The Majestic Vintage 2024 Burgundy Wines of Jerome Galeyrand Profiled on His Annual London Visit…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Good winemakers can make good wines in great vintages, but only great producers can make great wines in difficult vintages. This is what I saw when tasting Jerome Galeyrand’s 2024 wines at his new cellar in Gevrey-Chambertin in December 2025. I already commented the previous year, that he had produced some of the most serious Pinot Noir expressions in the “lighter and more accessible” 2023 vintage. But 2024 dished up an entirely different buffet of viticultural challenges, all of which Jerome seemingly brushed aside to produce one of the most complete and impressive line-ups of red and white wines of the vintage. 

But for Jerome, the hard work never ends, because as soon as his back breaking toiling finishes in the vineyards, it continues in his new winery in Gevrey-Chambertin where he vinifies all his wines. But that’s not where it stops. For the past several years, Jerome has made an annual pilgrimage to London after harvest to showcase his newly bottled releases with his exclusive UK agent Musigny Wines, alongside a selection of recent back vintages. This year, Jerome and Musigny Wines hosted two superb private client tasting dinners that I was gratefully invited to.

Andrew Pavli from Musigny Wines with Jerome Galeyrand.

The first event was held in London’s Wimbledon Village at Light on the Common restaurant. A relaxed jovial evening, Jerome used this setting to show off a stunning selection of his newly bottled 2024 wines. Tasting through Jerome’s finished bottlings, not only were my enthusiastic En-primeur barrel scores and reviews vindicated, but they started to look almost conservative in nature compared to how the wines were showing in their completed state. Sitting alongside two very big Burgundy collectors for the evening, their reaction to Jerome’s 2024 wines was very insightful – both of them were simply blown away with the quality of the wines, and this was after both had already tasted many of Burgundy’s top domaines’ new releases during January’s En-primeur tasting week.

Below is the stunning selection of 2024s presented by Jerome:

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Bouzerons Cran 2024

A classical expression boasting the complexity of this village, packing in musky talc perfume, limestone minerality, lemon bon bons and a chalky sherbety depth. The acids are intense and tangy, the fruit weight fleshy, concentrated and glycerol.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Marsannay Est-Ouest Rouge 2024

Deep and broody, this shows depth and beautifully perfumed complexity, full of black cherry, saline cassis, and wild strawberry. Super precise, steely and tightly wound with piercing length. Wow!

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Nuits Saint Georges Vieilles Vignes 2024

The 2024 NSG announces itself from the glass with aromas of damson plums, blueberries, Christmas spices, dark chocolate and delicate woodsmoke nuances. Medium-bodied, this impressive young wine is ample, fresh and perfumed with a sweet core of broody black berry fruits, powdery tannins, and an elegant persistence. This fourth vintage could be Jerome’s best yet.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Gevrey-Chambertin La Justice 2024

The aromatics resonate with rose petals, pink musk, lavender, and red cherry rock candy over subtle limestone nuances. The focus and the precision marry tart tangy acids, silky tannins and fleshy red and black berry fruits in a seamlessly balanced expression that rides high on its purity and finesse! Simply enchanting.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Gevrey-Chambertin En Billard 2024

An enticing aromatics of strawberry candies, violets, and cherry sherbet with a delicate undertone of limestone minerality. The concentration is massive with layers of unctuous black plum, black berry fruits, and strawberry jam nuances. Wow, what concentration and power. This is simply knock out.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Gevrey-Chambertin En Croisettes 2024

A seductive aromatics with a blueberry and black cherry lift, violets and saline cassis with a maritime nuance and a bloody, steely strictness. The concentration is intense, piercing with tart tangy acids and a rich, generous fleshy plummy finish. Very classy but also quite classically structured.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Marsannay Clos du Roy 2024

A mere 3 barrels (900 bottles) produced in 2024 of this benchmark expression that shows delicate notes of potpourri pressed violets, rose water and black cherry. The focus, purity and precision are phenomenal, seamless finesse, perfect ripeness, and a magical balance. This is not to be missed.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Cotes de Nuits Village Les Retraits 2024

This iconic vineyard next door to Frederic Mugnier’s Clos de la Marechale Monopole offers an intricacy and complexity almost unmatched. Layered aromatics with limestone, chalk, sapidity, wood spice and black cherry follow to a fully loaded palate packed with bramble berries, blueberries, piercing salinity and a velvety concentration that leaves you gasping for more. Massive concentration, effortless power, and undoubtedly one of Jerome’s finest Retraits expressions to date.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Meursault Village 2024

Aged for 14 months in barrel, 25% new oak, this is another very classy expression of Meursault with complex aromatics of green apple, lemon grass, and wet stone minerality. Youthful and punchy, the depth and power are eye-watering, full throttle tangy acidity, green apple cordial, white peach and a leesy, oatmeal biscuity depth. Phenomenal concentration, precision and harmonious balance. Undoubtedly Jerome’s best example yet.

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

Jerome’s second dinner in Chelsea featured a similarly stunning array of wines including a tighter selection of 2024 new releases alongside a line-up of slightly older vintages from 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023. As always, Jerome’s opening salvo came from his delicious and highly accomplished Aligote. The Les Blanches 2022 was outstanding and certainly merits being highlighted even when tasted alongside Jerome’s superb Meursault Au Village 2024 white.

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Aligote Les Blanches 2022

Few producers produce Aligote with the verve and vigour that Jerome Galeyrand manages to illicit from this Burgundian white grape. His beautiful Les Blanches 2022 is another evocative examples with pithy aromatics of lemon and lime peel, crushed limestone, lemon grass herbs and hints of saline brine. This 2022 vintage bursts with tangy, salty yellow citrus, delicately savoury maritime notes, a liquid minerality and a finish that’s loaded with zippy sour yellow plum nuances. Such incredible energy in this beautiful expression.

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

Three superb Lieu Dit Gevrey Chambertin.

As the Domaine Jerome Galeyrand wines sell out so quickly on allocation, I normally only get the opportunity to taste older vintages when visiting with Jerome at his cellar in Burgundy. The opening line-up of reds commenced with the Galeyrand Marsannay Combe du Pre 2019, a wonderfully characterful wine that possessed all the blue – black fruit power of the best Marsannay reds but with extra sapidity, spice and mineral complexity. After another taste of Jerome’s Nuits Saint Georges 2024 offering, a real treat – tasting a back vintage line-up of his Gevrey-Chambertin En Billard 2020, the incredible La Justice 2020, and a stunningly fresh, mineral and structured En Croisettes 2019, the Cotes de Nuits only producer labelled ‘En Croisettes” lieu dit. After another reprise for the sensational Cotes de Nuits-Village Les Retraits 2024, it was time to enjoy two big guns… Jerome’s first and second vintage of his epic Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru.

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2023

Big and deadly serious, Jerome moves into the big league and knocks it out the park with four barrels of Clos de Vougeot! Packed full of blue and black berry fruits, it shows effortless power, a piercing acid vibrancy and freshness, layered with violets, cherries and pink musk. An incredibly substantial wine with taut power, structure and depth from a vintage associated with accessibility and upfront opulence.

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

Domaine Jerome Galeyrand Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru 2024 (Tank Sample)

Only two barrels produced with 18 months of ageing in barrel and bottled in April 2026. The aromatics offer up a wealth of depth and breath with plenty of earthy savoury black berries, wood spice and smoky complexity. The palate shows weight and power, creamy mineral limestone mineral depth with chalky tannins and ample black plummy bramble berry length. A very complete wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Magnum of Marsannay La Combe du Pre 2020.

The fine wine market is on an eternal crusade, vintage after vintage, to find the next big thing… and in Jerome Galeyrand, you not only have the next big thing but also the complete real deal. I expect his masterful wines to become some of the most sought-after and allocated wines in Burgundy in the coming years, and rightly so. After the tremendous showing of Jerome’s 2024s, the opportunity to visit him again in Gevrey-Chambertin later this year to taste his 2025s, the first wines he will have produced in his stunning new cellar, will be a tasting not to be missed. Collectors and connoisseurs will be dazzled and delighted when they taste his new 2024 releases – the precision, purity and focus of the wines complemented by impressive structure, acid freshness, and textural polish. These are, quite simply, wines collectors are going to want in their cellar.

The iconic Les Retraits 2024.

The wines of Jerome Galeyrand are exclusively imported into the UK by his agent Musigny Wines. For more allocation and pricing information, contact: andrew@musigny.wine

Anysbos Winery – The Best Kept Secret in the Western Cape’s Bot River Wine Region…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Located in the heart of the Bot River valley, Anysbos is far more than a traditional winery; it is a holistic farm where the wild beauty of the Overberg meets refined, small-batch craftsmanship. Established by Johan and Sue Heyns, the farm takes its name from the Anysboegoe, a local wild anise shrub that dots the landscape. This connection to the land is the winery’s guiding light, emphasizing a deep respect for the indigenous flora and the unique shale-heavy soils of the region.

The winemaking, led by the talented Marelise Niemann, focuses on varieties that thrive in the valley’s dry-land conditions. Anysbos has carved a niche for itself with its Rhône-style blends and exceptional Chenin Blanc. Signature labels like the Tesame (a Grenache-led blend) and the Disdit white blend are celebrated for their elegance, bright acidity, and true “sense of place.” Beyond the cellar, Anysbos is a Mediterranean-inspired sanctuary. The farm is equally famous for its award-winning goat’s cheese and its sprawling olive groves, which produce some of the finest oils in the district. By integrating livestock, fynbos conservation, and viticulture, Anysbos stands as a premier example of the authentic, unpretentious, and high-quality farming that defines the Bot River community. 

I recently caught up with owner Johan for dinner in London while he was on a whirlwind tour of the market. Together we tasted a range of wines that are undoubtedly one of the best kept secrets of the Bot River wine region.

Anysbos Disdit 2022, WO Bot River, 13% Abv. 

A blend of 69% Chenin Blanc, 13% Roussanne, 12% Marsanne and 6% Grenache Blanc. The Chenin shows beautifully with hints of lemon grass, lanolin and waxy lemon citrus peel. There is lovely energy here, cool, creamy and plush with seamless elegance, fantastic balance and deliciously tangy acids. Impressive concentration and focus, this is a beautifully fresh Rhone blend! Drink now to 2036+.

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

Anysbos Disdit 2023, WO Bot River, 13% Abv. 

A blend of 57% Chenin Blanc, 17% Grenache Blanc, 17% Marsanne and 9% Roussanne. An exotic aroma builds off delightful notes of lemon and herbs, buttered white toast, glazed brioche and lees complexity. The palate reveals a creamy balance with a fulsome mid-palate, a really saline, pithy concentration and a long, cool, seamless finish. The acids are soft but invigorating, beautifully integrated, making for a very smart wine. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Anysbos Tesame 2021, WO Bot River, 12.5% Abv.

A blend of 47% Grenache Noir, 45% Syrah and 8% Cinsault aged for 20 months in old oak. A classically cool, taut, fresh vintage speaks with a soft voice, whispering an aromatic complexity of sappy berries, crunchy red fruits full of dried herbs, fynbos spice and an irony ferrous minerality. Such a pretty wine with a cranberry and pomegranate freshness and purity with a delicate bramble berry hint. A really very special wine with such beautiful texture and freshness at such a meagre alcohol! Love it! Drink now to 2038+.

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

Anysbos Tesame 2022, WO Bot River, 13% Abv.

A blend of 55% Grenache Noir, 33% Syrah and 12% Cinsault aged for 16 months in old oak using a partial whole bunch portion. Incredibly pristine and bright, this is an evocative wine with crystalline red berry fruits, cranberry, bramble berry and a fynbos herby spice. The palate expertly walks a tightrope between sweet concentrated red berry fruits, stony minerality and a sweet bay leaf herby, silky finish. Drink now to 2036.

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

Anysbos Tesame 2023, WO Bot River, 13% Abv.

A blend of 56% Grenache Noir, 39% Syrah and 5% Cinsault aged for 16 months in old oak. This is a big, intense, punchy, extroverted style in 2023. Simply put, it takes your breath away. The aromatics are sweet and sappy, layered with dried herbs, fynbos, pithy red plum and red currant berry fruits. The integration and balance on the palate are simply stunning. This is the business! A fabulous wine I’d love a case of in my cellar. Drink now to 2038+.

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

The Anysbos wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Wood Winters Wine Merchants. 

Contact: andrew@woodwinters.com for more information on pricing and allocations.

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 8: Alheit Vineyards Radio Lazarus 2012 Versus Radio Lazarus 2017…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

In today’s archive cellar examination, we look at not one but two iconic unicorn Chenin Blanc expressions from Chris Alheit, both tasted in December 2025 – the maiden release 2012 Radio Lazarus and then Chris Alheit’s last release. The 2017 represents the final release of Radio Lazarus made from two hilltop sites with stony shale soils: one planted in 1978 at 400m, and the other in 1971 at 450m. Due to the 2015-2019 Cape drought, these old vines finally reached the end of their lifespan and were simply no longer commercially viable. Radio Lazarus is unique in that it is fermented in large clay pots of 600 litres each, made from clay collected from the bottom of the same hill.

Renowned South African Wine journalist Tim James recently wrote a fitting homage to Radio Lazarus in June 2025, commenting… “I’ve previously had bottles of the 2012 Radio Lazarus at ten years that also showed remarkable youthfulness of flavour and freshness, while having the harmony, suavity, deep complexity, and texture of maturity. A great advertisement for the longevity and development potential of fine local Chenin Blanc.”

Tim continued… “The 2012 was the maiden vintage, and the one that preceded the 2014, as all the 2013 grapes went towards the blend for that year’s Cartology. Which means, in fact, that there were only two released vintages of Radio Lazarus that came from a single vineyard on the Bottelary Hills. From 2015 to 2017, there was a contribution from a second, nearby, high-lying Chenin Blanc vineyard (a little higher, a little older, on a hill bristling with even more of the radio masts that gave the wine half of its name).”

Tim concludes, somewhat sombrely… “It wasn’t just the cruel dryness and heat that finished it off; hungry buck, confronted by barren veld, had come like never before to eat what green shoots there were.” Eight final crates of 2018 grapes were picked that year off the other, original vineyard, but no wine was commercially released. In their release notes that year, the Alheits wrote of the glimmering of pleasure in knowing that “both vineyards were on death row, due to be ripped up, and yet they lived on a few more years to make some of the loveliest wines we’ve ever had the chance to work with.”

Alheit Vineyards Radio Lazarus 2012, WO Stellenbosch

This is a truly impressive bottle of Old Vine Chenin Blanc revealing complex regal aromatics of honey and biscuity leesy nuances and a subtle reductive vein before biscuit, quince jelly and buttered white toast. But this wine just keeps on offering up more and more… camomile tea, bees wax, burnt orange peel, apple puree, and oyster shell sea breeze hints. The palate is no less impressive, densely textured, unctuous, and creamy with quince, pineapple puree, more burnt orange, beautifully glycerol and full supported by fresh tangy acids that create a vibrant energy, sweet and sour yellow plum and a kelpy, maritime finish. Wow. A true unicorn wine that’s still firing on all cylinders. Drink now but certainly no rush.

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

Alheit Vineyards Radio Lazarus 2017, WO Stellenbosch

This vintage keeps going up in everyone’s estimation for both reds and whites and this beautiful drought vintage expression shows complex notes of salted liquorice, pristine refreshing saline nuances, earthy savoury peaches, yellow orchard stone fruits together with hints of wet straw, wet grey slate and green apple puree nuances. The palate is seductively silky and soft yet full and glycerol in the mouth with lovely harmonious chamomile, honey, and white peach notes on the long, characterful silky finish. Beautifully youthful and vibrant still, this wine should continue to put on extra weight and increase in complexity as it ages further. A fitting swansong vintage for this Old Vine vineyard.

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

Vilafonte Releases Their New 2023 Vintage Series C and Series M to a Chorus of High International Praise…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Every year, one can point to the annual release of the Vilafonte Series C and Series M reds as two of the most important and noteworthy new Cape Bordeaux blends to hit the market. These two wines have, since their maiden releases in 2003, cultivated a committed global following among fine wine connoisseurs and passionate collectors alike. With the focus firmly on premium quality, each subsequent vintage is highly anticipated both in the wine trade and among consumers. The 2023 vintage was obviously a much more complicated harvest for many than either 2022 or 2021 due to persistent rain across much of the Cape, necessitating further clarification of Vilafonte’s picking dates from winemaker Chris de Vries.

“The 2023 vintage reminded us how swiftly light can turn to shadow, and how timing alone can separate fortune from misfortune” Chris de Vries opined. “Outstanding early conditions carried us through harvest, our final lots secured only days before March 4th brought a week of rain that might have rewritten the story entirely.” Picking at Vilafonte began on February 2nd and continued until March 1st, a slightly extended window, shaped by a warm first half of February followed by a cooler close. This shift tempered ripening, allowing balance and freshness to define the fruit. 

Berry weights reflected the season: Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc were modestly smaller than average, lending natural concentration, while Cabernet Sauvignon berries were slightly larger, contributing generosity and an approachable tannin profile. Although March delivered over 60 mm more rain than the norm, the Vilafonte harvest was safely picked before the downpours, leaving the Vilafonte team among the fortunate few who carried the season’s promise intact into the cellar. The resulting wines show a poised tension between ripe black fruit and lifted freshness, framed by fine tannins and a classical structure. “Opulence is tempered by clarity, and the 2023s stand as wines of both immediate allure and assured longevity” Chris de Vries concluded.

Vilafonte Series C 2023, WO Paarl. 14.5% Abv.

The 2023 Series C is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 12% Malbec and 7% Cabernet Franc and offers up classic Vilafonte aromatics of sweet black currants, saline crème de cassis, blueberry compote and wet tobacco leaves. Fabulously opulent and exotic on the nose, the wine has all the Series C hallmarks that has made this one of the most desirable Cabernet Sauvignon blends produced in the Cape, brimming with not only intense pure black berry fruits but also complex earthy layers of tilled loam over hints of graphite, dried herbs and warm buttered brown breakfast toast. The palate is sophisticated, silky, and lithe, neither weighty nor muscular, but rather sleek, picante, and spicy with cedar and vanilla pod notes, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a weightless black currant fruit concentration. There is a youthful, sinewy freshness and a tightly wound core of energy that should see this wine age gracefully for a decade or two. 

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

Vilafonte Series M 2023, WO Paarl. 14% Abv.

The 2023 Series M is a blend of 41% Merlot, 38% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc and displays a seriously opulent, showy Series M plushness and generosity combined with plenty of refinement and purity. The aromatics are vibrant and youthful revealing intense layers of blue and black berry fruits, bay leaf spice, damson plums and black cherry compote with a magical dusting of vanilla pod oak spice. In the mouth, the wine is marked with a fabulously creamy, silky texture, delicate notes of graphite and cocoa powder, saline crème de cassis and mulberry fruits with a pronounced mineral interplay on the complex finish. Once again, I’m super impressed at the intensity, power, and concentration Vilafonte achieves with their Series M cuvee – a wine that epitomises luxury, generosity, and sophistication. Drink on release until 2040+.

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

The Vilafonte wines are imported to the UK and distributed to trade by agent John E. Fells.

An Inside Look at Some of Meerlust Estate’s New 2025 Red and White Component Wines…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Wim Truter is the current Cellar Master and Head Winemaker at the historic Meerlust Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa, taking over from Chris Williams in 2020. He oversees the production of their renowned wines, including the famous Rubicon Bordeaux blend, working alongside winemaker Altus Treurnicht and long time owner Hannes Myburgh.

The iconic Meerlust Estate Rubicon Cape Bordeaux Blend.

So when Wim Truter and Deidre Taylor, the Meerlust head of sales and marketing, landed in London for a flying visit enroute to the Prowein trade fair in Germany, we caught up over lunch to taste two exciting new component wines – a Chardonnay 2025 and a pure Petit Verdot 2025 – as well as taking another look at the delicious new Rubicon 2023. 

Wim has brought an exciting new level of precision, focus and renewal to all the wines in the Meerlust range, preparing this iconic Stellenbosch estate for a new era of global fine wine fame.

Meerlust Estate Chardonnay RT13 2025, 12.5% Abv. (Bottled component)

This vineyard Chardonnay component is planted alongside the Meerlust driveway next to the cemetery and is grown on rocky Greywacke and Shale soils. Fermented in concrete tanks and aged on its fine lees for 8 months with no malo, this wine is deliciously cool, crisp and crystalline, showing white blossoms, yellow citrus, crunchy pears and a hint of honeydew melon. But it’s on the palate you experience its zippy freshness, wound spring tension with a tangy yellow citrus fruit showing impressive glycerol weight and superb intensity and precision on the finish. Now bottled as a 10% portion of the 2025 Meerlust Estate Chardonnay blend.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Estate Petit Verdot 2025 (Bottled component)

One small concrete fermenter, basket pressed into 100% new Quintessence barrels, drawn off at 10 months, to make up around 4% of the Rubicon blend. Majestically rich and creamy, packed full of blue and purple fruits with a brûléed savoury plum compote component. Plush, cool and textural, the full dense palate shows incredible balance and harmony but never loses its bright, delicately tart underlying acid frame. Such perfect ripeness and balance, this could have been bottled on its own. Now there’s an idea for the Meerlust range! 

(Wine Safari Score: 94-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Cellar Master Wim Truter and Deidre Taylor.

It should be noted that 2025 was an exceptional red and white wine vintage in South Africa, so collectors should start drinking up back vintage bottles to make space in their cellars – there are going to be a wealth of “must have” releases coming soon! 

The ribeye steaks we ate for lunch at top South African restaurant Kudu, were perfectly matched with a superb bottle of new release Meerlust Rubicon 2023 that is mellowing beautifully in bottle. This is, once again, the complete package – deep, textured and concentrated yet effortlessly balanced, finishing with a picante brûléed brown toast complexity. A class act that is sure to be one of the standout Cape Bordeaux blends of the vintage earning a worthy 96+/100 GSMW score. A big thank you to Wim and Deidre for sharing these delicious Meerlust treats.

The Meerlust Wines are distributed in the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines (MMD).

Jos Van Wyk Wines Releases Its Maiden Vintage of Le Lit de Franken Antares Field Blend White 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Antares Field Blend is a new wine made by young winemaker Jos Van Wyk of Marianne Winery fame in Stellenbosch and comes from a vineyard established in 2020 on a small farm in the Buffeljags River ward near Swellendam, Western Cape. A field blend of Chenin Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc, it is the maiden release and uses a spontaneous wild yeast fermentation before being maturated for eight months in a combination of old oak, glass demijohns and a stainless-steel tank.

Le Lit de Franken Antares Field Blend White 2023, WO Buffeljags, Swellendam, 12.94% Abv.

There are not too many field blend whites produced in South Africa, but this Antares 2023 is certainly an exciting addition to the category. Made from a blend of 63% Chenin Blanc, 23% Semillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine stands crystal clear and star bright in the glass with just a faint pale white gold hue. The aromatics are taut and steely with subtle hints of white pear, lemon citrus, yellow apples, dried straw, and a delicately dusty, mineral wet granite top note. The palate bristles with the same wound spring tension and taut linearity as the nose, showing a texture that’s incredibly pure and chiselled, vibrant, fresh, and delightfully tangy. From my other Field Blend experience, the different cultivars tend to assert themselves at different intensities over time, and at the moment, the palate is steely, mineral and Chenin Blanc focused. If you drink this wine young, enjoy it over a few days to watch it evolve – but you will need strong will power and restraint as it is currently a delicious drop! Drink now to 2036+.

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

For further information on availability, contact: josvanwykwines@gmail.com 

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 7: Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2013 from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Cracking open a bottle of 13-year-old white Burgundy these days is probably slightly less risky than it was a few years ago when white Burgundy was mired in its very own premature oxidation crisis. But what about an aged South African Chardonnay? Firstly, many (or even most) examples are not really made for long-term ageing but of course there are a handful of premium expressions from top producers such as Hamilton Russell Vineyards that can improve with plenty of bottle age. While their estate’s Chardonnay quality is exceptional every year, some cooler, more structured vintages are certainly capable of ageing incredibly well. I recently pulled a bottle of their 2013 from my cellar and was pleasantly surprised by its youthful vigour. This was a wine critically appraised on release by numerous commentators at 93-94/100 points.

2013 was a standout vintage in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley with rich, generous, sumptuous wines displaying great depth of fruit and structure. The reds in particular benefited from the 2013 harvest conditions, with dark, complex fruit at moderate alcohol levels. A cold winter was followed by a cold wet spring almost up to flowering, while cool strong Southeasters with some rain during flowering and berry-set contributed to very low yields. In general bud-break was later than usual and for the first time Sauvignon Blanc ripened before Pinot noir and Chardonnay. A drier, breezy December and January contributed to healthy disease-free ripening. The average of the maximum temperatures for December, January, February and March was, at 25.33 Centigrade, a touch higher than the long-term average of 25 Centigrade – warmer than 2012, 2010 and 2009, but cooler than 2011. 

As far as I remember, this 2013 would have been vinified by Hannes Storm, Hamilton Russell’s winemaker until the 2014 vintage, after which current winemaker, Emul Ross, took over.

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2013, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13% Abv.

This 2013 Chardonnay displays a stunning old yellow gold colour in the glass. Crisp, clear and bright, the aromatics are exotic and complex but incredibly measured and pinpoint pointing to the clarity and precision of a cooler vintage. Open and fragrant from first pour, the nose boasts honied herbal tea and lemon cordial, dried mango, salted dried pistachios, toasted almond flakes and hints of salted creme caramel. On the palate the oak is seamlessly integrated, adding a delicately pithy note of phenolic grip along side taut crystallised citrus peel, candied fig, crisp linear acids and a long saline oyster shell finish. A superb expression from a cooler Hemel-en-Aarde Valley vintage. Drink now and over the next 5+ years. 

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

Iconic Burgundy Producer Kei Shiogai Captivates the London Fine Wine Market with His First UK Trade Visit in Decades…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Burgundy region produces some of the most desirable and sought-after wines in the world and is of course full of incredibly talented wine makers. But every now and then, a new name comes along almost out of the blue, one with incredible flair – this is Kei Shiogai – a new superstar in the making. Originally from Japan, Kei left Tokyo to travel to New Zealand as he was obsessed with great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. But after a short spell there, he was strongly encouraged by the Kiwi locals to pursue his passion in the true home of these two varieties – Burgundy. If you want to make iconic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the greatest terroirs known to man, Burgundy is the place to be. 

Kei arrived in Burgundy and proceeded to study viticulture and vinification in Beaune and Dijon followed by cellar work with several top domaines including Philippe Pacalet, Domaine Armand Rousseau and Domaine Roulot. Indeed, Kei’s earlier vintages in Beaune were produced while he was still working at Domaine Roulot. Even with his maiden 2020 vintage releases, Kei immediately started to turn heads and draw attention to his wines with their incredible elegance, finesse and purity of fruit produced often from modest “village level” sites.

I have been incredibly lucky to have been one of a very small group of wine commentators who have been welcomed into Kei’s cellar with open arms. Being able to watch him work, taste the wines with him from barrel, and then see them blossom in bottle has been an incredible privilege. Tasting Kei’s 2024 wines from barrel in December 2025 was undoubtedly one of my tasting highlights of the entire year. So you can imagine my excitement when Kei’s exclusive UK importer, Andrew Pavli from Musigny Wines, told me Kei would be making his first trip to London since he was perhaps 18 or 19 as a student in Japan, and would be hosting a series of exclusive wine dinners at some of London’s finest restaurants.

Hand picked Devon crab beautifully matched with Kei’s Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux 2022.

So, where better to kick off Kei’s short UK wine tour than at one of London’s top food and wine Michelin star restaurants, Cornus in Belgravia, with a beautifully curated sit-down dinner in their private room. Still brimming with excitement from the incredible barrel tasting with Kei in December, this superb dinner matched some delicious culinary dishes from star chef Gary Foulkes with a tantalising array of white and red treats from Kei.

Tasting notes below…

Kei Shiogai Bourgogne Les Famelottes 2023

This Puligny-Montrachet lieu dit is simply stunning, using older barrels within Kei’s own new oak rotation regime. Beautifully toasty and savoury on the nose, bursting with grapefruit confit on warm buttered white toast. Silky soft, deliciously tangy with such fantastic character and intensity. A wine that really delivers.

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

Kei Shiogai Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chalumeaux 2022

100% new oak ageing, this beautiful white shows pithy aromatics that shine with honey and spice, lemon herbal tea and beautiful herbal hints, lemon butter and picante, zippy acids with a tart, intense length. Delicately nutty, overwhelmingly mineral, complex and sophisticated. A true class act.

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

Kei Shiogai Gevrey-Chambertin Baraques 2021

With 30% new French oak used, this wine displays a lifted earthy spicy 100% whole bunch compelxity layered with chalky crushed limestone, Asian five spice and herbal nuances. On the palate the minerality remains pronounced, melting into a beautiful spicy sapidity with soft supple layers of red currant, wild strawberry and picante red bramble berries. A very characterful, cooler vintage.

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

Kei Shiogai Gevrey-Chambertin Village 2023

100% new French oak ageing lends a beautifully plush opulence to this village wine. The aromatics recall hints of whole cluster fermentation, but the fruit ripeness balances the overall expression handsomely. Supple and seductively elegant, tangy and fresh, this wine is truly classy and punches way above its village level classification. Easy to understand why this is one of Kei’s most high demand wines.

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

Kei Shiogai Pommard Poisot 2023

A handful of producers are taking Pommard appellation wines to the next quality level and Kei is certainly at the forefront of this movement. The Poisot reveals a beautifully dark, broody aromatics laced with black cherry confit, pressed violets and delicate graphite mineral hints. Full, creamy and compact, I love the weightless concentration, the blue and black berry fruits, chalky limestone nuances and its slightly bloody, stony finish. Power with elegance. Wow, what a stunner!

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

The Burgundy line-up at Michelin Star Cornus restaurant.

With Kei’s whites and reds becoming some of the most sought-after Burgundies on the market, the clamour from Michelin starred on-trade clientele has also been eye-opening, reinforcing the gastronomic nature of these “new style Burgundy” wines that have for the most part traded textural muscle for finesse, fruit ripeness and heavy extraction for weightless concentration, freshness and purity – a styling that has certainly resonated with the Asian market’s avid Burgundy collector community. Judging from which Burgundy producers are also becoming more and more sought-after in the UK, this trends seems to be filtering through into the fabric of the Western European collector market as well. 

Amazing tasting menu to match Kei’s superb wines.

Kei’s second food and wine bonanza was hosted at new London opening, Wild Izakaya, a sophisticated Japanese restaurant in the City of London, headed up by Executive Chef Satoru Hashimoto who had formerly headed up the kitchen at Koyn, and before that had spent over a decade at the helm of Nobu. With a table full of top young sommeliers from other famous London restaurants, guests were invited to share the energy of a Tokyo izakaya in the City of London alongside another stunning selection of Kei’s wines. These young sommeliers work long, gruelling hours so of course it is always a treat for them to relax and be the ones being pampered for a change. 

Champagne Petit & Bajan ‘Nuit Blanche’ Grand Cru NV

Packed full of lemon and brioche, deliciously vibrant, saline yet easy drinking with a lovely subtle intensity on the finish.

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

Kei Shiogai Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Fontaine Sot’ 2023

Taut and spicy, the aromatics are mineral lead but also firmly packed with white citrus, pear and spicy lemon grass. Rich and textural, the glycerol palate is deceptively fleshy, aromatic and savoury with leesy biscuit complexity, vanilla oak spice and a long, creamy oat meal finish. Accessible, delightfully attractive and generous.

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

Kei Shiogai Pommard Village 2021

All aged in old oak barrels, five in total. A wine I’d not tried in a long time, possibly not since release. But wow, this has all the whole bunch spice that is well defined on the 2021 reds but is underpinned by a real intensity of wild strawberry and bramble berry fruits. The palate depth is phenomenal, the freshness and tangy acidity mouth coating and truly exhilarating. A village wine that surpasses the Pommard 1er Cru offerings from many other domaines. Very special indeed.

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

Kei Shiogai Gevrey-Chambertin Village 2023

Another look at this 100% new oak village Gevrey-Chambertin that is beautifully plush, pure, and opulent. The aromatics show hints of whole cluster fermentation, but the fruit ripeness is effortless, balancing the sleek polished mineral tannins. Supple and beautifully elegant, tangy, and fresh, this wine is truly classy and so easy to drink in its youth.

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

Kei Shiogai Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Cherbaudes’ 2024 (Barrel Sample)

100% whole bunch fermentation and only two barrels produced. Tasted last in December 2025 from barrel, this wine shows opulent aromatics of ripe pomegranate, blood orange and ripe tangerine peel. Fabulous breadth and depth on the palate with seamless concentration, a fleshy opulence and a profound, pure persistence on the finish. A stunning expression from this iconic Gevrey 1er Cru vineyard. 

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

Andrew Pavli from Musigny Wines at Wild Izakaya in the City of London.

The non-stop wining and dining continued on Wednesday with a smaller group of wine trade buyers enjoying an intimate dinner and tasting with Kei at another of London’s hot dining spots, Lita in Marylebone, where Kei’s wines were paired with some exceptional Mediterranean styled cuisine. Once again, Kei’s Bourgogne Famelottes 2023 white shone incredibly brightly alongside his superb Gevrey-Chambertin 2023 village wine. Cooking with fire is all the rage these days and Michelin starred Lita is an expert practitioner, although it also offers so much more, with a strong Mediterranean and southern European element to the menu using prime British ingredients – a perfect match for Burgundy wines.

Taku Mayfair.

One of the dinner guests at Wild Izakaya on the Tuesday night was Taku Mayfair’s head sommelier Bowie, and on Thursday, it was time for Kei and importer Musigny Wines to host another small group at this prestigious restaurant. Taku is the sister location of a Paris restaurant that has held a Michelin star for its sushi for over a decade. The London branch opened in November 2022 and brought with it the head chef from Paris, Takuya Watanabe, who initially trained in Sapporo, worked in a kaiseki restaurant and then moved to France to open Jin in Paris. Taku Mayfair has been an incredibly enthusiastic supporter of Kei’s wines, so it was a treat to have the winemaker attend in person.

A fine selection served at Orion Restaurant, Wimbledon Village.

Finally, a long week of fine wine and fine dining was brought to a close on Friday evening with a mixed trade and private client dinner at Orion, a new stylish restaurant opening in Wimbledon. This confident new opening on the former site of The Light House is the work of Alex Webb, winner of MasterChef: The Professionals, who has worked at restaurants such as Hélène Darroze at The Connaught and The Frog Hoxton. Orion is a French-inspired, British seafood-led restaurant – the name references the Orion constellation, symbolising the three men who have inspired Alex’s love of cooking – his late father and two grandfathers. This new opening paired some beautiful dishes with a pair of whites from Kei – namely his Bourgogne Blanc Famelottes 2023 and his Chassagne-Montrachet Fontaine Sot 2023 followed by Kei’s Gevrey-Chambertin village 2023 and his delightful Pommard Poisot 2023.

This fantastic week of fine food and wine was organised by Kei Shiogai’s exclusive UK agent Andrew Pavli at Musigny Wines. As an independent observer, it was really great to see so many restaurant buyers and sommeliers get the chance to not only taste but also drink and enjoy Kei’s exceptional wines with fine cuisine – exactly what the wines were made for in the first place. As with many uber collectable Burgundy domaine names, it is all to easy to sometimes just sell the wines off a spreadsheet to the bottomless black hole of private client collectors, so I certainly take my hat off to Andrew and his team for making so much effort to place Kei’s wines in top restaurants where customers can order these rare bottles and pull the corks over lunch or dinner. I know that this has always been a priority for Kei. Now, we can only just hope that Kei agrees to visit the UK again soon and doesn’t wait another decade!

The Kei Shiogai wines are available on allocation from Musigny Wines. Contact Andrew for further details:

Andrew@musigny.wine

The Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Grenache Tasting Celebrates Its Historic 10th Anniversary Tasting in London…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

And just like that, what started out 10 years ago as a serious but fun effort by a group of passionate wine trade professionals and wine collectors to taste and benchmark some of the best Grenache wines in the world has evolved into one of the most respected annual blind Grenache assessments organised anywhere in the world. Year by year, more and more effort has been channelled into sourcing the rarest, the finest and the purest terroir expressions of Grenache produced. Much of this positive momentum and passion must be attributed to the Judgement of Wimbledon’s Convenor of Judges, Riaan Potgieter.

A Historic 10th Anniversary Tasting

Year after year, Riaan has painstakingly scoured the new releases and global reviews with the sole mission of tracking down any new fine Grenache expressions whether produced in the USA, South Africa, Australia or Spain. So, it seems only fitting that Riaan’s efforts and considerable financial outlay annually, are acknowledged and recognised. As soon as one Judgement tasting ends, Riaan can be seen planning the next line-up by tracking down and tasting numerous new pretenders as well as organising multiple preliminary blind tasting rounds to whittle down the final selection.

67 Pall Mall – the 2026 tasting venue.

In its 10th year, the Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 departed slightly from previous editions by assembling an array of wines mostly from producers who had performed well in previous years, but this time using vintages with some additional bottle age. The New World participants were chosen primarily from the 2019 vintage and the Old World producers from the 2018 vintage, allowing for some wines to shed their youthful reductive veil and show their true terroir and pedigree as their winemakers intended.

The 18 wine blind Grenache line-up.

The final 18 wine line-up for the 2026 Judgement of Wimbledon blind tasting featured 3 wines from Australia, 3 wines from South Africa, 11 wines from Spain (1 x Aragon, 1 x Costers del Segre, 3 x Gredos, 2 x Montsant, 3 x Priorat and 1 x Rioja) and 1 from the USA. Due to the older vintage categories chosen, this naturally excluded some newer start-ups such as Dylan Grigg from the Barossa Valley in Australia as his first Vinya Vella Old Vine Grenache vintage was only produced in 2021. The other notable change to the format was moving the venue from Wimbledon to the mecca of London fine wine, 67 Pall Mall, where a professional team of sommeliers could organise optimal glassware and perfect pouring temperatures.

With guest judge Dominik Huber from Terroir Al Limit in Priorat.
With last year’s winner, Juanan Martin from Rico Nuevo in Gredos.

In 2024, the judging panel was joined by Vinous.com lead critic Neal Martin, and in 2025, the panel was positively thrilled to have world renowned wine critic and Grenache / Garnacha specialist Luis Gutierrez from The Wine Advocate join proceedings. For the 10th anniversary, two top producers were invited to join the Judgement panel, namely Dominik Huber from Terroir Al Limit in Priorat and Juanan Martin, who’s own wine Rico Nuevo La Quebra 2021 won the Judgement tasting in 2025. In all, there were 14 judges this year and two bottles of each wine were poured blind.

The 2026 pouring order of wines.

As is customary, below you can find my personal BLIND tasting notes and scores.

Typing up my blind tasting notes.

Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 Blind Tasting Notes:

Wine 1: Alvaro Palacios Quinon de Valmira 2018, Rioja, Spain

Sweet and sour red and black fruits on the nose with clear savoury hints, stewed red plums, dried baking herbs and bramble berry spice. The palate is sleek and taut, fine grained, mineral yet delicately sappy with bramble berry fruits, silky soft compact tannins and a spicy, stony mineral finish with a delicate kiss of dried thyme on the finish. 

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

Wine 2: Torres Mas de la Rosa 2018, Priorat, Spain

Deeper, darker broodier aromatics with notions of sweet damson plum, black cherry, cinnamon and clove spice with a hint of mixed dry baking herbs and mint leaf. On the palate this is a real Peter Pan wine packed full of blue and black berry fruits, pithy cherry and saline cassis on the dense, compact finish. Wonderful composure, balance and harmony on this young, vibrant, fruit forward expression.

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

Wine 3: Sadie Family Wines Old Vine Series Soldaat 2019, Swartland, South Africa

A tighter, fresher, mineral driven aromatics with hints of crushed granite, bay leaf and whole bunch red berry spice. The palate is subtle and understated, compact and pithy with hints of vermouth spice, Seville orange peel and pithy black cherry persistence. A more classically framed, Old World leaning expression that you expect would have been reductive in its youth but that is now finally drawing the curtains and letting in the light. A very pretty, stony, terroir driven expression.

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

Wine 4: Frontonio El Jardín de Las Iguales Garnacha 2018, Aragon, Spain

A more lifted, exotic aromatics with notes of cherry cola and stewed strawberry but also some subtle early tertiary notes of bramble berries, tannery leather and strawberry compote. The colour shows some age and development, the palate too is equally sweet and sour, slightly evolved and showing savoury cured Serrano ham notes over pithy stewed red berry hints. An intriguing expression.

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

*It should be noted that some tasters who know the Frontonio well thought that the 2018 bottles might have suffered some heat damage or poor storage. While the wine still performed relatively well, judges wanted it noted for the record that the bottles may not have shown at their best.

Wine 5: Rico Nuevo La Quebra 2018, Gredos, Spain

A darker fruit profile is dominant in the glass with a dusty, stony minerality and some smoky, spicy wood smoke and blueberry fruit opulence. The youthful depth and blueberry opulence follows to the palate that shows chalky grippy tannins, a fabulous piercing black cherry and black fruited intensity with a searing saline oystershell maritime edge to the finish. Very impressive indeed. 

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

Wine 6: Lagravera Ciclic Negre 2019, Costers del Segre, Spain

A richer, riper aromatics with notes of cola syrup, red cherry candy and caramelised brown sugar. The palate is cool and sleek, slightly understated but retaining the cola candy mouth coating “dry” sweetness. Plenty of glycerol weight, the tannins are stony and slightly rasping, the finish drying, picante and slightly curtailed at the moment.

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

Wine 7: Mas Martinet Els Escurcons 2018, Priorat, Spain

Exotic aromatics suggests pink musk, rock candy and Wrigley’s chewing gum. Underneath, there are herby spicy notes with subtle medicinal medicine chest nuances. The palate is fleshy and generous, cool and chalky with a certain harmonious accessibility and chalky, candied approachability. Silky tannins, beautiful finesse and a fine youthful freshness on the finish. 

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

Wine 8: Alkina Polygon No. 5 Grenache 2019, Barossa Valley, Australia

A taut, tight, broody aromatics with defined notes of granitic tension and dusty minerality over sappy red fruits and pink musk. Compact yet fleshy, there is good glycerol weight, savoury broody, earthy red and black fruits and a fine-grained chalky limestone mineral finish. Tight, youthful overall impression but certainly not lacking any class. 

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

Wine 9: Terroir Sense Fronteres Guix Vermell 2018, Montsant, Spain

The aromatics are stand alone with unique hints of caramelised brown sugar, wood smoke, roasted caramelised nuts and cola syrup hints. Tight grained, chalky and deliciously mineral on the palate, there is that invigorating salinity that raises its head, with creamy talcum tannins, tight grained tension and a real pedigree on display here. True class. 

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

Wine 10: Venus la Universal Venus de La Figuera 2018, Montsant, Spain

The aromatics show a unique mix of baking herbs, cinnamon and clove spice over notes of cola, pithy red cherry and delicate reductive black currant nuances. The palate is a little looser knit than some examples, with savoury strains, clove and vermouth spices, dried herbs and pithy red and black cherry spices over cured meats on the chalky mineral finish that coats your palate with energetic grippy tannins. An enticing expression of Grenache.

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

Wine 11: Terroir al Limit Les Manyes 2018, Priorat, Spain

This shows hints of tertiary complexity before notes of cinnamon and cedar oak spice, bramble berries, cola and top notes of thyme. The picante, spicy, lipstick lift continues to the palate that is incredibly tight grained, chalky and mineral, with a fascinating texture. The acids are fresh and lift the wine on its long finish. Another wine with a real terroir feel.

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

Wine 12: Comando G Tumba del Rey Moro, Gredos, Spain (Magnum)

A complex expression that combines aromatics of musk, talc and dried herbs with notes of dried cherries, potpourri and pressed violets over a subtle granitic undertone. The vermouth spices and red liquorice notes rise on the palate with more pink musky fruits, red cherry, and the ever present drying chalky granitic spice from some formidable tannins. Despite its age, this is an infant in nappies, promising a phenomenal future of fine wine drinking.

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

Wine 13: Naude Wines Grenache 2019, Western Cape (Swartland), South Africa

This feels a leaner, tighter, more mineral expression on the nose with an earlier picked translucent, mineral brightness to the bramble berry and wild strawberry fruits. The palate is vibrant and plucky, fresh, light on its feet but certainly lacking no intensity, as the acids reverberate across the mouth, the cranberry and red apple fruits lingering for extra effect on the finish. A pristine, focused, classical expression of note.

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

Wine 14: Thistledown Sands of Time 2019, McLaren Vale, Australia

A rich, expressive aromatics boasts notes of caramelised sugar, toffee apples, red currants and bramble berry spice with a hint of cherry cola. The exotic aromatics translate into a delightfully approachable expression on the palate with generosity and opulence, tangy acids with crystalline red cherry and red plum fruits and an altogether more serious length and power on the saline finish. Very long, intense and piercing! Wow.

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

Wine 15: Momento Grenache Noir 2019, Swartland, South Africa

Another complex, broody example with slight cola-tinged red cherry hints over delicate wild strawberry spiced fruits. The palate is a little wild and bloody, like fresh game birds bleeding on the chopping board as they are dusted with herbs and spices. With plenty of minerality on the finish, this is yet another artisanal Grenache that speaks of its terroir.

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

Wine 16: Yangarra High Sands Grenache 2019, McLaren Vale, Australia

This shows a compact, dense black fruited aromatics with youthful complexity, black plum layers, and blueberry and mint leaf nuances. If the nose was fanning the proverbial peacock’s tail, the palate is positively in full dance mode, plush, fresh, compact and youthful with rich and intense black berry fruits that remain restrained and never err on the side of vulgar sweetness, always carefully ringfenced by chalky mineral tannins with just the most delicate vermouth herbal nuance on the finish. 

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

Wine 17: Clendenen Rancho La Cuna Grenache 2019, Santa Maria Valley, USA

An exotic, overt aromatics showing a slightly more medicinal, herbal array of spice and macerated red berry fruits over barley sugar and molasses hints. While the medicinal notes dissipate, the slightly caramelised molasses black stewed fruits persist long on the palate, giving this wine a feel of ripeness, some early development and a warmer climate feel. The finish is intense, long and decidedly savoury.

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

Wine 18: 4 Monos Viticultores La Isilla 2018, Gredos, Spain

A beautifully lifted aromatics displays notes of talc and pink musk, red cherry, strawberry candy and fresh pink bubble gum nuances. The tension and linearity on the palate are palpable, strict, focused and rasping with chalky limestone tannins, tart piercing tangy acids and a fine-grained texture that is so beautifully polished. Very impressive, mineral expression.

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

Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Scoring Procedure:

All judges are required to offer their final rankings from their favourite to least favourite, numbered from 1 to 18, with the largest score tally going to the top ranked wines which are then all added together to get a final 1 to 18 group ranking by “preference points”. So, a slightly different dynamic to that of the judges’ favourite to least favourite choices by score alone, which of course could easily see 3, 4 or even 5 different wines sitting on the same score of 94 or 95 points etc. However, judges are then required to retaste the matching scored wines and order them in a subjective preference to complete a final 1 to 18 without actually being required to change the wines final blind score. This method can sometimes lead to wines scored slightly higher, perhaps on 96.9/100, ranking lower than a wine on 96.3/100, because of judges final “preference points” tally.

Riaan Potgieter, Convenor of Judges for the Judgement of Wimbledon.

Judgement of Wimbledon Convenor of Judges 2026 Executive Summary – By Riaan Potgieter

The 10th anniversary always had to be something special, and while I knew we wanted to open some back vintages, selecting the right vintage(s) was far from straightforward. These wines are typically made in small quantities, and with many producers still relatively new, sourcing bottles was always going to be a challenge. Naturally, the further back I looked, the fewer options were available. In the end, I settled on 2018/19: old enough for the wines to be drinking beautifully, yet recent enough to ensure a compelling lineup from two excellent vintages.

Dominik Huber deep in thought mid tasting.

Armed with a selection of wines ready to drink, we were all exhilarated by the prospect of experiencing them a bit closer to their peak. What we didn’t anticipate was just how challenging that would make the tasting. Given we normally use wines from the latest vintage release, judges are used to wines being closed off initially but continuing to evolve over the course of a tasting session, but this time the wines took “evolution” to an entirely new level. They were playful and unpredictable in the best possible way. Every sip brought something new and exciting, and returning for another pour often felt like encountering a completely different wine.

Trying to rank the wines in any sort of order was equal parts delight and agony. Each wine demanded your full attention, yet the ticking clock kept dragging us back to reality and the serious business of attempting to record something remotely coherent on our tasting sheets. One thing is certain: I’ve never seen Judgement of Wimbledon judges so quiet, and for so long, before finally erupting into the inevitable excited post wine tasting chatter.

The final results revealed.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to Juanan Martin of Rico Nuevo and Dominik Huber of Terroir al Limit for joining us at this year’s event. It felt only right to share the 10th anniversary with some of the people who made it possible and who continue to bring us so much vinous joy. It was a true honour to have them both with us for the occasion. We did, of course, do our best to persuade them to have a guess which wine was their own, but they steadfastly rebuffed even our most determined efforts.

In the end, these wines more than delivered on the brief — doing so in a way that goes far beyond anything a simple 100-point score could ever capture. The 2026 Judgement of Wimbledon provided an experience that will resonate for a very long time, far exceeding even our wildest expectations when we took our first tentative steps into this new world of light, edgy Grenache way back in 2017.

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2026: Group Blind Ranking Results

All judges were required to submit their final rankings, from favourite to least favourite, numbered from 1 to 18. Points were allocated accordingly, with higher-ranked wines receiving more points. These scores were then aggregated to produce a final group ranking from 1 to 18 based on total preference points. Under this format, first place was awarded to Terroir al Límit Les Manyes—an old favourite and a first-time winner—which secured the largest winning margin in the history of the Judgement of Wimbledon. Second place went to Marelise Niemann’s Momento Grenache, improving slightly on last year’s maiden entry and finishing in the top three for the second consecutive year. Rico Nuevo rounded out the top three with his maiden vintage of La Quebra, another strong performance following his win at last year’s event with the 2021 vintage.

The Judgement of Wimbledon 2026 Final results (by judges’ preferences).

When the results were recalculated using a straight score ranking—by averaging all judges’ 100‑point scores—the order shifted slightly, with a tighter distribution among the top wines. Les Manyes remained firmly in first place, while second and third positions were taken by Álvaro Palacios Quiñón de Valmira and Sadie Family Soldaat, respectively.

Final results by straight averaged judges’ scores.

Final Conclusions…

The 2026 tasting line-up featured an incredible array of mature Grenache wines, all representing the finest expression of terroir and winemaking from around the world. Also, it cannot be overstated that many preliminary tasting rounds took place during the course of the year with view to choosing the final line-up of wines. Merely having your wine selected for the final Judgement of Wimbledon tasting line-up should be regarded as a massive accolade in itself. 

The 2026 Grenache line-up.

For the 2027 Judgement of Wimbledon Blind Grenache Tasting, the younger 2023 vintage will be assessed. If you would like to potentially have your wines included in the tasting, please message me directly through the A Fine Wine Safari contacts page. Until next year, keep drinking Grenache!!

Fine organisation by the sommeliers at 67 Pall Mall Private Members Club.

Another Exciting New Young Gun Producer from the Breedekloof Releases Their Maiden Vintage – Tasting the Van Blommestein Colombar 2025…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I recently rated and reviewed the excellent Old Vine Chenin Blanc from Gabriel Du Bois, an ex-Elsenburg wine college student I had very briefly lectured to on the international fine wine market. Well, yet another ex-Elsenburg student I briefly lectured to has risen from the retired textbooks of university academia and finally released his own first wine – Joshua Van Blommestein. Bottled under the eponymous Van Blommestein Wines label, this is a brand Joshua established in 2023, and his first release is a highly accomplished Old Vine Colombar white from the Breedekloof.

The Elsenburg Agricultural Training Institute, to use its full name, has become world famous for cultivating highly skilled, ‘hit-the-ground-running’ kind of students who have the ability to dive straight into the complex and challenging commercial world of agriculture… and winemaking in particular. Based on what I tasted with this exciting new 2025 Colombar release, Joshua is yet another bright talent for the wine industry to keep a very close eye on. I feel honoured to be one of the first international critics to review his wine. 

Van Blommestein Wines Klipdans Colombar 2025, WO Breedekloof, 11.39% Abv.

2.2 g/l RS | 5/7 gL TA.

Most of the best Colombar expressions in the Cape come from Old Vines and this Klipdans Colombar 2025 from Joshua Van Blommestein is made from a 42-year-old heritage certified vineyard in the Breedekloof grown on rocky sandy soils. Picked in the early morning to retain freshness before being basket pressed, the juice is then settled for 24 hours and racked straight into 400 litre old oak barrels for a natural fermentation. With an 11.39% alcohol, the wine is unsurprisingly crisp, taut, and crystalline with pronounced aromatic notes of white blossoms, pear drop, green apple and cream soda alongside a well-defined stony mineral thread. The oak interplay is delicately spicy and restrained offering up subtle hints of dried herbs and cinnamon spice that follow to the palate where the wine shows an impressive glycerol mouthfeel despite its low abv. with notes of white peach, crunchy green pear and wet stone liquid minerality. Tasted over several days, any initial youthful suggestions of flinty struck match reduction blow off very quickly to reveal a beautifully pure, naked terroir expression of Colombar. The palate concentration and textural weight suggest this maiden release will drink well over 3 to 5+ years but I suggest enjoying its vibrancy and mouthwatering freshness over the next 2 to 3+ years.

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

For trade enquiries, please contact Joshua at: joshua@vbwines.co.za