CWG Auction Event Tasting 2023

A sighted tasting of all the CWG wines that wil be auctioned in October - Tasted in Flights of 6 wines

• 2018 Silverthorn Wines Big Dog IX 93 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  Pale gold with a green tinge and foamy bubbles. Aromas of lemon zest, ripe peach, and red apple mingle with brioche, toasted nuts, and shortcrust pastry, with a mineral edge, giving a lovely freshness.
  The entry is broader with a creamy mousse supporting vibrant fruit flavours of peach sprinkled with smashed almond and lemon zest, with a toasted croissant.
  A vigorous, chalky-edged acidity drives the wine forward with energy and precision, while a gentle sweetness balances.
  An elegant example with linearity and tension led to a long, lingering finish of mineral, pastry cream and toasted croissant - Luxuriant.
  A blend of 69% Chardonnay and 31% Pinot Noir, with 69% of the base wine barrel-fermented and it spent 53 months on lees.

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• 2014 Graham Beck Cape Winemakers Guild Cuvée 108 90 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Mid-yellow-bronze with lifted aromas of ripe papaya, yellow peach, and citrus augmented by toasted brioche and a slight hint of volatility with some hoppy/beer qualities. I am an open-knit, foamy entry with tropical fruits playing out, filling the mid-palate with rich butter-on-toast and lemon-cream qualities, and a narrow, sour/tangy acidity balance. It shows a touch of development and finishes medium-long.
  100% Chardonnay from Robertson's limestone-rich vineyards. 50% of the base wine is fermented in Piece Champenoise 205L French oak barrels and the wine spent 108 months on the lees before disgorgement.

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• 2022 David & Nadia Chenin Blanc Cape Winemakers Guild Veiling 94 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Pale yellow with classic ripe yellow apple, Williams pear, Satsuma, and white peach. A lovely, earthy, fynbos character intrigues further.
  The wine is concentrated and focused, with a rich texture and core of ripe orchard fruits and some dried herb. It is particularly driven by a juicy pear note, balanced by a steely, salt-edged acidity that gives a tightness to the mid-palate. Long with a satisfying depth of fruit it maintains freshness and precision.
  A blend of four vineyard parcels planted between 1968 and 1986, mostly on granite soils. 20% of the wine is matured in concrete tanks, while the remainder ages in neutral oak barrels.

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• 2022 Raats Chenin Blanc CWG The Fountain Terroir Specific 95 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Light to mid straw in colour; earthy aromas open to river stones and damp laundry before morphing to orange, Linden blossom, Cretian pear and ripe spiced apricot halves.
  A well-structured, expansive wine carrying plenty of fruit with a tight, mineral-driven core of zesty acidity. Chalky in texture, it has a gorgeous depth of flavour, evident concentration, and a long, fabulous finish. Super impressive!
  Old vine Chenin planted in granite soils with 13% Alc. The wine ferments and matures in neutral oak barrels. RS: 2.2 g/L; TA: 5.7 g/L; pH: 3.37

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• 2022 Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay Cape Winemaker's Guild Ziggurat

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Pale lemon in colour, the nose opens with a struck-match reduction before revealing forelle pear, white peach, minerals, and lemon, with some light toasty oak. The palate is dense yet poised, showcasing pure fruit flavours balanced by fresh acidity, culminating in a bone-dry finish. Touches of vanilla, crushed nuts, and spice linger on the mid-palate, while the wine is well-defined and tightly wound, combining power with precision.
  No score as conflict of interest.

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• 2021 Newton Johnson Chardonnay Cape Winemakers Guild Sandford 93 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

  Mid-yellow in colour, the aromas are rich with toast, satsuma, yellow cling peach, and a lovely streak of minerals. A rich, intense wine on entry, almost a tad sweet yet with a lovely pithy texture and zippy acidity to counteract this. The mid-palate is filled with ripe yellow apples, honeybush, stone fruits, vanilla-infused breakfast punch and light baking spices. The wine has a defined, long finish, culminating in a creamy, almost caramel-like note.
  Chardonnay is sourced from three vineyards.

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• 2022 Paul Cluver Chardonnay Cape Winemakers Guild The Wagon Trail 90 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Light yellow with green flashes. Aromas of just-ripe apples, Forelle pears and lemon with a precise focus, brightness, and notes of toasty oak. The entry is direct, rich, and leesy with juicy acidity and mid-palate that has tropical elements balanced by minerality and a touch of positive reduction. Youthful, the wine shows potential for development, closing long with a lovely creaminess.
  The oldest Chardonnay vineyard in Elgin, planted in 1987, the wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation and is matured for nine months in 300-litre barrels

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• 2021 Warwick Estate Chardonnay The White Lady 88 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

  The mid-to light yellow colour reveals aromas slanted toward wood chips, toasted sawdust and damp cellar - A bit old school. A drop of vanilla, papaya and dried orange perk it up, and the palate enters with a zippy acid and citrus flush. A lovely, rich, soft oatmeal on the mid-palate is held nicely in place by a chalky texture that leads to a dry finish. However, as it opens, the wine feels slightly saggy in the mid-palate.
  Alc: 12.8%; Chardonnay is sourced from two Stellenbosch vineyards, one situated on the foothills of the Simonsberg and the other on the Helderberg.

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• 2022 Jordan Winery (Jardin) Chardonnay Cape Winemakers Guild 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Pale lemon in colour, the aromas are light and airy, delivering Cox's apple, crushed rocks and lemon zest. Focused and mineral, the wine has a soft, juicy centre with plenty of Forelle pear flesh, cooled white nectarine and mango with a smear of vanilla reminiscent of a chilled fruit salad.
  The texture is pithy, with an apple-skin sensation, accented by a mineral undertone. It works remarkably well, showcasing a light, minimal quality as it finishes long.
  100% Chardonnay grapes from the oldest vineyards on Jordan Wine Estate are grown on quartzite veins through the 600-million-year-old granite substrate. Slow fermentation in 228-litre French oak barrels for 12 months.

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• 2021 De Grendel Pinot Noir Cape Winemakers Guild Op Die Berg 90 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Light ruby in colour, with bright, cooling aromas of cherry, red plum, rose petals, and menthol, with stemmy notes suggesting a whole bunch.
  The palate opens fresh, with a chewy texture and mineral-edged, zesty acidity. More green herbs, moss, tomato leaves and damp heather with white pepper confirming stem inclusion. The tannins are firm and chalky, and some extraction results in a slightly blunted finish that may need time to settle. A boiled strawberry sweet emerged on the close, but the wine felt a little skinny in the mid-palate, which may fill out with time.
  Alc: 12.8%. The PN is sourced from Ceres (900m ASL). 70% whole bunch, 13 months in neutral barrels.

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• 2021 Sebastian Beaumont CWG Arturo’s Pinotage 90 Points

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

  Mid garnet in colour with immediate fragrant aromas of dried flowers before blackberry, bramble and spiced dark plum emerge.
  Intensely pure fruit, the entry is all briary fruits, frozen blackberry and apple with some cherry drop sweets and tomato with a tapenade, adding some savoury nuance.
  It is structurally edgy with a leathery texture and vibrant acidity that leads to chewy tannins, which the sweeter fruits try to balance fairly effectively, although the wine feels a little raw, drying, gum-clenching, and stark and will need more time in the bottle to polish up.
  Planted in 1974 by Raoul Beaumont on the east-facing slope of the Beaumont farm on clay-rich shale soils.

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• 2021 Rall Syrah Noa CWG 96 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Deep ruby-crimson in colour, this wine has intense aromatics of smoky oolong tea, violet, burnt grass, lavender, blue flowers, and crushed cloves—a sort of SA garrigue note—not in the least negative! Some blackberries, boysenberries, and tapenade lurk behind that together, giving a fantastic nose! Also, some oak is present, and initially I picked up diesel, suggesting a touch of reduction. The wine is minerally, with energetic acidity and a firm texture that leads to tight, compact tannins yet maintains a light, creamy mid-palate. Narrow and focused, it has power and bags of flavour, and a lot is going on! The endless finish is exceptional! If anything, the wine needs time as the oak hasn't yet been integrated.
  Shiraz grown on schist.

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• 2021 Savage Wines Syrah Cape Winemakers Guild Auction 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Mid ruby in colour, the wine shows dry scrubland, briary fruits, lavender, anise, stalks, and green herbal edges with a dusting of ground pepper. The palate opens with a sweet compote of blackberry preserve and plum, leading to a fleshy mid-palate and a leathery texture, with a lively acid thread. Mineral and warm stones emerge, as does some tinned cherry. The tannins build towards the finish, and the length is good, but the wine feels a little green and stalky at this moment.
  While in the Cape it felt a little blunt, the bottle in Pretoria showed much better, with more lavender, dried herbs, and garrigue, fewer stalky notes, and fresher, rather than pastille-cherry, fruits—far more elegant and pushing the mark up. 89 - 92
  Syrah is sourced from Fish Hoek, Stellenbosch, and Swartland, all of which are grown on granite soils.

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• 2018 David Finlayson Tempranillo Inkunzi 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Deep black-ruby with aromas of shoe leather, tar, pencil shavings and blackcurrant, but none of the tobacco notes often associated with Tempranillo! A reasonably intense, lifted entry with dried blackcurrant, grilled herbs, and portobello mushroom is supported by lively acid and grippy tannins. The wine has considerable length but is a little unforgiving, with the tannins rising to become moderately astringent and with a grassy edge to them. However, this should resolve with time in the bottle.
  95% Tempranillo and 5% Cab Sauv sourced from Upper Blaauwklippen Valley and matured for 48 months in oak barrels.

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• 2021 Boplaas Cape Winemakers Guild Daniel's Legacy 88 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Mid to deep ruby with crimson edges. An attractive, heady nose of classic Tinta Barocca characteristics with raspberry, boysenberry (pastille note) and some violets with a slightly rubber glove reduction at first. Kirsch cherries, pomace and some dried herbs join the fray. The palate has a strange soapy entry suggesting an elevated pH, yet a bite of steely acid feels unassimilated with some stalky components that vastly drive up the herbal notes. Notes of cola tonic and grappa on the edges accentuate the alcohol and make the wine awkward and gawky, while it lacks much definition and feels a little reticent about delivering much fruit. It leaves a long, with surprising fullness, but feels slightly bipolar, conveying both richness and austerity. A challenging wine which definitely needs time in a bottle!
  A blend of 55% Touriga Nacional, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Shiraz, and 8% Tinta Barocca with an ABV of 14.33%.

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• 2021 Keermont Vineyards Where Mountains Meet - Red Blend Cape Winemakers Guild 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  A deep crimson colour, it has an effusive fragrance and focused aromas of blackcurrant, blackberry, and boysenberry. As it opens further, it tilts to a more pastille and black cherry preserve. Some subtle savoury notes add intrigue, with notes of tree bark, old wood, and spice.
  The palate enters quietly, gaining interest as the fresh, lively acidity brightens the dark fruits in this medium-bodied wine. Precise and well-balanced, the wine has a fine, narrow structure, supported by firm, powdery, compact tannins. The sweeter fruit has a peppery edge, while the finish is dry and persistent, with the wine carrying a lovely elegance. The alcohol content of nearly 15% doesn't generally add much generosity and seems well integrated.
  A blend of 60% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Stellenbosch's mountain vineyards.

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• 2021 Erika Obermeyer Silver Linings CWG 93 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  A medium crimson with a muted nose at first, it gently unfolds to reveal black cherry, raspberry, and summer pudding with a touch of steeped plum. The palate is graceful and detailed, medium-bodied with fresh acidity and firm tannins. Nicely structured, the wine has a silky, polished mid-palate filled with raspberry cream, light herbs, and again a dusting of pepper. Taut and precise, the wine has a feminine gait to it as it finishes long and refined.
  A blend of 63% Syrah, 20% Grenache, 14% Cinsault, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from W.O. Coastal vineyards. ABV: 13.9%

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• 2021 Mullineux Cabernet Franc Cape Winemakers Guild Leeu Passant Hillside 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley

  Apart from a touch of rubber-glove reduction that blows off, the aromas are typical of Cabernet Franc, with blackcurrant leaf, bramble, and briary characters, all fragrantly enhanced. The palate has a rich creaminess, with a core of crushed frozen raspberries, blackcurrants, and wild forest berries, accented by some spicy oak. Medium-bodied and fresh, with a touch of stem present and underscored by crisp acidity, the wine has firm, compact tannins built to become relatively grippy. There is a woodsmoke note, and that slightly rubber quality returns on the close. The palate is relatively linear and will need time in the bottle to fill out and become complex. Still quite wild and untamed, it finishes medium to long.
  Cabernet Franc sourced from Franschhoek’s hillside.

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• 2018 Strydom Family Wines Cape Winemakers Guild The Game Changer 94 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  An intense nose of blackberry compote, raspberry preserve and blackcurrant leaf accented by subtle savoury spice and earthiness. A confident entry displaying an excellent balance of freshness, minerality, and bright acidity layered with creamed raspberry, spice, and tilled soil. Ripe with a satiny texture, the wine is well-structured, with the fruit filling the mid-palate. Some smoky edges on the close. This has real depth and penetration, with complexity already, and a refined, lingering finish that one can drink from the get-go.
  Cabernet Franc-dominant blend (78% Cabernet Franc, 22% Merlot) is matured for 18 months in barrels, with 50% new oak.

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• 2019 Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon Jonkershoek Cape Winemakers Guild 86 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek Valley

  This is a deep, brooding wine with herbal accents. At first, it shows a slight reduction in rubber and plastic wrap, before opening to blackcurrant, flint, and minerals, with a slightly balsamic kick lurking in the background. The palate is tight and narrow, with quite an extracted texture. In particular, I picked up an engine oil note with vegetal characters and that plastic wrap quality. The wine improves with airing, showing more spicy qualities with blackcurrant and leafy green elements.
  At this point, the wine seems at sea with a narrow, pinched finish and fruit a little stretched and sun-exposed. As it opens, a touch of soy emerges, with some funky impression reminiscent of wet pottery clay. Somewhat disjointed, the wine is on the bucolic spectrum.
  Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Jonkershoek Valley, the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks and matured in second-fill barrels. 14.7% Alc.

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• 2019 Delaire Graff The Banghoek Cape Winemakers Guild 94 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  A medium to deep ruby, this wine has an elegant, expressive aroma of fragrant red flowers, spice, and red and black currants, with a subtle herbaceous quality. Hints of graphite and earth add to the wine's interest.
  This is a full-bodied example with rich chocolate and plush fruit notes set on powder-fine, firm tannins that give structure without harshness.
  Opulent, with a gentle, creamy texture, lively acidity, and tremendous depth of flavour, this wine has a real sense of focus and depth. Dense and equally precise, this layered wine finishes long, well-extracted, with refined power and complexity.
  A blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Banghoek in Stellenbosch. Alc: 14.98%.

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• 2022 Bartho Eksteen Sauvignon Blanc Cape Winemakers Guild Vloekskoot 92 Points

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

  Light lemon-green colour with a distinctive nose dominated by ammoniac, skunk-like, cat's pee and buchu notes incorporated with thiol-driven aromatics of cut nettles, boxwood, passion fruit and blackcurrant leaf with a herbaceous underlay of wild heather evoking a white Pessac-Léognan-like profile.
  An intense, focused wine with a crisp driving acidity through a narrow palate with those reduction and ammoniac notes persisting, slowly morphing to smoke and flint. Gently kissed by oak, the wine feels sharp but precise with a crisp apple, capsicum, and mown hay in the mid-palate. Closes long with a saline finish.
  14.49% alcohol.

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• 2020 Miles Mossop Wines Cape Winemakers Guild Maximilian 96 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  A deep ruby colour with an alluring bouquet of ripe plum, blackcurrant, vanilla pod and an inviting rose-enhanced fragrance in between which hints of spice emerge.
  This is a full-bodied, powerful entry with a rich, velvety texture and fresh, integrated acidity. Layers of warm blackcurrant weave their way through a bed of spice, vanilla, and dark chocolate.
  Refined and elegant, this is pure class, maintaining balance and poise with remarkable depth and concentration.
  Sweet, creamy edges yield to dry, fine-grained tannins providing a frame, and the finish is long and luxurious. Crackerjack!
  A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Merlot sourced from Stellenbosch

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• 2021 Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon Cape Winemakers Guild Auction 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Bottelary

  It's a deep crimson colour with exotic Chinese 5 spice, violet and singed orange peel that opens to boysenberry, prune juice, and unusually poached pear! Woodsmoke and warm gravel hoves into view to accent its more old-school charm.
  A fabulously intense wine with open-knit ripe dark fruits, more cassis than blackcurrant and more earthy than the nose suggests. A touch of chocolate is a nod to new oak, whilst there is a chalky texture, moderate acidity and firm, grippy tannins that give structure but need time to resolve. The gravelly, smoky character persists, and it is slightly more evolved than expected as it opens. A little towards the rustic side, the wine has density but lacks significant depth, and the smoky edge becomes distracting. An element of prune-juice sweetness, coupled with glycerol, adds richness, whilst the finish carries a habanero-like spice, giving a lingering heat. Powerful stuff, but needs some time in the bottle.
  A CS-led blend (93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc) from Stellenbosch.

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• 2020 Ernie Els Cape Winemakers Guild 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  A classic Cab-like bouquet of cedarwood, graphite, ripe blackcurrant, blackberry and briary notes with a faint whiff of wood smoke and a touch of capsicum.
  The sweet, plush-textured entry is filled with riper cassis fruits and dried orange peel, indicative of its warm-climate origin.
  There is a lively acidity to balance, but the tannins are narrow and tapering, leading to a green, sappy, starker note. It closes with some tapenade and Assam tea but is still somewhat raw and obvious, yet it has the building blocks.
  A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Shiraz, and 10% Cinsault. Whole berries are fermented in open-top tanks and barrels with intermittent pump-overs and punch-downs.

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• 2020 Kanonkop Paul Sauer Cape Winemakers Guild 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

  A medley of ripe black cherry, plum, orange peel, and peach is dusted with spice and some toasted sawdust. Is there something exotic about the fruit and spice, almost an overripe, forced note? This is a rich, soft, juicy entry, with a fleshy core of fruit and tropical nuances that continue. The wine has focus but feels impalpable. It exists in the now but lacks some of the anticipated structural components. The wine's density is reminiscent of a 1970s style struggling with its overall weight and seriousness and dwindling away. Quite different from what I expected—serious bottle shock?​
  A blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 14% Merlot, matured for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels.

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• 2019 Spier Cape Winemakers Guild Frans K. Smit 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Evident toasty oak aromas intertwine with black-berried fruits, tobacco leaf, and dried orange peel, with a touch of underlying tilled soil.
  The palate is big, gutsy, and powerful, embodying an old-school style that pairs excellently with hearty dishes like steak. The wine's muscular structure is complemented by its bold fruit-driven character and assertive oak influence.
  It feels heavy and lumbering on the mid-palate with moderate acid but could benefit from more to give it more vitality. The thick, gum-coating tannins give it a robust style that works and is a classic example. It is well-made and has a long finish.
  A Stellenbosch sourced blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc, 19% Merlot, and 11% Petit Verdot.

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• 2021 de Trafford Syrah CWG Glenrosa 91 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  Subtle fruit aromas, raspberry, plum fool, bramble, frozen berries, tree bark, and hot gravel lightly dusted with ground pepper. As it opened, I found cooling menthol notes and a hint of lavender.
  The palate exhibits stemmy, vegetal, almost sappy qualities that are reminiscent of Alain Graillot's style, with fresh, crunchy acidity. The flavours range from more summer-berry smoothies to a pleasant vegetal quality. It is full-bodied, with granular tannins becoming grippier in the mouth. Harmonious, although not that deep, it should fill out with time. Notably long, the wine exits with cool herbal edges and fennel bulb.
  Score: 91/100​
  Sourced from a section of the Elevation 393 vineyard, characterised by stony Glenrosa soil.

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• 2021 Dewaldt Heyns CWG Shiraz Reserve 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region

  An inviting lifted bouquet of violet, blackberry, and medicinal elements is underpinned by toasty oak, a smear of vanilla, dry spice, and a tot of grappa. This is an open-knit, bold style with a plush texture, firm tannins, plenty of rich, sweet fruit, and a generous glycerol edge.
  Whilst dynamic in its gait, it leans towards a fleshy style that is very approachable. As it opens, soy notes join the fray, along with spiced blackberry and dried orange zest, all enhanced by spicy new-oak nuances. Complex, the wine has a thick, dense mid-palate, fairly extracted, and notable concentration. It has a decent length, but I found the finish overly sweet, lacking the acidity needed to drive it forward. It closes with squishy, supersweet blueberries and a dash of rosewater.
  100% Shiraz matured in new French oak for 20 months.

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• 2014 Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs Chardonnay Barrel Fermented CWG 89 Points

  South Africa, Breede River Valley, Robertson

  There is a fresh moussy with notable wet limestone aromas underscored by light apple, poached pear, and yeast lees.
  The palate is zippy and fresh with a chalky, gum-clenching, edgy texture and mineral-laced acidity that is pleasant but lacking in depth or dimensionality. It finishes medium to long and is correct, but I would have liked more.
  A 100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Robertson and Darling with the base wine a combination of foudre and barrel.

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• 2022 Ataraxia Chardonnay Cape Winemakers Guild Under the Gavel 91 Points

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

  Abundant aromas of almost-ripe apples and fridge-cooled pears combine with a lemon and clementine note. The palate reveals oatmeal and creamy edges complemented by sweet fruit flavours that impart a slightly confected character just about countered by crisp acidity. With a lighter-than-medium body, the wine is lissom in shape and pithy in texture and as it opens, apricot joins the medley of citrus fruits. A medium to long finish.
  100% Chardonnay from Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Spontaneous fermentation followed by maturation for 11 months in Burgundian coopered barrels - no MLF or batonnage.

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• 2022 Mullineux Sémillon Cape Winemakers Guild ‘The Gris’ Old Vines 94 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  A vibrant floral fynbos lift on the nose is joined by orange blossom, kumquat, some light toast, beeswax and dried grass-like qualities.
  Youthful and energetic, the wine is marked by vibrant acidity to give it freshness, but also exhibits a lovely creaminess in the mid-palate. Leesy notes combine with a cut apple to give it almost a Bircher muesli quality as it lingers to a tenacious finish. Subtle power with great concentration.
  Old vine Semillon Gris vines planted in granite soils. The wine underwent barrel fermentation and maturation.

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• 2022 Beaumont Family Wines Chenin Blanc Hope Single Vineyard Cape Winemakers Guild 93 Points

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

  Attractive, intense aromas of baked Forelle pears, chilled apple purée and dried grasses/hay. A lovely broad palate with plenty of fruit underpinned by a chalky, grippy acidity with pithy phenolic characteristics reminiscent of chewing pear skin.​ Lightly spiced, the apple and pear linger to a long, satisfying finish.​
  Chenin blanc sourced from a vineyard planted in 1978.

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• 2022 Pierre Wahl CWG Survivor Chardonnay 92 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  A touch of swimming pool at first before it opens to aromas of Jonagold apples and pear pips that interweave with clementine and light white grapefruit. A well-defined palate with lively acidity is filled with a core of sweeter citrus fruit toward satsuma and vanilla ice cream, accented by salted pear and a touch of spice (minimal oak influence?). It has a juicy, succulent quality and reminds me more of Chenin than Chardonnay, with a lingering finish.
  Chardonnay from the Tradouw region.

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• 2022 Survivor Wines Pinot Noir Cape Winemakers Guild 93 Points

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

  A light to mid-ruby with a subtle reduction before violet, graphite, ripe red apple, strawberry, and cerise notes join the fray. A rich, round palate with fleshy red berries and fruits, and more kirsch than fresh cherry, has density and stuffing balanced by fresh acidity.
  A waft of smoke with a smattering of oak gives a touch of cinnamon stick and some vanilla extract, adding further interest as fine yet grippy tannins support. Complex and lengthy, the finish has a touch of glycerol warmth.
  Pinot Noir sourced from the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge with 30% whole-bunch in the fermentation. ​

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• 2017 Neil Ellis Tempranillo Cape Winemakers Guild 'Amper Bo' 87 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  At first, the nose reveals notes of sun-dried tomatoes, bramble, and a hint of engine oil. Some lighter earth-encased mulberry emerges briefly, but I found it slightly feral.
  The palate also shows reductive characteristics that enhance tannic hardness, resulting in phenolic bitterness and rubbery undertones reminiscent of brake dust, which leads me to believe there might be a suggestion of Brettanomyces. Outside of this, some musty, overripe strawberry flavours mixed with green leaves may indicate more sun-exposed fruit with bipolar qualities. Challenging and finishes quite puckering.
  Tempranillo from the Bottelary ward within the Stellenbosch region.

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• 2021 Jordan Winery (Jardin) Cape Winemakers Guild Sophia 90 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  A mid crimson-ruby colour with fresh mulberry, blackberry, tangerine peel and dried orange peel interlaced by cedarwood, tree bark and vanilla. Some toasty oak present.
  A soft and plush entry with fine, graphite-edged tannins and a lively acidity. The mid-palate has a smoky element with candied orange, cassis and the presence of toasty new oak imparts a slightly fire-scorched quality that intrudes rather than complements. A long dry-edged finish.
  A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, and 19% Cabernet Franc, sourced from Stellenbosch.

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• 2019 Raats Cabernet Franc Stella Nova Cape Winemakers Guild 95 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  A deep ruby hue with pronounced fresh blackcurrant, warmed plums, violet and vanilla spice accented by a subtle mineral quality.
  The entry is a congruous blend of sour plum and blackcurrant flavours enriched by sweet spices. It is elegant with a well-defined structure, supported by narrow, powdery tannins. Bright acidity balances the sweet fruit characteristics with its toasty overlay. This is a cracker, well integrated, with depth of flavour and a persistent finish.

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• 2007 Boplaas Cape Winemakers Guild Cape Tawny Colheita 91 Points

  South Africa, Western Cape

  It is a light amber-yellow with intense notes of dried Valencia oranges, cooked apples with raisins, prunes, and crushed tree nuts, all with a wood-smoked character—sort of trail mix.
  The entry is rich and sweet, with caramel elements joining candied fruit, particularly sweet oranges. However, there is a spirited edge and a noticeable sense of sweetness that the zingy acidity struggles to balance. Also, there is only a little concentration on the mid-palate as it coasts over the surface. There is a drier, damp-wood note on the close, and the finish is still lengthy, with a light grippiness. The wine showed a little better in Pretoria, with more harmony, so pushed from 90 to 91.
  100% Tinta Barocca matured in 500-litre Portuguese oak barrels for 16 years.

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