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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Greg Sherwood MW (99)
The MR de Compostella from Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve possesses one of the most successful critical track records out of almost any red wine produced in South Africa let alone just in the Cape Bordeaux Blend category. The newest 2021 release astonishingly takes this wine to yet another higher niveau of quality with a blend of 26% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Made from vines aged between 9 and 22 years old, all grown on deep decomposed dolomitic granite soils with table mountain sandstone, the aromatics are wonderfully bold and exuberant displaying seductive notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, violets, sweet cherry tobacco, black cherries and tart black plum. The lifted perfumed intensity is incredibly pure and piercing with salty liquorice, cedar spice and beautifully detailed maritime oyster shell nuances. In the mouth, the concentration and focused steely intensity is astounding – tart, bright and architecturally soaring, shaping this wine into a powerful, linear, multi-dimensional masterpiece. Packed full of salty cassis, tart plum and black currant, the tightly wound core of power, refined extraction and polished marble tannins leave you in no doubt that this harmonious, vibrant beauty is a spellbinding, timeless classic in the making. If you wanted just one wine to convince an international fine wine connoisseur of the true greatness of South Africa’s finest terroirs and winemaking, you have found your candidate! Simply an incredible wine. Drink this beauty from 2024 and savour over the next 30+ years. But you might need more than just one or two cases in your cellar!!$468.00 -
$353.00 -
(6x75cl) 2023Wine Advocate (95)
This wine explores the spirit of schist soils with vines planted in 1986. The Rall 2023 Swartland Chenin Blanc Ava reveals aromas of aniseed, licorice and fennel root at the back of orchard fruit and unripe peach. With the Noa, vintner Donovan Rall limits oxygen, but with this wine, he seeks more of it. He works with three vineyards with schist soil, and this is the only one he can bottle on its own because it achieves the balance he seeks. The wine ferments in 400-liter barrel for six months until almost dry. There is a touch of residual sugar at 2.5 grams per liter. The wine is creamy and fleshed out in terms of texture, but its aging potential remains intact. The personality of this wine is certainly more soothing and richer overall. Donovan Rall seeks to express two sides of Chenin Blanc, one on granite (the Noa) and one on schist (the Ava).$261.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2018 Ava Syrah is whole-bunch-fermented and matured in used 225- and 500-liter French oak. It has a very pure and seductive bouquet, a mélange of blueberry, cassis and raspberry coulis, all beautifully controlled. The medium-bodied palate reveals a slightly honeyed texture. There is impressive intensity here, with hints of dark chocolate and black plum fruit, and suggestions of sea salt and licorice toward the persistent finish. It errs on the side of hedonism but maintains outstanding focus all the way through. Brilliant.$366.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2021 Syrah Ava comes from two schist vineyards, the main component from the parcel that forms the Rall Syrah, in a corner where the clusters are very small. It has a compelling bouquet with dark berry fruit, slate-like scents, hints of broom and Provençal herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with a dense yet paradoxically elegant frame of tannins, precise peppery black fruit with a persistent, beautifully proportioned finish. All this at just 11.9% alcohol. Brilliant.$368.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Donovan Rall's 2023 Swartland Syrah Ava represents a selection of fruit from two vineyards with schistic soils. Production is limited to 2,000 bottles. This wine has a core of dark fruit and shows the proverbial "Swartland darkness" that you often find in the best wines from this remote region. There is stony mineral and lead pencil; however, you also get dark cherry, blackberry and plum. The alcohol is very contained at 11.8%, although the label says 12%. You can count on this bottle for jovial brightness, fruit buoyancy and elegantly chalky tannins.$118.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
A wine doesn't have to be big to be complex," says Donovan Rall of this refined, ageworthy Cinsault, which combines fruit from Darling and the Swartland. Textured, refreshing yet with quite a bit of tannin for the variety, this is crunchy, complex and elegant with layers of summer berry and black cherry fruit. 2022-26$154.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Sold as a Coastal red because it includes fruit from the Swartland as well as Darling - the vineyards are only two kilometres apart - this is a delicate, yet focused red with some whole bunch spices and sap, black cherry and raspberry fruit, nuanced tannins and a floral, tapering finish. 2022-27$135.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (92)
Now into its third vintage - and showing its highest alcohol yet at a towering 11% alcohol - this very rare Cinsault Blanc is sourced from a 0.2-hectare parcel on granite in Wellington. Naturally fermented in clay amphorae, it's salty and very fresh, with lemongrass and citrus peel flavours. 2021-25$138.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (93)
Donovan Rall has moved to two picks for this wine to give it more nuances. The same is true of the shift away from oak to separate fermentations in stainless steel, concrete and a solitary amphora. Complex, fresh and very pure, this has the variety's characteristic brightness and acidity, with some creamy lees and a long, focused nish. 2021-26$161.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
"Massive acidities" is how Donovan Rall describes the 2019 white wines, and he's not exaggerating. This concrete egg-fermented Grenache Blanc comes from a single vineyard at 620 metres in Piekenierskloof and is a case in point. Peachy, pithy and linear with bready undertones and a tangy, textural finish. 2021-25$161.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
Donovan Rall only used the first pick for this stunning Piekenierskloof Grenache Blanc in 2020, fermenting and ageing it in a combination of concrete eggs and amphoras. It's a salty, complex, dialled back white with notes of gunflint, wild herbs and greengage and high-altitude minerality and precision.$163.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
'White Wine Discovery of the Year' - Donovan Rall has made a habit of winning one or more or my discovery of the year categories and he's done it again with this Chenin Blanc from a Paardeberg vineyard planted in the 1960s. Picked in four stages, it’s a stunning expression of the site, with saline grip, lots of extract and concentration, hay, pear and lime flavours and wonderful energy.$281.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
Sailing majestically into its third vintage, this comes from a vineyard planted on the Paardeberg in 1969 that's called La Rhine. Entirely fermented in a concrete egg, it has mouth-watering freshness and focus, layers of aniseed, lime and lemon juice, salty minerality and a tapering finish that lingers on the tongue.$300.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2016 Red contains Carignan for the first time, though Syrah still comprises 80% of the blend, along with Cinsault and Grenache. It has a very detailed bouquet with scents of black plum, blackberry, a touch of gravel and the 100% whole bunch lending a slightly earthy tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite firm in the mouth and maybe more masculine compared to other Syrah-dominated Rhône blends, yet there is wonderful freshness and delineation here. It exerts a gentle grip on the midpalate and those schistous soils impart a wonderful mineralité on the finish. Outstanding.$187.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Rall Red is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault that is matured in 225- and 500-liter French oak. It has a perfumed, quite sensual bouquet of pressed violet and potpourri aromas entwined with black cherries and blueberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate displays very fine tannins that frame exceedingly pure black and blueberry fruit laced with truffle, Provençal herbs and white pepper. It feels very persistent as it fans out on the finish, completing an outstanding Rall Red, one of the best that Donovan Rall has produced thus far.$175.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
"The most southern Rhône-like red I've made" is how Donovan Rall describes this 50% whole bunch-fermented cuvée of Syrah with 30% Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault. Broad and spicy, with Mediterranean garrigue aromas, a tannic backdrop and meaty, bloody intensity. 2021-28$166.00 -
Christian Eedes (94)
65% Syrah, 13% Grenache, 13% Cinsault and 9% Carignan. The nose is particularly expressive with notes of red and black berries, cured meat, lavender, herbs and pepper while the palate is rich and flavourful but equally not short of freshness – a bit less foursquare than preceding vintages have tended to be. Complex and satisfying.$161.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2020 Red Blend is 100% whole bunch matured in old French oak. It has a lovely, quite bold and expressive, succulent dark cherry and cassis-tinged bouquet that bursts from the glass. The palate is the ripest of Rall's portfolio with grippy tannins that frame the layered dark berry fruit laced with white pepper and black tea. Nicely proportioned and very persistent on the finish. Excellent.$154.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2021 Syrah is a maiden release from a 10-hectare parcel on schist soils that Rall took two weeks to track down the owner. It was cropped at 2 tons/hectare as it is so rocky. This comes from the early-picked fruit and matured in concrete only. The bouquet is very endearing with raspberry, wild strawberry and a very slight confit-like scent. The palate is very harmonious with fine grip, a little tertiary in style, beautifully proportioned and elegant on the finish. Outstanding.$167.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
As he did in 2017, Donovan Rall made his signature white wine without any Chardonnay, going for a 60/35/5 blend of Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Viognier from the Swartland and Stellenbosch. Firmly established as one of the best blends in the Cape, it's still youthful and primary, but has stony reduction, ne lees and a medley of pear, citrus and stone fruit. 2021-26$181.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
The Swartland and Stellenbosch are the twin sources of this consistently outstanding white blend from Donovan Rall, made from a cuvée of Chenin Blanc with 32% Verdelho and a splash of Viognier. Nuanced, understated and focused, with wax, lanolin and aniseed top notes and a palate of citrus, pear and peach skin. Taut and refreshing.$174.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
Donovan Rall is a consummate blender of grapes, crafting seamless assemblages like this one of Chenin Blanc with 34% Verdelho and 1% Viognier. Dominated by fruit from the granite soils of the Paardeberg, it has aromas of oatmeal, wet stone and white flowers, peach, pear and lemongrass fruit and the tangy acidity of the vintage.$167.00 -
Christian Eedes (97)
72% Chenin Blanc, 24% Verdelho and 4% Viognier – includes a portion of Chenin from the vineyard from which Noa below is sourced. Expressive aromatics of citrus, peach, floral perfume, herbs and a subtle reductive note while the palate has a dense core of fruit, invigorating acidity and dry finish. Poised and rather thrilling drinking.$181.00 -
Christian Eedes (95)
71% Chenin Blanc, 26% Verdelho and 3% Viognier. Matured for 10 months in a combination of concrete egg, foudre and older barrels. Subtle and alluring aromatics of pear, peach, citrus, fynbos and again a touch of reduction while the palate is relatively lean and tense – very pure and focussed, the finish long and dry. A wine of great refinement. Alc: 13%.$185.00 -
$107.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
"I fell in love with Chardonnay through Chablis," says Craig Wessels and you can see that influence here. Reflecting the coolness of the 2021 vintage, this is taut, focused, stony and engagingly mouth-watering, with effortless concentration, notes of brine, lanolin and lemon juice and extra layers of complexity from old barrels and amphoras.$103.00 -
(6x75cl) 2021Tim Atkin MW (96)
"I fell in love with Chardonnay through Chablis," says Craig Wessels and you can see that influence here. Reflecting the coolness of the 2021 vintage, this is taut, focused, stony and engagingly mouth-watering, with effortless concentration, notes of brine, lanolin and lemon juice and extra layers of complexity from old barrels and amphoras.$263.00 -
(12x75cl) 2022Decanter (97)
Autodidact winemaker and viticulturist Craig Wessels does things differently – and fastidiously – perhaps because he hasn’t had any formal training. From a small single block, planted in 1999, which is considered to be the oldest Chardonnay in the Hemel-en-Aarde. Specific parcels are whole-bunch picked over three weeks. Pressed in an old Vaslin press, the ‘black’ juice then goes through natural ferment in barrels of mixed sizes as well as amphora. Quickly becoming something of an icon wine, the 2022 is firing on all cylinders – sensational smoky oystershell reduction, lemon leaf, blossom and creamed white pear part to an elegant yet weighted palate, flush with fruit and the house’s signature savoury acidity.$587.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022Decanter (97)
Autodidact winemaker and viticulturist Craig Wessels does things differently – and fastidiously – perhaps because he hasn’t had any formal training. From a small single block, planted in 1999, which is considered to be the oldest Chardonnay in the Hemel-en-Aarde. Specific parcels are whole-bunch picked over three weeks. Pressed in an old Vaslin press, the ‘black’ juice then goes through natural ferment in barrels of mixed sizes as well as amphora. Quickly becoming something of an icon wine, the 2022 is firing on all cylinders – sensational smoky oystershell reduction, lemon leaf, blossom and creamed white pear part to an elegant yet weighted palate, flush with fruit and the house’s signature savoury acidity.$267.00
