THERE IS more than one South African wine made using the Tannat variety of grapes, but they are very few and far between – and this one comes from grapes grown on an organic farm hundreds of kilometres from the heart of the winelands, a nine-hour drive from Cape Town. Prieska is in the Northern Cape, alongside the Orange River
Read more59 WINES from 49 producers were reviewed for Winemag’s 2023 Report on Cape Bordeaux Red Blends, i.e. combinations of two or more of the varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Delaire Graff’s Botmaskop of Stellenbosch came top in the tasting, although it was scored the same as Allée Bleue of Franschhoek and Constantia Glen – the
Read moreAVON is the name of Isak Visagie’s farm on the slopes of the Olifantsberg in the Breedekloof Valley where uniWines of Rawsonville sources the Clairette Blanche grapes for one of their old vine projects, an experimental wine in the DaschBosch range. The farm had been planted mainly to Palomino (Frans druif) and Muscat d’Alexandrie (Hanepoot). It was in 1977 that
Read moreIN THE March 2023 issue of the British magazine Decanter, no fewer than 28 of South Africa’s Chenin Blancs (or blends comprising at least 85% Chenin) were considered outstanding, excellent wines of great complexity and character, rated between 95 and 97 on a 100-point scale. This followed a three-day panel tasting of 223 wines submitted by either the producers or
Read moreTOUGH BREAK for Doolhof Wine Estate and cellarmaster Gielie Beukes! The Wellington producers were among the winners of the highest accolade presented at the 2022 Global Malbec Masters in the UK with their Bloedklip 2018, one of five South African wines to earn such a top award at the series of Global Wine Masters panel tastings* conducted in association with
Read moreSTRAUSS & Co’s 2021 ‘Cape Heritage’ Fine Wine Auction focused on Chenin Blanc and Pinotage. The online sale also listed red and white blends, including a rare old beauty regarded as one of the benchmarks of yesteryear. For some the 1957 Chateau Libertas was the standout, fetching the highest price on the day of R17 588 for a single bottle
Read moreTHE PANEL tasting convenor: Decanter Magazine, United Kingdom. The focus: single-vineyard New World Pinot Noir. The judges: James Doidge (London-based importer), Roger Jones (UK restaurateur, wine critic, chef) and Master of Wine Dirccu Vianna (wine writer and educator in the UK). On the tasting bench: 100 wines, of which 43 were highly recommended, six were outstanding, with one regarded as
Read moreTHESE ARE the most highly rated wines of the Cape between 2010 and 2019 – those with the best track records involving numerous vintages in over 30 local and international forums for the assessment of wine quality and interest value. To be eligible for the Classification, updated annually since 2004, wines must have earned good to excellent reviews for at
Read moreAT THE LATEST Global Masters convened by The Drinks Business publication in the UK: “Once more, South Africa proved itself a great place for first-rate Chardonnay at an accessible price, particularly the wines from De Grendel, who have crafted a lovely and affordable Chardonnay from the Ceres Plateau in the Witzenburg Mountains.” The wine: De Grendel Op Die Berg 2019,
Read moreWHAT a lovely collection of stories and images associated with the 2019 edition of the Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge! A new label on David Nieuwoudt’s Five Generations. Classical music playing to the vines and wines at Wendy Appelbaum’s DeMorgenzon. A tribute to Cape Town’s company gardens (artwork on back label). A river analogy from Flagstone. A
Read moreHAVING read Winemag’s Signature Red Blend Report in which two vintages of Alto Rouge from the Helderberg in Stellenbosch were given excellent reviews and priced at R120 a bottle, the hunt was on. However, shopping for a bargain wine requires a good sense of humour! Alto Rouge was on special at Pick n Pay for R100 a bottle, as we
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