fresh savoury – a sophisticated wine but lacks the depth of Black 2019 or the verve of Mount Bullet 2021.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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