Franco Lourens spent some years working with the great Chris Alheit before settling to focus entirely on his own range of wines. This is a breathtakingly self-assured range and almost in the blink of an eye places Franco into the very top bracket of top-end New Wave SA producers. Franco is a leading light of South Africa’s New Wave and champion of old-vine Chenin, among others. He is inevitably set to join the likes of Chris Alheit, Eben Sadie, Adi Badenhorst, Duncan Savage et alia in the shimmering constellation of New Wave South African stars. BUT - and here's the rub - since Franco is still relatively unknown, the prices do not yet reflect how sensational the wines really are. Since mid-2020 Franco has shared cellar space with another great new vigneron Lukas van Loggerenberg in Paarl. "35% Verdelho, 21% Chenin Blanc, 19% Colombar, 18% Grenache Blanc (five days skin contact) and 7% Palomino – sourced variously from Stellenbosch, Swartland and Piekenierskloof. Expressive aromatics of pear, peach and citrus plus floral perfume and hay while the palate has good fruit definition, well integrated acidity and a gently savoury finish, some light phenolic grip adding interest. Subtle and intricate". 94/100 winemag.co.za

Duncan Savage matriculated at Rondebosch Boys High School in 1995. In 2016. Savage Wines was set up in the heart of Cape Town in Salt River. Vineyards for his wines are leased and grapes sourced from around the Western Cape, maritime in nature where possible. Granitic soil is the focus. From Duncan Savage: Grapes sourced from the Langverwagt farm in Kuils River on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Decomposed granite soils overlooking Table Bay and False Bay, a perfect home for maritime Stellenbosch Syrah. Three parcels of vines, all trellised but farmed as a sprawl canopy - a trellised bush vine of sorts. Soils are poor, vigour is low and grapes are scarce, all a perfect recipe for classically styled Syrah. All the fruit is sorted as whole bunches before spontaneous fermentation in conical foudre and open top fermenters. 30% of the fruit is fermented as submerged cap with regular aeration, the balance as a normal fermentation with 2-4 aerated pump overs per day. 2-3 weeks on skins is followed by basket pressing and aging in old 500L barrels for 13 months. The wine then spends a further 10 months in foudre prior to bottling. 2021 is a classic vintage. Obviously I’m slightly biased, but I do feel that this wine may be one of the best Savage Reds we have made to date. Plums, lavender, cola, violets and the characteristic Langverwagt white pepper. The palate is taught and focused compliments of the granitic soil tannin structure and a classic vintage. A wine that will drink well for the next 10-15 years

The signature aromatics of wild strawberry, black cherry and sweet Indian spices are all in place as well as pomegranate, red plum and cocoa. A tense and structured palate speaks to the 60% whole bunches used in fermentation, with the tannins showing a pine-like freshness. With a generosity of fruit and a particularly upright focus this wine will age into 2035. Once a location for a film based on the life of Napoleon, the 'Cuvée Cinema' vineyard produces intense, age worthy Pinot Noir from Dijon clones, with aromas of sour cherry, musk, forest floor and flint.

Elegant, fresh cherry and red berry nose with undergrowth melange. The palate is pure with lovely texture and sweet cherry fruit dominates with spicy undertones. The wine is fresh and intense with real vibrancy.

The signature aromatics of wild strawberry, black cherry and sweet Indian spices are all in place as well as pomegranate, red plum and cocoa. A tense and structured palate speaks to the 60% whole bunches used in fermentation, with the tannins showing a pine-like freshness. With a generosity of fruit and a particularly upright focus this wine will age into 2035.

Refreshing dry rosé from South Africa. Hugely quaffable.

Husband and wife team (their name is Storm!) farming two small parcels with exceptional soils in the superb "Heaven on Earth" region. Expressive, admirable, lovable Pinot and Chardonnay from probably South Africa's most exciting wine region and a world-class winery. Small production, rare wines, worth cellaring. All the expert reviews are positive, this really is a top notch, world-class estate on epic form. Parker 94+ "The 2021 Ignis Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard that has granite and clay soil, offering a firmer nose and a medium ruby color that's slightly darker than the Vrede Pinot Noir. It displays elegant dark cherry notes with black raspberry and rose as notions of orange rind and potpourri sway with red tea aromas. Medium-bodied, the Pinot Noir grows on the palate and displays a firm tannic edge with balanced energetic acidity. Give it another year in the bottle, and it will have no problems aging until its 15th birthday." jancisrobinson.com 17+/20 "Yields were 0.66 kg/vine. 11 months in 228-litre French oak barrels, 24% new. TA 5.7 g/l, pH 3.5, RS 2.7 g/l. 7,308 bottles produced. More tentative on the nose than the 2021 Vrede, but, like their other 2021 Pinots, beautifully floral: orange blossom, Turkish delight. More assertive on the palate, however. Smoky, toasty, very intentional. Goji berries. Very confident. The biggest tannins of the three 2021s. Much more showy! Burlesque drama and flair. (TC)"

A wonderfully complex barrel-fermented Chardonnay from different vineyards inland from the coastal town of Hermanus. It boasts aromas of white peach, papaya, jasmine and hints of lemongrass. A complex, balanced vintage that reflects the distinctness of its five fruit. White peach, litchi and green apple on the nose with lime zest, butterscotch and a gunflint and smoke on the palate. Restrained oaking and crisp acidity providing leanness and edge to support the primary fruit.

MCC = Methode Cap Classique, the South African term for sparkling wine produced in the traditional method, as in Champagne.

A refreshingly crisp and fresh wine, with an aromatic vibrant style and concentrated flavours of gooseberry, passion fruit and zesty citrus. Flavoursome ripe acidity provides a wine of great balance and harmony.

A delicious blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Cinsault produced from mostly mountain sloped, rain-fed bush vines, grown on a variety of granite soils and naturally low yielding. Perfumed on the nose with pepper, spice and ripe red fruit character. Supple and smooth on the palate with enough grip and freshness to finish dry and refreshing.

Named after a very rare special fynbos from the region. This is a superb Rhone style blend. Purple in colour, opulent on the nose with dark fruits, violets, and smoke. Rich, subtle, and spicy on the palate.

Elegant, fresh cherry and red berry nose with undergrowth melange. The palate is pure with lovely texture and sweet cherry fruit dominates with spicy undertones. The wine is fresh and intense with real vibrancy.

Refreshing dry rosé from South Africa. Hugely quaffable.

Cool climate freshness and fragrant sweet, ripe cherry and blackberry flavours, with firm, ripe tannins. Blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Mouvedre, Viognier. Drinking well now and suitable for cellaring for at least 10 years.

Fairly simple cherry and redcurrant aromas lead to blackcurrants and plums in the mouth, with refreshing acidity and a line of bitterness on the back palate. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed, which perhaps adds that greeness underneath the ripe fruit. A more structured, tannic wine than initially expected, but with lovely fruit - delicious wine.

Easy to drink, fresh and crisp chardonnay. A good choice for people who prefer lighter and less bodied chardonnays.

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.

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.

White grapefruit, intense tropical fruit, ripe gooseberry and fleshy kiwi fruit over-lay Iona's distinctive herbal and floral undertones. The palate is keenly balanced showing cut green apples and lime marmalade followed by great minerality and length. Vegan.

Certainly fresher than some previous vintages, this is immensely mouth-watering. Struck rock, clotted cream and orange blossom, just ripe greengage and honeydew melon, with a lightly creamy, leesy palate and zingy, white peppery finish. A proper treat from the master. "A fabulous bargain. Overdelivers in the most delightful way". Jancis Robinson MW

Berene Sauls has a very unique story. Growing up in a small village in the Overberg, Berene admits that she came from a beer-drinking community, and wine was never really on her radar. Her first exposure was at the age of 19, when she began working for the trailblazing Hamilton Russell family as an au pair. Lasting only a month, her talents at childcare aside, Anthony Hamilton Russell recognised her drive and thought a job working in the winery office would better suit her. Thrown in at the deep end knowing really nothing about wine, she was soon exposed to every side of the business - assisting with exports, bottling and labelling, driving forklifts and picking during harvest too, as well as on the side, "growing and developing a palate that wasn't there!" Her curiosity kept her rising through the ranks, and fifteen years after starting her career, Anthony offered her the opportunity to make her first wine, aided by proficient head winemaker Emul Ross. She leapt at the opportunity, and the rest is history. She named her business Tesselaarsdal for the small village that she grew up in, and if you look closely at the label, you can make out two people walking across the mountain. This is Berene and her grandmother. From unirrigated vineyards on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, and this is just her third release! Crisp acidity and lean minerality underpin notes of melon and tangerine fruit and accents of lime blossom. A triumphant expression of terroir, this medium-bodied, cool climate wine is both silky and fresh and boasts a long, elegant finish.

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

The 2022 Salt River combines fruit from a 32 year old bushvine vineyard in Stellenbosch and another coastal site in Walker Bay. Named for the trendy area of Cape Town that Savage Wines calls home, it drinks more like a Pouilly Fume than a Marlborough Sauvignon, with a real lushness to the palate, flavours of yellow plums, semi-dried pineapple, moringa flowers, a tiny hint of reduction and this amazing intense tanginess. Think sun-ripened yellow peppers blended up, with grapefruit pith and the faintest hint of blackcurrant. Terrific body and stunningly long in the mouth, it's tasting great now, and we're sure it will age with grace too.

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.

Named in honour of the ancient vilafonté soils that make up the estate at 1.5m years old, one of the oldest documented soil types in the world where the vines for this wine have been growing for almost two decades. A Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Just 330 barrels produced of this stunning wine. Layers of fresh plum, black cherry, baking spice and vanilla pod. Lovely mineral notes with a lingering finish. A line of acidity giving real tension to the whole wine.

Neal Martin 91/100 The 2022 Chenin Blanc comes from 8 vineyards in granite soils, plantings from 1968 to 1986, matured 20% in concrete and the remainder in neutral oak. Lemon thyme, orange zest and light waxy scents blossom on the nose - quite intense and well-delineated, almost feisty in style. The palate is taut and fresh, with a linear, slightly more malic finish than usual. Plenty of freshness. Very fine. David & Nadia Sadie are a young husband and wife team whose thoughtful, sensitive approach to viticulture and winemaking has set them out as one of the Swartland’s shining stars. Their quest to nurture and restore low yielding old vineyards is an effort to breathe new life into the region’s enviable stock of old vines and shine a light on the qualities of the beautiful Swartland at large. More than that though, they are also establishing new vineyards, which they have planted to Grenache - their flagship variety along with Chenin Blanc. Once in the winery, the grapes see a cool soak before spontaneous fermentation and aging in a combination of concrete and neutral French oak. Extractions are gentle and aim for light, lifted fruit, freshness and perfume. From humble beginnings, David & Nadia are now recognised as one of the Cape’s very top producers.

One of our entry-point wines that offers exceptional value and quality, it comes from the Riebeek Valley in Swartland and is a modern style of Chenin Blanc. The nose is packed with aromas of apples and guava which are echoed on the palate together with some fresh acidity.

The John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. In its youth the wine is worth decanting and expresses cassis, black currant and dark fruits complemented with cigar tobacco and sour cherrynotes. As the wine ages and its fine grained tannins soften a softer more savoury palate develops revealing wonderful drinkability and tertiary complexity.

A refreshingly crisp and fresh wine, with an aromatic vibrant style and concentrated flavours of gooseberry, passion fruit and zesty citrus. Flavoursome ripe acidity provides a wine of great balance and harmony.

The 2020 Pinotage boasts an excellent deep colour, ripe berries and plums, smoky eucalyptus and gentle leather on the nose. Intensely ripe brambles and brioche with a good mouth-feel and lingering aftertaste. Lovely. And will improve. Great value for money. Nobody's been bottling Pinotage longer than Lanzerac and this wine shows a wealth of experience with this proudly South African variety. With 5 to 10 years' maturation this wine will start to acquire the velvet density and luxurious chocolate and caramel flavours of its very early Lanzerac predecessors. A full-bodied, complex wine with a beautiful balance between fruit and wood showcasing a good tannin structure that will allow it to age extremely well.

Big heady scent of dark fruit, leather and tobacco. Much more medium bodied compared to some of the recent vintages with good acidity and balance. Length is good with dry tannins, many years of life over which this will be enjoyed Meerlust's gorgeous iconic Bordeaux blend - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot.

This classic Cabernet shows inviting flavours of blackberry, with hints of cocoa, almond and cedar. A full-bodied wine with excellent balance on the palate and a smooth lingering aftertaste, it just cries out for some lamb or beef steak. Really delicious.

Mostly Chenin, old vine low yield, unoaked. Limpid, whistle-clean, green apple, elderflower. Fine-textured fish wine. Super value.

This baby wine of SA's most famed grand Bordeaux-blend Rubicon is on astonishing form. In fact as no Rubicon was made in 2019 this wine contains all the top barrels that would normally be reserved for it. 50% new Nevers oak, 27% Cab Franc. Dense but taut with cab franc lift, pencil lead, capsicum, the whole spectrum of Cabernet class at a crazy good price.

Barrel fermented. Pale yellow with green hints; bruised apple. Quite fleshy ripe fruit with teasing juicy acidity. Lots of texture and length. Ripe stone fruits and mouth watering long finish. Wine Merchant Top 100

Bursting with dark berry flavours of blackberry, dark cherry and plums, this Shiraz has soft and supple tannins and a white pepper finish. The fruit for Aloe Tree hails from the increasingly fashionable west coast of the Cape. Cool nights and sea breezes combine to extend the growing season, resulting in perfectly balanced, ripe grapes. The iconic Aloe Tree image is sure to be familiar to anyone who has travelled widely through the Cape and is an important part of the biodiversity which South Africa is famous for. The characteristic silhouette provides a backdrop to one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world where wines grow in harmony with the thousands of plant species that make up the Cape Floral Kingdom. The grapes come from selected vineyard blocks on the west coast. The extra warmth in this area helps develop the full body and ripe flavours of this variety. The vines are planted on Karoo clay soils that add body and texture to the wine. The vines ages vary from 10 to 25 years old. Once the grapes arrive at the winery, the fruit is gently pressed and only the free run juice is used. Using selected yeasts the juice then undergoes fermentation at between 18-22 degrees Celsius for 5 days. Because of the depth of flavour, it requires less oak treatment compared to other grape varieties and matures on French oak for 3 months to improve body and texture. During fermentation the wine is pumped over 3 times a day for colour extraction.

Aromatic guava and orange blossom jump from the glass – this Chenin Blanc is off dry with ripe apples, peaches and a hint of orange peel on the palate. The elegant crisp finish makes this a fantastic wine for all occasions. The fruit for Aloe Tree hails from the increasingly fashionable west coast of the Cape. Cool nights and sea breezes combine to extend the growing season, resulting in perfectly balanced, ripe grapes. The iconic Aloe Tree image is sure to be familiar to anyone who has travelled widely through the Cape and is an important part of the biodiversity which South Africa is famous for. The characteristic silhouette provides a backdrop to one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world where wines grow in harmony with the thousands of plant species that make up the Cape Floral Kingdom. Chenin blanc is well adapted for various soil types, but our premium grapes are grown on medium to lower potential soils. Yield levels are limited by winter pruning and by removing shoots and leaving two or three shoots per spur during early spring. Canopy management is required as it plays a major role in yield and quality to ensure an optimum microclimate within the canopy. With its vigorous growth, medium-sized trellises are required and shoot positioning are done to maximize canopy surface. Grapes are harvested at a minimum of 21.5°Brix, but we aim for 22°Brix. Once the Chenin Blanc grapes are harvested, they arrive at the winery where the fruit is gently pressed and only the free run juice is used. Using selected yeasts the juice then undergoes cold fermentation at 14 degrees Celsius for 2 weeks before lying on the lees for 3 months.