Lay & Wheeler South Africa tasting

Fantastic average quality and some real standout- world class- wines. Such an exciting region.

Far too many great wines to try - and I must have missed two thirds of the producers in the 2.5 hours I spent at the event

• 2021 Badenhorst Family Wines White Blend Kalmoesfontein Swartland 89 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  A blend of 12 grapes. A waxy, nutty nose with some apricot. A powdery perfume of (unused!) baby wipes? Rich on the palate, some breadth, great acidity. Interesting.

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• 2021 Lismore Chenin Blanc 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg

  Real old world feeling to this: a little reductive, salty. Clean, pure lemon fruit, frictionless and flowing on the palate. Lovely acidity and freshness.

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• 2021 Lismore Chardonnay Estate Reserve 93 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg, Greyton

  For me this is top-tier Chardonnay, irrespective of origin. Beautiful clean and balanced concentration: white flowers, a hint of vanilla, round and pure lemon with a subtle but zingy tropical edge. Very complex, layered, long. Should develop wonderfully.

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• 2021 Lismore Viognier Reserve 94 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  A really special wine and rather distinctive: clean, cosseting lemon and apricot fruit - very refined, restrained. Expansive but there's great tension. The most beautiful bitter apricot kernel finish - very long. It's a magnificent cuvee.

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• 2021 Lismore Syrah Estate Reserve 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg, Greyton

  A very appealing balance of concentration and tension. Red fruited, cool climate tartness, very smooth on the palate. Fizzing with energy and life, needs time to unwind and express its complexity.

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• 2020 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Plummy, rich, concentrated. Red and blue fruit, graphite, herbal notes. Lovely smooth palate, almost luxurious but fresh enough. Very drinkable, delicious, generous.

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• 2020 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  Compared with the same year's Stellenbosch Cab this is richer, fuller, sweeter, more chocolatey and developed. And less interesting for it, to my palate anyway. Great acidity on the back end.

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• 2020 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  Savoury and precise. There's an underlying sense of richness with an ashy spice- but lacking some of that verve and tense energy of really exciting cool climate Syrah. It's a bit safe. Should unwind with time

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• 2020 Porseleinberg Swartland

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Too young to score
  
  A rich style of Syrah- relatively extracted and dense, but not ripe. Earthy, dark chocolate bitterness, stony. The structure is harsh right now, needs a lot of time.

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• 2021 Porseleinberg Swartland

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Too young to score
  
  Richer, friendlier and more resolved than the 2020. Really splits the difference between New and Old Worlds: a hint of the buzzing tension of N. Rhone with greater density and a touch of generosity

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• 2021 David & Nadia Chenin Blanc 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Ripe but very clean. Good purity. A little reductive note is really nice. Some peach, lemon and spice. A little shy on the palate, lacking the impact of the nose. Very good though.

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• 2022 David & Nadia Chenin Blanc Skaliekop 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Some chalky depth and a pleasant reductive note. A touch chewy and substantial on the palate with excellent purity and persistence. I can't see myself paying the price of admission but it's good stuff.

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• 2022 David & Nadia Chenin Blanc Rondevlei 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Serious stuff. Salty, rocky, deeply complex nose. Beautifully three-dimensional and delineated mineral and pure lemon, ripe green apple notes. Superb balance and concentration. Medium body, muscular fresh acidity, great length. Top class.

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• 2021 David & Nadia Aristargos 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Very rich, layered nose. Florals and blossom notes with clean and pure pear fruit, a hint of smoke. Delightful and delicious: a little shy on the palate right now. This really reminded me of a Falkenstein Kabi Trocken in a lot of ways- which is a great compliment!

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• 2021 David & Nadia Grenache Noir 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Pretty and floral: violets, milk chocolate, strawberry and raspberry. Just a little reticent right now. Medium body with a good kick of tannin and acid, finishing with some pleasantly bitter notes. Really quite transparent and I'd expect it to age in an interesting direction.

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• 2020 David & Nadia Elpidios 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  High-toned, red fruited, floral, rangy nose with depth. A touch of pulpy ripeness coming from the Grenache. Smooth palate entry with some concentration but without weight. Concentrated red fruit, smooth, fine but present tannins, good lick of acidity. Yum.

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• 2019 Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay G.P.S. Series Lower Duivenhoks River Overberg 88 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg

  Reductive, quite ripe. Broad, mealy, nutty. Good level of ripeness, would have preferred a bit more acidity

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• 2019 Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay Clonal Selection Elgin 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Definitely oaked! Impactful in an organised tasting but I wonder how I'd get on with a whole bottle. Rich depth to the wine: ripe pear, lemon, some custard, vanilla and smoke. If you like this style it's a great example.

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• 2019 Richard Kershaw Wines Pinot Noir GPS 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

  Strawberry, cherry, floral and slightly rubbery nose. A hint of spice. Breadth and some richness on the palate, nicely judged oak and beautifully sharp acidity.

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• 2019 Richard Kershaw Wines Pinot Noir Clonal Selection Elgin 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Lots of depth and breadth although I found it slightly flat at first. There's richness: cosseting red fruit, sweet perfume, medium body and smooth tannins with fresh acidity. It grew on me but I'd still like some more precision out of my Pinot

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• 2018 Richard Kershaw Wines Syrah G.P.S. Series 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Overberg, Klein River

  Checks lots of the cool climate Syrah boxes: dark fruit, charcuterie, restrained richness to the red and blue fruit, no hint of sweetness, expensive oak. Luxuriously smooth and precise. Pure, clean and direct on the palate. Medium bodied with good length. Ageable for sure.

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• 2018 Richard Kershaw Wines Syrah Clonal Selection Elgin 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Perfumed, heady, floral: violet and peony, blackberry and blackcurrant. A savoury edge but invitingly primary. Rich but not heavy, juicy and drinkable. A lovely counterpoint to the edgier, more austere (but equally compelling) GPS from the same year.

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• 2021 Lukas van Loggerenberg Chenin Blanc Trust Your Gut 89 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  Precise, slightly herbal and waxy. Pure fruit and some leesy richness and texture.

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• 2022 Lukas van Loggerenberg Chenin Blanc Trust Your Gut 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  White peach, blossom, waxy and nutty aromas. The character is vertical: bright, scything acidity playing against a leesy, textured body.

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• 2022 Lukas van Loggerenberg Chenin Blanc Kameraderie 85 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  A note of artificial strawberry sweets on the nose which isn't something I've ever got from a Chenin before, and lots of sweet spice. I found it a bit disjointed, mean and slightly astringent on the finish. Not my favourite.

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• 2021 Lukas van Loggerenberg Break a Leg Blanc de Noir Rosé 87 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Peach, raspberry, a good balance of depth and sharpness. Very fresh with bright acidity: refreshing with good length.

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• 2022 Lukas van Loggerenberg Cinsault Geronimo 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  A herby shower gel nose, fruity, super floral. delicious. Saturated red fresh strawberry and rose petals. Joyful. Love it.

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• 2022 Lukas van Loggerenberg Cinsault Lötter 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  YUM. Rich but pure, precise red fruit- strawberry, raspberry, spices. Good breadth, texture. Lovely.

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• 2021 Lukas van Loggerenberg Cinsault Geronimo 89 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  Fresh, clean strawberry fruit, rose petals, no lack of concentration but it's really light on its feet. I believe the term is 'smashable'...

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• 2021 Lukas van Loggerenberg Cinsault Lötter 87 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  Old vine concentration (91 years) - a touch reductive and more depth, seriousness compared to the Geronimo cuvee. Quite a structured palate with rich candied depth - some bubblegum notes, violets. I didn't fully get it - feels like it can't decide whether it wants to be delicious and carefree or big and serious.

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• 2021 Lukas van Loggerenberg High Hopes 87 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Slightly brooding, dark with a touch of eucalyptus. Leaning more towards a new world style of Syrah, savoury, slightly lacking in tension. Smooth, maybe a touch pulpy on the palate.

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• 2022 Savage Wines Sauvignon Blanc Salt River 87 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Ripe sauvignon cannot escape its nature. But this is a good example all the same - interest comes from a salty edge and it's rich, clean.

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• 2022 Savage Wines White Blend 89 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Nice depth and balance here - waxy honeyed texture and breadth from the Semillon, a hint of ripeness and drive from the Sauvignon. Some oak balances well with contrasting but complementary peachy and green herbal notes. I liked this.

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• 2022 Savage Wines Never Been Asked to Dance 91 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  A little reductive and smoky with peach, lemon, apple and spice on the nose. Concentrated, broad with a touch of bitterness and great acidity. Really nice.

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• 2022 Savage Wines Follow the Line 93 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Lifted rose petal, spice, raspberry and strawberry. Light bodied but concentrated. Intensely perfumed and deliciously clean. Light tannins and great acidity. Really super. And impossible to find :-(

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• 2022 Savage Wines Syrah The Girl Next Door 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  Spicy, savoury and sweet. Concentrated red ripe fruit nose, falls away slightly on the palate for me

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• 2021 Savage Wines Red Blend 91 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Concentrated red and blue fruit. Heady, supple and spicy. Clean with a sense of vertical, precise richness. There's something about this that screams high quality fruit.

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• 2019 Taaibosch Le Chant du Coq 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Merlot richness and Cab Franc spice, graphite, green pepper. Serious and delicious for an inexpensive wine. Headily aromatic with red and black fruit and I wouldn't bet against it ageing well. Nice stuff.

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• 2020 Taaibosch Crescendo 89 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  More weight, breadth and richness than the '19 Crescendo. Lots of freshening acidity and tannin but just a slight lack of precision.

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• 2019 Taaibosch Crescendo 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Lovely expressive Cab Franc character: really a 'best of both worlds' expression that South Africa can do so well. Herbal, green pepper, graphite character with just a touch of New World opulence adding a luxurious slant. Heady perfume and rich concentration on the palate. It's a bit of a tannin monster at the moment, lots of acid: conservatively this'll need 10 years. Incredible value.

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• 2021 Minimalist Wines Chenin Blanc Experimental 90 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  A slight woolly, stinky Savennieres thing going on with honey, ripe pear, sharp green apple. Rich with maybe a touch of residual sugar? Sharp acid, texture and heft on the body. Very good

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• 2022 Minimalist Wines Experimental 91 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  All sorts in here - Chardonnay-led with some muscat, other bits. Including reserve Chard going back at least three years. Some oxidative toffee notes, green apple, mandarin, stony and a bit smoky. A little fatness, oily texture on the palate. Vertical, bright acidity, a hint of residual sugar. Zingy, fresh and long.

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• 2022 Minimalist Wines Grenache Noir Experimental 87 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Bot River

  Herbal, floral Grenache. High toned, wild strawberry nose. Spicy. Not big, maybe a touch lean and dry.

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• 2021 Minimalist Wines Syrah Connect the Dots 89 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Cool, tense, energetic, ashy. On the darker, more savoury side. Black fruit, lots of acidity, smooth tannins.

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• 2022 Minimalist Wines Syrah Stars in the Dark 92 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Cape Agulhas

  Great balance of richness and tight precision. Ashy, bonfire notes with a hint of sweetness to the red and blue fruit. Beautifully perfumed but otherwise quite upright. Deep and complex, will age. Very compelling.

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• 2022 Minimalist Wines Syrah No Place Like Home 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  More accessible and richer than the Stars in the Dark. Spiced sweet red fruit. Some levity on the palate, tannins are accessible: inviting albeit with bracing acidity. Delicious and needs time, although I'd happily open it with the right food now.

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