A Volcanic Voyage of Wine Discovery: Part 2/3 – The DOC Etna Contrada Wines of the Benanti Winery Tasted and Reviewed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Benanti Viticoltori is one of the founding estates and market leaders of modern winemaking on Mount Etna, based in Viagrande on the volcano’s southeastern slope since 1988, when founder Giuseppe Benanti set out to prove the region’s unique volcanic terroir potential. Today the family estate, now run by sons Antonio and Salvino, is widely credited with putting DOC Etna on the world fine wine map.

Benanti Tasting Room in Viagrande

Benanti’s whites are all made from 100% Carricante, Etna’s indigenous white grape, that are vinified in stainless steel and never aged in oak to protect their terroir expression. Grapes come from vineyards on the eastern and southern slopes, primarily Contrada Cavaliere and Contrada Rinazzo, prized for their high elevation and abundant light, with vines aged between 20 to 60 years old, some trained as traditional Alberello bush vines. The results are pale, mineral-driven wines with maritime salinity, pithy citrus, and green apple characters, of course epitomized by their flagship Pietra Marina Bianco, a Carricante Superiore from ancient vines near Milo considered one of Italy’s most age-worthy whites.

The Benanti tasting line up.

The reds centre on Nerello Mascalese, either bottled as a mono-varietal or blended with a small amount of Nerello Cappuccio,  grown in volcanic, mineral-rich soils across Etna’s different Contrade vineyard sites. These wines range from the everyday drinking DOC Etna Rosso to prestigious single-vineyard Riserva bottlings like Rovittello and Serra della Contessa, prized for their elegance, red fruit character, structure and clear volcanic minerality. Together, Benanti’s reds and whites showcase the remarkable diversity of Etna’s terroir.

Benanti tasting room.

On the second day of my DOC Etna visit, I was hosted by Antonio and Salvino Benanti at the Benanti Winery tasting room in Viagrande, next to the Contrada Monte Serra vineyards, where I was shown their full line-up of red and white wines as well as several back vintages for extra context. My full notes are below. Benanti only use local yeast strains that were isolated and selected since 2005 from four different remote Carricante and Nerello Mascalese vineyards far from any commercial wineries. Only these four selected yeasts are used today.

1 Benanti Noblesse Brut Carricante 2018 Metodo Classico, IGT Terre Siciliane, 12% Abv.

Sourced from Eastern slope vineyards of Etna, bottled spring 2019 and disgorged 14th Feb 2023. Aged 48 months on its lees with zero use of oak. Produced since 2002, the 2018 shows complex notes of sweet sappy honeysuckle, leesy biscuit, stony basaltic notes with hints of dried wild herbs and briney nuances. The palate is enticingly nutty and savoury, layered with pithy citrus peel, salted brioche and a subtle maritime salinity. Beautiful freshness and balance, delightfully flavourful and really quite delicious. Drink now to 2040+. 

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

2 Benanti Etna Bianco 2025, DOC Etna Bianco, 12% Abv.

This Etna Bianco displays an incredibly expressive aromatics packed full of Sicilian lemons, brine, maritime salinity and dried baking herbs over hints of peach skins and a stony basaltic minerality. The palate shows a cool elegance, delicately supple and sleek with soft integrated acids, a crystalline briney concentration with a light to medium body, finishing with salted pears and a hint of white peach. Very attractive and approachable with a refreshing accessibility. Drink now to 2034+. (100,000 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

3 Benanti Contrada Cavaliere 2024, DOC Etna Bianco, 12% Abv. 

Made from 100% Carricante grapes that spend 12 months in stainless steel tanks post fermentation. The aromatics show a subtle dusty, flinty reduction with layers of white blossom, basaltic mineral spice, white pepper, crunchy pear, and dried herbal nuances. The palate reveals a fine concentration, delicately fleshy and pure with a crystalline fruit clarity, green pear and salty, pithy green apple with a delightfully tart, intense, characterful finish. Drink now to 2034+. (Circa 7-8,000 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

4 Benanti Contrada Monte Serra 2024, DOC Etna Bianco, 12% Abv.

Made from around 1.2 hectares of Carricante grown on very light, sandy soils, the aromatics are contrasting to the Contrada Cavaliere Bianco being more delicate, sappy, and leafy with green fruits, dried herbs and savoury, pithy bruised yellow orchard fruit notes. The underlying saline, briney, sappy character carries to a cool, sleek, elegant palate which shows subtlety, textural harmony, and a stony, basaltic maritime salinity on the tangy finish. Drink now to 2032+.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

5 Benanti Contrada Rinazzo 2022, DOC Etna Bianco Superiore, 12% Abv.

From the unique Bianco Superiore village of Milo, this single site Contrada wine shows an incredibly intense, saline aromatics with a pronounced kerosene like pungency with a dusting of sweet baking herbs, lime peel, leafy sapidity and oystershell nuances. The volcanic basaltic minerality lurks ever present, the concentration notably punchy, profound and intense, layered with greengage, white peach and subtle green apple notes with yet more salinity and maritime characters on the long, persistent finish. An astonishing volcanic white expression drinking beautifully now. Drink now to 2036+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

6 Benanti Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore 2021, 12% Abv.

The highest, most sandy vineyard in Rinazzo is generally used for Pietra Marina, although the exact designation is drawn from various “higher” eastern facing slopes. All aged in stainless steel, this 2021 shows a notable richness, aromatic density and intense maritime depth, with a chiselled complexity of almond skins, tangerines, orange peel pith, white peach and wet basaltic minerality. Full, plush and compact on the palate, there is a defined depth and density, an unctuous weight that is elevated by an astonishing salinity, a honied peachiness, and a superbly well integrated acid freshness. Undoubtedly one of the great white island wines of the world. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

7 Benanti Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore 2020, 12.5% Abv.

Considered a more ‘regular’ vintage on Etna compared to the hotter, more solar vintage characters across Italy and the Mediterranean. The nose reveals delightful aromatics with defined notes of briney salinity, hints of honey and kerosene, sapidity, and savoury, dried baking herb mealy nuances over yellow orchard fruits. The palate is impressively saline and pithy, heavily mineral laden with a wet stone intensity, but quite harmonious and balanced with an effortless concentration and balance. This wine is sitting in a beautiful sweet spot at the moment. Drink now to 2036+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

8 Benanti Pietra Marina Etna Bianco Superiore 2016, 12% Abv.

This 2016 is only just starting to show an inkling of tertiary development while remaining essentially fresh and mineral. Beautifully complex, the aromatics reveal notes of kerosene, diesel rag, lime peel, dry honey, white toast, waxy bergamot and chamomile tea nuances. Fabulously cool, harmonious and ‘complete’ on the palate, the crystalline purity shines, enlivened by the maritime salinity, basaltic stony minerality and a delicately savoury, briney finish. Gently evolving, this wine shows this vineyard’s true ageing credentials at 10 years old. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

9 Benanti Nerello Cappuccio 2024, IGT Terre Siciliane Rosso, 13.5% Abv.

The opulent aromatics show beautifully lifted, perfumed aromatics of wild bramble berries, sweet pithy strawberry, saline black currant and undertones of sapidity, cherry pipe tobacco and dried cigar wrapper. Soft, vibrant and plush in the mouth, the ripeness coats the palate showing none of the rusticity this grape is known for. The palate is medium to full bodied, compact and dense, yet effortlessly concentrated with pithy red and black berry fruits, a sturdy Basaltic mineral tannin backbone and a well-integrated, tangy brightness on the finish. A wonderfully unique and characterful wine. Drink now to 2040+. 

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

10 Benanti DOC Etna Rosso 2024, 14% Abv. 

Since 2011, Etna Rosso was not required to be blended anymore by DOC regulations. But Benanti Etna Rosso remains a blend to this day, using varying quantities of between 10% and 15% of Nerello Cappuccio in the final cuvee. The aromatics are beautifully perfumed and lifted, showing the vintages concentration and intensity of red and black berries, red cherries, sweet cranberry and a delicate wild bramble berry spice. The palate is cool, silky and pinpoint pure, effortlessly elegant with silky stony tannins, a complexing minerality, and a delicate, succulent, spicy berry fruited finish. Such a classy, refined expression of Etna Rosso making it one of the benchmarks of the region. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

11 Benanti Contrada Monte Serra 2022, DOC Etna Rosso, 14% Abv. 

This unique volcanic site shows a pronounced minty, perfumed, black berry aromatics with pithy strawberry, thyme and dried baking herbs over the ever present basaltic minerality. Soft, cool and supple in the mouth, the texture is fine grained but exceptionally elegant, fresh and pithy, beaming with a stony, volcanic minerality. Perhaps a little softer and more supple than some other Contrada, this Monte Serra is accessible, generous and a genuinely delicious crowd pleaser. Drink now to 2036+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

12 Benanti Contrada Dafara Galluzzo 2024, DOC Etna Rosso, 14.5% Abv. 

This beautiful Nerello Mascalese shows a deeper, darker, broodier black cherry and black berry aromatics with a pronounced salty maritime character, hints of black liquorice, basaltic minerality, dried flowers, wild strawberry and a delicate kelpy nuance. The palate texture is quite strict, framed by vibrant acids and a chalky, stony mineral tannin frame that keeps the wine restrained, pure, and quite firm and fine. Very impressive precision and focus with a chiselled intensity. Serious and seriously delicious. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

13 Benanti Contrada Dafara Galluzzo 2022, DOC Etna Rosso, 14.5% Abv. 

A ripe, intense expression that shows piercing aromatics of salted black liquorice, dried flowers, potpourri, pink musk and sweet exotic baking herbs. The palate is dark fruited, intensely saline and supple with a light to medium bodied weight, a sleek stony mineral vein and an effortlessly accessible character that makes this wine so delicious and inviting. The length is fabulously long, the black berry compote and black salty liquorice notes lingering on the concentrated finish. A very serious wine, but in many ways, quite a crowd pleaser as well. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

14 Benanti Contrada Calderara Sottana 2024, DOC Etna Rosso, 14% Abv. 

The newest Contrada in the Benanti range, the first official vintage was 2020 with increased volumes produced in 2021. The whole vineyard is 0.8 hectares of Nerello Mascalese, produced on dark, rich, sandy, stony volcanic soils that yield powerful aromatics of black plum, saline black currant, pithy black cherry and stony, mineral basaltic notes. The texture is silky and incredibly fine grained, almost powdery, with pinpoint pure mineral tannins, supple integrated acids, massive density and a long, harmonious, concentrated savoury finish. This is a wine that really surprises you with its power, precision, and regal depth. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

15 Benanti Serra della Contessa Particella No.587 Alberello Centenario 2020, DOC Etna Rosso Riserva, 13.5% Abv.

DOC Riservas can’t be released before four years from harvest requiring at least 12 months ageing in barrel. This wine spends between 24 to 30 months in large oak before bottling, being aged another year or more in bottle before release. The vines were planted in early 1900s on their own rootstocks, producing a wine of profound depth and intensity. The aromatic breadth and depth are notable, the extra barrel ageing adding a complexing wood spice that combines with deep, broody black berry notes, pithy black cherry and salty black liquorice, finishing with chalky, drying stony tannins, saline black currant fruits and delicate graphite hints. This is a contemplative wine, regal and powerful, bold and confident, demanding your attention without too much exuberance. Wow, really something special. Drink now to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

16 Benanti Serra della Contessa Particella No.587 Alberello Centenario 2016, DOC Etna Rosso Riserva, 14% Abv.

Now 10 years old, this distinguished old bush vine cuvee is showing an attractive depth and complexity, brimming with deliciously inviting aromatics of raisined black cherries, black currants, and salted liquorice with a delicately sappy, leafy undertone. The fruit character is bold and plush on the palate, the acids softening, allowing the texture to coat the mouth with notes of stewed black plums, molasses, and black cherry compote. 2016 stands as a supremely harmonious, balanced vintage with real accessibility, balance and developing tertiary complexity. Drink now to 2036+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

17 Benanti Rovittello Particella No.341 Alberello Centenario 2020, DOC Etna Rosso Riserva, 13.5% Abv.

The old vine parcel within the Contrada Dafara Galluzzo vineyards, the Rovittello 2020 is a supremely complex, intense expression displaying a pronounced saline, kelpy, black currant intensity over black berry, black cherry and delicately reductive, graphite nuances. The palate texture is fresh, lithe but intense and supple, the tannins loosening up to release the real salty black liquorice and black currant fruit intensity of these old vines. Impressively powerful and imposing, but also effortlessly sleek, classy, and accessible without shouting too loudly. This is a profound expression that redefines the essence of old vine Etna Nerello Mascalese. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

18 Benanti Rovittello Particella No.341 Alberello Centenario 2016, DOC Etna Rosso Riserva, 14% Abv.

This is simply a sublime expression from old vine Nerello Mascalese even though it is technically a field blend with a few Nerello Cappuccio vines co-planted. But this 2016 simple hits a new high, an aromatic Zenith of red and black fruited perfume, a delicately leafy sapidity, cherry pipe tobacco, and tightly interwoven basaltic mineral undertones. The balance and purity here is next level, the sweet tannins displayed boldly with no over ripe flavours to obscure the Northern Etna terroir minerality, the saline liquorice nuances and the black cherry fruit persistence. A profound wine on any global fine wine yardstick. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The wines of Benanti are imported exclusively into the UK by wine merchant Woodwinters. Contact Andrew@woodwinters.com to request allocations and trade pricing.

Holden Manz Winery Prepare to Release Two of Their Flagship Wines – Tasting their Chardonnay Reserve 2023 and the Super Premium Elysium Red Blend 2022…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Located in the Franschhoek Valley in the Western Cape winelands, the Holden Manz Wine Estate has built a reputation for wines of precision, elegance, opulence as well as quiet ambition. Founded with a passion for craftsmanship, the estate blends old-world winemaking sensibility under winemaker Thierry Haberer, with a distinctly modern spirit, evident not only in the wines themselves but in the striking art and architecture that define this Franschhoek property.

Among the estate’s most celebrated whites is their Reserve Chardonnay, sourced from carefully selected sites across the Franschhoek Valley and the Banhoek Valley in Stellenbosch. Extended lees contact and regular batonnage give the wine remarkable texture and depth, while notes of citrus, grapefruit, and white flowers unfold against a backdrop of balanced, integrated oak use. It is a chardonnay that manages to be both generous and refined, full-bodied, yet fresh and deliciously vibrant.

At the estate’s pinnacle sits Elysium, its flagship red blend. Born from a rare occurrence, Merlot and Syrah ripening simultaneously on the farm, Elysium is hand-picked, hand-sorted, and co-fermented in new French oak, resulting in a wine of striking concentration and harmony. Produced only in select vintages and in very limited quantities, it stands as the estate’s most ambitious expression of place and craft. Together, these wines capture the essence of Holden Manz: bold, meticulous, and deeply rooted in their Franschhoek terroir.

Holden Manz Chardonnay Reserve 2023, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv.

This Reserve Chardonnay from Holden Manz opens with an enthralling aromatics that’s bright, fragrant and deliciously complex, packed full of crystallised lemon slices, candied green melon and green apples dipped in salted caramel. In the mouth, there is real precision and balance, the mouthfeel harmonious, textural and fleshy with a glycerol concentration, picante phenolics of lemon peel, citrus bon bons, and a hint of spicy green apple on the finish. Bright, fruity and succulent while remaining spicy, minerally charged and decidedly sophisticated, this is another superb effort from Holden Manz. Drink now to 2032+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Holden Manz Elysium 2022, Merlot / Shiraz Blend, WO Franschhoek, 15.5% Abv.

Of all the wines in the Holden Manz range, the super premium Elysium is undoubtedly the most ambitious, opulent and hedonistic expression. Super ripe, full bodied and certainly no wilting daisy when it comes to concentration, this co-fermented Merlot – Syrah, only produced in years when these two grapes ripen at the same time, manages to elicit the best qualities from both cultivars, with the Merlot offering up plush, creamy, dense blueberry and black berry fruit nuances with the Syrah adding a savoury complexity, sweet Christmas spices and an enticing bramble berry wildness. Full throttle, seamlessly textured, dense and fleshy, the tannins are incredibly finessed and sweet, the acids well integrated beneath lashings of ripe black fruits. A powerful creation that retains a suave textural elegance with only a slight alcohol warmth accompanying the long, sweet fruited finish. Enjoy now and over the next 6 to 8+ years. 

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW) 

The Holden Manz wines are imported into the UK by Vindependents and sold retail by specialist South African merchants like Museum Wines and Woodwinters in Scotland.

A Volcanic Voyage of Wine Discovery: Part 1/3 – The Contrade of Etna and the Fine Wine Terroirs of the Benanti Winery…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, is also home to one of Italy’s most distinctive wine appellations. Established in 1968 as Sicily’s first Denominazione di Origine Controllata, DOC Etna occupies a semi-circular band on the volcano’s slopes, with vineyards ranging from roughly 450 to over 1,000 metres above sea level. What makes Etna extraordinary is not simply its altitude or its volcanic soils, but the astonishing fragmentation of its terroir. 

The formidable active volcano of Mount Etna.

Within this single appellation, the mountain is divided into named districts called Contrade, a system now formally recognized, with over 140 individually mapped zones based on historic lava flows, property boundaries, and family holdings dating back generations. Wine writers frequently compare this regional structure to Burgundy’s climats, since each Contrada represents a discrete parcel whose soils, exposure, and microclimate can differ meaningfully from its neighbour just a few hundred metres away, even though both may fall under the same broad DOC rules governing grape varieties and yields.

The soils around Etna are classified by the age of the lava flows. This is a recent 2002 eruption that destroyed a hotel and ski resort.

The Contrada system exists because Etna’s geology is not uniform. The volcano has erupted repeatedly over thousands of years, and each eruption deposited a distinct sciara, or lava flow, that weathered over time into its own particular soil structure, sometimes sandy and free – draining, sometimes dense with clay, sometimes strewn with porous lava stone. 

The vegetation is also denser on the older lava flows, it normally taking 60 to 100 years before small trees are able to grow on the decomposing lava. The above soils are from the 1865 eruption.

Combined with the mountain’s four differing slopes, each with its own rainfall patterns, sun exposure, and proximity to the Ionian Sea, the result is a patchwork of microzones capable of producing wines with dramatically different character even when made from the same two principal grapes: Nerello Mascalese and, to a lesser degree, Nerello Cappuccio for red wines, and Carricante for the appellation’s whites. 

Northern vineyards in Contrada Calderara Sottana near Randazzo looking South to the volcano, planted to mostly Nerello Mascalese.
Benanti Winery is one of the island’s leaders in recording and analysing temperature, wind, and precipitation data across their vineyards through multiple mini weather stations.
High altitude Nerello Mascalese vineyards in Contrada Dafara Galluzzo near the town of Rovittello, east of Randazzo. Here you will also find Benanti’s Alberello Centenario vines that go into their iconic Rovittello Etna Rosso Riserva.

The northern slope, generally considered the historic core of quality winemaking, tends to produce structured, tannic, mineral-driven reds from older, more decomposed lava soils. The eastern slope, cooled by sea breezes and higher rainfall, is Carricante’s traditional home, particularly around the commune of Milo, the only zone permitted to use the elevated Etna Bianco Superiore designation. The southern slopes, both southeast and southwest, offer warmer, sunnier exposures on comparatively younger volcanic soils, yielding wines that often show softer fruit and earlier approachability.

White Carricante vineyards in the Eastern Contrada Rinazzo, near the village of Milo, over looking the sea. This is the only Contrada that qualifies as Etna Bianco Superiore and is also home to the famous ‘Pietra Marina’ blocks on the highest slopes.
Looking west up to the volcano from the Contrada Rinazzo Carricante vineyards.

No producer illustrates this diversity more completely than Benanti, as I discovered on my recent trip to Sicily in mid-June 2026. Founded in 1988 by businessman Giuseppe Benanti under the original name Tenuta di Castiglione, the estate is today widely credited as the modern pioneer of fine winemaking on Etna, and it remains the only winery farming vineyards on every slope of the DOC zone. Rather than blending fruit from scattered plots into a single generic Etna Rosso or Bianco, Benanti has built its identity around vinifying individual Contrade separately, treating each site as a distinct expression of the mountain, an approach that mirrors, quite deliberately, the single-vineyard philosophy of Burgundy.

Vineyards in Contrada Dafara Galluzzo near the village of Rovittello.

In the north, Benanti’s holdings center on Contrada Dafara Galluzzo, in the district of Rovittello near Castiglione di Sicilia, at roughly 750 metres of elevation. This site sits on some of the oldest, most decomposed lava on the mountain, part of the geological layer locals call Mongibello antico. The vineyard is planted exclusively to Nerello Mascalese, including a small parcel of pre-phylloxera, ungrafted centenarian vines. This is the source of Rovittello, Benanti’s founding red wine and one of the estate’s flagship labels, along with the more recent Rovittello Riserva. 

Wines from this northern site are typically described as aristocratic and austere, marked by firm tannins, deep earthy notes, and possess considerable aging potential, qualities widely associated with the northern slope’s cooler, higher-altitude character and older soil substrate.

Co-owner Salvino Benanti explaining the Contrada wines on the northern slopes.

On the eastern slopes, Benanti farms Contrada Rinazzo in the commune (and town) of Milo, a steep vineyard of small stone-walled terraces facing the Ionian Sea just a few miles away. Because Milo is the only area within the DOC permitted to produce Etna Bianco Superiore, this site is planted entirely to Carricante, trained in the traditional alberello, or head-trained bush vine, method. The area’s rainfall, humidity, and fine-grained volcanic soils encourage excellent water retention, producing whites of notable saline minerality and structure. From the higher, less sandy terraces here comes Pietra Marina, Benanti’s celebrated single-vineyard Etna Bianco Superiore and the wine that helped establish Carricante’s international reputation; the remainder of the site yields the more approachable Contrada Rinazzo bottling.

Terraced vineyards around the winery in the Contrada Monte Serra near the town of ViaGrande.
Old Alberello Centenario Nerello Mascalese vines in Contrada Monte Serra, that are used for the Serra Della Contessa Etna Rosso Riserva.

To the south, Benanti’s story becomes slightly more complex, since the estate actually holds sites on both the southeastern and southwestern flanks of the volcano. The historic heart of the winery is Contrada Monte Serra in Viagrande, on the southeastern slope, where the family has grown grapes since the late nineteenth century and where the estate’s headquarters now sits amid extinct volcanic cones and red pumice soils known locally as ripiddu. This is a mixed-variety site, home to Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and some Carricante, and it produces both an Etna Rosso and an Etna Bianco under the Contrada Monte Serra label, as well as Serra della Contessa, a Riserva sourced from a tiny plot of centenarian, pre-phylloxera vines at the estate’s highest point. 

Benanti’s southwestern vineyards in Contrada Cavaliere, looking north towards Mount Etna. Here Benanti grow Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and a little Nerello Cappuccio.
Young Carricante peaberry grapes in Contrada Cavaliere in mid-June.
New Benanti vineyard plantings in Contrada Cavaliere.

Further southwest, in Santa Maria di Licodia, Benanti also farms Contrada Cavaliere at around 900 metres, a partnership dating to the mid-1990s, where intense light and dramatic diurnal temperature swings on comparatively younger volcanic soils yield taut, high-altitude wines.

Vineyards in Contrada Cavaliere.

Taken together, Benanti’s five Contrade function almost as a working demonstration of Etna’s terroir diversity: northern structure and longevity, eastern saline precision, and southern warmth and earlier accessibility, all expressed through the same handful of native grape varieties. In this sense, Benanti’s portfolio is less a conventional producer lineup than a cartographic argument – proof, bottle by bottle, that the mountain is not simply one terroir but many great terroirs capable of producing some incredibly profound white and red wines.

(Watch out for Part 2 where I review Benanti’s full range of current wine releases, and then Part 3, where I highlight archive vintages from the winery, going back more than two decades.)

I travelled to DOC Etna in mid-June 2026 at the invitation of the Benanti winery, accompanied by their exclusive UK importer, Woodwinters. Contact Andrew@woodwinters.com for more information on allocations and trade pricing.

Sakkie Mouton Releases Another Characterful and Accomplished Full On Misfit 2024 White Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Sakkie Mouton is a highly talented young South African winemaker who has, over the past eight years, built a veritable cult following on the wild, wind swept West Coast of the Western Cape. Since his maiden 2018 Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc, he’s earned a reputation for terroir-driven, minimal-intervention wines from some of the most unforgiving vineyard sites in South Africa, sourcing fruit from cool, Atlantic-influenced spots in Vredendal and Koekenaap.

While his flagship white is considered his Revenge of the Crayfish Chenin Blanc, his Full On Misfit white blend, whose name says it all, deliberately avoids imitating a Rhône, Portuguese, or classic Cape white blend, aiming instead to be something wholly its own.  The composition shifts vintage to vintage, but centres on Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Macabeo, and Muscat d’Alexandrie, grown on sandstone and silty soils not far from the cold Atlantic Ocean. Production is hands-on and low-tech, with grapes picked in the early morning hours for freshness, and then foot-stomped in an old basket press with only a touch of sulphur added.

Sakkie Mouton (left) tasting with Ex-England cricket captain, Allan Lamb, at 67 Pall Mall during the recent UK launch of his new vintage releases.

I have often praised the wine’s “West Coast Swagger,” and later vintages have only sharpened that identity further – the 2022 was called his “most accomplished to date”, while his 2023 leaned more heavily on Chenin Blanc, showing classical lemon verbena, white peach, and a fresh, salty maritime finish. Together, Sakkie’s wines represent some of the most original and closely watched expressions coming out of South Africa’s West Coast today, and his Full On Misfit white blend is the canvas that allows Sakkie to continue experimenting and innovating.

Sakkie Mouton Family Wines Full on Misfit 2024, WO Western Cape, 12.75% Abv.

1.4g/l RS | 7.3g/l TA | 3.07pH

Of all the wines made by Sakkie Mouton, it is probably the Full on Misfit White Blend that has evolved the most over the past few years as it represents his unofficial playground to experiment. The 2024 is made from three different vineyards located between 15 and 25kms from the cold Atlantic Ocean, around the town of Vredendal on the West Coast, and is a blend of 75% Chenin Blanc, 18% Colombar and 7% Harslevelu. Fermented in stainless steel, the individual cultivars were then aged in 500 litre oak barrels for 8 months before being blended and aged for a further 3 months before bottling. Beautifully crystalline and fresh, the aromatics show pretty perfumed notes of white blossom, lime peel, grapefruit marmalade and crunchy white peaches drizzled in honey. The signature salinity Sakkie’s wines are so famous for is ever present on the palate, bristling alongside bright steely acids, tangerine fruits, lime cordial and finishing with a mouth-wateringly tangy pear fruit pastille persistence. The 2024 West Coast whites might not have the same muscle of the 2023s or the intense sweet fruit concentration of the 2025s, but they are certainly unrivalled in their purity, steely tension, and crystalline structures. Enjoy now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Sakkie Mouton Family Wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines and Wood Winters UK.

Hazendal Wine Estate Release An Impressive Array of Fine Wines Produced by Their New Winemaking Talent Kiara Scott-Farmer… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Situated in the heart of prime Stellenbosch terroir, the Hazendal Wine Estate is entering an exciting new chapter in its long history. With a legacy dating back to 1699, this historic property has long been synonymous with traditional winemaking, but under the stewardship of new head winemaker Kiara Scott-Farmer, Hazendal is being reimagined for a new generation of wine lovers.

Kiara assumed the role of Head Winemaker at Hazendal in early 2025, bringing with her from Brookdale Winery, a reputation as one of South Africa’s most exciting young winemaking talents. Born on the Cape Flats, she trained at Elsenburg Agricultural College before rising through the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme, and in 2024 she made history as the first woman of colour to win the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year award. 

Kiara Scott – Farmer in London.

At Hazendal, Kiara’s philosophy of minimal intervention centres on the belief that great wines are made in the vineyard, with a deep focus on understanding each block’s soil and character. This philosophy finds its fullest expression in the estate’s celebrated Bottelary Hills ward, whose unique, light Granitic soils lend the wines a transparent, ethereal fruit character not easily found elsewhere in Stellenbosch. Through her debut single-cultivar collection featuring Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Carignan and Pinot Noir Rosé, Kiara is giving Hazendal’s terroir a fresh, confident voice, ushering the estate into a compelling new era. 

Hazendal Wine Estate Pinot Noir Rosé 2025, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 12.5% Abv.

This beautiful Sancerre-styled Pinot Noir Rosé is a very classically elegant wine that shows an intense salmon pink colour and boasts intense, highly seductive, mouth-watering aromatics of red berries, white flowers, white peach, and subtle wild strawberry hints. Medium bodied and cool, the mouthfeel is dry but slightly less mineral than her maiden 2024 release but deliciously fresh and tangy with an enticing assortment of red summer berry fruits, red cherries, and delicate dried herb notes on the finish. A wonderfully sophisticated Rosé expression with real intent and ambition. Drink now to 2030+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Hazendal Wine Estate Pinotage 2025, WO Bottelary Hills, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

This small 3,050 bottle Pinotage cuvée from the superb 2025 vintage has really allowed Kiara to flex her winemaking expertise with South Africa’s own homegrown cultivar Pinotage. Grown, produced and bottled on the Hazendal Estate, the wine was matured for 11 months in 500 litre French oak barrels along with some concrete tanks. Youthful but already a head-turning beauty, this wine reveals a shimmering, perfumed opulence, boasting intricate notes of violets, freshly picked rose petals, a summer medley of red and black berry fruits, mulberries, bramble berries and a subtle whole bunch sapidity alongside delicate cedar wood spice nuances. In the mouth, the wine is vibrant and fresh, the tannins effortlessly silky and soft, adding just sufficient ballast and frame to the wine. The purity and precision on the palate are breathtaking, the multiple layers of fruit, spices and tangy acidity seamlessly interwoven together creating a very juicy, attractively elegant premium Pinotage. Very impressive indeed. Drink now and over the next 8 to 10 years. 

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Hazendal Wine Estate Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Bottelary Hills, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

One of Kiara Scott-Farmer’s signature grapes is of course Chenin Blanc, and the 2025 vintage has offered her the perfect canvas to create a true masterpiece. The aromatics are rich and enticing with complex notes of perfumed honeysuckle, white blossoms, peaches, wet hay and melted honey on warm white toast with a delicate kiss of cinnamon wood spice. The crystalline purity, clarity and complexity follow to a palate that shows an impressive textural density and yellow orchard fruit concentration while at the same time exhibiting a sensation of lightness, elegance and lithe weightlessness. The finish is delicately spicy and mineral with an overt underlying salinity that makes it deliciously mouth-watering. This new wine undoubtedly cements Kiara’s place at the top table of Cape Chenin Producers. Drink now and over the next decade.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Hazendal Wine Estate White Blend 2025, WO Bottelary Hills, Stellenbosch, 13.11% Abv.

This impressive white blend forms part of the new ‘Estate Collection’ from Hazendal and is carefully crafted by cellarmaster Kiara Scott-Farmer. Made from primarily Roussanne and Marsanne, grown on a tiny 0.4-hectare site with weathered-Granite and Clay soils, the aromatics definitely transport you to the Northern Rhone with notes of apricot, yellow peach stones, dry straw, fynbos, quince and delicately honied chamomile nuances. Handled correctly, Marsanne and Roussanne can produced wines with a delightful acidity and this wine positively bursts forth with a tangy bright freshness, orange peel zest, honey drizzled peaches and delicately pithy wood spice nuances. The minerality is ever present and supportive, adding yet more complexity to this delicious white blend. Beautifully layered, intense, and harmoniously balanced, this wine is another impressive success for Cellarmaster Kiara. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW) 

Hazendal Wine Estate Syrah 2025, WO Bottelary Hills, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The Bottelary Hills is prime red wine territory, and with this maiden release Syrah, Kiara has utilised 22% whole-bunches in the fermentation before being aged for 9 months in 60% older 500-litre French oak barrels together with a 40% concrete tank portion. Bold, wild and exotically perfumed, the aromatics reveal attractive notes of violets, potpourri, rose petals and black pepper before more subtle hints of salty black liquorice, black cherries and black kalamata olive tapenade. In the mouth, the palate is cool, plush and polished with a medium body, silky fine grained tannins and a tangy fresh vivacity that makes the mouth water. The texture is sleek and elegant, showing Kiara’s signature weightless concentration, before finishing gently with a drying mineral persistence. A really majestic Syrah that simply does not put a foot out of place… and of course it is also crazy value for money! Drink now and over the next decade. (10,828 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The wines of Hazendal Estate are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines. The range also features a limited release single varietal Carignan 2025 bottled exclusively in magnums. 

Iconic Stellenbosch Winery Bellevue Estate Releases Their New Estate Pinotage 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Bellevue Estate holds a unique place in South African wine history as the birthplace of Pinotage. In 1925, Professor Abraham Izak Perold planted the original Pinotage vines, a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, in the garden of the estate’s 1701 manor house, located in the Bottelary Hills ward of Stellenbosch. That single mother vine became the genetic source for the variety now considered one of South Africa’s signature grapes. 

Today, Bellevue Estate continues to honor this legacy, cultivating old-vine Pinotage on the estate’s decomposed Granite soils. With its rich terroir and direct lineage to Pinotage’s origins, Bellevue Estate remains a touchstone for the cultivar’s identity and evolution, making their Estate, Reserve and Heritage Pinotage Cuvées go to wines for discerning consumers. 

Bellevue Estate Pinotage 2023, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The resurgent Bellevue Estate has just released another very impressive “Estate” level Pinotage to complement their respected Reserve and Heritage cuvées. Aged for 12 months in French-coopered American oak barrels, the aromatics are lifted, beautifully fragrant and simply bursting with notes of perfumed violets, red and black cherries and an undertone of freshly baked blueberry crumble. In the mouth, the texture is soft and supple, the tannins silky and fine grained with delicately reductive blue and black berry hints, a delightful salty liquorice twist, and a concentrated, accessible, mouth watering finish. A deliciously joyful wine with real substance that will appeal to true blue Pinotage lovers as well as consumers new to the cultivar. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW) 

The Bellevue wines are imported into the UK and are available on request through South African specialist, Museum Wines.

A Brace of New Holden Manz Releases from Franschhoek Valley Tasted and Reviewed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Holden Manz is often described as “the hedonistic heart of Franschhoek.” Lying in the top corner of the Franschhoek Valley, Holden Manz Wine Estate continues to establish itself as a benchmark producer of unashamedly plush, opulent, hedonistic wines. Embraced by dramatic mountain peaks and nurtured by the valley’s rich loam soils, this unique microclimate yields fruit of notable depth, ripeness and structural refinement. 

While the estate is justly famous for its muscular Bordeaux blends, it is perhaps their Syrah and Semillon that truly showcase the diverse capabilities of this multi-layered terroir. Their Syrah, in particular, is always opulent, ripe and highly expressive, with multiple releases showing plush layers of sweet violet perfume, black plum compote, roasted coffee beans and brûléed oak spice characteristics. But in a very much juxtaposing, slightly atypical Holden Manz style, their Semillon delivers a wonderfully cool, fresh, and crystalline personality loaded with pithy lemon peel, white blossoms, and a vibrant, tangy mouthwatering acidity that keeps the palate energetically alive. Two diametrically opposing styles showing that this estate should not be pigeon holed. 

Holden Manz Semillon 2023, WO Franschhoek, 12.5% Abv.

This 2023 is a fabulously bright, crystalline pale gold yellow that simply bristles with energy. Coming from the Franschhoek Valley, one of the Cape’s true Semillon homelands, this wine shines with taut, mineral aromatics showing delicate tart white citrus, honeysuckle, fresh lawn cuttings, saline briney notes together with crushed oystershell and delicately herbal green leaf nuances. The delicately prickly aromatics follow to a cool, steely, intense palate with a pronounced wet stone minerality, tart yellow plums, green apple skins, and a lovely pronounced line of acidity on the linear finish. This is a top drawer Semillon expression that can confidently stand tall amongst the finest examples in the Valley. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Reserve Syrah 2020, WO Franschhoek, 15% Abv.

While the aromatics and ripeness on this opulent Reserve Syrah suggest a warmer vintage, on the contrary, 2020 in Franschhoek was not considered a warm dry harvest with the growing season widely celebrated as a cooler, wetter, and highly favourable vintage that marked a welcome relief from the severe, multi-year drought that plagued the Western Cape between 2015 and 2018. On this impressive reserve wine we see lush, plush, bold aromatics of savoury black plum, blueberry compote, salty black liquorice and delicate burnt sugar and molasses nuances. The palate deceptively screams Southern Rhone, showing a creamy blue and black berry fruit concentration, savoury hints of cured deli meats, chargrilled charcuterie and a creamy lactic oak kissed concentration on the bold, hedonistic finish. The earthy Chateauneuf-du-Pape’esque character will certainly appeal to many connoisseurs who like their Syrahs with a little more ‘meat on the bone’. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Holden Manz wines are imported into the UK by Vindependents and are widely available retail from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines and Wood Winters in Scotland.

Domaine E. Guigal Showcases an Impressive Line-up of Benchmark Rhone Wines at the Launch of their New La Reynarde Cote Rotie…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Few names evoke the majesty of France’s Northern Rhône Valley quite like Domaine E. Guigal. Founded in 1946 by Etienne Guigal in the ancient village of Ampuis, this legendary house single-handedly redefined the global reputation of Côte Rôtie reds. Guigal became world-renowned for its iconic trio of single-vineyard Syrahs, affectionately dubbed the “La-La’s”: La Mouline, La Landonne, and La Turque. Known for their near vertical terraced slopes, low yields, and unyielding 40-month maturation in 100% new French oak, these cuvées are benchmarks of power, aromatic complexity, and profound longevity. 

Now, a historic new chapter at Domaine Guigal unfolds. For the first time in nearly four decades, a fourth “La-La” enters the pantheon: La Reynarde 2022. Planted in the iron-rich mica-schist soils of the Fongeant lieu-dit (historically divided by the Reynard stream), this spectacular 100% Syrah marks its official commercial debut with the 2022 vintage.

Bridging the floral, perfumed elegance of La Turque with the dense, structured muscle of La Landonne, La Reynarde incorporates 100% whole-cluster fermentation and intensive punch-downs. The 2022 release stands as a monumental achievement, offering a rich tapestry of black fruits, liquorice, and graphite, becoming in its own way, a fitting tribute to the next generation of Guigal Rhône royalty now led by Philippe Guigal.

To mark the prestigious London launch of the La Reynarde, Guigal’s UK importer John E. Fells opened a fascinating selection of white and red wines from the Domaine E. Guigal range, to mark this momentous occasion… and I was there to taste and assess all the new and current releases. 

White Wine Flight:

Domaine E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône 2024, 14% Abv.

Tantalisingly pithy citrus driven aromatics, lime peel, wet limestone and green apple. Lovely concentration and freshness, well delineated and deliciously long on the finish. Very impressive for an “entry level” wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Croze-Hermitage Blanc 2023, 13% Abv.

A more savoury, leesy nose with waxy bergamot lemon peel, lanolin, sweet herbs following to a full glycerol palate with tangy white peach, a well integrated acidity and a fleshy substantive length.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph Blanc 2023, 13% Abv.

A deep earthy savoury aromatics loaded with quince, peach and bruised yellow orchard fruits. Fleshy and glycerol with more high toned pithy peach pip viognier’ish profile of zesty fruit with real body and power.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph Lieu-Dit Blanc 2023, 14.5% Abv.

An enticing aromatics with complex layers of quince, apple puree, and biscuity, leesy savoury hints. More wet stone granitic minerality on the palate with sweet herbs, green fruits and a very complex harmonious finish. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc 2023, 13.5% Abv.

A savoury waxy aromatics greet you with incense, lanolin and slightly oily, buttery yellow orchard fruits. Concentrated and moderately intense, the acids are soft but tangy, the fruit weight fleshy and persistent.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Condrieu 2022, 14.5% Abv.

Plenty of archetypal peach stone fruits, zesty apricot and savoury leesy ginger biscuit nuances. Lovely peachy fruit in the mouth, impressively concentrated with a delicious balance and intensity. Classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal La Doriane Blanc 2023, 14.5% Abv.

A complex melange of wet limestone and granitic minerality with pithy peach stone fruits. Cool and creamy on the palate, the freshness finely poised, the ripeness perfectly in check. A really delicious La Doriane good to drink now.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal La Doriane Blanc 2024, 14.5% Abv.

This 2024 shows a tighter, more mineral dusty granitic aromatics before hints of lemon grass, dried herbs and peach stone. Full but fresh in the mouth, beautiful delineation, cool, classical and tight knit. This will still improve further in the cellar. Lovely.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2019, 14% Abv.

Delightfully complex nose shows earthy wet chalk, rain on hot slate and delicately mealy, savoury hints of lemon biscuits, peach stone and a full and fleshy palate with yellow orchard fruit concentration, real energy and drive. Rhône’s answer to Burgundy?

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc 2020, 14.5% Abv.

An intricately complex aromatics showing white blossom, honied peaches and a savoury mealy complexity. The freshness is chislled and cool, supporting massive honey comb concentration and peachy toasted fruit nuances. Wow, a beast of a wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Blanc 2022, 14.5% Abv.

A slightly tighter, stricter aromatic expression, with a stony minerality and pithy peachy hints. Palate is super cool and taut, almost steely, with a profound purity and tight knit fruit crystallinity. Very classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rose 2025, 14% Abv.

Delightfully chalky musky aromatics showing pink flowers, red currants, and pithy wild strawberry. Super fine, cool and crystalline, the fruit purity is delicious, the freshness perfectly judged, finishing with a complexing sapidity. Lovely.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Red Wine Flight:

Domaine E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône 2022, 14.5% Abv.

Such a succulent aromatics loaded with ripe strawberry, earthy red currant and delicate sweet herbal nuances. Perfectly weighted palate, bright, dense, compact yet delightfully fleshy and fresh. Very impressive for the money!

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2021, 13% Abv.

A delightful melange of sweet red and black berries, savoury notes, cured bresaola and granitic spice.  A notable high toned sapidity and peppery spice supported by bramble berries, wild strawberry and a pronounced mineral intensity.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph 2021, 13% Abv.

A deep, dark fruited broody aromatics showing lashings of black berries and black plums, a savoury mid-palate and a cool, sleek, silky fine grained finish. Very classy.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Saint Joseph Vignes de l’Hospice 2021, 13% Abv.

Loaded with aromatics of blue and black berry fruits with a delicate veneer of oak polish, Kalamata black olives and savoury meaty nuances. Sleek, polished and beautifully fresh, the acids add linearity to the ripe, savoury molasses tinged fruits. Chalky and grippy in a powerful, muscular style.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Gigondas 2021, 14.5% Abv.

Quite a restrained, earthy, broody aromatics require plenty of coaxing. Hints of wild strawberry, red plum and watermelon linger. Palate is cool, crunchy and fresh remaining true to the restrained 2021 vintage styling.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Hermitage 2020, 14.5% Abv.

Earthy ripe brûléed hints over meaty red fruits, cured charcuterie and gun smoke spice. Compact, harmonious and creamy in the mouth with lactic black berry yogurt hints, molasses and warm vintage Xmas spices. Certainly a punchy style.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie 2021, 13% Abv.

A lovely fragrant perfumed expression showing dusty granitic spice, lavander, potpourri, red plums and incense spice. Elegant and poised, neither imposing nor weighty, this is lithe, sleek and elegantly fashioned from a cooler vintage that shows tension and restraint.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Chateau d’Ampuis Cote Rotie 2018 (Magnum), 14.5% Abv.

Delicate molasses tinged fragrant lift, with sweet Xmas spices, red liquorice and savoury chargrilled meaty notes. Beautiful density, harmonious palate weight and an effortless black berry laden persistence. Wow. Really very good.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Rouge 2017, 14.5% Abv.

Savoury and meaty on the nose, the aromatics are earthy and dusty with a mineral under vein. Fruit profile is ripe and fleshy, full of molasses, cured meats, savoury spices and stewed plum compote. Bold, ripe, and big in style.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto Rouge 2020, 14.5% Abv.

A vanilla pod tinged aromatics showing bramble berry spice, savoury plum compote and molasses hints. Cool, plush and super creamy texture, this has a dense compact intensity, fabulous balance and a harmonious, vibrant finish. Effortless class.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline 2017, 14% Abv.

This Cote Blonde vineyard yields a beautiful wine showing savoury notes, biscuity gingerbread dough aromatics with fabulous broody black berry fruits and a super cool, creamy, seductive length. So elegant, finely poised and complex.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline 2019, 14.5% Abv.

Quite an earthy, savoury under vein with ripe plum, pomegranate, and stewed plum compote. More fireworks on the palate that shows a notable creamy, lactic ripeness with sweet, fleshy black berry fruits, a tannin texture of velvet and a meaty, chargrilled length.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Mouline 2022, 13.5% Abv.

This shows a complex, cheeky aromatics of raspberry, wild strawberry and earthy pomegranate fruits. Purity and precision are key, following to a pinpoint palate that’s silky soft, fine grained and incredibly vibrant and fresh with tangy acids and a ginger bread finish. Simply stunning.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque 2016, 13.5% Abv.

This Cote Brune vineyard shows a deep, complex aromatics of tilled earth, dusty granitic spice and blue black berry fruits. Tight knit, silky and soft, showing big concentration, a mouth coating density, fine grained powdery tannins and a gunsmoke, graphite, and a peppery finish. True classism and class.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque 2018, 14.5% Abv.

A majestic balance of black savoury fruits, lavender perfume, blueberry fruits, and a subtle, granitic mineral spice. The youthfulness is front and foremost outstanding, the density plush with a bright creamy texture, super harmonious balance and real assertive power. Wow!

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Turque 2022, 13.5% Abv.

A deep blue black fruited aromatics are emboldened with creamy lactic nuances, custard cream biscuits and blueberry crumble. Tight knit and super compact, this has among the finest textured tannins I’ve ever tasted, complementing a tight grained, chalky, black berry laden chalky finish. Simply astonishing.

(Wine Safari Score: 99/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2016, 13.5% Abv.

This shows an incredible granitic, sappy, mineral aromatics with a seductive pyrazines salt and pepper complexity. Complex, nervy and mineral laden, this is one of the most fruit-backward expressions I’ve tasted. Pithy, enticing but certainly an intriguing expression!

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2020, 13% Abv.

A rich vein of creamy lactic milk chocolate aromatics set this wine apart. Plummy, mulberry fruits notes develop, with a weightless silky palate, impressive black berry fruit concentration, and freshness and a spicy, ethereal, silky grippy tannin finish. Sublime!

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Landonne 2022, 13.5% Abv.

Beautifully harmonious aromatics integrating lavender, violet perfume, garrigue, limestone and blue – black berry fruits. Sleek, silky and classically structured showing beautiful elegance, fine grained velvety tannins with a really premium presence. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Domaine E. Guigal Cote Rotie La Reynarde 2022, 13.5% Abv.

Incredibly deep, broody and broad shouldered aromatics with layers of earthy savoury black berry fruits, black liquorice and savoury cured meaty notes that follow to the palate that’s more intricate, musk laden, chalky and incredibly tight knit and fine grained with massive concentration coated by premium chalky tannins. A beautifully unique lieu dit Cote Rotie expression. I’m in love!

(Wine Safari Score: 98+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Iconic Kanonkop Estate Prepares for the Release of the New Paul Sauer 2023 Cape Bordeaux Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Kanonkop Estate is widely regarded as the South African wine industry equivalent of a Bordeaux First Growth. Situated on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg mountain in Stellenbosch, this fourth-generation family-owned estate is famous for its single-minded focus on premium red wines, drawing from old, dry-land vines planted in decomposed granite soils.  While Kanonkop is globally legendary for its Pinotage, the undisputed crown jewel of the estate has to be their Paul Sauer Cape Bordeaux Blend. First released in 1981, it is still regarded as one of the Cape’s true pioneering Bordeaux-style blends along with Meerlust’s Rubicon red blend.

Named after the current owners’ grandfather, a prominent statesman and viticultural pioneer, the Paul Sauer is simply a masterclass in elegance and power. The wine is typically a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (traditionally around 70%), supported by Cabernet Franc and Merlot. True to its classic styling, it is aged for circa 24 months in 100% new French Nevers oak barriques.  

What truly sets the Paul Sauer apart is its incredible finesse, purity and power combined with a notable aging potential, easily rewarding cellaring for 20 to 25 years or more. Its iconic status was permanently cemented globally when the impressive 2015 vintage became the first South African wine to receive a perfect 100-point score from Master of Wine Tim Atkin (which was also rated 98+/100 on A Fine Wine Safari almost four months earlier). No doubt it’s a special wine every vintage, the Paul Sauer remains the archetypal complex, layered Bordeaux blend packed with cassis and cedar and always underpinned by incredibly fine-grained polished tannins. Regardless of which winemaker is at the helm, in true Bordelaise style, the Paul Sauer red remains an absolute benchmark for New World Bordeaux blends.

Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv. 

A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Merlot, the 2023 Paul Sauer shows a cool, tight, broody aromatics with intricate top notes of violets, black currant leaf, black cherry, blue berries, fynbos and subtle saline maritime notes with the oak still playing a background role even at this youthful stage. The palate is silky soft on entry, incredibly cool, strict, and focused with a fantastically fresh taut acid back bone together with a lovely ‘low pH’ feel, the fruits bristling with energy and a weightless, crystalline intensity. Very classical in the true sense of Paul Sauer vintages but undeniably elegant and incredibly polished. True die hard Kanonkop collectors are going to absolutely love this new release! Drink from 2026 to 2050+.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Kanonkop Estate Black Label Pinotage 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 14.4% Abv.

Made from the only north facing Pinotage block on the estate, all the others being southwest facing, and also their oldest vineyard planted in 1953, the wine is aged in 225 litre Burgundy coopered barrels from Francois Freres and Trumeau. The nose reveals dark alluring aromatics packed full of broody black berry fruits, crème de cassis, kirsch cherry liquor, mulberry compote and a smokey brûléed toasty exoticism. Framed by deliciously fresh but deeply embedded acids, the texture is majestically concentrated and pure silk in the mouth, almost akin to a turbo charged Grand Cru Burgundy. Such pristine harmony, beautifully bright acids and an effortless intensity on the finish. Wow! Another Pinotage block buster on the way! Drink from 2026 to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Kanonkop wines are imported into the UK by Seckford Wine Agencies. Contact:

Pippa@seckfordagencies.co.uk

Benvenuto Brunello Arrives in London Profiling the Sensational New 2021 Vintage Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to Benvenuto Brunello, the celebrated international wine tasting premiere that is held annually in the heart of Montalcino. In 2026, Benvenuto Brunello arrived in London! So, as we look toward to the 2021 vintage, the event marks a historic milestone: the debut of a year that critics are already calling a “vertical masterpiece.” While Benvenuto Brunello 2021 (the event) originally introduced the resilient 2017s, the 2021 vintage itself – now hitting the world stage in 2026 – is the new crown jewel of the appellation and looks to be a vintage getting global critics very excited.

The 2021 vintage was born from a year of dramatic contrasts, beginning with a sharp spring frost that naturally thinned yields, followed by a warm, stable summer. The resulting wines are defined by their “al dente” structure – vibrant, deep, and remarkably precise. Unlike the solar warmth of 2020 or the operatic power of 2019, the 2021s offer a refreshing return to aromatic transparency, mineral classicism, and nervous energy.  

At this year’s exciting London preview, tasters found Sangiovese in its most elegant form: floral, savoury, and built for decades of cellar ageing. For collectors and enthusiasts, Benvenuto Brunello remains the essential early compass for navigating these releases, celebrating a vintage that perfectly balances Montalcino’s rugged Mediterranean soul with sophisticated, modern finesse.  

Altesino Rosso di Montalcino 2024

Rich plummy nose packed with berry fruits. Fleshy, soft and deliciously full in the mouth.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Delicately reductive with saline cassis, black cherry and wood smoke. Sleek mineral tannins, supple, pure and precise with a beautiful balance.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Vigna Montosili 2021

Richer, broader savoury black berry aromatics. Delicately sappy, showing wood spice, black berries, balsamic and a plummy depth with a telltale salinity. A very complete wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino 2024

Bright and lifted with fragrant candied red cherry fruits. Good depth and fleshy concentration, soft acids and an accessible, generous opulence.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Smoky spicy black cherry notes with hints of violets, wild herbs and wood spice. Finely poised, cool, creamy and elegant with a superb fruit – acidity balance and sufficient creamy tannins.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino Vigna La Casa 2021

Deep, dark and broody, showing balsamic, black cherry and botte barrel wood spice. Plush, ripe and concentrated, layered with black berries and liquorice over a more prominent structure.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Argiano Rosso di Montalcino 2024

Bright, vibrant lifted aromatics, violets, red cherry and a delightful raisined cranberry fragrance. Sweet, plush and slightly reductive and saline, this is a very smart, polished expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino 2021

A very expressive aromatics, perfumed, precise and full of pink musk and candied red cherry fruits. Lovely concentration, fleshy mid-palate and a long finish with stony grippy mineral tannins.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Argiano Brunello di Montalcino Vigna del Suolo 2021

Aromatics of fragrant pressed violets, lavender and savoury red cherry fruits aged for 24 months in large oak. Intense and focused, tightly textured with powdery tannins and a long, spicy, freshness on this limestone site. Very impressive..

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Poggio di Sotto Rosso di Montalcino 2022

Lovely vital, savoury, perfumed aromatics with hints of red berries, cured meats and grilled herbs. Beautiful breadth and depth with an extra bit of bottle complexity and textural sophistication. Compact, powerful with a good mineral back bone.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Poggio di Sotto Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Intricate aromatics with red and black berry fruits, red liquorice and delicate notes of tar and dried herbs. Compact and textured, there is impressive depth, elegance and understated power. A very serious expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Famiglia Maté Brunello di Montalcino 2021

A deep broody aromatics show sweet Christmas spices, tar, liquorice, balsamic and botte oak spice notes. Silky soft and precise, there is impressive focus and freshness, a supple fleshy concentration and a cool, harmonious finish with good persistence. Really beautiful wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Famiglia Maté Brunello do Montalcino Veltha 2021

The complex aromatics reveal Christmas spices, wood bark, quinine, and bramble berry nuances. Plush and mouth coating, the concentration is impressive, the balance and harmony rich, intense and focused. Packs a lot of punch with elegance and sophistication. A real beaut.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Famiglia Maté Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020

Complex aromatics show plenty of sapidity and botte wood spice, black liquorice, aniseed root and bramble berry nuances. Plush and compact on the palate, revealing notes of balsamic, cured meats and savoury raisined red cherry notes. Power packed and full of mineral grip with a fabulously intricate texture. Truly superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Frescobaldi Castel Gioconda Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Broad broody aromatics show black cherries, wood smoke, liquorice, and subtle earthy notes. Full and punchy on the palate, but texturally polished and very precise, layered with spicy cherry, limestone minerality and complex Christmas spices.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Frescobaldi Castel Giocondo Vigna Ripe al Convento Riserva 2020

The nose reveals broody, tarry, smoky black cherry fruits following to a plush, creamy palate with well integrated acids and a deliciously concentrated tertiary fruit finish. A lot going on here, making for a very notable Reserva style.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Il Poggione Rosso di Montalcino 2023

Rich, ripe and lifted with layered aromatics of raspberry ripple, confected red cherry and a delicate sapidity. Quite restrained on the palate, mineral and spicy but showing a well polished red fruited core beneath.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Aged three years in large oak, the wine shows delicately reductive aromatics packed full of gun smoke, wood embers, tar, black cherry and kelpy salinity. Compact, tight knit and creamy, there’s a real focus and concentration, textural density and a long, tangy finish. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Il Poggione Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020

From a 62 year old single vineyard that’s aged for four years in large oak. Plush, complex and intense being full of liquorice, bresaola, cured meats and a creamy, textural, black cherry fruit finish. Dense, powerful and kissed with sweet baking herbs and dried mint leaf nuances on the finish. True class.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino 2021

A delicately reductive nose shows earthy savoury aromatics embellished with delicate pink musk, raisined red cherries and perfumed potpourri spice. Full, plush and creamy, this carries concentration and weight of fruit, finely balanced by a well-integrated acidity.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello do Montalcino Vigna del Fiore 2021

First produced in 1981 but not made every year. Aged one year in French oak then transferred to Slavonian oak for a further two years. Deep, broody, brambly aromatics with a savoury earthy depth and raisined cherries. Plush, sweet fruited and quite expansive in the mouth, this has deliciously ripe berry fruits, a notable concentration but also a beautifully tangy acidity on the long finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Fattoria dei Barbi Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2020

An extra year of oak, normally around three to three and a half years but with an emphasis on elegance and finesse. Beautifully mineral and tight knit, this is quite a serious Brunello expression allowing a fine stony mineral vein to shine through. Impressive.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino 2021

Quite a plush, creamy lactic expression with classical red cherry, cranberry and limestone mineral notes. The minerality is also notable on the palate, framed with grippy tannins, a plush fruit concentration and a delightful black stone fruit finish with impressive power.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)