The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec that is matured in oak barrel for 18 months, around 20% mostly French oak. It has an attractive mulberry, cola and dark chocolate tinged bouquet. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, lighter than previous vintages with a pleasant savory finish. Drink over the next 3-4 years. This is a good value.87 Wine Advocate
The nose shows dark, sour cherry. Dark berries, spiciness & herbs linger on the palate. The wine has great purity of fruit with a hint of wet-stone minerality and a velvet soft finish. Great with Game Bird with Red Wine Sauce, Beef Fillet and Pork Loin.
Meerlust, one of the Cape's most historic wine estates, originally planted in 1693. In 1756, it was purchased by the first Myburgh and has been the pride of the family ever since. Today, after seven generations, Hannes Myburgh, the present owner, continue the great family tradition of wine making.
This is a juicy, opulent and rich wine that is a perfect example of the variety.
Intrinsic Sauvignon Blanc characteristics of melon, white peach, gooseberry, and underlying tones of pineapple and passion fruit, sustained on a rich, rounded palate with well integrated oak.
Both Organic and Fairtrade. The Sauvignon brings herbaceous and lime notes, and a zingy citrus acidity. The Chenin Blanc adds a fruity mid palate of stone fruit and guava.
Organic and Fairtrade. This wine has a rich dark colour with a smoky and vanilla nose. Dark fruit on the palate gives the wine an all-round juiciness. Oaky tannins impart a spicy finish with good structure.
The wine was released in February 2019. The 2015 vintage will go down as one of the best in history. The relatively low acidity linked to a very low Ph, makes the Vergelegen Semillons great.
VINIFICATION
Grapes were either dried on the vines or on wooden pallets. Processing started the moment sufficient sugar concentration developed. The grapes were not crushed or de-stemmed but fermented on the skins in plastic bins. This helped to break down cell tissue and released slightly higher quantities of juice. The fermenting sweet juice was transferred to old barrels for completion of alcoholic fermentation. The wine spent 15 months in old oak.
100% Semillon - The grapes were all selected from Vergelegen's Korhaan and Niel-Suid vineyards.
ANALYSIS
Alc 11.33 %
RS 95.4 g/l
TA 6.2 g/l
pH 3.09
Will age well for another 10-15 years plus.
Philosphie, is winemaker Matt Copeland's attempt to marry the mind, the heart and the soil as we celebrate the diversity of Vondeling. Rich, svelte and sensuous, the smooth, textured tannins are bold but rounded. There is both dark and red berry fruit with an underlying black olive savouriness. The acidity adds verve and balance, while lending length and poise.
4.5 stars (94 points) Platter's 2021 South Africa Wine Guide - "Low yields, careful barrel selection & fine 2015 vintage align in rich, concentrated cab-led Bordeaux blend. Seamless & polished, with fine dry tannins, 100% French oak in sync with fruit intensity. Like 2014, deserves ageing."
Tim Atkin, September 2020 - 96 pts
"What a wine! I can't remember tasting a better young Peter Barlow than this, which fully expresses the brilliance of the 2017 vintage. Serious, focused, compact and built to last, it has very fine 65% new wood, classic blackcurrant and cedarwood notes, graceful tannins and a long, nuanced, refreshing finish. 2023-32"
The oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard on the Rustenberg estate is named the Peter Barlow block and consistently produces powerful, long-lived Cabernet Sauvignon that is given the best possible treatment in the cellar. Concentrated cassis, black cherries and some herbaceousness can be found on the nose and palate. Rustenberg recommend decanting Peter Barlow before drinking.
The Five Soldiers vineyard is named after five tall stone pine trees known as the 'Five Soldiers' that tower over this site at Rustenberg. Carefully-selected Chardonnay bunches are hand harvested for this special wine and then given royal treatment in the cellar. Characters of ripe citrus, melon and peach with great minerality are rounded out by well-judged oaking. A very complex wine with a long and creamy finish and a good acid backbone.
97 points and 'best in show', Decanter World Wine Awards 2020
"The fourth Chardonnay in what we feel was a Best-In-Show quartet which perfectly illustrates the astonishing stylistic range of this variety is certainly the most generous and opulent: a white wine which welcomes you with open arms and a warm heart. Is it, therefore, just a little obvious? Not at all. The aromas, in fact, are relatively restrained though they express the warmth of Stellenbosch: fresh lemon cream and a hint of ground hazels. The palate is full-flavoured, with soft and undulating contours yet fresh, tempered acidity; there is a teasingly sweet-edged nuttiness in the finish. Of the quartet, this is the Chardonnay which could most easily be drunk on its own, yet it has all the delicacy and amenability which lighter foods beg for."
The Vondeling Babiana is predominantly made from old chenin blanc vines planted in 1986. Their age and low yield ensure consistent quality and concentration, which is why it forms the backbone of this blend. The fullness of the Chenin Blanc is tempered by the verve and high aromatics of the Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Roussanne.
Buzzards really do ride the thermal currents above the ravine (kloof) where the Syrah vineyard lies. It is higher and cooler than other Stellenbosch sites. Another drought effected vintage led to great fruit concentration producing rich, robust, and forward reds. This wine exhibits an enticing nose of pepper, violets and ripe berry fruits which follow through to a well-structured and lengthy palate with fine grained tannins.
The wine has a bright hue with a golden straw colour. It displays a refreshing nose of bright pear and peach blossoms with subtle lemon meringue and notes of freshly rolled oats. A full-bodied wine with great palate tension. Crisp apple and chalky citrus are infused with mild layers of Crème Brulé, spun sugar and floral potpourri. The flavours are vibrant, and the finish refined
95 pts, Tim Atkin (September 2020)
"Unlike the Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir in the fire-affected 2019 vintage, the Chardonnay was all made with estate fruit. Entirely whole bunch-pressed for the first time, it's a commendably bright, elegant and focused wine with less malolactic (10%) than normal, pithy acidity, a hint of stone fruit sweetness and refined 27% new French oak. Something of a triumph against the odds. 2021-26"
4.5 stars Platter's 2021 South African Wine Guide - "Traditional estate style: complex, bracing & mineral. Bunch pressed, wild yeast fermented in 228L/2000L barrels/foudres, 27% new, 9 months on lees. Alluring stonefruit, citrus & starfruit notes, creamy, with lingering honeysuckle farewell. Cool-climate 13% alcohol."
Grape growing is in essence a prolonged process of gambling with nature. No matter how good one gets at it, misfortune is sometimes unavoidable. Hamilton Russell estate suffered a devastating fire in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on January 11th, 2019, fanned by winds of up to 94 kilometres per hour. Their most important Pinot noir vineyards were directly in the path of the blaze. Although only around 10% of the crop was last completely to scorching of the canopies and bunches, they were forced to reject the majority of the Pinot Noir made from the remaining 90%, due to levels of smoke taint they were not comfortable with.
This is a wine which for the first time ever, reflects the different personalities of the 3 Hemel-en-Aarde appellations in a single blend. Friends came together and the Hamilton Russels were able to purcashe good fruit from elsewhere in the valley. The elegant, softer, more open red fruit profile of the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde, combines with the lifted, darker blue fruit of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge to create unusually complex fruit aromas, while the more muscular, structured, dark spice and tension of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley adds an additional layer of complexity to the wine. This is a wine of great personality and interest.
95 pts, Tim Atkin (September 2020)
Made with 84% purchased fruit because of the fire in Hamilton Russell's own vineyards, this is a cuvée of the three Hemel-en-Aarde Valley sub-regions, and all the better for it. A one-off it may be, but it's less earthy and backward than the estate's normal style, combining fragrance elegance with racy red berry fruit, some clove spice, supporting tannins and stylish oak. 2021-29
4.5 stars, Platter's 2021 South African Wine Guide - "A first for HRV: as precaution to avoid smoke taint after wildfires, only 16% of estate grapes used in 2019; merger of the 3 Hemel-en-Aarfe appellations (WO Walker Bay) gives softer tannins & fruit weight than usual but a broad appeal & charming personality."
A variety becoming more and more popular in the Cape thanks to it's drought resistant nature. This is a light, strawberry scented style. Hugely quaffable.
Since 1977 Rust en Vrede has specialised in the exclusive production of red wine from estate vines, with the focus on Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
This vibrant pale ruby red comes from South Africa's most fashionable varietal Cinsault. The vines are mostly 65 year old bush vines from hidden corners of the Cape. No irrigation is used on the vineyards meaning lovely concentration without extraction and the wine is very approachable young. Particulalry lovely with duck.
"Named after cellermaster Murray Barlow's grandfather. 2015 is a standout vintage in the Cape, so it's no surprise this top wine from the Rustenberg Estate was awarded a Platinum medal in the Decanter World Wine Awards last year. Cassis, black cherry, and a herbaceous backbone. Delicious young, but comfortably has another 10-15 years in it. 24 months French oak, 64% new Single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Concentrated cassis, black cherries, herbaceous. Super aging potential."
Tim Atkin, September 2019 - 95 pts
"Part of the DeMorgenzon range since 2005, this superb Chenin comes from five very different sites on the farm. Rich and complete, it combines citrus, stone and tropical fruit notes with subtle reduction, a hint of orange zest, stony acidity and perfectly judged 22% new wood."
Ripe plums, mulberry, cherry blossom, and violet aroma while infused with subtle hints of cinnamon and sweet spices. The palate is gentle and the tannins fresh but rounded.
Luscious raisin, honey and green mango fruit on the nose and palate with a wonderfully refreshing sugar and acid balance make this a wine to be enjoyed on its own and with both sweet and savoury desserts. A blend of 81.5% Chenin Blanc, 18.5% Viognier. This was the very last vintage made.
Rustenberg's Red Muscadel has been made using a centuries-old process of fortifying grape juice in order to produce a dessert-style wine. Upfront scents of Turkish delight, musk, spice and ripe red fruits follow through to a lush opulent palate balancing the wine's fruit, sweetness and acidity. This very stable sweet wine has the ability to be aged further under ideal cellaring conditions and it will become richer and more concentrated over time.
75% Chenin Blanc and 25% Viognier. Grapes are grown on 30+ year old trellised Chenin and 15 year old Viognier from hidden corners of the Cape. Vibrant and aromatic with delicious subtle perfumed aromas with white peach and hints of jasmine on the nose. On the palate it has tight, white, fleshy stone fruit and fresh apricot flavours that balances the sandy texture. Bright acidity and minerality helps to deliver a delicious flavoursome and characteristic wine.
extremely aromatic with ripe passion fruit and ripe guava, black currant leaf, a touch of lemongrass and good minerality. The aftertaste is long and clean. Serve with fresh oysters, sushi and lightly spicy Cape Malay cuisine.
The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 5% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. This is hand sorted, removing anything that could impart green flavors, with a cold soak of seven to ten days at eight Celsius with a daily remontage, the fruit covered in dry ice to prevent oxidation. The malolactic is in tank as Andres van Rensberg vigorously eschews brettanomyces. It has a very composed bouquet with black fruit, melted tar with cracked black pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, quite austere in style with a cedar and sandalwood tinged finish.
A limited production (135 barrels 2018) Bordeaux blend by Vilafonte.
Seriously Old Dirt is a reference to the ancient Vilafonte soils (750,000 - 1.5 Million years old),
which gave their vineyard its name in 1995. 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW
The Chardonnay Reserve comes from two vineyards, pressed for one week, stirred twice daily, racked into barrel where it stays for 12 months (35% new), plus 12 months in bottle. It has a voluminous, generous bouquet with light tropical tones, a brush of clear honey mixed with white chocolate and almond. The palate is well balanced with a lightly honeyed opening in terms of texture (not taste), a fine bead of acidity, harmonious with hints of orange zest and quince towards the finish. Perhaps you could argue that this is an obvious Chardonnay, but a delicious one, too.
Dark garnet hue. Dark fruits & spices on the nose. Medium to full bodied entrance. Lovely blue berries and dark cherries on the palate. Superb. The wine that represents the ‘DNA’ of Vergelegen. An estate-grown blend of cabernet franc, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, aged in 100% new French oak for 17 months.
94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot
Instantly recognisable as South African Cab. on the nose. Herbaceous, blackcurrant leaf characters. Multi-dimensional. Charming, polished, square tannins. Enjoyable. Warming finish on a wave of fruit. Oak helps the structure, but isn’t overt or obvious at all. Hang on for three years.
V attractive aromas. Toasty but not excessive. Elegant on the palate. Precise stone fruit. Restraint of alcohol. Chiselled minerality. Touch of coconut on the finish.
Tim Atkin 2020, 93 pts – “Planted back in 1988, Chardonnay remains the only white grape on Waterford's estate on the Helderberg. Showing some of the creaminess and breadth of the warmer 2018 vintage, but this subtly wooded number has lovely underlying minerality and citrus peel freshness. 2021-25”
