Few South African producers have committed themselves to a pair of cultivars as completely as Stellenbosch producer Bruwer Raats. Since founding Raats Family Wines in 2000, he has worked almost exclusively with Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, and built his reputation on the decomposed Granitic soils of the Polkadraai Hills, back then a little-regarded corner of Stellenbosch facing False Bay.
Bruwer Raats in his Eden Cabernet Franc vineyard.
For collectors, Bruwer’s Eden High Density Single Vineyard range has become the summit of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc quality. Planted in the late 2000s just behind the family home, these densely planted, individually staked vines were designed strictly for quality from the start. The Eden Chenin Blanc, from 0.6 hectares, is textural, savoury and tightly focused, with a long pithy finish and the poise to age. The Eden Cabernet Franc comes from a mere 0.2 hectares and is made in tiny quantities, often just a few hundred bottles. It is always highly perfumed, fine-tannined and elegant, which explains not only its cult following but also its place among the Cape’s most sought-after red wines.
The Vlag Vineyard Selection Cabernet Franc offers a complementary expression of Polkadraai Hills fruit. It is slightly more accessible in availability, and a good way to understand the Raats house style before pursuing the rarer Eden bottlings. Across all the range, the signature is precision over power, or as Bruwer puts it, ‘quality by design,’ which makes these wines compelling additions for any fine wine collectors’ cellar!
Walking the Eden vineyard with Bruwer.
I spent two days with Bruwer in August 2026 and tasted through all his new releases. I also walked the Eden vineyard to inspect the new plantings that are being planned, the soil currently under preparation.
Raats Family Wines Proxima Centauri Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.
This special Chenin Blanc cuvee made by Sam Raats forms the fourth official release of the Proxima Centauri range specially released to the Raats Family Wines tasting room and mailing list membership. The 2025 cuvee is made from two vineyards in the Polkadraai Hills, 85% from bush vines in the ‘Bluegums’ vineyard (on mostly sandy Granitic soils) and 25% from ‘Somerlus’ vineyard grown on complex Granitic soils with more clay content that adds an extra layer of richness and power to the wine. Aged for 11 months in 300 litre second fill French oak barrels with tight grain and blonde toasting, the aromatics are quite entrancing, the tight grained French oak spice melting away into white peach, bruised yellow orchard fruits, delicately savoury leesy biscuit notes and wet straw nuances. The palate stops you dead in your tracks – intense, piercing and polished with an incredible concentration of peach and quince fruits, waxy bergamot lemons and sour yellow plums. Astonishing freshness, fruit power and focus all assembled with an incredibly deft, finessed touch. Simply a masterpiece of winemaking. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Sneak preview tasting of the MR de Compostella 2024 and 2025 barrel samples with Bruwer Raats.An unlabelled Raats Family Wines Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2025.
Raats Family Wines Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.
Made from three blocks of Chenin Blanc with an average age of 55 years old, this 2025 release was 50% whole bunch pressed into neutral oak barrels and aged for 11 months after natural yeast fermentation. A 30% component was fermented in a concrete egg and aged for 11 months on its lees, with the remaining 20% fermented and aged for 11 months in stainless steel tanks. The aromatics on this 2025 Chenin Blanc show a delightfully floral, peachy lift defined by a beautiful purity and clarity, with delicate hints of honied quince, pear and apple puree nuances developing in the glass. The palate shows a harmonious breadth and depth, cool, creamy and seamlessly glycerol and fleshy in the mouth with wonderful precision, peachy fruit phenolics and a finely integrated oak spice all tightly woven together by a bright, crystalline tangy acidity. More sophisticated than showy, this is a confident, self-assured wine with a clear and present pedigree on display. Drink not to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Raats Family Wines Eden High-density Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.
The 2024 Eden Chenin Blanc was aged 30% in a new 500 litre Chassin French oak barrel for 11 months with the remaining 70% aged in concrete egg. The aromatics are incredibly complex and sophisticated interweaving hints of peach skins, waxy yellow apples and sappy sandalwood spices before a more pronounced top note of orange peel and honeycomb emerge from the glass. The palate is cool, supple and silky soft, the acids harmoniously fresh and integrated with a delicately fleshy tangy intensity alongside dried guava and sweet orange peel notions. A bold, regal wine that slowly reveals its complexity and sophistication at its own pace, finishing with a subtle mineral Granitic suggestion. A super premium, classical 2024 vintage Chenin Blanc where power and muscle is replaced with elegance and finesse and the fruit weight shines with a real purity, transparency and persistency making this a real pleasure to enjoy already in its youth. Drink on release to 2038+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Raats Family Wines Proxima Centauri Red Blend 2024, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13.5% Abv.
The red blend in the Proxima Centauri range is a room for experimentation for Sam Raats, changing in character slightly every year. This year, inspired by Mendoza, Argentina, the blend sees a tilt toward experimenting with 60% Malbec in the cuvee sourced from the Baken Block in the ‘Bluegum’ vineyard planted in 2008, with 40% Cabernet Franc coming from the Vlag Block on the Carinus farm across the road from the Raats cellar, planted in 2021. The single barrel blend was aged in a 300-litre used neutral oak French barrel for 18 months. The aromatics are lifted and plush, deliciously hedonistic with rich textured notes of sappy Malbec black berry fruits, black currant, graphite and black chai tea nuances before being pierced with an arrow line of Cabernet Franc musky perfume and cedar lead pencil spice. The palate is crisp and bright, medium bodied with a crunch, a linear acidity and a chalky, powdery tannin texture supported by backing notes of red currant, black currants and sour plum fruits. This is a majestically pure, chiselled wine with all the clarity and precision of the 2024 vintage – both linear, fresh and fabulously polished and tight grained on the long bright finish. A complex, well-constructed counterpart to the Proxima Centauri Chenin Blanc. Drink from 2027 to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Raats Family Wines Vlag Vineyard Selection Cabernet Franc 2024, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13.5% Abv.
Sourced from two vineyards on the Vlaeberg mountain, one planted in 2002 on high mid-slopes, and the other from a mid-slope vineyard planted in 2008. 33% open tank fermentation and then transferred to a new 500 litre Chassin French oak barrel as well as several older neutral older barrels. 33% was fermented and aged in concrete tanks, with the remainder tank fermented and then aged in 2500 litre French oak fourdre. The aromatics on the 2024 are incredibly taut, tight and restrained, almost smoky from the dusty Granitic spice, before hints of saline black currant, maritime sea breeze, lead pencil cedar and nori kelpy spice. The texture is tight grained, stony but also finely polished with powdery tannins, fresh linear acids and a chiselled nervy finish. The purity is impressive, showing a medley of black berry fruits, black currants and a kiss of pithy sappy black cherry all wrapped in a beautifully suave, chalky, powdery mineral frame. All the class and sophistication you would want from a premium Cabernet Franc along with 2024’s purity and mineral laden character. Drink on release to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Raats Family Wines Eden High-density Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2024, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.
This tiny 0.2 Ha Single Vineyard planted in 2009 right next to the Raats cellar on the Vlaeberg Road, is a high-density block with 8,000 vines per hectare. With the first vintage made in 2014, this 11th vintage shows all the regal grandeur, precision and opulence of a genuinely global iconic benchmark Cabernet Franc site capable of rivalling anything produced from this cultivar any where in the world. With only circa 500 litres made, the wine goes into a new Chassin tight grained lightly toasted French oak barrel for 11 months, before being transferred into a 5th fill of exactly the same barrel for another 9 months. The aromatics are incredibly complex and suave, revealing a sophisticated, super-premium character with a finely poised mix of violets, pink musk, gun flint, black berries, blueberries and a kiss of tight grained, almost Burgundian oak spice. This smells premium and also tastes super premium, with the palate showing an incredibly fine-grained texture, powdery chalky tannins and a refreshingly bright well integrated acidity. Where many 2024 reds show light touch intensity and linearity, this Eden Cabernet Franc reveals extra dimensions of fruit concentration, refined elegance, length and structure. Simply benchmark quality for this cultivar once again. Drink now to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Raats Family Wines are imported into the UK by Alliance Wines.
The 2026 Cape Winemakers Guild Auction returns to Brickfield Canvas in Cape Town on Friday, 2nd October and Saturday, 3rd October 2026, offering rare, small-batch wines crafted exclusively for the sale by South Africa’s most respected, peer-nominated winemakers. For over four decades, this auction has been the premier showcase of the country’s finest cellars, drawing serious collectors seeking exceptional, hard-to-find bottles.
JD Pretorius (Warwick Estate) and David Sadie (David & Nadia), Guild members.
To bid, register a Bidder’s Account with Strauss & Co before Thursday, 1 October — one registration covers both sessions, with online, telephonic, and commission bidding available worldwide. Whether you attend in person or bid remotely, this is your chance to secure some exceptional South African wine history.
Gary Jordan, long time Guild member.
Auction Wines’ Critic Scores:
CE = Christian Eedes, Editor, Winemag.co.za (Tasted and Rated Sighted)
MF = Michael Fridjhon, Trophy Wine Show & Business Day (Tasted and Rated Blind)
GSMW = Greg Sherwood MW, A Fine Wine Safari (Tasted and Rated Sighted)
AA Badenhorst Akkerbos Grenache Blanc 2025, WO Swartland, 12.86% Abv.
94 CE | 87 MF | 94 GSMW
Ataraxia Echo of Earth Pinot Noir 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.27% Abv.
93 CE | 91 MF | 93+ GSMW
Ataraxia Under The Gavel Chardonnay 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 12.98% Abv.
93 CE | 93 MF | 93 GSMW
Bartho Eksteen Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc – Op Hout 2025, WO Cape South Coast, 13.78% Abv.
94 CE | 94 MF | 94+ GSMW
Beaumont Family Wines GG’s Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Bot River, 12.33% Abv.
96 CE | 96 MF | 96 GSMW
Beaumont Family Wines Hope Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Bot River, 12.07% Abv.
95 CE | 92 MF | 94+ GSMW
Gary Jordan tasting Abrie Beeslaar’s CWG wine.
Beeslaar CWG Pinotage 2024. WO Stellenbosch, 14.25% Abv.
96 CE | 92 MF | 96 GSMW
Boschkloof CWG Auction Epilogue Syrah 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.66% Abv.
98 CE | 94 MF | 97+ GSMW
Cederberg Black Slate Shiraz 2024, WO Cederberg, 13.66% Abv.
92 CE | 95 MF | 95 GSMW
David & Nadia Veiling Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Paardeberg, 11.85% Abv.
96 CE | 94 MF | 95 GSMW
David Finlayson Wines Sleepless Nights Grenache Noir 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.6% Abv.
91 CE | 89 MF | 92 GSMW
De Grendel Rietfontein Syrah 2023, WO Ceres Plateau, 13.74% Abv.
93 CE | 94 MF | 93+ GSMW
De Grendel West Side Merlot 2024, WO Cape Town, 14.58% Abv.
92 CE | 94 MF | 93 GSMW
De Trafford Cabernet Sauvignon 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 15.04% Abv.
91 CE | 93 MF | 93+ GSMW
De Trafford Chenin Blanc L17 2025, WO Stellenbosch
94 CE | 95 MF | 95 GSMW
Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Banghoek, Stellenbosch, 14.71% Abv.
95 CE | 97 MF | 94 GSMW
Dewaldt Heyns Family Wines Saailand Shiraz 2024, 14.11% Abv.
Van Loggerenberg CWG Auction Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Piekenierskloof, 13.24% Abv.
97 CE | 90 MF | 96+ GSMW
Van Loggerenberg CWG Auction Syrah 2025, WO Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, 13.61% Abv.
96 CE | 96 MF | 97 GSMW
Warwick Auction Cabernet Franc – Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, 14/5% Abv.
94 CE | 93 MF | 95 GSMW
Auction Registration Details:
The auction takes place on Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd of October at Strauss & Co, Brickfield Canvas, Cape Town, with online bidding also available. For tickets, bidding registration and more information, see:
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.
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+.
Franschhoek is of course better known as the “French Corner” of the Cape winelands, and as such, has built up an internationally respected reputation for boutique wine quality to accompany its world-famous culinary tourism and boutique hotel and spa scene. Working in co-ordination with the Franschhoek Vignerons’ membership, and in particular Gerard Holden of Holden Manz winery fame, I was able to put together an incredible in-depth, deep-dive line-up of wine tastings, vineyard walks and winery visits over a three-day visit to the Franschhoek Valley in August 2026.
The mountains of the Franschhoek Valley
The Franschhoek Valley and its vignerons are certainly not short on brand strengths and general unique selling points when it comes to promoting their wider reputation. They already possess a brand equity built on quality and heritage, with their unique Huguenot founding story and French lineage intertwined with a well-established food-and-wine tourism identity helping to set them apart from other nearby regions such as Paarl, Wellington, and indeed Stellenbosch.
Vines on the Holden Manz Estate
This distinct narrative advantage over other generic “South African wines” has given the Valley a valuable differentiated positioning in the UK market where South Africa is already a familiar, trusted Wine of Origin for international consumers. Crucially for the Franschhoek Valley, South African wine exports have been shifting from bulk to value added, an export strategy that has been prioritised by multiple wine industry trade bodies for some years now, where market diversification and strategic positioning have become all important.
As global wine consumption continues to soften, the data reveals that volumes shipped to the UK declined by 7% in the most recent reporting period, while export value rose by 4%, underscoring the growing competitiveness of South African wine in retail and on-trade channels. For Franschhoek’s largely premium wine producers, this “value over volume” trend plays directly to their strengths as they are not competing on bulk pricing but on quality, story and provenance, which the market is rewarding even as overall demand contracts.
As someone who has bought, sold and drunk the best wines of Franschhoek for many decades, after three deep dive days tasting and travelling around the Valley’s various terroirs, I’m very pleased to report that the Franschhoek’s winemakers, often led by a new generation of young ambitious vignerons, is focusing on quality and precision like never before. Franschhoek is a small Ward, and production is largely boutique within the context of the Western Cape wine industry, with 71% of producers considered small-scale, crushing between 1 and 500 tons of grapes annually.
The luxury Spa at Terre Paisible winery.
Another overlooked benefit of decades of luxury tourism to the Valley is how this now plays directly into the fast growing Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales trend, with these channels now emerging as very lucrative alternative revenue streams for wineries at higher-than-normal retail margins. Despite sales volume pressures, the UK remains the anchor market in which South Africa cannot afford to lose momentum, and to my mind, there is still plenty of room for Franschhoek’s producers to leverage market share more aggressively through premiumisation, positioning single-estate, terroir-driven wines above the generic South African category, in specialist independents, fine-dining lists, and DTC subscription models.
The lawns at Lynx Winery.
Wine tourism – while not a be-all and end-all opportunity in itself – remains an underused lever for converting cellar-door visitors into meaningful customers, and a realistic path to continued success for Franschhoek’s wineries will be value-led, premiumising the Franschhoek Valley name, expanding direct-to-consumer and hospitality channels, and better exploiting the very well establish fine dining and culinary USP of the Franschhoek Valley, tying the boutique wines of the Valley more closely into a premium virtuous food and wine circle.
Finally, on a more practical winery level, there are still many basic winemaking levers available to producers to further develop niche wine sales categories.
Some of these categories that can and should be championed more confidently include:
* The White Blend category, specifically as it relates to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon “White Bordeaux Blends”.
* Continuing to champion the old vine heritage of the Valley, in particular the famous old vine Semillon wines that are becoming more and more sought-after globally.
* Being more confident in promoting the excellent quality of the Valley’s Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux Blends, as has been championed by producers such as Boekenhoutskloof in the past with their famous Franschhoek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
* The continued development of Cabernet Franc single cultivar wines as the category continues to gain popularity worldwide.
* Making more of the exceptional potential of the Valley’s Syrah vineyards, some examples perhaps needing to be reined in a little with regards to ripeness levels, picking dates and alcohol levels, but the fruit quality is undoubtedly clearly evident.
* For single cultivar white wines, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc continue to offer excellent potential, and producers would be wise to continue building on the quality reputation that already exists globally for these cultivars. While there isn’t a lot of Chenin Blanc planted in the Valley, the quality potential is also excellent.
* Finally, Franschhoek Valley has become very well known for its excellent Cap Classique traditional method sparkling wines and this represents a lucrative ongoing, scalable opportunity for producers.
Franschhoek Vignerons Tasting:
(Winemakers were invited to present several of their top wines to the other attending Franschhoek Valley winemakers with constructive open discussion being welcomed.)
Cap Classique:
Wildeberg Cap Classique Météorique Blanc de Blancs 2023, WO Franschhoek
Harvested from 5-year-old vines, super rocky soils, fermented in older 6th fill French oak barrels, kept on lees for 24 months, zero dosage. Creamy biscuit, salted brioche, (8-9,000 bottles) brine and maritime salty kelp hints. Creamy, plush and broad in the mouth, vibrant, steely, linear, with a delicious white citrus finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Haute Cabrière Cap Classique Pierre Jourdan Blanc de Blancs 2021, WO Franschhoek
100% Chardonnay, 4.5 years on lees, with 1 g/l dosage, leaving a 3g/l RS. Apple pastille, lemon cordial, creamy mousse, lemon peel, baking spices and a creamy textural finish with a kiss of rock salt salinity.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Terre Paisible Cap Classique Vivre Blanc de Blancs 2019, WO Franschhoek
Aged 36 months on its lees, zero dosage, an opulent rich style made from pure Chardonnay off the property. Earthy nuances, savoury root veg, citrus and explosive mousse on the finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
L’Ormarins Cap Classique Private Cuvée 2017, WO Western Cape
First vintage 2012. A regional blend of fruit including Robertson and Darling shows steely white citrus, chalk and talc notes. Energetic, vibrant grippy mousse, lovely saline edge with a punchy persistent finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Le Lude Cap Classique Madáme Millésime Blanc de Blancs 2017, WO Western Cape
Pure Chardonnay aged 8.5 years on its lees with zero dosage. Intense, leesy, sourdough and brioche character with a hint of brine and lemon cordial. Energetic mousse, fine grained, creamy and chalky with a delicately savoury finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Le Lude Cap Classique Vintage Cuvée 2016, WO Western Cape
Aged 8 years and 8 months on its lees. Only the third release after 2012 and 2013, this is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, lovely depth and breadth, the mousse very fine grained and creamy, the purity and sublte richness lingering on the long persistent finish. Characterful, hints of truffle and lovely length. Classy.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Le Lude Cap Classique Rosé 2019, WO Western Cape
57% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Meunier aged 6.5 years on its lees, disgorged in March 2026 with a 3.3 g/l RS. Delicate copper pink the aromatics are very red fruited, rose petals, cranberry, and more creamy mousse. Savoury but subtle and perfumed, a lovely benchmark Rose Cap Classique.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
White Wines:
Terre Paisible Les Dames de 1987 Sauvignon Blanc 2023, WO Franschhoek
Intense aromatics, powerful, lifted and quite profound. Grapefruit, gooseberry, green apple and limestone minerality. Textural, complex, multi-layered with a lovely long finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Rickety Bridge Regna Loca Semillon 2025, WO Franschhoek
A new wine range. Franschhoek 1905 old vine Semillon grown on sandy well-draining soils. Low vigour vines yield a steely, mineral, cool classical aromatics from the Landau Vineyard that was so famous. Tightly wound, mineral and white citrus. Very serious expression. Love it.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Old Road Wine Co. La Colline Single Vineyard Grand Mere Semillon 2024, WO Franschhoek
7,000 vines per Ha planted in 1936. Whole bunch pressed into 500 litre oak barrels and clay amphora aged for 9 months, sometimes with partial malo. Beautifully waxy, yellow orchard fruits and hints of peach. Honied, textural and delicately mealy and savoury with a touch of lanolin and butter on the finish. Superb.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Semillon Reserve 2023, WO Franschhoek
25- to 30-year-old vineyard with a good vigour. Complex nose of green apple, white citrus and delicate sapidity. Cool, stony and rich, beautifully textured, creamy and tangy with a fine vein of stony minerality. Impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chamonix Old Vine Steen Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Franschhoek
Decomposed Granite and Greywacke soils with clay. Planted in 1965 on the coolest pocket on the farm, packed full of peach and quince with dried herbs, hay, thyme and mint leaf. Rich, textured and glycerol with impressive concentration, orange peel, tangerine, and sweet honeycomb and peaches.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Old Road Wine Co. Single Vineyard Stone Trail Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Franschhoek
Planted in 1982, 400 metres above sea level on Table Mountain sandstone, unirrigated. A more dusty, spicy, dried straw and herbal expression. A more mineral, flinty, linear style with circa 2g/l RS. Steely, lean and delicately savoury with a peachy, stony finish. Serious class.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Lynx Winery Viognier 2021, WO Franschhoek
Graves and pebbles on old alluvial soils. Rich and honied, showing plenty of peachy stone fruits, mealy savoury notes, wet straw, honey, bees wax and delicate wood spice notes. Plush and textured, with bright acids, a creamy, glycerol, honied palate texture. A very classy example aging well for a 2021.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Wildeberg White Blend 2023, WO Franschhoek
Started in 2018 with first vintage. 100% Semillon from the Landau Vineyard. Semillon and 5% Semillon Gris harvested and vinified together. Fermernted and aged in 600 litre Stockinger barrels, 20% new. Steely, ripe, tangy with a dusty Granitic minerality, tangy bright acids and a cut apple, peachy concentration on the finish. Very classy and sophisticated.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Haute Collection Amphora Chardonnay 2024, WO Franschhoek
Creamy, talc, lemon curd, dusty, from a 1983 vineyard on alluvial valley floor soils. Early picked, then fermented in Amphora. Stony pithy aromatics, flinty reductive hints, pure lime and citrus, light, finessed elegance in a very pure, hands-off expression. Delicately leesy, steely acidity and vibrantly fresh.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Bri Barrel Select Chardonnay 2024, WO Franschhoek
Young vine 8-year-old Chardonnay with three specific clones. (548, 277 and CY95). Delicately malty, mealy, biscuity top notes before savoury spicy lemon peel, a bright tangy sweet – sour acidity with a delicate vanilla pod kiss on the finish. Very expressive, complex and delightfully fleshy and long. Impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Motte Reserve Chardonnay 2024, WO Franschhoek
Cool, smoky and classical with a pronounced struck flint reductive character. Fermentation started in stainless steel before being transferred to barrel. Intense, vibrant and very gastronomic. Steely, lemon and lime focus.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay 2023, WO Elgin
A complex mineral, lemon and lime complexity, layered with herbs, stony minerality and a hint of orange blossom. Lovely lift of lime citrus, salted caramel, zippy intensity and a really delicious energy. Superb.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Great Heart Chardonnay 2022, WO Stellenbosch
Classic Stellenbosch Chardonnay with depth, earthy nuances and mineral spice. Quite a pronounced vein of leesy mealy biscuit notes from 7 months ageing on its lees. Classic peaches in honey, lemon cordial and a cool, creamy finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Paserene Chardonnay 2019, WO Elgin
A touch reductive still with a hint of honey, chamomile and kerosene, with a delicate oak footprint from 30% new French oak. Rich and green fruited, toasty, mealy with complex savoury wood spice nuances. Ageing well, this has plenty of legs to go further. No rush.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Terre Paisible Vigne d’Or Chardonnay 2022, WO Franschhoek
UC Davis 1 clone with thick skins, whole bunch pressed, racked into barrel for an inoculated Champagne yeast fermentation with circa 10 months ageing. Delicate reduction shows struck flint, lime peel, smoky nuances. Steely, mineral chalky and wet stone minerality and a lovely classical old-world finish. Classy.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Stony Brook Ghost Gum Chardonnay 2025, WO Franschhoek
548 clone shows bright and zesty with a hint of pyrazine leafy spice, wet chalk, grey slate and subtle white citrus. Palate is steely, bright and nervy, full of tension, linearity and coolness, displaying hints of pear drops, lemon citrus and delicate vanilla notes. 50% new French oak, 11 months in barrel. Lovely.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Red Wines:
Rickety Bridge Regna Loca Cinsault 2025, WO Paarl
1954 Old Vine Cinsault, incredibly lifted and perfumed, Granitic soils, this has lift, concentration and intensity. Violets, rose petals, Turkish delight, dried cherries. Taut, vibrant and fresh, nervy, intense and superb complexity.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Great Heart Pinot Noir 2022, WO Elgin
Dusty aromatic lift, touch of whole bunch spice, savoury, smoky brambly and delicately Granitic and earthy. Paul Cluver fruit, the red and black fruits are brambly and pithy, spicy and supple with good length.
(Wine Safari Score: 90+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Haute Collection Pinot Noir 2023, WO Franschhoek
Circa 4 to 5 tons per hectare, 4-day cold soak, 11 months in barrel. Minty choc spice lift with eucalypt, peppermint crisp, and wild strawberry spice. Intense concentration, piercing, tangy and focused. Impressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Chamonix Reserve Pinot Noir 2024, WO Franschhoek
14 months in French oak blond toast barrels, 50% new. Bright and pure, crystalline, sour cherry, lovely purity, elegance and precision with just a delicate hint of mint and eucalypt on the finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Lynx Winery Grenache 2023, WO Franschhoek
Vines are 25 years old with a regrafting from Cabernet Sauvignon in 2009. There is a broody black cherry, Granitic, wet slate complexity. Wild and candied on the palate, exotic, spicy and red fruited with a cherry cola kiss on the finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Bri Syrah 2023, WO Franschhoek
Planted on alluvial sands with the use of circa 5% Viognier co-fermented with the Syrah, all picked together in mid-March. A very harmonious style, in barrel for two years, 18% new, yielding balance, black berry fruits, pepper, spicy charcuterie and juicy, tangy fruit length. A very accessible wine with lovely approachability. Delicious.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Old Road Wine Co. Single Vineyard Pepper Wind Syrah 2024, WO Franschhoek
Fermented in small 1-ton fermenters, then basket pressed, with a portion in 600 litre ceramic pots. Delicate tarry notes, black currant, blue berry and black cherry. Picante, fresh and focused. Impressive and enticing.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Motte Reserve Syrah 2024, WO Cape South Coast
A vineyard lost in a flood so incorporates circa 30% Elim with the 60% Franschhoek Syrah and a splash of Stellenbosch Cabernet. Very cool and kelpy, liquorice, with a long linear, polished finish. Yum.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Wildeberg Red Blend 2023, WO Franschhoek
100% Syrah from Bo-Hoek in Franschhoek. 30% Whole bunch fermented is older 600 litre old barrels with ageing for 9 months. Dried herbs, thyme, garrigue, savoury black berry fruits. Creamy, polished and very attractive with wet slate, black cherry and creamy tannins. Truly classy!
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Stony Brook The Max Red Blend 2022, WO Franschhoek
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Pithy, black berry fruited expression with graphite, creating an opulent, ripe, picante, accessible fleshy texture with delicately spicy, kelpy, sappy, tobacco leaf notes. Cool, mineral and restrained layered with saline black current with a maritime finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Antonij Rupert Optima Red Blend 2022, WO Coastal Region
38% Cabernet Sauvignon, then Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Cool, savoury and elegant, the 30% new oak is well integrated, showing black currant, black plum and an earthy note. Sleek, vibrant creamy palate, lovely balance, that’s compact and fine grained. Wow, really delicious.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Paserene The Union Red Blend 2016, WO Tulbagh
Shiraz, Carignan and Mourvedre. All from Tulbagh fruit, the aromatics a broody medley of red and black fruits, savoury, earthy and delicate charcuterie notes with a hint of salinity.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Lynx Winery Spirit of Lynx Red Blend 2019, WO Franschhoek
Bordeaux blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon, savoury, toasty, tilled earth aromatics, leafy, mulberry fruits. Full, textural and plush, silky, velvety, tannins with a lovely long creamy finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Paserene The Marathon Red 2019, WO Tulbagh
100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Tulbagh, 30% new oak, aged for 24 to 30 months ageing with another year in barrel. Plush, creamy, powerful blue – black fruits, a touch lactic with a full, velvety finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Rickety Bridge Regna Loca Cabernet Sauvignon 2024, WO Franschhoek
Pretty, blue black fruits, tart, steely, saline and bright, delightfully cool, creamy and bright, fresh and crystalline with a black berry finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Motte Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch
From Helderberg fruit, only 7km to the sea on decomposed Granite soils. Show classic cool, kelpy, saline, black currant and black cherry with oyster shell. Fresh acids, a harmonious 13.85% Abv. with 40% new oak used, makes for a serious wine.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
La Bri Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Franschhoek
Gunpowder, spice, graphite, salty black currant with white flower hints. Plush, attractive and deliciously accessible, bright acids, glassy texture and a pure, linear finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Stony Brook Ghost Gum Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Franschhoek
Earthy, black currant, touch of tertiary, diesel rag, mulberry, plush sweet fruited and complex with a maritime hint. Super expressive.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Franschhoek
A deep earthy tilled earth note, plush earthy Cabernet, black currant, black chai tea with a hint of tobacco leaf. Plush and full in the mouth, expansive, accessible with a kiss of coffee bean brûléed oak complexity.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Great Heart Cabernet Franc 2021, WO Franschhoek
Spicy and saline, this shows graphite, black cherry and salty liquorice, coffee bean spice and a picante finish.
(Wine Safari Score: 91+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Cabernet Franc Reserve 2022, WO Franschhoek
Picked mid-April, this shows cool, creamy black berry layers and a nose with hits of cedar, graphite spice and picante lead pencil. Plush, velvety, full and harmonious, this has breadth and depth, plushness and subtle, understated power. Very classy, powerful with a tight grained tannin expression. Superb.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Antonij Rupert Cabernet Franc 2020, WO Franschhoek
Sweet red fruits, perfume, red currant, sappy sweet cedar, fleshy red currant melange. Super creamy, lactic and elegant, silky, supple, soft and accessible. A very classy expression.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
(On my recent trip, I want to thank all the Vignerons who generously gave me their time to taste and chat about the current state of play in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley: Anthonij Rupert Wines, Babylonstoren, Chamonix, Great Heart, Haute Cabrière, Holden Manz, La Bri, La Motte, Le Lude, Lynx, Old Road Wine Co., Paserene, Rickety Bridge, Stony Brook, Terre Paisible, and Wildeberg.)
Tucked away on the southeastern slopes of the Simonsberg mountain range along Stellenbosch’s scenic Helshoogte Pass, Thelema Mountain Vineyards stands as one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine estates. The family-owned property was founded in 1983 by Gyles Webb, who purchased a run-down fruit farm on the mountain’s slopes. Webb had abandoned an earlier path to pursue winemaking, eventually establishing Thelema as a serious estate in the heart of the Cape Winelands. The first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988, and by the mid-1990s the estate had achieved cult status, with its wines selling out within a month of release.
What sets Thelema apart is its terroir. Situated on south-facing slopes with elevations reaching around 530 metres above sea level, the estate holds some of the highest vineyard elevations in Stellenbosch. This combination of altitude and rich red soils creates ideal conditions for premium grape growing, and Thelema has become known as a true leader in Cabernet Sauvignon production, helping put Stellenbosch’s Cabernets on the global map. The estate’s guiding philosophy centres on minimal cellar intervention, letting each vineyard’s character shine through naturally without being obscured by oaking or the hand of the winemaker. This dedication to quality has help cement Thelema’s reputation as one of South Africa’s most respected producers, offering elegantly structured wines that reflect both mountain terroir and decades of meticulous, family-driven winemaking.
Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
South African producers are known for releasing their Sauvignon Blancs super young as that is what the local market demand dictates even if the wines merit further bottle ageing. But with the superb 2025 releases, I am all for cracking the screwcaps and pulling the corks on new releases as this vintage is simply one of the lushest, most concentrated, vibrant and harmonious grape harvests to bless the Cape winelands in recent years. The Thelema Sauvignon Blanc typifies this intensity with aromatics bursting with perfumed white flowers, freshly cut green apple, ripe guava and delicate hints of freshly mown lawn. On the palate, the fruit concentration simply bristles, the flavours amplified and enlivened by bright tangy fresh acids and a deliciously crystalline purity. Intense, flavour packed and incredibly long on the finish. This is just too good not to enjoy in its youth.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
The 2023 Thelema Chardonnay set a new quality benchmark and the 2024 release picks up seamlessly where the 2023 left off. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, this steely expression shows bright, crystalline aromatics of white blossoms, lemon and lime peel, yellow grapefruit pith and delicately savoury biscuit notes alongside a classical stony mineral vein. The purity and clarity shown on the nose are even more pure and piercing on the palate, the acids crisp, bracing and chiselled, interwoven with nervy, sinewy yellow citrus fruits, green mango and lime peel zest with a subtle dusting of vanilla pod spice. Intense and steely but never severe, this is a wonderful expression of the 2024 vintage. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Thelema Mountain Vineyards Roussanne 2024, WO Elgin, 13.5% Abv.
Roussanne is normally quite a full bodied grape from the Rhone Valley, renowned for its aromatic complexity, oily texture but balancing acids. This classy expression is not only from the crisp, linear 2024 vintage but also from the blissfully cool Elgin Valley. The aromatics are alluring and complex, brimming with notes of white peach, pear, freshly baked brioche and delicate herbal tea nuances. On the palate, the acids shine brightly, lending vivacity, crunch and real zip to the tangy green and yellow stone fruits, hints of honeycomb and a tangy, glycerol peachy finish. Steely, linear and beautifully precise, this is a masterclass in freshness, complexity and balance. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
There are a handful of South African producers who have made a reputation for world class Merlot and Thelema is certainly one of them. Always a mainstream benchmark expression, the 2022 vintage plays to all the cultivar’s strengths of plushness, opulence, approachability and succulent red and black berry fruits without the severe structure of Cabernet Sauvignon. 2022 was a particularly ripe, harmonious and accessible vintage with aromatics displaying a medley of summer berry fruits, ripe plum, sweet cedar and notes of chocolate peppermint crisp confectionary. Supple, balanced and fleshy on the palate, the tannins are velvety and fine with soft toned acids deliciously integrated with the creamy black berry fruits. A glass of Thelema Merlot is comparable to a big warming red wine hug. This is definitely an approachable vintage to drink before the more tightly wound 2021 offering.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Thelema Mountain Vineyards The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
The source of the “mint” character in this wine is attributed to the airborne transfer from the Eucalyptus trees which border this specific Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, to the grape berries. As the berries adsorbs Eucalyptol, a compound responsible for the aroma, this compound subsequently becomes dissolved in the wine during the fermentation process, giving the wine a “minty” character unique to this vineyard. The aromatics on this 2023 are cool, sleek and deliciously black fruited, layered with notes of cassis, black berries, graphite alongside a high toned minty eucalyptus complexity. The medium bodied palate is creamy, finely textured and plush with velvety tannins, juicy blueberry fruits, bright acids and a long mouthwatering finish. Impressively concentrated and intense with a hint of bay leaf and thyme spice. Delightfully integrated and harmonious already, you can start pulling the corks now and drink over the next decade.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
This pure Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, shows all the opulence, accessibility and elegance of the ripe 2022 vintage. The aromatics are vibrant and perfumed, showing violets, black liquorice, black currant and black cherry fruits with a dusting of iodine, graphite, tilled earth and oak spice. The medium bodied palate is plush and soft textured, the mouthfeel creamy and fleshy with a wonderfully harmonious, generous fruit concentration, a seamlessly interwoven fresh acidity, finishing with a delicately picante persistence. This is a deliciously honest wine revealing pinpoint Cabernet Sauvignon typicity with plenty of stylish cassis and black berry fruit, fashioned in a very accessible and elegant manner. Like many of the 2022 Stellenbosch reds, this is already very pleasurable to drink now and over the next 10 to 12 years.
Duncan Savage has developed a reputation for his elegant, pure, age worthy and thrilling red and white wines produced in his urban cellar in Salt River, Cape Town. Duncan spent 14 years cutting his teeth as winemaker at Cape Point Vineyards, creating saline Sauvignon Blancs and grapefruit-laden Semillons from the cool coastal sites of Noordhoek. In 2011 he produced his first Savage red vintage under his own label followed by his first Savage White Blend in 2012. Working with coastal and high-elevation single sites across the Western Cape, Duncan has always followed a simple mantra: “do as little as possible, as much as you can” to preserve the purest expression of place.
Over a decade of producing premium quality wines have now made Duncan’s wines some of the most sought-after in South Africa… but also some of the most reasonably priced fine wines. I recently caught up with Duncan in May 2026 in London to taste through his new 2025s pre-release, and then again in August in Cape Town over dinner at Aubergine Restaurant, to catch up on all his latest developments.
Duncan Savage Salt River Sauvignon Blanc 2025, 13.5% Abv.
Made from three Sauvignon Blanc parcels, but soon to be four, this 2025 is a delicious expression with rich layers of white citrus, yellow grapefruit and Cape gooseberry with back grown aromatic hints of cut grass and Granitic mineral spice. Intense, concentrated and beautifully harmonious. This is very classy and one of his best Salt River Sauvignons to date. Drink now to 2032+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Savage Wines Savage White Blend 2025, 13.5% Abv.
The 2025 blend is 71% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Semillon from the Overberg, Stellenbosch and Villiersdorp, matured for 11 months in 500 litre barrels, of which 20% was new, together with some concrete eggs. The wine is bold and aromatic with exotic notes of white peaches, nectarine, lime peel and lemon grass spice. The palate is plush, textured and concentrated with a bright tangy acidity and a real breadth and depth of flavour. Beautifully complex and generous. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Savage Wines Never Been Asked to Dance 2025, WO Paarl, 13.5% Abv.
A wine that has fast developed into one of Duncan’s most sought after wines. Now that he has won the battles against the birds stealing all the fruit, this Paarl vineyard planted in 1956 is delivering some incredible fruit that is fermented and aged for 10 months in 600 litre barrels. The aromatics show a certain savoury mineral depth alongside notes of Granite, dried hay, white citrus, pear and white peach. A Chenin Blanc with great concentration, lovely purity and a real crystalline tangy brightness. Superb as always. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Savage Wines Follow the Line 2025, WO Darling, 12.7% Abv.
Always one of South Africa’s leading premium Cinsaults, the 2025 contains 93% Cinsault and 7% Syrah from Darling, both 50% whole bunch fermented and matured for 12 months in foudre and amphora. The aromatics are taut and focused, showing plenty of Granitic mineral spice before sleek, cool notes of cranberries and wild strawberries with a suggestion of garrigue spice. Plenty of linear tension and precision of a laser-like focused palate. Impressively serious. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Duncan pouring his 2025 releases in London.
Savage Wines Thief in the Night Grenache 2025, WO Piekenierskloof, 14% Abv.
Made from grapes from Piekenierskloof, the 2025 expression includes a 4% splash of Cinsault with 10% being whole bunch fermented before being aged for 10 months in concrete eggs and used 500 litre barrels. The aromatics are delicately earthy and savoury, understated even, before notes of red berries and strawberries, fynbos and Granitic mineral spice. The mouthfeel is plush but very elegant, exotically spicy with a medium bodied weight, finishing with drying, polished mineral tannins. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Savage Wines Girl Next Door Syrah 2025, WO Cape Town, 13.5% Abv.
Made from two Syrah vineyards on the Cape Peninsula, one being in Fish Hoek and the other in Noordhoek, both being matured for 10 months in older 500 litre old barrels. The aromatics are initially very dramatic and deep, showing hints of violets, garrigue, woodsmoke, tar and wood embers before a subtle medley of red and black berry fruits and a sappy peppery spice. The palate shows a broody depth and intensity, structured but elegant, packing plenty of power and poise with a well-integrated vein of acidity. An eye catching wine as usual. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Savage Wines Are We There Yet 2025, WO Malgas, 13.5% Abv.
The blend for the 2025 Malgas red is 56% Touriga Nacional and 44% Syrah with a 10% portion being whole bunch fermented. The aromatics show a subtle perfume of violets, dried herbs and tilled earth with red and black berry fruits in support. The palate is initially quite tight and broody with a pronounced stony, mineral focus and precision before a more plush, rich, exotic fruit complexity follows on the palate. Always structured and powerful, the 2025 has a couple of extra gears as well as a surfeit of buffering dry extract and concentration. A delicious wine with its own unique following. Drink now to 2038+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Savage Wines Savage Red 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
This 100% Syrah red is made from Kuils River and Polkadraai Hills fruit with 15% fermented as submerged cap before being matured in older 500 litre barrels for 13 months followed by a further 10 months in foudre. The aromatics are sweet fruited and exotic showing hints of peach skins, red cherries and apricot pips. The mouthfeel is cool, sleek and minerally charged revealing a beautifully elegant texture, plenty of Granitic spice and chalky tannins on the finish. A very complete and compact wine. Drink now to 2038+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines are offered by Great Domaines in Johannesburg and imported exclusively into the UK by Liberty Wines in London.
Located in the soon to be certified new Eerste River ward merely 5 kilometres from the False Bay ocean on the southern side of Stellenbosch along Baden Powell Drive in Lynedoch, Winshaw Vineyards has quietly built a reputation for red wines that capture the soul of this storied Cape wine region. Here, ancient Granite soils and cooling Atlantic breezes create the perfect tension between ripeness and restraint, allowing a cool climate balance and freshness that defines every bottle in their premium red wine collection.
The flagship reds draw on Stellenbosch’s classic varietals, namely bold, structured Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of blackcurrant and cedar; velvety plush Merlot layered with plum and dark chocolate; and elegantly red fruited Cabernet Franc, making expressive Bordeaux-style blends that marry power with elegance. Each vintage is shaped by their meticulous hand-harvesting, low-yielding vines, and extended barrel maturation in French oak, coaxing out an impressive level of complexity.
In the Winshaw vineyards with Pierre Winshaw.
What sets the Winshaw Vineyards premium range apart is a commitment to terroir-driven winemaking, selecting only the very best fruit from their circa 50 hectares of vines and minimal intervention winemaking in the cellar that lets the character of the land speak for itself. For those seeking a taste of Stellenbosch’s world-class red winemaking heritage, the Winshaw Vineyards premium reds offer both artisanal craftsmanship, quality and a genuine sense of place, vintage after vintage.
Winshaw Vineyards Malbec 2025, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
This must be one of the most consistently high quality Malbec wines produced in South Africa. Year after year the Winshaw brothers make a rich, purple coloured expression packed full of red and black berry fruits, delicate Christmas spices with the cultivar’s archetypal sweet sapidity tightly interwoven into the wine’s fabric. The 2025 shows massive concentration, a silky plush textural luxuriousness framed by fresh acids and a long, effortless black berry laden finish with a delicate kiss of vanilla oak spice. Simply delicious.
(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Winshaw Vineyards Bill Winshaw 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
A blend of 63% Cabernet Franc, 24% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, shows seductive perfumed notes of red currants and black cherry with an overlay of salty black liquorice, graphite and sweet salted caramel oak hints. This wine has the depth of a fine Bordeaux blend combined with the elegance of a premium Cabernet Franc. A beautifully classy expression. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Winshaw Vineyards Charles Winshaw 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.
A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, this classically styled Cabernet Sauvignon led expression shows archetypal aromatics of violets, black cherry and black currant compote with hints of graphite, sweet cedar and wet loam nuances. The palate is decidedly denser and riper than the Bill Winshaw blend, showing notes of stewed black plum, light silky tannins, caramelised black berries, and a delicately mineral vein that continues with persistence to the finish. Plenty of substance or “gras” as the French would say, making this the stand out wine in the Winshaw range in 2023. Drink now to 2038+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Winshaw wines are imported exclusively into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines based in Salisbury.
