Located in the Franschhoek Valley in the Western Cape winelands, the Holden Manz Wine Estate has built a reputation for wines of precision, elegance, opulence as well as quiet ambition. Founded with a passion for craftsmanship, the estate blends old-world winemaking sensibility under winemaker Thierry Haberer, with a distinctly modern spirit, evident not only in the wines themselves but in the striking art and architecture that define this Franschhoek property.
Among the estate’s most celebrated whites is their Reserve Chardonnay, sourced from carefully selected sites across the Franschhoek Valley and the Banhoek Valley in Stellenbosch. Extended lees contact and regular batonnage give the wine remarkable texture and depth, while notes of citrus, grapefruit, and white flowers unfold against a backdrop of balanced, integrated oak use. It is a chardonnay that manages to be both generous and refined, full-bodied, yet fresh and deliciously vibrant.
At the estate’s pinnacle sits Elysium, its flagship red blend. Born from a rare occurrence, Merlot and Syrah ripening simultaneously on the farm, Elysium is hand-picked, hand-sorted, and co-fermented in new French oak, resulting in a wine of striking concentration and harmony. Produced only in select vintages and in very limited quantities, it stands as the estate’s most ambitious expression of place and craft. Together, these wines capture the essence of Holden Manz: bold, meticulous, and deeply rooted in their Franschhoek terroir.
Holden Manz Chardonnay Reserve 2023, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv.
This Reserve Chardonnay from Holden Manz opens with an enthralling aromatics that’s bright, fragrant and deliciously complex, packed full of crystallised lemon slices, candied green melon and green apples dipped in salted caramel. In the mouth, there is real precision and balance, the mouthfeel harmonious, textural and fleshy with a glycerol concentration, picante phenolics of lemon peel, citrus bon bons, and a hint of spicy green apple on the finish. Bright, fruity and succulent while remaining spicy, minerally charged and decidedly sophisticated, this is another superb effort from Holden Manz. Drink now to 2032+.
Of all the wines in the Holden Manz range, the super premium Elysium is undoubtedly the most ambitious, opulent and hedonistic expression. Super ripe, full bodied and certainly no wilting daisy when it comes to concentration, this co-fermented Merlot – Syrah, only produced in years when these two grapes ripen at the same time, manages to elicit the best qualities from both cultivars, with the Merlot offering up plush, creamy, dense blueberry and black berry fruit nuances with the Syrah adding a savoury complexity, sweet Christmas spices and an enticing bramble berry wildness. Full throttle, seamlessly textured, dense and fleshy, the tannins are incredibly finessed and sweet, the acids well integrated beneath lashings of ripe black fruits. A powerful creation that retains a suave textural elegance with only a slight alcohol warmth accompanying the long, sweet fruited finish. Enjoy now and over the next 6 to 8+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Holden Manz wines are imported into the UK by Vindependents and sold retail by specialist South African merchants like Museum Wines and Woodwinters in Scotland.
Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, is also home to one of Italy’s most distinctive wine appellations. Established in 1968 as Sicily’s first Denominazione di Origine Controllata, DOC Etna occupies a semi-circular band on the volcano’s slopes, with vineyards ranging from roughly 450 to over 1,000 metres above sea level. What makes Etna extraordinary is not simply its altitude or its volcanic soils, but the astonishing fragmentation of its terroir.
The formidable active volcano of Mount Etna.
Within this single appellation, the mountain is divided into named districts called Contrade, a system now formally recognized, with over 140 individually mapped zones based on historic lava flows, property boundaries, and family holdings dating back generations. Wine writers frequently compare this regional structure to Burgundy’s climats, since each Contrada represents a discrete parcel whose soils, exposure, and microclimate can differ meaningfully from its neighbour just a few hundred metres away, even though both may fall under the same broad DOC rules governing grape varieties and yields.
The soils around Etna are classified by the age of the lava flows. This is a recent 2002 eruption that destroyed a hotel and ski resort.
The Contrada system exists because Etna’s geology is not uniform. The volcano has erupted repeatedly over thousands of years, and each eruption deposited a distinct sciara, or lava flow, that weathered over time into its own particular soil structure, sometimes sandy and free – draining, sometimes dense with clay, sometimes strewn with porous lava stone.
The vegetation is also denser on the older lava flows, it normally taking 60 to 100 years before small trees are able to grow on the decomposing lava. The above soils are from the 1865 eruption.
Combined with the mountain’s four differing slopes, each with its own rainfall patterns, sun exposure, and proximity to the Ionian Sea, the result is a patchwork of microzones capable of producing wines with dramatically different character even when made from the same two principal grapes: Nerello Mascalese and, to a lesser degree, Nerello Cappuccio for red wines, and Carricante for the appellation’s whites.
Northern vineyards in Contrada Calderara Sottana near Randazzo looking South to the volcano, planted to mostly Nerello Mascalese.Benanti Winery is one of the island’s leaders in recording and analysing temperature, wind, and precipitation data across their vineyards through multiple mini weather stations.High altitude Nerello Mascalese vineyards in Contrada Dafara Galluzzo near the town of Rovittello, east of Randazzo. Here you will also find Benanti’s Alberello Centenario vines that go into their iconic Rovittello Etna Rosso Riserva.
The northern slope, generally considered the historic core of quality winemaking, tends to produce structured, tannic, mineral-driven reds from older, more decomposed lava soils. The eastern slope, cooled by sea breezes and higher rainfall, is Carricante’s traditional home, particularly around the commune of Milo, the only zone permitted to use the elevated Etna Bianco Superiore designation. The southern slopes, both southeast and southwest, offer warmer, sunnier exposures on comparatively younger volcanic soils, yielding wines that often show softer fruit and earlier approachability.
White Carricante vineyards in the Eastern Contrada Rinazzo, near the village of Milo, over looking the sea. This is the only Contrada that qualifies as Etna Bianco Superiore and is also home to the famous ‘Pietra Marina’ blocks on the highest slopes. Looking west up to the volcano from the Contrada Rinazzo Carricante vineyards.
No producer illustrates this diversity more completely than Benanti, as I discovered on my recent trip to Sicily in mid-June 2026. Founded in 1988 by businessman Giuseppe Benanti under the original name Tenuta di Castiglione, the estate is today widely credited as the modern pioneer of fine winemaking on Etna, and it remains the only winery farming vineyards on every slope of the DOC zone. Rather than blending fruit from scattered plots into a single generic Etna Rosso or Bianco, Benanti has built its identity around vinifying individual Contrade separately, treating each site as a distinct expression of the mountain, an approach that mirrors, quite deliberately, the single-vineyard philosophy of Burgundy.
Vineyards in Contrada Dafara Galluzzo near the village of Rovittello.
In the north, Benanti’s holdings center on Contrada Dafara Galluzzo, in the district of Rovittello near Castiglione di Sicilia, at roughly 750 metres of elevation. This site sits on some of the oldest, most decomposed lava on the mountain, part of the geological layer locals call Mongibelloantico. The vineyard is planted exclusively to Nerello Mascalese, including a small parcel of pre-phylloxera, ungrafted centenarian vines. This is the source of Rovittello, Benanti’s founding red wine and one of the estate’s flagship labels, along with the more recent Rovittello Riserva.
Wines from this northern site are typically described as aristocratic and austere, marked by firm tannins, deep earthy notes, and possess considerable aging potential, qualities widely associated with the northern slope’s cooler, higher-altitude character and older soil substrate.
Co-owner Salvino Benanti explaining the Contrada wines on the northern slopes.
On the eastern slopes, Benanti farms Contrada Rinazzo in the commune (and town) of Milo, a steep vineyard of small stone-walled terraces facing the Ionian Sea just a few miles away. Because Milo is the only area within the DOC permitted to produce Etna Bianco Superiore, this site is planted entirely to Carricante, trained in the traditional alberello, or head-trained bush vine, method. The area’s rainfall, humidity, and fine-grained volcanic soils encourage excellent water retention, producing whites of notable saline minerality and structure. From the higher, less sandy terraces here comes Pietra Marina, Benanti’s celebrated single-vineyard Etna Bianco Superiore and the wine that helped establish Carricante’s international reputation; the remainder of the site yields the more approachable Contrada Rinazzo bottling.
Terraced vineyards around the winery in the Contrada Monte Serra near the town of ViaGrande.Old Alberello Centenario Nerello Mascalese vines in Contrada Monte Serra, that are used for the Serra Della Contessa Etna Rosso Riserva.
To the south, Benanti’s story becomes slightly more complex, since the estate actually holds sites on both the southeastern and southwestern flanks of the volcano. The historic heart of the winery is Contrada Monte Serra in Viagrande, on the southeastern slope, where the family has grown grapes since the late nineteenth century and where the estate’s headquarters now sits amid extinct volcanic cones and red pumice soils known locally as ripiddu. This is a mixed-variety site, home to Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and some Carricante, and it produces both an Etna Rosso and an Etna Bianco under the Contrada Monte Serra label, as well as Serra della Contessa, a Riserva sourced from a tiny plot of centenarian, pre-phylloxera vines at the estate’s highest point.
Benanti’s southwestern vineyards in Contrada Cavaliere, looking north towards Mount Etna. Here Benanti grow Carricante, Nerello Mascalese and a little Nerello Cappuccio.Young Carricante peaberry grapes in Contrada Cavaliere in mid-June.New Benanti vineyard plantings in Contrada Cavaliere.
Further southwest, in Santa Maria di Licodia, Benanti also farms Contrada Cavaliere at around 900 metres, a partnership dating to the mid-1990s, where intense light and dramatic diurnal temperature swings on comparatively younger volcanic soils yield taut, high-altitude wines.
Vineyards in Contrada Cavaliere.
Taken together, Benanti’s five Contrade function almost as a working demonstration of Etna’s terroir diversity: northern structure and longevity, eastern saline precision, and southern warmth and earlier accessibility, all expressed through the same handful of native grape varieties. In this sense, Benanti’s portfolio is less a conventional producer lineup than a cartographic argument – proof, bottle by bottle, that the mountain is not simply one terroir but many great terroirs capable of producing some incredibly profound white and red wines.
(Watch out for Part 2 where I review Benanti’s full range of current wine releases, and then Part 3, where I highlight archive vintages from the winery, going back more than two decades.)
I travelled to DOC Etna in mid-June 2026 at the invitation of the Benanti winery, accompanied by their exclusive UK importer, Woodwinters. Contact Andrew@woodwinters.com for more information on allocations and trade pricing.
Bellevue Estate holds a unique place in South African wine history as the birthplace of Pinotage. In 1925, Professor Abraham Izak Perold planted the original Pinotage vines, a crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault, in the garden of the estate’s 1701 manor house, located in the Bottelary Hills ward of Stellenbosch. That single mother vine became the genetic source for the variety now considered one of South Africa’s signature grapes.
Today, Bellevue Estate continues to honor this legacy, cultivating old-vine Pinotage on the estate’s decomposed Granite soils. With its rich terroir and direct lineage to Pinotage’s origins, Bellevue Estate remains a touchstone for the cultivar’s identity and evolution, making their Estate, Reserve and Heritage Pinotage Cuvées go to wines for discerning consumers.
Bellevue Estate Pinotage 2023, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
The resurgent Bellevue Estate has just released another very impressive “Estate” level Pinotage to complement their respected Reserve and Heritage cuvées. Aged for 12 months in French-coopered American oak barrels, the aromatics are lifted, beautifully fragrant and simply bursting with notes of perfumed violets, red and black cherries and an undertone of freshly baked blueberry crumble. In the mouth, the texture is soft and supple, the tannins silky and fine grained with delicately reductive blue and black berry hints, a delightful salty liquorice twist, and a concentrated, accessible, mouth watering finish. A deliciously joyful wine with real substance that will appeal to true blue Pinotage lovers as well as consumers new to the cultivar. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Bellevue wines are imported into the UK and are available on request through South African specialist, Museum Wines.
Holden Manz is often described as “the hedonistic heart of Franschhoek.” Lying in the top corner of the Franschhoek Valley, Holden Manz Wine Estate continues to establish itself as a benchmark producer of unashamedly plush, opulent, hedonistic wines. Embraced by dramatic mountain peaks and nurtured by the valley’s rich loam soils, this unique microclimate yields fruit of notable depth, ripeness and structural refinement.
While the estate is justly famous for its muscular Bordeaux blends, it is perhaps their Syrah and Semillon that truly showcase the diverse capabilities of this multi-layered terroir. Their Syrah, in particular, is always opulent, ripe and highly expressive, with multiple releases showing plush layers of sweet violet perfume, black plum compote, roasted coffee beans and brûléed oak spice characteristics. But in a very much juxtaposing, slightly atypical Holden Manz style, their Semillon delivers a wonderfully cool, fresh, and crystalline personality loaded with pithy lemon peel, white blossoms, and a vibrant, tangy mouthwatering acidity that keeps the palate energetically alive. Two diametrically opposing styles showing that this estate should not be pigeon holed.
Holden Manz Semillon 2023, WO Franschhoek, 12.5% Abv.
This 2023 is a fabulously bright, crystalline pale gold yellow that simply bristles with energy. Coming from the Franschhoek Valley, one of the Cape’s true Semillon homelands, this wine shines with taut, mineral aromatics showing delicate tart white citrus, honeysuckle, fresh lawn cuttings, saline briney notes together with crushed oystershell and delicately herbal green leaf nuances. The delicately prickly aromatics follow to a cool, steely, intense palate with a pronounced wet stone minerality, tart yellow plums, green apple skins, and a lovely pronounced line of acidity on the linear finish. This is a top drawer Semillon expression that can confidently stand tall amongst the finest examples in the Valley. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW
Holden Manz Reserve Syrah 2020, WO Franschhoek, 15% Abv.
While the aromatics and ripeness on this opulent Reserve Syrah suggest a warmer vintage, on the contrary, 2020 in Franschhoek was not considered a warm dry harvest with the growing season widely celebrated as a cooler, wetter, and highly favourable vintage that marked a welcome relief from the severe, multi-year drought that plagued the Western Cape between 2015 and 2018. On this impressive reserve wine we see lush, plush, bold aromatics of savoury black plum, blueberry compote, salty black liquorice and delicate burnt sugar and molasses nuances. The palate deceptively screams Southern Rhone, showing a creamy blue and black berry fruit concentration, savoury hints of cured deli meats, chargrilled charcuterie and a creamy lactic oak kissed concentration on the bold, hedonistic finish. The earthy Chateauneuf-du-Pape’esque character will certainly appeal to many connoisseurs who like their Syrahs with a little more ‘meat on the bone’. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Holden Manz wines are imported into the UK by Vindependents and are widely available retail from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines and Wood Winters in Scotland.
Kanonkop Estate is widely regarded as the South African wine industry equivalent of a Bordeaux First Growth. Situated on the lower slopes of the Simonsberg mountain in Stellenbosch, this fourth-generation family-owned estate is famous for its single-minded focus on premium red wines, drawing from old, dry-land vines planted in decomposed granite soils. While Kanonkop is globally legendary for its Pinotage, the undisputed crown jewel of the estate has to be their Paul Sauer Cape Bordeaux Blend. First released in 1981, it is still regarded as one of the Cape’s true pioneering Bordeaux-style blends along with Meerlust’s Rubicon red blend.
Named after the current owners’ grandfather, a prominent statesman and viticultural pioneer, the Paul Sauer is simply a masterclass in elegance and power. The wine is typically a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (traditionally around 70%), supported by Cabernet Franc and Merlot. True to its classic styling, it is aged for circa 24 months in 100% new French Nevers oak barriques.
What truly sets the Paul Sauer apart is its incredible finesse, purity and power combined with a notable aging potential, easily rewarding cellaring for 20 to 25 years or more. Its iconic status was permanently cemented globally when the impressive 2015 vintage became the first South African wine to receive a perfect 100-point score from Master of Wine Tim Atkin (which was also rated 98+/100 on A Fine Wine Safari almost four months earlier). No doubt it’s a special wine every vintage, the Paul Sauer remains the archetypal complex, layered Bordeaux blend packed with cassis and cedar and always underpinned by incredibly fine-grained polished tannins. Regardless of which winemaker is at the helm, in true Bordelaise style, the Paul Sauer red remains an absolute benchmark for New World Bordeaux blends.
Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.
A blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, and 16% Merlot, the 2023 Paul Sauer shows a cool, tight, broody aromatics with intricate top notes of violets, black currant leaf, black cherry, blue berries, fynbos and subtle saline maritime notes with the oak still playing a background role even at this youthful stage. The palate is silky soft on entry, incredibly cool, strict, and focused with a fantastically fresh taut acid back bone together with a lovely ‘low pH’ feel, the fruits bristling with energy and a weightless, crystalline intensity. Very classical in the true sense of Paul Sauer vintages but undeniably elegant and incredibly polished. True die hard Kanonkop collectors are going to absolutely love this new release! Drink from 2026 to 2050+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Kanonkop Estate Black Label Pinotage 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 14.4% Abv.
Made from the only north facing Pinotage block on the estate, all the others being southwest facing, and also their oldest vineyard planted in 1953, the wine is aged in 225 litre Burgundy coopered barrels from Francois Freres and Trumeau. The nose reveals dark alluring aromatics packed full of broody black berry fruits, crème de cassis, kirsch cherry liquor, mulberry compote and a smokey brûléed toasty exoticism. Framed by deliciously fresh but deeply embedded acids, the texture is majestically concentrated and pure silk in the mouth, almost akin to a turbo charged Grand Cru Burgundy. Such pristine harmony, beautifully bright acids and an effortless intensity on the finish. Wow! Another Pinotage block buster on the way! Drink from 2026 to 2045+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Kanonkop wines are imported into the UK by Seckford Wine Agencies. Contact:
Discreetly tucked away in the southernmost corner of the spectacular Franschhoek Valley, the Holden Manz Wine Estate has earned a glowing reputation over the years as a premier boutique producer of ultra-premium, deeply expressive wines. Situated between the Franschhoek River and Stony Brook at an altitude of 300 metres, this 22-hectare estate benefits from an exceptional multi-layered terroir featuring rich loam soils and a unique mountain microclimate.
The signature Holden Manz wine style has always been unashamedly plush, opulent, and hedonistic. Under a philosophy that champions generous fruit concentration, textural elegance and seamless tannin structures, the estate focuses its own 16 hectares of vineyards heavily on classical red cultivars – namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and Merlot.
These estate-grown grapes yield powerful, velvet-textured reds like the flagship Big G Bordeaux blend and their highly acclaimed Reserve range, known for sweet, ripe tannins and impressive cellaring potential. Complementing their reds, Holden Manz crafts sophisticated, wild-fermented white wines, including a critically acclaimed barrel-fermented Chardonnay Reserve, an elegant old vine Semillon and a notable Chenin Blanc Reserve. Striking a perfect balance between New World fruit intensity and Old World structural refinement, Holden Manz delivers a luxurious, deeply satisfying tasting experience tailored for the modern-day drinker in search of pure pleasure.
Already three years old, this enticing Chenin Blanc is crystalline and bright with a canary yellow hue. The aromatics are incredibly intricate and subtle, revealing delicate notes of savoury lemon cream biscuits, dried straw, waxy green apples, incense, and delicate quince nuances. While the nose is quite savoury with minor oak spice notes, the palate is far more vibrant and tangy, showing a pronounced sweet and sour mouthwatering acidity with hints of white peach, green melon and yellow apple fruits. Delicately pithy with a fine core of fruit concentration and depth, this is a very impressive expression of Chenin Blanc with a fine textural depth that should repay additional cellar ageing handsomely. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Chardonnay Reserve 2022, WO Coastal Region, 13% Abv.
The Reserve range wines from Holden Manz can normally be relied on to turn heads and this 2022 Chardonnay Reserve is no exception. Wonderfully cool, fresh, and crystalline, there is a lovely precise purity and brightness to the aromatics that flow from the glass with notes of pithy lemon peel, white blossoms, vanilla pod and subtle baking spices before delicate leesy, biscuity nuances. Medium bodied with a refreshingly moderate alcohol of 13% serves to emphasise the wines underlying minerality, freshness and focused energy. This is a wonderful success for the vintage. Drink now to 2032+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Big G 2022, WO Franschhoek, 15% Abv.
The 2022 Holden Manz Big G returns to its big, bold hedonistic best after the cooler, fresher 2021 vintage. A Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend with components of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, the individual parcels are picked to express a lavish ripeness and a true fruit intensity. Always made from specifically selected blocks on the farm, the aromatics are opulent and expressive with layers of sweet violet perfume, notions of black plums, black currant compote, roasted coffee beans and subtle mulberry nuances. The palate is sleek and silky, the tannins sweet, soft and elegantly generous adding to a fulsome glycerol weight in the mouth where the fruit power grows, held in a fine balance by soft well integrated acids. This wine is all about harmony and pleasure – seamless, comforting and simply delicious. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Merlot Reserve 2023, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.
The 2023 Reserve Merlot was aged in new French oak barrels for circa 20 months and possesses aromatics that suggest a wealth of seductive complexity, offering up intricately perfumed layers of violets, cinnamon and clove spices, pithy black cherry, black currant compote and hedonistic, brûléed dark mulberry hints. The subtle notes of vanilla pod oak and cedar spice continue on the palate that is impressively plush and creamy, the tannins delicately spicy but luxuriously soft and mouth coating. The reserve wines from Holden Manz are never short on fruit opulence and once again, the palate boasts an incredible depth of fruit with delicate graphite and roasted coffee bean notes on the finish. A wine that will resonate with fine wine drinkers searching for palate depth and opulence but without the structure and muscularity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Holden Manz Cabernet Franc Reserve 2023, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.
The Cabernet Franc Reserve has always been one of Holden Manz’s most impressive wines, which is fortunate because after decades in the wilderness, this cultivar is experiencing somewhat of a highlife moment with fine wine consumers. This splendid example shows the true essence of Cabernet Franc with Holden Manz’s signature opulence and concentration at the fore. The aromatics on the 2023 are actually surprisingly quite classical and restrained, leading with top notes of dried violets, bay leaf, black chai tea, sweet cedar, and a graphite minerality over a solid layer of dark broody black berry fruits. The hints of sweet tobacco leaf, pepper and sappy cedar spice continue on the plush, densely textured palate with subtle dried herb notes and picante fine grained stony tannins on the finish. When it comes to Cabernet Franc, this is simply top-drawer quality. Drink now to 2038+.
A recent recipient of the ‘Winemaker of the Year’ award, Bruwer Raats has carved out a niche for high-quality wines from the decomposed Dolomitic Granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch, in what he refers to as a focus on ‘terroir not trend’.
His collaboration with Mzo Mvemve has brought about the MR de Compostella, one of the most critically successful red wines produced in South Africa, the pinnacle of the Cape Bordeaux Blend category, which was recently joined by the MR Vesperi White Blend.
With both the MR de Compostella 2023 and second release Vesperi 2024 hitting the market soon, I took the opportunity to taste these two new releases with Bruwer Raats on his recent trip to London. I’ve now tasted the new MR 2023 red four times over the past 6 months and am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this 2023 is one of Bruwer and Mzo’s most serious creations to date… not to be missed!! 🍷
MR Vesperi 2024, WO Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.
This second edition of the “white MR” is a similar blend to the maiden 2023 but possess a slightly higher Chenin Blanc portion at 41%, alongside 37% Sauvignon Blanc and 22% Semillon, that was matured for nine months in older oak barrels. While the oak and vanilla spice is perceptible, it’s also beautifully integrated with alluring aromatics of lime blossoms, lemon cordial, hints of waxy bergamot citrus, before more savoury, biscuity notes of nutty lees, wet straw and yellow orchard fruits. With the Sauvignon Blanc picked opulently ripe, its no surprise that the palate entry leads with more intense green fruit notes of greengage and orange citrus before the Chenin Blanc and Semillon slowly assert their presence. Broad and fleshy in the mouth, the balance is impressively harmonious and the fruit acid integration seductively seamless. Vibrant and noticeably chiselled on the finish, this is such a wonderfully accomplished addition to the lucrative Cape white blend category. Drink the Vesperi on release and over the next decade.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
MR de Compostella 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
The 2023 MR de Compostella, or Compilation of the Stars is another 5-way blend of 30% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec, 17% Petit Verdot and 8% Merlot. With all fruit picked in prime condition long before the late harvest rains descended, this 2023 stands as one of the most fascinating MRs Bruwer and Mzo have produced since the maiden 2004. Sharing many aromatic, flavour, and textural similarities with previous vintages like the 2013, 2018 and the 2021, this 2023 is beautifully fragrant with top note aromatics of violets, rose petals, sweet cedar, crushed cranberries, saline crème de cassis and black cherry fruits that melt away into hints of dried herbs, graphite, and sweet tobacco leaf. Medium to full bodied, the palate shows a sleek strictness, a polished, elegantly restrained silky texture over an incredibly taut, powerful, titanium skeletal frame. The tannins are fine grained, tight knit and tensile but never grippy or chunky. This wine possesses a different kind intensity and muscular power – one shaped by pedigree, classicism, and restrained wound spring tension. This could well be one of the most “serious” MRs assembled to date… and I absolutely love it. Pop this one in your cellar for a few years while you enjoy the MR 2020 or the 2022.
(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Raats Family Wines and MR de Compostella wines are imported and distributed to the wine trade in the UK by Alliance Wines.
Tucked in the western ranges of the Barossa Valley near Greenock, the Alkina winery represents a radical shift in Australian viticulture. Established in 2015 by Alejandro Bulgheroni and Amelia Nolan, the estate, whose name means “Moonlight” in a local Indigenous language, is a “new story in an old place,” centered around a core of heritage vines planted in the 1950s.
What sets Alkina apart is its obsessive focus on micro-terroir. Working with world-renowned terroir expert Dr. Pedro Parra, the team conducted an exhaustive geological study, digging over 160 pits to map the complex interplay of 700-million-year-old schist, limestone, and ironstone soils. This led to the creation of “Polygons” – micro-parcels often smaller than 0.3 hectares, each harvested and fermented separately to express its specific geological fingerprint.
Certified organic and biodynamic, Alkina champions regenerative farming and minimal intervention. In the cellar, winemaking is transparent: wild yeasts, whole-bunch fermentation, and the use of concrete tulips, eggs, and amphorae prioritize texture and site-expression over oak influence. The resulting wines, primarily from Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro, are a revelation, offering a vibrant, ethereal, and structural elegance that redefines the modern Barossa Valley identity. I recently tasted the new release Polygon 3 cuvee in the UK and was suitably impressed. I look forward to tasting their Polygon 5 cuvee as well in due course.
Alkina Polygon No.3 Grenache 2023, Barossa Valley, 14% Abv.
The clarity and crystallinity of the colour is only equalled by the cool purity of the wine’s aromatics that are initially quite restrained and reserved, elegant yet classically restrained, but slowly offering up notes of perfumed violets, fresh orange peel and crushed cranberries over a definite dusty, granitic mineral limestone undertone. Cool, bright and texturally super precise in the mouth, the acids are delicately pithy and slightly rasping without being too tart, merely helping to accentuate the chalky minerality of the limestone tannins. Fabulously tightknit, seamless, and expertly polished, this is one of the prettiest Grenaches I have tasted in a long time. Drink 2026 to 2036+.
The Bellevue Estate in Stellenbosch is the oldest commercial producer of Pinotage in South Africa, having produced both South Africa’s first bottled and award winning Pinotage. Bellevue’s story is one of bold decisions and forward thinking. When Pieter Krige (P.K.) Morkel couldn’t find Gamay vines in 1953, he embraced a pioneering South African cultivar: Pinotage. This decision not only shaped Bellevue’s identity but also contributed to the global recognition of Pinotage as a uniquely South African wine. “We currently work with the oldest average vine age in Stellenbosch with our youngest block 25 years old and our oldest being 73 years old” explains long time winemaker Wilhelm Kritzinger.
Among the Bellevue Estate red range is a very special wine with a profound sense of place from one of the oldest commercial Pinotage vineyards in the world, planted in 1953. When the maiden 1959 vintage won trophies galore, Pieter Krige Morkel was crowned South Africa’s new ‘king of wine’. His hands-off approach then is replicated today by winemaker Wilhelm to let the grace and wisdom of the old vine vineyards shine through.
Beyond their historic Pinotage, the estate also possesses one of the five oldest Cinsault vineyards in South Africa, planted in 1952, which now forms part of their illustrious Heritage range. But in 2026, the Heritage range will be joined by their newly branded 1976 Old Vine Chenin Blanc that used to go into their Eselsgraf Reserve Chenin Blanc. Another sublime highlight is undoubtedly their phenomenal Cabernet Franc, a wine that won the Red Wine Trophy at the Michelangelo Awards with the 2022 vintage, and again last year, with the 2023. In this tasting, I review the new release 2024, and predictably, it’s business as usual. Finally, there is a reason Stellenbosch is known as the “Kingdom of Cabernet” producing some of the most exciting examples of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Cape winelands.
Bright, juicy floral aromatics with green apple, green melon, rock candy and dried hay. Piercing concentration leads the charge on the palate, tangy, fleshy and delicious mouthfeel and weight supported by green apple pastille, pear and white peach. Beautiful typicity with punchy intensity.
Not since the release of the 2021s has there been a South African harvest that has created as much excitement among producers and consumers alike as the 2025 vintage. When you taste this stunning hand harvested bush vine Chenin Blanc you really see the vintage in all its glory, the aromatics deliciously pure, vibrant and lifted, bursting with complex layers of green apples, white peach rock candy, talcum powder, and a delicately sweet fynbos spice after its rained. The palate is pure, intense, and concentrated with a chiselled, tangy fresh acidity that coats the mouth, preparing your taste buds for bursts of Granny Smith green apple fruits with a splash of tart yellow grapefruit citrus. Crisp and pure yet crystalline and textural, this wine is like a very well-tuned orchestra with every instrument playing in perfect harmony. Drink this stunner before it sells out.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Estate Heritage Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
This delightful new 2025 Chenin Blanc definitely sings the praises of this exceptional vintage in the Cape, boasting exotic aromatics of Muscat grape jelly, green honeydew melon, white peaches, and honeysuckle over complexing hints of wet straw and savoury leesy nuances. With such a ripe concentrated vintage such as 2025, you get to experience the full breadth and depth of this Old Vine Chenin Blanc that’s expertly balanced with tangy fresh acids, a delicate sweet and sour vibrancy together with a gently Granitic mineral salinity. Supremely harmonious and balanced with a majestic textural elegance, this youthful wine should develop a real personality with a few more years in bottle. This is another superb embryonic blockbuster from Bellevue. Drink from 2027 to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Estate Pinotage 2020, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
Classical aromatics of savoury earthy black berries, cured meats, tilled earth and sweet Christmas spices. Acids are bright and the red and black fruits crunchy and intense, the mid-palate sleek and savoury. Punchy, approachable, and easy drinking.
(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Estate Malbec 2022, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
An exotic terroir driven aromatics laced with Buchu, fynbos and Eucalyptus complexity with black sappy berry fruits, chocolate peppermint crisp and dried herb spice. The acids are crisp and fresh, the black sappy berry fruits minty and attractive with brightness, a lifted black fruit energy and a sleek, mineral-tinged powdery tannin finish.
33/33/33 – new, second, 3rd fill oak barrels used for ageing the 40% Pinotage, blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. The aromatics show an attractive melange of creamy sappy black berry fruits, packed with earthy dried herbs, granitic minerality and savoury meaty hints. The acids are tangy and energetic, the red and black bramble berry fruits creamy, extracted and fine grained, finishing with serious power, minerality and length. Classy wine that punches above its weight.
The only thing possibly more exciting than a top Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch is a full throttle, five cultivar Cape Bordeaux Blend, and this 2023 is an assemblage of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot. The aromatics have many of the earthy, loamy, freshly tilled earth notes of the pure Cabernet Sauvignon but then reveals multiple extra layers of sweet violets, white blossoms, sweet black currants, black cherry and a delicate graphite minerality. The palate is plush, polished, and focused with a textural generosity consistent with the 2023 vintage, with all fruit brought in before the late season harvest rains. Once again, the mouthfeel is creamy, supple, and fine grained with sweet pliable tannins, soft well integrated tangy acids and a long, delicately toasty, brûléed finish. The oaking is expertly managed, marrying pure, plush fleshy fruits, leaving a sensation of hedonistic harmony and balance on the finish. A supremely well-constructed wine that also has legs for further beneficial ageing. Drink now and over the next 10 to 12+ years. Such a delight to drink.
Aged in 50/50 new and second fill French oak barrels for 22 to 24 months. The aromatics are deep and broody with layers of black berry, creme de cassis, damson plum, mulberry, tilled earth, vanilla pod and sweet Christmas spices. The palate breadth and balance is impressive, dense, tight grained, harmonious and intense without losing balance and elegance. This wine ticks a lot of boxes and shows a lot of commercial appeal.
Aged in 60% new and 40% second fill French oak barrels, the aromatics are pure and regal, a Cabernet Sauvignon expression that shows why Stellenbosch is truly world class. Deep, dark black fruited aromatics with creme de cassis, black cherry, and spicy mulberry with Christmas spices, hints of tannery leather, black chai tea and cigar box. The acids are fresh and crystalline but tightly interwoven with structured black fruits, subtle hints of leafy, earthy dried herb spices, finishing with length and intensity and a subtle mineral undertone. Very classy indeed with plenty of stuffing for a cooler, fresher vintage.
The Bottelary ward of Stellenbosch is prime Cabernet Sauvignon country and this delightful 2023 is a very classy expression, the aromatics deep, sumptuous and complex. There is an extra dimension of ripeness and density on the 2023 nose with deep, savoury tilled earth aromatics that melt into notes of wet tobacco leaf, earthy black currant and damson plum fruits with just a hint of pressed violet perfume. In the mouth, this wine is broad and creamy with the texture of velvet that is caressed by soft silky tannins, sweet fleshy black and blue berry fruits before a dusty, wet stone graphite-laden minerality on the finish. The extraction is expertly handled offering a plush, luxurious, fleshy depth of fruit with a genuinely accessible, generous opulence. So delicious already, why keep this too long in the cellar when you can enjoy its tangy, vibrant, fleshy opulence now. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Estate Reserve Collection Cabernet Franc 2023, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
Aged in 100% New French oak for 20-21 months. Shows classic Cabernet Franc notes with great varietal typicity – cedar, spice, tree bark, dried herbs and perfumed black berry fruits. The palate is cool, crisp and distinguished with sweet baking herbs, earthy leafy spice, tea leaf, lead pencil and tangy fresh black berry fruits on the finish. Tight knit, grippy, densely fruited and quite complete for the vintage. Undoubtedly among the top expressions of Cabernet Franc in SA!
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Estate Reserve Collection Cabernet Franc 2024, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
The Bellevue Estate’s Cabernet Franc quality is synonymous with premium quality winning multiple awards year after year. This 2024 is another outstanding example that combines the vintage condition’s translucent fruit purity and freshness with the winemaker’s pinpoint precision to yield a wine of outstanding beauty. The aromatics are stand out, supremely plush, perfumed and layered with sweet violets, sappy cedar, and cinnamon spices over hints of tea leaf, red currants and blue berries. Cool, precise, and attractively chiselled, there is a real elegant classicism to the texture, with satin soft tannins, bright lemon-like tangy acids and a long, piercing red fruited persistence on the finish. What a truly magnificent wine. Get your hands on a bottle at all costs! Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Estate Heritage Range Cinsault 2024, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.
Undoubtedly, one of the most famous premium Cinsault reds produced in South Africa, this 2024 shows intricate, complex aromatics laced with rose petal, potpourri, raspberry herbal tea, red cherries, fynbos, dried herbs, dusty stony minerals and intricate Turkish delight nuances. The palate is tight knit, compact and intense, deliciously sweet fruited, incredibly concentrated and intense with a sleek, harmonious mineral texture. A phenomenal expression of old vine Cinsault that combines power, intensity, precision and purity. Simply breathtaking. Drink now to 2050+.
Few Pinotage wines are as evocative as the Old Vine wines from Bellevue Estate. Incredibly deep, dense, dark black fruited aromatics reveal notes of violets, black berries, chocolate peppermint crisp, sweet raspberries, berry herbal tea and white pepper notes. On the palate there’s a pronounced menthol brightness and tart berry freshness together with delicious, sweet Christmas spices, delicate fynbos hints and exotic Asian spices. Beautifully powerful with immense drinkability and accessibility with an underlying seriousness. This is premium Pinotage… but not as you know it. Drink now to 2041+.
The 2023 Reserve Pinotage is an impressively complex expression of this grape from one of South Africa’s finest proponents. The aromatics are deep and broody, revealing layers of polished mahogany, bay leaf spice, vivid black and blue berry fruits, mulberries, and subtle caramelized vanilla oak spice nuances. The palate is full, fleshy, and noticeably broad and glycerol with a vivid acid frame that balances the sweet black fruit concentration with a beautiful freshness and supple, delicately creamy tannins. A bold, fleshy, opulent style of Pinotage with plenty of character and seductive charm. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines of Bellevue Estate will be available in the UK soon from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.
It seems almost implausible that what feels like only a few years ago, Restless River proprietor Craig Wessels, t-shirt and baseball cap adorned, was running around the London wine trade proposing his unique new style wines from his farm in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. But of course, it wasn’t ‘just a couple of years ago’. Having just barrelled down his 22nd vintage, winemaker Craig will soon be back in London again to present 10 significant vintages which will chart the history of his acclaimed Cape Cabernet Sauvignon, Main Road & Dignity. How time flies!
While Craig’s Cabernet Sauvignon is undoubtedly the most unique and individual red fine wine to emerge from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley since Tim Hamilton Russell bottled his early 1980 versions of Cabernet Sauvignon, or Grand Vin Noir as he called them, from his newly established Hamilton Russell Vineyards estate, it is Craig’s premium Chardonnay, the Ava Marie, named after his daughter, that has made waves around the fine wine world as it quickly took a seat at the table of some of the greatest Chardonnays produced anywhere. Again, it also seems like only yesterday that I was sitting in a wonderfully buzzy Cape Town restaurant with Cathy van Zyl MW and Lynne Sherriff MW, forming a rare in-situ trio of South African Masters of Wine, sipping on Craig’s maiden 2012 Ava Marie produced from some of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the Cape, which was touted at the time as one of the most exciting new Chardonnays on the market.
The Restless River wines are more “formal jacket and tie” in quality these days, but the odd baseball cap still lurks…
Time has indeed moved on, and those Chardonnay vineyards planted in 1998/1999 are still producing some of the Cape’s most iconic Chardonnay. Large parts of the two vineyard blocks of the Main Road & Dignity have also recently been replanted, and I look forward to hearing a full update from Craig as he shares the defining moments, challenges, and his evolving understanding and knowledge that has shaped his winery and vineyards over the last two decades.
A great lunch tasting with Craig Wessels at London’s premier South African eatery… Kudu on Moxon Street.
At the end of January 2026, I caught up with Craig on one of his lightning tours of Europe, and had the pleasure of his time, mano-a-mano over lunch, to taste through his range of new releases, including his incredibly exciting new ‘baby cuvees’ of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, bottled under the newly adopted “Klein Hemel” label.
Restless River ‘Klein Hemel’ Pinot Noir 2024, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13.5% Abv.
Using a 20% new oak portion, this is made in exactly same way as the bigger brother ‘Le Luc’ cuvee. A mix of vineyards, 60% on Granite and 40% on Shale, sourced from four different sites with vine age ranging from five to nine years old. Subtle and fragrant, this shows beautifully elegant ethereal notes of sweet red cherry, bramble berry and cranberry spice. This wine has a texture of silk, sultry and elegant with soft tight grained tannins and a compact, red berry fruited Granitic finish enlivened by a bright acidity. This is undoubtedly more Cote de Beaune than Cote de Nuits in style and absolutely delicious already. Drink now to 2032+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Restless River ‘Le Luc’ Pinot Noir 2023, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13% Abv.
With 30% of new oak barrels used, this 2023 Pinot is a seriously mineral, spicy expression packed full of struck flint, crushed gravel and limestone minerality. Underneath, there are complex notes of bramble berries, wild strawberry, and tart cranberry with a light ethereal concentration with an effortless shakshuka mixed spice note on the finish. Very classy indeed. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Restless River ‘Main Road & Dignity’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13.7% Abv.
The 2023 will be the last use of Main Road vineyard grapes before its grubbing up. The 2022 utilises a 30% new oak portion also using fifth and sixth fill barrels for 24 months before an extra two years aging in barrel. This 2022 is very similar in character to the fresh 2013 vintage with a cool, sleek elegance, aromatics full of sweet cedar, dried herbs, tea leaf and graphite. The palate is sleek and silky, beautifully supple and elegant with soft silky tannins, crisp intricate acids, and fabulously accessible fleshy black berry fruits. If this silky 2022 ages as well as the 2013, drinkers are in store for another classically styled blockbuster. Truly classy. Drink now to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Restless River ‘Klein Hemel’ Chardonnay 2024, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13% Abv.
Using a 10% new oak portion in 500 litre barrels, the same as for the Ava Marie cuvee, this wine is made from a blend of three Granitic Chardonnay vineyards planted in 2020. The aromatics are lush and expressive with layers of lemon cordial, lime peel, fresh green apple, and white peach. Incredibly cool and crystalline on the palate, this wine shows precision, purity, and a mineral under vein with vibrant tangy acids and real persistence on the finish. Yet again, a wine that totally over delivers. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Restless River ‘Ava Marie’ Chardonnay 2023, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 12.7% Abv.
This flagship wine is now made from the oldest Chardonnay vines in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at 29 years old, lending the wine an extra concentration, weight and intensity. Full of lemon and herbs, lemon cordial and white peach notes that intermingle with fabulous stony mineral nuances. Beautifully full and expressive on the palate, concentrated, this wine is characterful and classy, precise and impressively complex with an overriding supple ease and accessibility. Undoubtedly one of South Africa’s finest Chardonnay expressions produced in the Cape. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Tasting with Craig and the Somm team at Kudu Restaurant, London.
The Restless River wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Liberty Wines.
