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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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.
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”
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.
This wine is from the vintage our buyer Alice Archer worked as a cellar rat.
Rustenberg is a well-known producer of high quality Chardonnays; the Stellenbosch Chardonnay embodies their house style. Apricot, coconut and orange peel aromas followed by flavours of marzipan, sponge cake and citrus rounded off with carefully-judged oak and balanced, fresh acidity.
Spice and mulled red fruit are present on a bright and elegant nose. The wine shows purity of fruit and a lovely depth of aroma. The palate is soft and appealing, yet with enough structure to provide a firm yet silky finish.
Kanonkop's Pinotage comes from 63-year-old unirrigated bush vines grown on the estate. Bright ruby-red hues. A textbook Stellenbosch Pinotage with aromatic and spicy aromas of mulberry, raspberry and cinnamon. Muscular, well-integrated tannins add great structure. Flavours of bramble, violets, plums and black berries are balanced by scented new oak. An elegant wine with savoury notes on the lengthy finish, and a lifting underlying freshness.
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 drinkabilityand tertiary complexity.
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.
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. 12% new oak, 88% 2nd and 3rd fill.
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.
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 to this one.
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
Pale yellow with green hints.bruised apple. Quite fleshy ripe fruit with tesing juicy acidity. Lot of texture and length. Ripe stone fruits and mouth watering long finish. Wine Merchant Top 100
5 stars (95 points) Platter's 2021 South African Wine Guide - "Cape classic released a year later than Paul Sauer, needing time to show its best. Dark & brooding 2016 has aristocratically austere edge to its cassis & cigarbox notes & full-flavoured generosity. Absorbs 50% new oak easily; big tannins not even formidable in youth."
Shiraz is a variety chosen for its property of expressing a sense of place, and in this instance, vineyards surrounding Waterford in Stellenbosch. No new wood is used in the making of this wine, using 225L Old French oak barrels, 4th fill and older. Whole berry fermentation and soft extraction methods (pumpovers only) have brought out the purity in the wine. Concentrated red and dark fruit with warm earthy aromatics can be found in this Stellenbosch Shiraz, accompanied by plum fruit and leather spice undertones. The 2016 vintage produced a lovely soft and velvety textured Shiraz, with the slight addition of Mourvèdre (12%) to build in a little tension in the finish of the wine.
