There 17 products in this category
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Crystallum
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.
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Adi Badenhorst
Adi Badenhorst has created three canned versions of his good-value, entry-level Curator wines, of which this is the pick. Aromas of juicy apricots, pineapples, bananas, nectarines and wild strawberry hints too. The palate is rich, intense and flavoursome with ripe stone and some tropical fruit, bound in a creamy mouthfeel, like a mouthful of peach yoghurt. A little jasmine freshness tickles the finish. "Canned wine has gone seriously next-level". Victoria Moore, The Telegraph
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Robertson Winery
Star-bright pale straw with some green tinges, thin watery rim. Forthcoming nose, with green pepper, asparagus, tropical fruit. Fresh and green. Dry entry, crisp acidity. The green flavours follow through, but there are also some tropical fruit notes and some minerality on the mid-palate. Long and zesty finish A fresh, satisfying and typical sauvignon blanc, drinking well now. Versatile
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Aloe Tree
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.
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Lourens Family Wines
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
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Rustenberg
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.
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A A Badenhorst
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
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Vondeling Wines
Mostly Chenin, old vine low yield, unoaked. Limpid, whistle-clean, green apple, elderflower. Fine-textured fish wine. Super value.
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Kleine Zalze
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
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Tesselaarsdal
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.
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Vondeling Wines
Mostly Chenin, old vine low yield, unoaked. Limpid, whistle-clean, green apple, elderflower. Fine-textured fish wine. Super value.
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Forge Mill
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.
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Cool Mountain
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.
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Lanzerac
Easy to drink, fresh and crisp chardonnay. A good choice for people who prefer lighter and less bodied chardonnays.
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Vondeling Wines
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
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Iona
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.
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Vondeling Wines
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. Platter's 2021 South African Wine Guide, 5 stars - Regular quartet, chenin with viognier, roussanne & grenache blanc, difference lies in vintage variation. Glorious 2019 symphonic assembly of honeyed spice fragrance, weighty silk texture, the layered complexity gaining futher depth from fine acid line. Natural ferment in oak, 8 months on lees, 4 months as a blend. 2018 (92 points) also gorgeous.