Naude Family Wines Builds On the Recent Judgement of Wimbledon Pronouncement with the Official Release of their Grenache 2020…

It was great catching up with Ian Naude from Naude Family Wines in London at the end of June 2023 to taste his superb new red releases including the 2017 Werfdans Cinsault (97/100 GSMW), his Oupa Willem Heritage Red Blend 2020 (96+/100 GSMW), as well as his delicious new Grenache 2020 (96/100 GSMW). It was of course his Grenache 2020 that featured in the Top 5 wines in the epic blind Judgement of Wimbledon Tasting 2023 earlier this year, within a lineup of the greatest new release Grenache wines money can buy.

An annual Grenache celebration, the Judgement of Wimbledon results came out a few weeks before the official South African release of the Grenache 2020. With this wine newly landed in the UK market, I thought it was appropriate to revisit this impressive cult wine from Ian Naude. On my recent visit to the Cape in March 2023, I finally paid my first visit to this mythical Agter-Paardeberg vineyard that was planted in 2004.

The Agter-Paardeberg Swartland Grenache vineyard planted in 2004.

Located just behind the back entrance of Eben Sadie’s winery, these Grenache vines are only just down the road from the oldest Grenache vineyard in South Africa, vines planted on Adi Badenhorst’s Kalmoesfontein farm located next door to Eben Sadie. While Ian’s vineyard is not yet an old vine certified vineyard, it is certainly one of the “future old vine sites” that organisations like the Old Vine Project hope will reach a healthy old age in years to come.

Picked in small crates approximately three weeks before other winemakers who contract other parts of the same vineyard, the wine was fermented naturally with a combination of whole bunches, destemmed grapes and some added back stalks. Using one or two pump overs per day, the wine was left for approximately two weeks before being pressed and transferred into 225 litre old French oak barrels for approximately 12 to 15 months before bottling.

Naude Family Wines Grenache 2020, WO Swartland, 11% Abv.

1.8g/l RS | 5.8g/l TA | 3.33pH

Attractively light and ethereal in colour, the nose of the 2020 Grenache shows delightful, sweet, sappy red berry fruits, cool crunchy red cherries, earthy red plums, bramble berries and grated red apple skin nuances. The palate is taut, linear and rapier fresh with liquid laser beams, maritime salinity and a tart yet deliciously mouth-watering salty minerality. This is fine wine elegance with extreme precision and crystalline classical power all delivered so deftly. A really exceptional expression of Paardeberg / Swartland Grenache the can rival the very best from Gredos in Spain. Drink on release and over the next 8 to 15+ years.

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