South Africa
At the bottom of its great continent, South Africa is a country of unlimited natural advantages. With the confluence of two oceans at the Cape, the sheltering effect of inland mountain chains and some of the most dynamic soils in the world, every piece is in place for the production of fine wine. The most well-known region has historically been Stellenbosch, but it is the wines of Swartland that have really turned South African wine on its head in recent years.
The wine industry is in the midst of a renaissance with classically styled wines making full advantage of remarkable terroir and an adventurous spirit. As a result, South Africa is producing some truly exceptional wines of great character and value. Striking blockbuster Syrahs and Bordeaux blends to full bodied Chardonnay and crisp Sauvignon Blanc are some of this great nation’s offerings. South Africa’s own grape, Pinotage, leaves critics divided yet can produce excellent single-variety offerings as well as distinguished Cape blends.
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South Africa
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Vinous (94)
The 2019 Raaigras, pure Grenache including 15% stems, has a vibrant bouquet of red cherry and strawberry scents, demonstrating a little more presence than Badenhorst’s other reds. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, crisp red berry fruit and a liberal sprinkling of white pepper. The whole bunch addition lends more presence and density compared to other cuvées from Badenhorst, and there is superb length. The standout this year.$127.00 -
(1x75cl) 2020Tim Atkin MW (94)
Made with what Adi Badenhorst assures me is the oldest Grenache vines in the Cape, planted in 1952, this is a reserved, focused, dusty red with very little oak influence, understated grip and concentration, brooding minerality and plum and red cherry fruit. 2023-28$89.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2021 Grenache Raaigras comes from vines planted in 1952, fully-destemmed and fermented in conical concrete vats. With dark cherries and raspberry coulis on the nose, this feels very cohesive with light slatey notes becoming more prominent with time. The palate is well balanced with a little chewiness on the entry, white pepper and touches for garrigues towards the persistent finish. Excellent.$94.00 -
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$723.00 -
$508.00 -
(1x75cl) 2017$146.00 -
Wine Advocate (93)
The 2013 Cartology Bush Vines is a blend of 88% Chenin Blanc and 12% Semillon. The bouquet is very well-defined with great clarity, very reminiscent of the 2011, opening up with aeration to reveal subtle scents of lemon curd, apricot, honeysuckle and Mirabelle. The palate is well-balanced, harmonious in the mouth, everything understated at first, but it builds nicely toward a taut, saline finish. This seems more aligned to the 2012 than the 2011 and it deserves at least one or two years in bottle. Succinct is the word that comes to mind - and that is not an easy attribute to instill into a wine.$121.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2014 Cartology has a different bouquet compared to the 2012 and 2013: more complexity here with linden, orange zest, yellow flowers and a touch of chalk dust (perhaps with just a touch of botrytis.) The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, hints of mango and yellow plum, lemon curd, ginger and a touch of spice on the finish. This is more forward than the 2012 and 2013, a subtle nuttiness emerging with time. Tasted at the Alheit seminar with Chris Alheit in London.$119.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2018 Cartology, a blend of 90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Sémillon this year, is whole-cluster-pressed with no SO2 addition, and matured in used oak. It has a well defined, pure bouquet of dried honey, yellow flower, honeysuckle and lanolin aromas that instantly seduce the senses. The palate is beautifully balanced with a slightly oily-textured opening, the intensity deftly counterbalanced by the fine bead of acidity, and a discreet spiciness toward the finish. This is very harmonious and persistent, an effortless Cartology that should age with style. Superb.$289.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2020 Cartology is blended with 7% Semillon and is essentially an amalgam of Alheit's vineyards, whole bunch pressed and kept on the lees for 12 months. It has a very different nose compared to the "Hereafter Here": more minerality, touches of white tea and broom filtering through the citrus fruit. The palate is very harmonious, spicy and focused, gently building in the mouth towards that finish with a dab of saffron and stem ginger. Wonderful persistence and just a wine that grabs you, demands attention. This is simply outstanding.$242.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
This pioneering white blend, paying tribute to the diversity and history of the Cape, is a cuvée of Chenin Blanc and 6% Semillon in 2023, using components from the Skurfberg, Piekenierskloof, Malmesbury, the Paardeberg, Bottelary, False Bay and (for the first time) Tygerberg. Mineral, sappy, spicy and effortlessly focused like a rifle site, it has layers of oatmeal, citrus and wet stones and a savoury finish.$197.00 -
(1x75cl) 2017Vinous (90)
From vines planted in 2010, the 2017 Hemelrand Vine Garden was matured in old neutral barrels and cement egg. It has a clean, pure bouquet of lemon curd, albumen and light yellow flowers. The palate is well balanced, with a taut line of acidity, and quite saline in the mouth. The sharp, slightly flinty finish oddly reminds me of a mature Chablis. Very fine.$102.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Hemelrand Vine Garden was picked early in the morning and fermented over two months (nine for the Roussanne). It has a very well-defined bouquet of red apple, fresh pear, yellow flower and strawberry scents, plus hints of chamomile in the background. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and wonderful _mineralité_ on the finish; there’s something Alsace-like about this cuvée. One of Alheit’s more cerebral wines of the vintage.$228.00 -
Vinous (96)
The 2021 Hemelrand Vine Garden is one of Chris Alheit's biggest successes and encapsulates everything great about his wine. Initially quite neutral, it reveals wondrous sea spray, honeysuckle, Provençal herbs and hints of powdered chalk on the nose. The palate has exquisite balance, very cohesive and intense, yet the acidity keeps this so fresh with hints of yellow plum, frangipane and quince towards the extended finish. You just want to go back for another sip (and I bet you will).$268.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Hereafter Here is what Chris Alheit calls a "young vineyard wine" although it contains older material from the Paardeberg and Tygerberg too. Blended with a splash of Semillon from Franschhoek, it's a total bargain in the range, with a nice interplay of lees, beeswax and granite-derived structure and a touch of flinty reduction.$133.00 -
(3x37.5cl) 2019Vinous (96)
The maiden (and alas, final) 2019 Lost & Found is Chris Alheit’s foray into sweet wines made entirely from Hanepoot, the local name for Muscat d’Alexandria, from a single vineyard in Breedekloof. Burnished amber in color, it has a captivating bouquet of marmalade, quince and mango notes, all very pure and beautifully defined. The palate is well balanced and viscous in texture, offering marmalade and quince on the entry. It actually reminds me of a Tokay Eszencia, but it is all kept amazingly fresh thanks to the razor-sharp acidity. A spellbinding sweet debut for Chris Alheit, but then again, I didn’t expect anything less. Grab this one-off while you can.$323.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
The Van Lill family's vineyards on Citrusdal Mountain are one of the Cape's Grand Cru sites, right up there with the greatest in the world. Chris Alheit's stunning Chenin Blanc, made with "some of the best grapes I've ever seen", hails from blocks ten and 13 and is breathtakingly intense. Pear, passion fruit, rock salt and fynbos flavours are framed by subtle oak and mouth-watering minerality. A great winemaker's interpretation of a sublime terroir. 2023-35$138.00 -
James Suckling (95)
This is really a phenomenal South African wine for the money showing such delicacy yet also power. The nose boasts plenty of iodine, crushed stones, balsam, violets and hints of sweet herbs. The palate's full and exuberant with mouth-coating tannins and a long finish. 64% shiraz, 29% cabernet and 7% petit verdot. Best in 2020.$281.00 -
Greg Sherwood MW (96)
A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Syrah and 7% Petit Verdot which was aged for 19 months in French oak, 50% new 400 litre barrels and 50% second fill. A seductively perfumed vintage, the aromatics show alluring notes of violets, potpourri and hits of lily over dark bramble berry fruits with hints of mocha espresso notes that combine with subtle buttered brown toast nuances. The palate shows fabulous elegance and finesse with a soft touch concentration of black currant, Christmas pudding, savoury plum compote and black cherry. The tannins are powdery and fine grained but also structured and drying, combining well with a fresh glossy acidity that keeps the finish focused, vibrant and bright. An impressive wine that not only shows off another great vintage in the Cape but also what is increasingly possible with the superb Anwilka Stellenbosch terroir.$191.00 -
James Suckling (95)
Aromas of red and black currants, black licorice and fresh garden herbs. Full-bodied with fine, decadent tannins that run the length of the wine. Widescreen on the palate with lovely openness, but still retains some exciting tension. Very different mouth-feel than previous vintages. Textural at the finish. Very nicely structured. Best after 2025.$274.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
Using vineyards that go up to 399 metres - some of the highest in the Hemelen-Aarde Valley - this estate Chardonnay is consistently excellent. Made without malolactic because of the heat of the vintage, it’s bready, leesy and refreshing, with Puligny-Montrachet-like elegance and beautifully weighted oak$702.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
You know class when you taste it, and this is certainly that. Deservedly established as one of South Africa's most consistently outstanding Chardonnays, this has the structure and concentration to age, with no malolactic at all, 22% new wood and complex, nuanced, stony flavours of lemon zest, oatmeal and stone fruit – Drinking to 2028$236.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Fermented in 22% new wood without malolactic, this is consistently one of the Cape's best Chardonnays, a wine that can rival a very good Côte de Beaune white Burgundy. Leesy, waxy and stylishly wooded with racy acidity and the concentration to age further in bottle.$207.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
Dassiekop was the first single vineyard Chenin Blanc from Adi Badenhorst, taking its first bow in 2011. Located at 350 metres and surrounded by aromatic fynbos, this is a classic expression of granite soils: concentrated, dense and focused, all pear, wax and lanolin with mouth-watering freshness and length. 2022-27$320.00 -
(12x75cl) 2022$503.00 -
$99.00
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(12x75cl) 2022$503.00
