South Africa WIMPS, Greyton Table. May 2025

A South African themed WIMPS lunch at La Trompette moved from bright, textured whites through increasingly serious reds before finishing with Vin de Constance. The wines showed a broad cross section of contemporary Cape styles, from nervy Sauvignon and old vine Chenin to Swartland field blends and increasingly refined Syrah.

• 2021 Lismore Sauvignon Blanc Barrel Fermented

  South Africa, Cape South Coast

  Served with tuna sashimi with yuzu, avocado, toasted sesame, coriander, pickled ginger and chilli.
  Pungent nose, though the fruit remained clear with touches of gooseberry and grass. Complex, weighty wine with nice texture from the barrel fermentation, long on the palate and somewhat in a Loire-inspired style. Interesting wine that became more grassy with time. Worked well with the yuzu and sesame in the dish.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2015 Naudé Old Vines Chenin Blanc

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Also with the tuna sashimi course.
  More restrained initially, showing mid lemon colour and a relatively reticent nose. Fresh lemon sherbet character with good acidity and freshness. Needed a lot of swirling and still felt as though it required more time to fully open.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2017 Sadie Family T'Voetpad

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Served with new season asparagus and dauphinoise croquettes, girolles, wild garlic and aged parmesan.
  A field blend of Semillon Blanc, Semillon Gris, Palomino, Chenin and Muscat from own-rooted vines over 100 years old. Pale lemon in colour with a slightly lanolin, waxy citrus profile. Kumquat notes emerged with air. Fresh and very long, with a distinctive old-vine complexity that paired beautifully with the asparagus and girolles.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2015 Alheit Vineyards Cartology Bushvines

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Medium gold in colour with a very pungent mature nose. Golden raisins and syrupy notes alongside apricot fruit, finishing with a kernel-like bitterness. Mature and expressive.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2019 Alheit Vineyards Cartology Bushvines

  South Africa, Western Cape

  Paler gold and noticeably fresher than the 2015. Elegant nose with fresher citrus character and good acidity. Considerably more youthful and poised.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2018 Richard Kershaw Wines Pinot Noir Clonal Selection Elgin

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  Served with stone bass, St Austell Bay mussels, gnocchi, sugar snaps, beurre blanc and chives.
  Mid-bodied and already maturing slightly. Perhaps just a little too mature for peak enjoyment, though still attractive. Lighter and fresher in style than the Syrahs that followed.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2014 Sadie Family Treinspoor

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland, Malmesbury

  Double decanted to take to lunch and consumed 3 or 4 hours later. Medium body, a fantastic nose of rosehip, cranberry, some violets and a little blackcurrant leaf, evocative and complex, after that the palate couldn’t live up to the promise, it was perfectly decent, a mix of red and black fruits, with a lovely texture in the mouth and good length, but I think I expected more after that nose

  Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No

• 2017 Rall Syrah Ava

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  Lactic nose initially, somewhat opaque and youthful. Some fine tannins on the front palate with darker plum fruit beneath. Structured and clearly still very young.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2015 Mullineux Syrah Schist Roundstone

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland

  More full-bodied and reserved than the Ava. Red fruit profile with a slightly lactic note. Needed considerable swirling and still felt very young. Ripe, full and sweet-fruited with the structure suggesting it needs a lot more time.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 2012 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

  Served with lemon and lime tart and Greek yoghurt sorbet.
  Medium gold in colour with an intense mature nose of golden raisins and syrup. Apricot fruit and a kernel-like finish balanced the sweetness well. A classic close to the lunch, with enough freshness to handle the citrus in the dessert.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No