Spioenkop new releases

Maverick producer Koen Roose of Elgin property Spioenkop was injured in a car crash in April last year forcing him to keep a low profile while he recovered but there are now a set of new releases, tasting notes and ratings as follows:  

Queen Manthatisi 2020
Price: R160
74% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Chardonnay. Peach, citrus and some waxy character on the nose. Somewhat straightforward on the palate – okay concentration, tangy acidity, gently savoury finish. Creamy texture – SB for peeps who don’t like SB. Alc: 13.49% and RS: 6.45g/l!!!

CE’s rating: 89/100.

1900 Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Price: R195
Lime, white peach, grapefruit and blackcurrant, with fresh herbs in the background. The palate is dense and round but not without freshness – nice weight and texture. Residual sugar of 5g/l cannot be ignored. Alc: 13.74%.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

1900 Chardonnay 2022
Price: R290
Spontaneously fermented and matured for 10 months in oak barrels, 30% new. Malolactic fermentation: 5%. Neutral on the nose – hints of citrus and peach – the palate is understated; the fruit is pure and the wine carries its oak well. Tightly wound. Alc: 13.38%.

CE’s rating: 89/100.

Johanna Brandt Chenin Blanc 2019
Price: R325
Grapes from a vineyard on shale. Matured for 11 months in older oak. Some reduction before citrus, peach and herbs plus some subtle yeasty, wet wool notes. Powerful with a hit of sweet fruit on entry before the zippy acidity kick in, the finish dry. Idiosyncratic as Roose’s wines so often are. Alc: 14.13%.

CE’s rating: 92/100.

Riesling 2019
Price: R310
Wonderfully complex aromatics of blossom, lime, pear, peach, orange, spice and a hint of petrol in the background. Good fruit concentration matched by a great line of acidity – proper nuance and poise, the weight just right, the finish long. Alc: 13.12%.

CE’s rating: 95/100.

1900 Pinotage 2020
Price: R290
W.O. Stellenbosch. 10% whole-bunch. Matured for 11 months in old oak. The nose shows hints of red cherry and musk but predominantly more evolved notes of mushroom, forest floor, earth and spice. Medium bodied with fresh acidity, the tannins already resolved and mellow – drink now. Alc: 13.08%.

CE’s rating: 90/100.

Pinotage 2021
Price: R525

W.O. Elgin. Top notes of herbs and floral perfume before red currant, cherry and cassis. The palate shows pure fruit, racy acidity and powdery tannins – complex and exact. A lot of wine despite an alcohol of just 12.5%.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

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