Tesselaarsdal current releases

Tesselaarsdal in the Overberg is the home village of Berene Sauls and the name of her wine range. Sauls, an employee at Hamilton Russel Vineyards, founded the brand in 2015, and to date has used Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge grapes for her Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, HRV winemaker Emul Ross overseeing production.

In 2019, Sauls acquired 16ha of land just outside Tesselaarsdal, half of which will gradually be planted to vineyard (an undertaking not without challenges due to high soil salinity) while the rest will be kept for renosterveld conservation.

Tasting notes and ratings for the current releases as follows:

Chardonnay 2023
Price: R395
Matured for five months, 45% in amphorae and 55% in neutral oak. Subtle notes of pear, citrus and flinty reduction on the nose while the palate has great fruit concentration, punchy acidity and a super-dry finish. Powerful but equally poised. Alc: 13.29%.

CE’s rating: 94/100.

Pinot Noir 2023
Price: R810
10% whole-bunch fermentation. Matured for nine and a half months in 228-litre barrels, 26% new. Red berries, orange, musk, tea leaf and spice on the nose. The palate is well balanced with pure fruit, zesty acidity and fine tannins, the finish long and dry. Alc: 13.32%.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.