Solo new releases
By Christian Eedes, 16 February 2026
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After 32 harvests at Stellenbosch property Hartenberg, Carl Schultz left Hartenberg last year to go it alone. Fellow winemaker and friend Philip Constandius let him have the brand name “Solo” and for his first releases he sought out remarkable batches from various cellars across the winelands. “I intended to be fiercely creatively independent and I’m only interested in the top-end of the market,” he says.
Merlot 2023
Price: R905
From Joubert-Tradauw outside Barrydale. Includes dash of Cabernet Sauvignon. Matured for 22 months in barrel, 60% new. Red berries, plums, floral perfume and a hint of pencil shavings on the nose. The palate is rich and rounded, delivering succulent fruit, bright acidity and soft, silky tannins. There’s a plush, enveloping quality here, the kind that marks out the best examples of the variety. Alc: 14.34%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Syrah 2023
Price: R1,025
From Wellington. Matured for 18 months in barrel, 25% new. The nose is expressive with notes of red and black pepper, cured meat and white pepper. The palate is rich and hearty, broad in shape with a smooth texture and plenty of flavour. A slight warmth to the finish reminds one of the wine’s origins, but many will like this wine’s generosity. Alc: 14.5%.
CE’s rating: 92/100.
Cabernet Sauvignon 2023
Price: R1,080
From Bottelary, Stellenbosch. Matured for 19 months in barrel, 50% new. Black cherry, cassis, some leafiness, vanilla, pencil shaving and wood spice on the nose. The palate is full but never overblown, showing sappy fruit, bright acidity and fine, well-knit tannins. Balanced and structured, it has both immediate appeal and the capacity to evolve. Alc: 14%.
CE’s rating: 95/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
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Josua | 16 February 2026
Ambitious pricing to say the least.
Dieter Gugelmann | 18 February 2026
Carl Schultz is an outstanding winemaker, as he has more than proven at Hartenberg. His solo wine achieved immediate success at the Cape Winemaster Guild Auction in 2025.
Over the years, he has built an excellent network in the wine industry. However, the market for his high priced wines is small. I don’t think the South African market alone will be enough. He will certainly need to expand into overseas markets. Im sure that he has contacts to these markets.
I hope this likeable winemaker will succeed. Ultimately, the market will determine his success or failure!
Louis | 16 February 2026
Bold debut and clearly serious wines 👏
That said, at these price points the value conversation is inevitable, especially with so many world-class Cab, Syrah and Merlot available for far less. Will be interesting to see how the market responds. 🍷
James | 19 February 2026
If someone with 32+ years experience at the highly rated and applauded Hartenberg can’t price his wines on the upper end of the scale, the who can? If this was a corporate gig, a person producing sustained world class output after 32 years would (or at least should) be able to go at it alone and command the same pricing.
Good luck to him and hope he succeeds!