South Africa’s rich and textured wine history is being reinvigorated by several top classical estates that perhaps slipped off the fine wine radar during the late 1990s and early noughties in the face of a voracious young gun revolution, but which are now finding their feet again as well as the confidence to shout out about the incredible old vines in their possession and the exciting premium cuvées that they have been making of late. For me, few wine estates typify this characterisation more than the historic Bellevue Estate.

In possession of some of the oldest and most treasured old vine material of both Cinsault and Pinotage, Bellevue Estate has remained a bit of a ‘best kept secret’ in the wider SA wine trade partially due to the fact that they sell off small amounts of their incredibly sought after old vine grapes to some very famous producers in the Cape.

I recently encountered some of their wines again in London at the Old Vine Conference Tasting 2024 and was blown away by both the quality and precision of their old vine Cinsault and Pinotage. So on a recent trip to South Africa, I took the opportunity to taste through a slightly wider range of their wines produced by Wilhelm Kritzinger who has been at the estate for over 23 vintages, and predictably, I was not disappointed!

Bellevue Estate The Reserve Collection Eselgraf Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

Sourced from estate fruit in the Bottelary Hills from a single vineyard block planted in 1976 which is now Old Vine Certified. The yields annually are circa 1.5 tons per hectare which are fermented in stainless before being transferred to older oak barrels for four months with no bâtonnage and no extended lees contact, and finally racked back into tank to settle prior to bottling. Circa 4,000 bottles per year are produced from this 1.7-hectare block. 2023 represents the maiden release of the new Reserve Range, and before that, the grapes were being blended into the Bellevue Estate range.

This 1976 vineyard offers a tantalising snapshot into the complexities of old vine Chenin Blanc fruit that’s packed with lemon blossom, grated lime peel, white peach, crunchy green pear and orange citrus fruit aromatics over a pronounced dusty granitic minerality laced with dry straw and dried bay leaf spice nuances. The palate entry is deliciously tangy and fresh but also beautifully supple and harmonious with a sleek concentrated mouthcoating texture that shows poise and balance. The peach, quince and green citrus flavours are enticingly rich and intense, imprinting the finish with a truly powerful, fruit driven, honied persistence. An impressive Reserve white Chenin Blanc marked by its majestic old vine character. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.

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

Bellevue The Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

A bright vibrant expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from vines on average 30+ year old (block planted 1987), with all fruit picked and safely processed in the cellared before the late 2023 vintage rains arrived. The aromatics are rich and detailed, with lifted perfumed notes of violets, wet tobacco, cigar box, red cherry, and sappy red plum over classic black currant and mulberries nuances. On the palate the texture is taut and sleek, looking very complete and harmonious already with the 60% new 300 litre French oak well integrated with the sappy black currant fruit that’s well balanced by spicy, cedary fine grained mineral tannins and a sumptuously soft, refreshing acidity, with a kiss of cocoa powder on the finish. A very accomplished wine. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years. (Circa 3,500 bottles produced)

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

Bellevue The Reserve Collection Cabernet Franc 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

Bottelary Hills fruit from a Cabernet Franc block of around 4.36 hectares of over 24 years of age that is considered one of the best examples of Cabernet Franc in Stellenbosch (some of the fruit being sold off), with the 2021 release representing the maiden vintage and this 2022 a more than worthy follow-up act. Tank fermented after a three-day cold soak and then aged in 100% new 300 litre French oak barrels for 24 months. A dense dark opaque plum purple in the glass, the aromatics are rich and heady with opulent notes of sweet cedar spice, earthy black currant, black cherry and hoisin plum sauce, embellished with hints of pink musk and blueberry rock candy. The palate is incredibly dense and well-constructed with exceptional balance and beautiful cultivar typicity. The texture is elegant and sultry, tight knit and spicy with hints of tangy black currant, led pencil sapidity, and an underlying salty cassis-tinged intensity with a black tea and graphite complexity. A very impressive Cabernet Franc that shows a real focused power and prowess but also an incredibly elegant, harmonious precision. Wow, what a special wine! Drink now and over 10 to 12+ years.

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

Pinotage was first cultivated by Prof A I Perold in around 1925 when he crossed Cinsault and Pinot noir. The first Pinotage cuttings made their way onto Bellevue soil in the early 1950’s when owner PK Morkel was attempting to obtain Gamay Noir for planting. He was not able to find the cultivar he was looking for and approached the Agricultural College at Elsenburg to help. He was advised to try the newly developed variety, called Pinotage. At that stage, there were no commercial plantings of this variety, only experimental vines cultivated by the college. In 1953, together with Paul Sauer from Kanonkop, PK Morkel was one of the first few farmers to plant Pinotage on a commercial scale. His bold step paid off, since Bellevue’s Pinotage was awarded the General Smuts Trophy in 1959, being voted the best young wine on the South African National Young Wine Show out of 1,800 wine entered. To salute the vision of PK Morkel, the Bellevue Estate takes utmost care of this 1953 heritage Pinotage block which is still in production today. It remains the pride and joy of Bellevue, and accordingly, a very special wine is made from this block, called Bellevue 1953 Pinotage.

Bellevue Estate The Reserve Collection Pinotage 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

With such a legacy of fine Pinotage winemaking at the Bellevue Estate, there are no surprises that the Reserve Collection expression represents another incredibly accomplished red wine from the estate. The aromatics are bold and intense, boasting rich complex layers of sweet black plum, ripe mulberries, and sun raisined black cherries before notes of exotic Christmas spices, sweet clove, and sappy cedar nuances. In the mouth, the fruits are rich and creamy on the entry but also vibrant and tangy, revealing an energetic mouth-watering acidity framed by sleek, silky polished tannins. The palate is packed with blue and black berry fruits, black raspberries, and maraschino cherries making for a classically styled Pinotage that is both ripe and hedonistic but also incredibly accessible and generous. Plenty of winemaking know-how on display with this impressive red making it a perfect food accompaniment for charcuterie or chargrilled meat dishes. Drink now to 2032+.

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

Bellevue Estate The Heritage Collection 1953 Single Vineyard Pinotage 2020, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The oldest commercial Pinotage in South Africa, that was submitted by the Morkel Family in 1959 to the South African National Young Wine Show and won best Pinotage out of 1,800 wines entered. That same ‘finished wine’ was later sold off to the Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (SFW) which then released that same 1959 vintage wine in 1961, being labelled under the Lanzerac brand that was still owned by SFW at the time. Currently, the Pinotage block is 1.85 hectares leftover from the original 2.7 hectares planted. After 3 to 5 days of cold soaking in tank fermentation commences. After tank fermentation, the wine is transferred to oak to complete malolactic in 300 litre barrels, being a blend of 1st and 2ndfill (circa 50/50) for 18 months. In 2020, 3,940 bottles produced, but the average is normally around 2,500 bottles per year.

One always feels a certain sense of nostalgia and pride when tasting or drinking a wine made from a vineyard that helped define a nation’s winemaking history over the decades. The aromatics on the 2020 vintage 1953 Pinotage are very individual and expressive, revealing a complex cornucopia of black berries, raspberries, spearmint, chocolate peppermint crisp candy bars, dried thyme, and sweet Christmas spices. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied but fabulously plush, textured and mouthcoating, with wonderfully fine-grained tannins that are enveloped by waves of sweet savoury black berry fruits, earthy mulberry, stewed strawberries, dried herbs, and damson plum nuances. The old vine majesty of this vineyard is on full display with this wine, where a rich intricately structured palate shows off its weightless concentration as well as its understated power and intensity, all packaged into a seamlessly accessible block buster of a wine with an impressively long mineral finish. Drink this icon on release or cellar for 15-20+ years.

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

Bellevue Estate The Heritage Collection 1952 Single Vineyard Cinsault 2021, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

The oldest Cinsault vineyard in South Africa is recognized as the Bason vineyard in Wellington that was registered in 1900 but was probably planted even earlier in the late 1890’s. This is followed by the famous Lőtter vineyard in Franschhoek planted 1932, that was for a while vinified by Leeu Passant wines, but which is now under the care of vigneron Lukas van Loggerenberg. There are apparently another two old blocks, one in Stellenbosch planted in 1950 and another in Wellington planted in 1951, and then the Bellevue 1952 heritage block, being the tie 5tholdest in the Cape winelands with a total of 3.8 hectares under vines. Similar to the heritage collection Pinotage, the grapes are tank fermented then transferred to oak barrels, 33% 1st fill / 33% 2nd fill together with 33% going into stainless steel tanks for circa 12 months of ageing before bottling. Spontaneous malolactic occurs in the barrels. 772 bottles were produced in 2021.

The Heritage Collection 1952 Cinsault is a truly majestic wine coming from one of the best vintages in the Cape in over two decades. The long cool harvest has helped preserve all the vibrancy, freshness, and integrity of the old vine fruit. The aromatics are classically fragrant and perfumed with an enticingly seductive red bramble berry fruit profile that shares multiple strands of elegance with top examples of young red Burgundy from the Cotes de Nuits, together with complex and compelling notes of wild strawberry and ripe cranberries, Turkish delight, rose petals, potpourri, wild garrigue herbs, fynbos and a granitic dusty mineral spice. While only medium bodied, the wine portrays an imposing intensity and understated power with tight knit fine grained mineral tannins, a beautifully integrated seamless acidity, and a wonderful pomegranate, blood orange and mixed berry laden length full of freshness, pink musk, and yet more Turkish delight nuances. A seriously profound expression of old vine Cinsault that delivers untold pleasures.

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