2/22/2021 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Very classy Pinotage and certainly in its drinking window now. Just enough brambly blackcurrant to suggest Pinotage, but would be very difficult to spot blind. Elegant, fresh and thoroughly enjoyable from the first sip through to the last drop.

11/15/2020 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Excellent showing tonight. Now at maturity and well resolved but with a lovely balance between fruit and tertiary character of cedar and tobacco. Difficult to see how this wine will get better with time but it should be on the plateau for a few years yet.

8/8/2018 - Darren747 wrote:

Just what I'm looking for in Kabinett, crisp, fresh and a touch of sugar. A hint of petrol initially but this gives way to peach and nectarine. Lovely balance throughout but let down a tad by a relatively short finish.

11/25/2017 - Darren747 wrote:

Tight as a gnat's chuff still. Leave for at least another 5 years.

6/1/2016 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Drinking very well indeed. Just a hint of tobacco and leather on the finish but showing just a tad hot. Very good value wine for ageing.

1/31/2016 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

First rate Bordeaux Blanc firmly in its drinking window. Classic flavours of lemon zest, apricot, oak toast and a touch of pineapple perfectly balanced with a refreshing acidity. Complex, rich and exciting. Delighted that I have a case to get through!

1/25/2016 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Excellent as always. Really hitting its stride now with a glorious intensity and precision. Slate, kerosene, apple, pear and guava. Lingering pleasure. Wonderful stuff.

1/17/2016 - Darren747 wrote:

Not remotely ready yet.

1/4/2016 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Oh so very young but already showing its many delights. Bruised apple initially but this slowly develops complexity in the glass, especially as it warms up a touch. Pineapple and apricot gradually revealing themselves. There's a tremendous purity to this wine that lingers on the finish and entices me back in for more.

6/6/2015 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Drinking very well indeed now. Silky texture, spicy cherry and cranberry with just a hint of toast. Delicious stuff.

5/27/2015 - Darren747 wrote:

Consistent with previous. Decent claret and definitely in the drinking window.

3/31/2015 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Plenty of development here. Creamy palate, bruised apple and nuts, oxidative. Smooth and balanced with a little spicy vanilla on the finish. Time to drink up.

2/23/2015 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Needed a long decant (3+ hours) but showed its class eventually. Tannic at first but subsided into a very harmonious and mellow wine with just enough fruit to balance the tobacco finish. Hold on for a few more years yet.

1/10/2015 - Darren747 wrote:

Very disappointing. Muted fruit, one dimensional and boring. I expected much more from this. Bad bottle, dumb phase? Who knows but the rest of this bottle is going into a stew.

1/9/2015 - Darren747 wrote:

on the downward slope, time to drink up.

1/8/2015 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Always good value solid Stellenbosch Bordeaux blend. Blackcurrant dominant with a little graphite and chalky tannin. Holds its 14.5% alcohol very well.

12/4/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Still very young but starting to hit its stride. Absolutely pure, mineral, pear and the merest whiff of petrol. Creamy texture with waves of flavour and a deliciously nuanced finish. Acidity and sweetness are in superb balance.

11/11/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Maturing very nicely indeed. Fully resolved tannin, ripe strawberry, explosive nose and delicious palate carried on a wave of savoury oak and floral notes. Long finish. Delicious wine that is ready for drinking.

10/13/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Waaay too young. This has all the components for long ageing and should be approachable in 10 years or so. Hide away until then!

10/13/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Considering it's age and vintage I was prepared to throw this down the sink but I was very pleasantly surprised to drink a well matured Claret that is still giving a great deal of pleasure.

10/13/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Excellent Claret that is still holding up remarkably well.

9/23/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

A little disjointed at first but came together after an hour or so. Liquorice and herbs dominating with the fruit fading to give tobacco leaf on the finish. No real hurry to finish these up.

8/5/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Drinking pretty well right now. Cabernet dominant with leafy blackcurrant flavours and a hint of mint. Pleasant structure for straightforward enjoyable drinking but still has a few years in it yet.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Outstanding with a beautiful tropical fruit and nut nose. Clear acidity keeps this wine refreshing despite its 200+g/l RS. Complex, long and deep. Wonderful wine.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Unmistakable SA Cabernet Sauvignon fruit nose and palate. Firm tannins, ripe fruit and oak still a tad intrusive. Needs more time but should settle down well.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Deep fruit and spice nose. Elegant, restrained palate that still exhibits a subtle power. Herbal garrigue around a throbbing power base of bright Syrah fruit. This is serious stuff.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Tasted at ProWein with Tim Atkin where he announced it as one of the top 2 Pinotages in the world. This bottle tasted even better than my previous one, bright fruit, lovely structure, elegant and pure Pinotage. This is the future for this grape variety.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Now this is a beautiful wine. Hauntingly elegant with pure clean fruit. Velvet tannins help this wine glide along with a wonderful texture. Newton Johnson Family PN has always been very good but this single vineyard effort consolidates them as South Africa's best PN producer.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Rich, ripe, seductive nose. Deep, rich and complex palate that shows bags of potential for ageing.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Gentle oak integration with toasted apricot and hazelnut notes. Good wine but missing some intensity and finishes a tad shorter than I would like.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Fabulous nose with apple and fresh coconut notes. the palate is as full bodied as it is delicious with superb minerality, great intensity and depth. The finish is very long indeed. Superb stuff.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Green, nettle and capsicum nose. Generous palate with plenty of body and high acidity. Focussed minerality and some saline notes reflecting the vineyard's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean

3/26/2014 - Darren747 wrote:

ProWein 2014: Fairly aggressive mousse. Creamy peach and apple with toasty brioche and plenty of autolytic character. Sees some oak maturation.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 wrote:

ProWein 2014: Complex, interesting blend. Saline, herbal and showing the greener character of Sauv Blanc. Loads of minerality with a sharp acidity. Great intensity. This is a serious wine that will respond to a bit of time in bottle and should partner shellfish with aplomb.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Does not like this wine:

ProWein 2014: Dusty nose and palate. Lacking fruit or any interest. - Faulty?

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Complex apple and stone fruit flavour. There's some tannin on the palate and toasty oak becomes more apparent on the finish. Needs some time and food will help to show this wine in a more attractive light.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 wrote:

ProWein 2014: Disappointingly flat palate. There's some fresh acidity that helps but the wine lacks any impact and fades quickly.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Full bodied but precise flavour profile. Orchard fruits, a touch of oak with a creamy, slightly warm finish.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Very fruity nose, blackcurrant, blackberry, plums followed through with a spicy palate, pepper, oak and toast. Firm tannins and high acidity, this wine has the structure and fruit to age well and will need 5+ years at least to reveal its potential

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Interesting blend of Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Complex black fruit with spice and oak. Full bodied with some drying tannins but this has potential to show very well with a few more years in bottle.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 wrote:

ProWein 2014: Very good Bordeaux blend, graceful and approaching drinkability although tannins are still grippy. There's good support for the ripe fruit and sensitive oak while retaining a clear freshness. Balanced, restrained and a fair degree of elegance on the long finish.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Does not like this wine:

ProWein 2014: Simple, smoky, lacks any depth or interest.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Very enticing nose of fruit and spice. Delicious, Burgundian palate with superb oak integration. Deep power but somehow retaining a great deal of elegance. Supported by finely judged tannins that are grippy yet give a supple finish. One to watch.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Supple texture, red fruit and a hint of brett adds some interest to the long finish.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 wrote:

ProWein 2014: Straightforward fruit, very light tannin, a touch of spice on the finish. Light, needs more depth.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Very good PN with crunchy fruit, ripe red fruits, spicy and just enough tannin to give some bite to the supple finish.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Very good. Floral nose, plenty of flesh on the palate with a finely balanced finish.

3/26/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

ProWein 2014: Very meaty with grilled notes supported by blackcurrant. Good structure with firm but fine tannins. Spicy finish. Still very young but enjoyable and perhaps marginally better than 2008.

3/22/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Excellent Syrah that is unmistakably Rhone in style, powerful fruit, supple tannin and lots going on. No oak and whilst it would undoubtedly take oak very well, it certainly doesn't need it and allows the fruit to shine through. Came together even more so on the second night and this will definitely benefit from a few years in bottle.

3/2/2014 - Darren747 Likes this wine:

Still a baby and will need years to show its potential. Crammed full of dark fruit and spice with firm tannins that need some time soften. Needs a long decant if drinking now. Excellent Pinotage.