Jasper Wickens is one of the Swartland’s most exciting young winemakers. He began working with Adi Badenhorst in the Paardeberg in 2009, then left after the 2018 harvest to focus on his own Swerwer range, founded in 2012, from the converted cellar on his Waterval farm next door. The farm’s vineyards are grown on deep decomposed Granite soils, and that terroir most definitely runs through his wines, with Jasper’s Swerwer Chenin Blanc a fine benchmark example. Even more compelling is his Wolwekop Old Vine Semillon coming from a single vineyard planted in 1963, which delivers vintage after vintage, intense, focused, fresh whites that rival the best South Africa produces. The 2021 earned an admirable 97/100 from A Fine Wine Safari.
This is where old-vine viticulture proves its worth. Vines that have spent decades in the meagre Granite soils send their roots deep, yielding modestly and delivering fruit with an intense natural concentration, balance and a depth of flavour that stays vibrantly fresh rather than heavy. These are wines shaped by their vineyards’ terroir, made with a light minimalist hand but also built to age.
JC Wickens Swerver Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.
With so many 2025 wines coming on to the market already, this merely serves to differentiate the 2024 vintage Swartland wines all the more, after the region saw a beautifully wet, rain soaked winter to top up the ground water reserves. This Chenin Blanc from Jasper carries all the archetypal 2024 characteristics with a cool, linear, crystalline aromatics layered with white peach, dusty straw bales, yellow apples and delicate Granitic mineral nuances. The palate is incredibly pure, crystalline and precise, the texture steely, bright, and fresh with an underlying purity and clarity. This is Jasper making a very precise wine, elegant, linear and beautifully delicious. Medium bodied but very light on its feet, fresh, energetic and mouth watering, this wine will make a lot of new friends. Real class. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
JC Wickens Wolwekop Old Vine Single Vineyard Semillon 2024, WO Swartland, 12% Abv.
It’s hard not to get seduced by old vine wines but this 2024 Semillon made from vines planted in 1963 is simply another stunner. The aromatics are packed with orange and lemon citrus oil, white peaches, wet straw, and delicately leesy biscuit nuances. The palate shows massive concentration along side soft, supple acids, a delicious biscuity, mealy complexity and notes of lemon pith, finishing with a tangy, mineral laden Granitic finish. More accessible than some vintages, but showing beautiful complexity. Buy this to drink now and over the next 5-8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The JC Wickens wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Museum Wines.
Cap Classique has emerged as one of the sparkling wine world’s most compelling success stories. Produced using the same traditional method as Champagne – secondary fermentation in the bottle, or “méthode cap classique” – these wines undergo extended lees ageing of minimum 12 months that develops the complex, toasty, brioche-like character prized by connoisseurs worldwide. South Africa’s diverse terroirs, from the cool coastal vineyards of Robertson, Walker Bay and Elgin to the historic slopes of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, provide the ideal conditions for growing the classic varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, that form the backbone of exceptional Cap Classique wines.
What sets this category apart is its remarkable combination of Old World craftsmanship and New World vibrancy and precision. Winemakers here have spent decades researching and refining their techniques, and the results speak for themselves: bright steely acidities, fine persistent mousse, and layered autolytic complexity that rivals wines costing a great deal more.
International recognition has followed accordingly and Cap Classique producers now regularly claim top honours at global sparkling wine competitions, while exports continue to climb as sommeliers and consumers discover the category’s exceptional value proposition. With over 100 producers now crafting these wines and quality standards continuing to rise, the Cap Classique category represents not just a regional specialty, but a genuine contender on the world sparkling wine stage.
Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira
As a long time lover and aficionado of both top Champagne and Cap Classique sparkling wines having done my Master of Wine dissertation on Cap Classique production in Constantia Valley, I relish every opportunity to taste new releases as the wines seem to simply get better and better. Hot on the heels of Pieter “Bubbles” Ferreira retiring from Graham Beck as head winemaker and cellar master to focus on his own eponymous Cap Classique venture, Pieter and his wife Anne were in London recently firstly for Pieter to receive the International Wine Challenge (IWC) Lifetime Achievement Award and secondly to present, on behalf of the Cap Classique Association, an impressive line up of current release Cap Classique sparkling wines over a stunning breakfast.
Springfield Estate Garuzis Brut NV Cap Classique
Zippy and zesty aromatics, crisp, saline and incredibly elegant with an understated intensity.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut 2024 Cap Classique
Rich bold toasty aromatics with honeycomb, brioche and leesy biscuit length. A classic.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Babylonstoren Sprankel Brut 2019Cap Classique
Fulsome and creamy in the mouth, expansive mousse, very fine bubbles with a saline, oyster shell finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
L’Ormarins Brut Classique Rose 2022Cap Classique
Delicate rose petals and cherry blossom perfume with hints of ginger and cranberry, finishing with a nutty, creamy length. Very impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Paul Rene Wines Pinot Noir / Chardonnay Brut Rose 2022Cap Classique
Strawberries and cream top notes with pink musk and delicately savoury nuances. Fulsome palate with zesty fresh medley of red fruits. Very classy, accomplished Cap Classique.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Domaine des Dieux Rose of Sharon Rose 2016Cap Classique
Orange copper colour, aromatics show tertiary depth, brioche, macerated strawberries, blood orange and a delicately savoury saline finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Krone Twee Jonge Gezellen Blanc de Blancs 2021 Cap Classique
Chalky, stony, lemon sherbet bon bons notes, the palate taut and nervy, crisp, steely and focused with a salted brioche length.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Pieter Ferreira Blanc de Blancs Brut 2020 Cap Classique
Sleek, spicy lemon grass and grapefruit citrus, super fresh after 5 years on lees, tight knit, saline with a steely focus. Such incredible precision.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Jacques Bruere Bon Courage Blanc de Blancs Brut 2015 Cap Classique
100% Chardonnay, shows rich, leesy, smoky aromatics, with apple strudel, brioche and sourdough complexity. Tart tangy acids rest comfortably alongside, lemony, leesy tertiary hints.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Steenberg Lady R 2019 Cap Classique
Delicate, subtle aromatics of lemon peel, limestone and dried herbs follow to a leesy, biscuity palate with salted pistachios and kelpy, saline apple strudel nuances.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Graham Beck Cuvee Clive 2019 Cap Classique
Deep complex aromatics show salted brioche, leesy biscuit and delicate kelpy oyster shell nuances. Pinpoint and precise, incredibly focused and fine, a dreamy creamy mousse with such elegance, tension and finesse.
A steely, saline, oyster shell aromatics with briney, kelpy nuances. Palate is plush and broad, creamy and intense with salted brioche, apple strudel pastries and a long, leesy nutty finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Krone Twee Jonge Gezellen Borealis Vintage Cuvee Brut 2024 Cap Classique
Lemon and herbs, spicy brioche and lemon peel notes, salted pistachios with a picante fine mousse and a persistent salinity.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Neetlingshof Brut NV Cap Classique
Bready, biscuity doughy aromatics, with hints of wild strawberry and peach skins before a creamy, zesty explosive saline finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Domaine Des Dieux Claudia Brut 2021Cap Classique
Delicately earthy and savoury with macerated red berries, brioche and stewed strawberries. Complex autolytic notes with a crisp, energetic mousse, finishing with a tangy vibrant finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Krone Twee Jonge Gezellen Rose Cuvee Brut 2024Cap Classique
Dense and complex, this shows real depth and precision, macerated strawberry, savoury hints, ginger and potpourri spice. Tangy, intense and impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Villiera Tradition Brut Rose NVCap Classique
Complex nose of wet tobacco leaf, cranberry and rose petal hints with limestone mineral nuances. Full in the mouth, plush and creamy with an enticing candied red cherry fruit length.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Graham Beck Pinot Noir Rose 2019Cap Classique
Macerated strawberries and red berry fruits, with hints of musk and limestone. Cool, linear and precise, an explosive mousse and real energy and precision.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Steenberg 1682 Chardonnay Brut Cap Classique
Lemon and lime peel zest, pure fresh and taut, the mousse delicately sappy and smoky with a savoury, creamy finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Paul Rene Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NVCap Classique
Complex oyster shell notes with limestone, kelpy nuances, lemon and lime characters coming through on the savoury finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
L’Ormarins Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2022Cap Classique
Wonderfully fresh and zesty, sleek and precise with lime peel, waxy lemons, chalky minerality and a compact, energetic mousse. Youthful but impressive pedigree.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Many thanks to Clare Malec at Island Media and the Cap Classique Association for organising this excellent event. For more information, contact:
Stellenbosch’s 2022 Chenin Blanc vintage stands out as one of the region’s most balanced in recent memory. A cooler, more temperate growing season allowed grapes to ripen slowly and evenly, preserving the natural acidity that gives Chenin Blanc its signature steely freshness. Winemakers reported healthy yields and excellent fruit concentration, with old bush vines, many decades old, producing wines of remarkable depth and texture. The result is a vintage marked by vibrant citrus and stone fruit notes, layered with honied complexity and a distinct minerality drawn from Stellenbosch’s Granite and Sandstone soils. Overall, 2022 has been praised as a near benchmark year, showcasing why Chenin Blanc remains South Africa’s flagship white cultivar.
Having been a little bit quiet lately, I manage to catch up with Ian Naude in Cape Town in August 2026 (well, on the beach in Melkbosstrand actually) to discuss his new impending releases. Ian Naude is obviously renowned for holding back vintages and releasing both his reds and whites with considerable time in bottle.
Tasting with Ian Naude in Melkbosstrand near Cape Town.
But of course, Ian’s steely, early picked, low pH style of winemaking demands this extra bit of bottle ageing to allow the wines to settle, fully integrate and lose an element of their youthful nervousness while still allowing the wines to age gracefully for a further decade of more from final release. The 2016 Chenin Blanc from Ian is only just coming into its prime and currently drinking exceptionally well on its 10th birthday. Finally, don’t miss my upcoming review of his long awaited Old Vine Werfdans 2018 Cinsault published soon.
Naude Wines Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 12% Abv.
The Naude Wines 2021 Chenin Blanc was an incredibly taut, steely, focused white wine from a cool 5 star vintage and the 2022 seems to pick up squarely where the phenomenal 2021 left off. A pale straw colour in the glass, the aromatics speak with an incredible clarity and purity, showing a subtle, intricate array of white peach, green apples and pear drop fruits with an overlay of dried hay and dusty Granitic minerality. The palate is every bit as steely, crystalline and intense with classical hints of yellow stone fruits, honeycomb and crunchy green pear fruits with a kiss of wet river pebble stony minerality on the drying saline finish. Laser focused, texturally quite angular still with an impressive palate balance and symmetry. This is a grown up Chenin Blanc for connoisseurs. Drink from 2027 to 2038+.
Le Riche Wines, based in Stellenbosch, is undoubtedly one of the country’s most respected Cabernet Sauvignon specialists – a producer whose entire identity has been built around a single premium grape variety. The estate was established in 1996 by Etienne Le Riche, an “estate-winemaker-turned-garagiste” who spent two decades making wine at the historic Rustenberg Estate before striking out on his own. His son Christo, who began helping with punch downs at the winery’s open-top concrete fermenters as a young teenager, is now head winemaker, continuing a deep family knowledge of Stellenbosch’s varied Cabernet terroirs sourced from over a dozen growers.
At the heart of the Le Riche range sits the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the coveted flagship of the portfolio, blended exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes drawn from the estate’s best-performing vineyard blocks around Stellenbosch. Reserve status is only awarded when the grapes and finished wine reach an exceptional standard, making it a limited quantity, allocation-only release. The wine undergoes extended maceration to boost age-worthiness, followed by up to two years in a generous proportion of new oak with further bottle ageing before release. The results speak for themselves… earlier vintages have earned accolades such as John Platter’s Red Wine of the Year, while the 2020 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded Best in Show at the Decanter World Wine Awards, cementing Le Riche’s reputation among South Africa’s Cabernet elite.
Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14.38% Abv.
1.3g/l RS | 5.6g/l TA | 3.72pH
This is another excellent 2023 Stellenbosch red that is proof that the vintage did indeed produce several exceptional wines. As usual, the Reserve is comprised of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit from 13 different vineyard components located in several Stellenbosch wards (Helderberg Coastal, Helderberg North, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek Valley) that were aged for 24 months in French oak barrels, 75% new. The aromatics are beautifully ripe and lifted showing layers of sweet violets, earthy black currant, tilled earth, cigar wrapper and subtle baking spices alongside sappy cedar oak notes with a dusting of graphite. Impressively elegant and silky on the palate revealing medium bodied layers of crème de cassis, blueberry and picante black cherry fruits that melt away into a supple, creamy mouthfeel with soft plush tannins and a well-integrated mellow acidity, finishing with a seductive chocolate orange nuance. An accomplished wine that is already generously accessible now but offers a decade or more of beneficial cellaring potential.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Le Riche wines are imported into the UK by Boutinot Wines. The Cabernet Reserve 2023 was offered retail in South Africa at circa R1,050 per bottle.
Brookdale Estate is undoubtedly a winery that rewards the curious. Founded by UK-born proprietor Tim Rudd, who saw immense potential in what was once overgrown, underutilised land in the Klein Drakenstein Valley, the estate was built with a clear vision: to craft world-class blends from varietals rarely seen in South African vineyards. Set beneath the Granite peaks of Paarl, this is terroir explored in unconventional ways — a growing range of maverick wines each harvest.
Since its first vintage in 2017, the estate has built a reputation for character-driven, elegant wines, guided today by rising winemaker star Xander Sadie alongside Shanice du Preez, following a period of early consultation from Duncan Savage, one of South Africa’s most respected cellar minds.
Tasting in Cape Town last year with winemaker Xander Sadie.
Across the Brookdale and second label Mason Road ranges, you can expect Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, and Syrah worked with old-world restraint and new-world daring, boasting honeyed stone fruits, saline Granitic minerality, and long, textured finishes rather than obvious fruit-forward simplicity. This is a wine estate for connoisseurs drawn to provenance and experimentation in equal measure: minimal intervention, thoughtful farming, and a genuine sense of place and terroir. Brookdale Estate doesn’t chase trends so much as quietly redefine what Paarl can do, one unusual and deliberate bottling at a time.
Brookdale Estate Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Paarl, 13% Abv.
This is the wine that started the whole Brookdale story almost 10 years ago with the release of the 2017 Chenin Blanc. Today, this Old Vine Certified Heritage vineyard planted in 1985 is widely recognized for its premium quality and unique Paarl terroir. With the 2024 release, you have yet another classically imposing Chenin Blanc expression showing evocative aromatics of white peach, ripe quince, honey and pineapple pastille before intricate terroir notes of fynbos, wet straw bales and herbal spice nuances. The palate is explosive and intense, deliciously glycerol and concentrated with textural layers of peachy flesh, honeycomb and subtle hints of salted caramel that melt away into apple puree notes. The acids are exceptionally well integrated, delectably tangy, supporting the palate breadth and depth admirably. This is a substantial 2024 offering that perhaps has more in common stylistically with the more concentrated expressions of the 2025 vintage than the more ethereal, crystalline styles that typify 2024. Undoubtedly a triumph for Brookdale and a triumph for Old Vine Chenin Blanc pedigree. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Brookdale Bradbourne Estate White Blend 2025, WO Paarl, 13.5% Abv.
In 2025, the Estate White blend features 59% Grenache Blanc, 23% Roussanne, 12% Marsanne, 4% Palomino and 2% Vermentino aged for 10 months in large-format oak barrels. This Mediterranean meets Rhone blend shows plenty of stone fruit characters with aromatics of lemon grass, crystalised stem ginger and sweet herbs over a lemon citrus and lemon biscuit complexity. As expected from 2025, the palate is majestically focused and intense, richly textured and characterful, packing plenty of tightly wound pithy fruit concentration, bright tangy acids and a long, savoury, leesy, delicately stony mineral finish with a notable phenolic grip. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Brookdale Estate Grenache Blanc 2025, WO Paarl, 13% Abv.
This is my first encounter with the Grenache Blanc from Brookdale after walking the young newly planted vineyards multiple times over the years. Listed under Brookdale’s “Rare & Unusual” range, Grenache Blanc is slowly building up quite a quality performance record in the Cape winelands and this delightful 2025 continues this trend. The aromatics are incredibly pure and precise with focused aromas of pithy lemon and lime citrus, lemon grass, dried baking spices and subtle Granitic mineral stony nuances. The palate shows an equally pure crystalline character with delicate candied ginger notes emerging alongside crystalised lemon slices, Schweppes bitter lemon and yellow candied bon bon confectionary notes. Delicately spicy, deliciously tangy and beautifully refreshing. What a cracker! Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Brookdale Estate Sixteen White Field Blend 2025, WO Paarl, 14% Abv.
Always one of the most intriguing wines in the Brookdale range, this 2025 is an absolute superstar made up of sixteen different bush vine cultivars interplanted in a single vineyard. The aromatics are bold and bright, brimming with pithy yellow citrus, white peach, honeysuckle floral perfume, before green pear, dried herbs and a strong, stony mineral vein. The palate is fleshy and textural while retaining a certain crispness, refreshed by tangy bright acids alongside a big fruit concentration of peaches, quince and delicate stone fruits. Very expressive and confident, this could be the finest Sixteen produced to date. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Brookdale Estate Grenache Noir 2025, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.
Also a first tasting for me of the Brookdale Grenache Noir, which in 2025 was 20% whole-bunch fermented before being matured for eight months in 2,500 litre foudre. On the nose, plenty of exotic notes emerge with hints of potpourri, rose petals and Asian five spice over a medley of red and black berry fruits which retain a certain bloody, irony spiciness and a seductively wild hedgerow bramble berry earthiness. In the mouth, there is plenty of succulent red berry fruit with a comfortingly fleshy, generous texture, fine creamy tannins and long, warming glycerol finish with yet more exotic spices. A ripe, bold style of Grenache that manages to retain a sense of grace and elegance. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Brookdale Estate Twenty Red Field Blend 2025, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.
Following in the footsteps of the Sixteen White Field Blend, the Twenty does exactly what it says on the tin, being a field blend of twenty red cultivars interplanted as bush vines in a single vineyard. Matured for around a year in concrete eggs and 500-litre barrels, the aromatics are explosive with high toned perfumed violets and cherry blossoms bursting from the glass, complemented by black cherries, blueberries and earthy black currant fruits. On the palate, there is a cool, refined elegance, the texture satin soft and creamy, before layers of succulent blue and black berry fruits emerge, cushioned by soft integrated acids, a warming alcohol and silky tannins. A truly fascinating, seductive offering that harks back to the classical field blend reds of yesteryear produced in Spain and Portugal. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Brookdale Estate and Mason Road wines are imported into the UK exclusively by Hallgarten Wines.
The Welbedacht Wine Estate is a historic property in Wellington, in the heart of South Africa’s Cape winelands. Though the farm’s roots trace back to the 1830s, its modern chapter began in 1997 when former Springbok lock Schalk Burger Sr. acquired the estate, later building a 1,000-ton cellar completed in time for the 2005 harvest. Today, Welbedacht is recognised as one of the Wellington region’s leading producers, blending old vine vineyards, some over 40 years old, with new plantings guided by generations of winemaking experience.
At the heart of the estate’s portfolio stands its flagship wine: Die Afrikaanse Patriot Kaapse Versnit, a Cape Blend crafted as a tribute to the Afrikaans-speaking community and its contribution to South Africa’s cultural landscape. The wine draws its name and meaning from the historic Groenberg school on the Welbedacht farm, a site closely tied to the early movement for the recognition of Afrikaans as an official language. Carefully composed from classic varieties in the tradition of award-winning Cape reds, the blend reflects the depth, complexity, and character of the Boland’s vineyards.
More than just a wine, Die Afrikaanse Patriot 2024 Cape Blend is a bottled piece of heritage, connecting Welbedacht’s terroir to the deeper story of language, identity, and culture in the Cape.
Welbedacht Estate Die Afrikaanse Patriot 2024 Cape Blend, WO Groenberg, 14% Abv.
A blend of Pinotage, Mourvedre, Syrah and Petit Verdot creates a plush luxurious expression with opulent hedonistic aromatics of hoisin plum sauce, mulberries and macerated earthy black currants with a dusting of vanilla pod spice. In the mouth, the palate is broad and lush, medium to full bodied with a seamlessly elegant texture, compact creamy tannins and a pronounced undertone of cassis leaf and boiled black currant rock candy. Impressively elegant with a harmonious mouth coating intensity, this red is undoubtedly one of the jewels in the Welbedacht crown. Drink now and over the next decade.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Welbedacht wines are available in the UK from importer The Sporting Wine Club.
Diemersdal Estate sits on the cool, wind-swept slopes of the Dorstberg in Durbanville, just outside Cape Town, on land granted by Simon van der Stel to free burgher Hendrik Sneewind in 1698, later passing to Captain Diemer, whose name the farm still bears. The Louw family purchased the estate in 1885, and today the sixth generation manages the vineyards and winemaking. Though historically celebrated for Pinotage, it’s Sauvignon Blanc that has carried Diemersdal’s reputation onto the world stage, recognising the potential of the variety in the Cape’s cool-climate conditions, the estate released its first Sauvignon Blanc in a decision that would go on to define its identity.
A trio of new UK releases.
Central to that story is winemaker Thys Louw, who joined Diemersdal as the sixth generation to farm the land, releasing his first wine, the Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc, from a small parcel of premium vines entrusted to him. The estate’s point of difference is its commitment to dryland viticulture rather than irrigation, which forces vines to dig deeper roots and toughen up against the Cape’s unpredictable seasons, a philosophy that has made Diemersdal one of Durbanville’s defining Sauvignon Blanc voices, alongside its innovative Winter Ferment style.
The 2025 vintage continued this trajectory, with the flagship blend drawn from ten different vineyard blocks varying in age, clone and site and earning a Silver medal at the 2026 International Wine Challenge. The 2026 vintage made headlines of its own: just over a month into harvest, Diemersdal bottled and released its Sauvignon Blanc 2026, one of the first from that year’s Cape vintage to reach shelves, despite warm, windy and dry conditions from November through January that nonetheless produced above-average yields and beautifully ripened fruit — a fitting showcase of the estate’s dryland resilience and its enduring race to be first to market each season.
Cape Cloud Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Cape Town, 12.5% Abv.
This special Sauvignon Blanc cuvée produced exclusively for the M&S supermarket, is sourced from cool climate coastal vineyards located close to Cape Town grown on decomposed Granite soils. The aromatics bristle with verve and energy, bright fragrant tones filled with crunchy white citrus, green apples and pear fruits laced with pronounced notes of crushed rocks, sappy cut grass and delicate white pepper hints. On the palate the freshness and crystalline fruit characters shine, the complex layers of green mango, guava fruit, Cape gooseberries and green fig deliciously concentrated and tightly interwoven. A refreshingly dry Sauvignon Blanc from a 5 Star Cape vintage. Drink now to 2028+.
(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Diemersdal Sauvignon Blanc 2026, WO Cape Town, 12.5% Abv.
This delightfully vibrant young 2026 Sauvignon Blanc is a true masterclass in pure, vivacious Sauvignon Blanc typicity, with attractive aromatics bursting with zesty lemon pith, gooseberries and a medley of tropical passion fruit nuances. Deliciously pure fruited and concentrated, the crystalline mouth watering intensity reveals a steely mid-palate tension in perfect synergy with a piercing tangy acidity, finishing with a delicately saline lemon-lime zest persistence. A Sauvignon Blanc lovers dream wine. Drink now to 2030.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Diemersdal Estate Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2025, WO Durbanville, 13.5% Abv.
Thys Louw represents the 6th generation to be farming and making premium wines in the Durbanville ward within the Cape Town district. Now regarded as one of the most renowned Sauvignon Blanc specialists, this Reserve cuvée epitomizes the estate’s focus on quality, innovation and experimentation. Impressively pure and refined, the 2025 Reserve is made from the highest vineyard block on the Diemersdal Estate, merely a stone’s throw away from Table Mountain and the cooling influence of False Bay. These premium dryland-farmed Sauvignon Blanc grapes are hand harvested, preserving the fragrant aromatics of passion fruit, waxy green apples, black currant leaf, crystallised fig and classical Cape gooseberry characters. The palate displays a harmonious glycerol textural depth, full, broad and fleshy, layered with hints of white peach, green mango and lime cordial, supported by impressively integrated tangy fresh acids. This is a wine of substance and intensity, well-constructed with classical power, purity and persistence. Drink now to 2032+.
This inviting bottle of 20 year old Vina Gravonia Rioja Blanco had been pulled from my cellar and had been sitting in my fridge for several months waiting for the right moment (and the right company) to enjoy it. With a fellow wine trade colleague joining me for dinner, this seductively complex white served as a perfect aperitif, simply too delicious to drink too quickly.
I will always remember Tondonia owner Maria-Jose Lopez de Heredia presenting a large Vina Gravonia vertical back to 2001 that I organised. Her excitement was palpable… which to be honest, I found a little strange, as surely she got to taste these and much older and grander white bottlings at the winery in Haro all the time. Then she explained that they did not keep back vintage Vina Gravonia stocks in their archive cellar. It would all be released and once it was sold out, that was it. Very few collectors or merchants ever kept back older Vina Gravonia bottles, preferring instead to age the Reservas or Gran Reserva Blancos for many years. So tasting old white Vina Gravonia whites was always a special occasion for her.
This 20 year old white, originally aged for 4 years in American oak barrels, displays a fabulous bronzed brilliant yellow golden colour, shining with a complex aromatics of waxy orange peel, bruised apples, honeysuckle, bees wax and enticing honeycomb, vanilla pod and chamomile nuances. While there is a thread of tertiary complexity on the nose, the palate is far more dialled in and pure, showing taut yellow citrus fruits, candied ginger, salted caramel, baked apples and honied peaches all underpinned by fresh precise acids and a dry nuttiness. Obviously, the Tondonia whites are made in an oxidative style, but you can’t help feeling that this wine has hardly evolved since it was bottled. These traditional oxidative styles of Rioja Blanco are perhaps not your average consumers’ forte, but like oysters and caviar, once you have acquired a taste for these wines, there is simply no looking back. One of the most individual, complex and enticing white wines on the market. Drink now and over the next 15 to 20+ years.
Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance stands today as one of South Africa’s most compelling fine wine stories, a modern revival of an 18th century legend once favoured by Napoleon and European royalty. Crafted entirely from unfortified Muscat de Frontignan grapes left to naturally raisin on the vine, it channels historical prestige into a contemporary, technically precise expression with vibrant acidity balancing opulent apricot, honey, and citrus-peel sweetness. No longer a curiosity, Vin de Constance now commands serious fine wine attention alongside Sauternes and Tokaji on global wine lists, prized by collectors and sommeliers for its ageability, distinctive terroir, and its role in restoring Constantia’s wider reputation as a world-class sweet wine region.
The 2023 vintage stood out for its unique character of balance and precision, shaped by a cool, slow ripening season and an extended harvest window. A warm, dry winter that led to early budbreak and strong initial growth, was followed by steady canopy development and slightly uneven flowering, naturally regulating the yields. Cooler summer conditions slowed ripening and preserved vibrant acidity, while late season rains added both pressure and opportunity, requiring highly precise vineyard selection. Despite lower yields and smaller berries, the vintage delivered fruit of excellent concentration, freshness and structural balance.
The 2023 harvest was one of the latest and most extended in recent years, with picking carried out from 14th February to 18th April, owing to close to 25 passes through the vineyards. The fruits were selected at different stages of ripeness, from fresh ripe berries to naturally raisined grapes, ensuring a layered and complex final blend.
In the cellar, the grapes underwent two weeks of skin contact before pressing, followed by a slow fermentation over approximately two months, which stopped naturally to preserve balance and purity. Each component was vinified separately with continuous blending trials to unlock the unique DNA of this vintage. The wine was matured for 18 months in 500L barrels (50% new) of French, Austrian and Hungarian oak, followed by a further year in 4,200L French oak foudres. This dual ageing approach enhanced both structure and refinement, allowing the components to integrate while maintaining freshness and vibrancy. Only the finest elements were selected for the final blend, reflecting the vintage’s precision and layered character.
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2023, WO Constantia, 14.2% Abv.
162g/l RS | 5.9g/l TA | 3.7pH
A beautifully deep honied gold colour, this 2023 looks every bit as substantial as it smells, with complex lifted aromatics of orange marmalade and crystallised lemon peel, freshly baked warm apple strudel pastries, cinnamon spice, subtle butterscotch and vanilla pod nuances. The finesse, harmony and elegance on the palate are simply astounding with seamlessly interwoven flavours of cinnamon and nutmeg spice, ripe apricot, dried mango and quinces in syrup coating the mouth. While incredibly concentrated, there is the archetypal Vin de Constance weightless intensity of crystallised yellow orchard fruits, the sweetness perfectly tempered by a well-integrated tangy acidity. Quite simply, this is a benchmark sweet wine style that never puts a foot out of place. Bravo. Drink now to 2045+.
Evert-Gerard Rautenbach has a successful day job at the Paserene / Atlas Swift Winery in Franschhoek in the Western Cape. As a side hobby project, Evert makes a small amount of experimental single cultivar Marsanne sourced from a vineyard in Wellington. On a recent visit to Franschhoek, Evert gave me a bottle of the 2025 Marsanne to try, noting that while this vintage is almost sold out, he is even more excited by the quality and styling of the 2026 vintage. As always, I love to champion new wines and young talented winemakers, and Evert is certainly a name to keep an eye on.
The Last Arrow Marsanne 2025, WO Wellington, 13.5% Abv.
This pure 100% Marsanne was whole bunch pressed and then barrel fermented with natural yeasts, being kept on its gross lees for the entire maturation time of 9 months in all neutral oak barrels, before being fined, filtered and bottled, then aged for an additional 3 months before release. The wine possesses a dark golden yellow bonze colour and exotic aromatics of ripe peach stone fruits, hints of quince, yellow apple, bees wax, honeycomb and savoury leesy biscuit nuances. In the mouth the texture is glycerol and fleshy, marked with a pithy, picante spiciness that adds an attractive gentle herbal bitterness, the grape’s naturally lower acidity lending further notions of palate breadth and depth. Overall, a very harmonious, well-constructed wine that would make for a perfect food pairing menu, perhaps matched with a lightly curried Cape Malay fish dish or even more traditional freshly dived scallops. Drink now. (Only 500 bottles produced and released at R180 per bottle in SA.)
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Currently, no UK or European representation that I know of.
