Masters Of Their Craft – Tasting a Selection of the Cape Winemakers Guild 2024 Auction Selection…

September 13, 2024September 14, 2024 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Established in 1982, the Cape Winemakers Guild is a collective of some of South Africa’s greatest winemakers. These 41 winemakers have been recognised as excelling at their craft by their peers within the Guild. Membership of the Guild is by invitation only and is extended to winemakers who have been responsible for the production of wines of excellence for a minimum of five years and who show promise of not only consistently exceeding industry standards, but also promoting the values of the Guild.

Over the last 42 years, the Guild’s winemakers have demonstrated a commitment to developing the local wine industry, through innovative practices and the sharing of knowledge. The Guild and its members are investing in the future of winemaking by nurturing young winemaking talent through the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Development Trust and the CWG Protégé Programme.

JD Pretorius, Gary Jordan and Samantha O’Keefe at the London CWG presentation.

The CWG meets regularly as a technical tasting group, providing its members with an opportunity to evaluate wines from around the world and to share their knowledge and ideas – ensuring that CWG members remain leaders in the art and science of winemaking.

Graham Beck CWG Extra Brut 2019 Chardonnay Pinot Noir Cap Classique (Pieter Ferreira)

Beautiful tension, precision and aromatic complexity with a very smart underlying structure, purity and freshness. Top drawer Cap Classique.

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

Silverthorn Big Dog Ten Cap Classique 2019 (John Loubser)

Sweet apple blossom, lemon cordial and delicate savoury red fruit aromatics. Beautiful creamy mousse, pin point structure and a dreamy finessed length. Stunning! Chapeaux John!!

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

Bartho Eksteen Wine Estate Vloekskoot Wooded Sauvignon Blanc 2020 (Bartho Eksteen)

Pungent gooseberry, vibrant green fruits, hints of leafy green herbs, fennel, green peas and capsicum hints. Rich, savoury style full of texture and fleshy yellow and green fruits.

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

Saskia-Jo White Blend 2022 (Miles Mossop)

An 85% Chenin Blanc / 15% Clairette Blanche blend, the nose is packed with bruised yellow orchard fruits, honey suckle and savoury oatmeal biscuit nuances. Full yet fresh, fleshy yet deliciously tangy, with a leesy oak spice complexity.

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

Beaumont Family Wines GG’s Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2023 (Sebastian Beaumont)

A fine stony mineral expression of Chenin Blanc with a dusty gravel minerality, fynbos, white peach and dried herbs. Lovely precision and tension harmonising with a seductive taut line of acidity. Super classy and classical.

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

Mullineux Wines Swartland “The Gris” Old Vines Semillon 2023 (Andrea Mullineux)

Pink musk, dusty talc, sherbet Bon Bons, crunchy white peaches and green apple hints. Fabulous balance and depth with freshness, purity and pristine precision. A truly impressive fine wine with a seductively complex finish. Wow!

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

Warwick Auction Chardonnay 2022 (JD Pretorius)

Honeysuckle, lemon cordial, savoury lees and lemon biscuits. Plush, fleshy and round with a deliciously tangy acidity and a long green apple creamy finish.

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

Ataraxia Under the Gavel Chardonnay 2023 (Kevin Grant)

Aromatics of salted butter on warm popcorn with hints of lemon biscuit. Full, cool, fleshy and pure with a seductively premium kiss of oak, delicate toffee apple hints and a cool, restrained white citrus and herbal spice finish.

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

Gottfried Mocke Wine Projects Chardonnay 2023 (Gottfried Mocke)

Dusty and mineral with pithy lemon and herbs, dry bush veld and fynbos hints. Cool, spicy and picante with a delicately savoury lemon & herb butter finish.

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

Kershaw Wines Vertiginous Pinot Noir 2022 (Richard Kershaw MW)

Wild brambly, earthy, wild strawberry, red berry fruits nuances on a savoury nose. Beautifully elegant texture, fine boned and sleek with very impressive attention to detail, silky sappy tannins and an earthy focused finish.

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

Lismore The Sheltering Sky Syrah 2022 (Samantha O’Keefe)

Sweet savoury black berry fruits loaded with perfume, musk and violets. Very detailed and seductive with a meaty red berry fruited finish. Super impressive texture and focus.

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

Savage Wines Auction Syrah 2022 (Duncan Savage)

Deep, seductive and alluring aromatics packed full of red and black berry fruits, red currant confit, and a wonderfully perfumed creamy depth. Silky tannins, incredibly fine grained texture with a fabulous balance and length. Wow!

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

Boschkloof CWG Epilogue Syrah 2022 (Reenen Borman)

A fleshy, perfumed, lifted expression with red and black fruits, fleshy savoury meaty notes, sweet cherry confit and a strawberry compote finish. Silky tannins and weightless concentration combine with beautiful purity. An accomplished wine by anyones standards!

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

Erika Obermeyer Wines Silver Linings 2022 (Erika Obermeyer)

Savoury, dark fruited and alluring with exotic Christmas spices, incense and potpourri notes. Dreamy, seductive and elegantly textured with an understated power and intensity.

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

Luddite Tonto 2012 (Neil’s Verburg)

Sweet and spicy with savoury black berries, wild garrigue and fynbos hints. Powerful and assertive but also shows a tender, elegant textural underbelly with a weightless concentration.

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

Raats Family Wines Stella Noval Cabernet Franc 2020 (Bruwer Raats)

Intensely perfumed and lifted with capsicum, sweet cedar, shaved pencil spice, with a crushed grey slate dusty lift. Fabulously sweet fruited, sappy and intense revealing a creamy, alluring textural harmony. Top effort.

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

Strydom Family Wines The Game Changer Cabernet Franc – Merlot 2020

A plush dark fruited palate with blue and black berry fruits, sweet cherry tobacco and hints of graphite and tannery leather. A super elegant expression.

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

Jordan Wine Estate CWG Sophia 2022 Red Blend

Sweet blackberry and herbs, fynbos and spice. A textural masterclass. Really seductive with an enticing cool leafy complexity and a long finish.

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

Le Riche CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Christo le Riche)

Made from a 26 year old vineyard which shows a deep, dark and broody aromatics packed with sweet plum and cassis, perfumed violets, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod spice with a kiss of dried mint leaf. The palate is plush and creamy, weightlessly concentrated yet vibrant, tangy and deliciously fresh. Class act! Stunning!

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

Rock of Eye CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 (Coenie Snyman)

Sweet Red and black berry fruits, brown toast and a stewed black tea complexity. An incredibly fine textured creamy elegance, with chalky silky tannins and a weightless concentration on the finish. A textural dream wine!

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

Kanonkop Estate CWG Pinotage 2021 (Abrie Beeslaar)

A complex aromatics of roasted coffee beans, brûléed oak, brown toast with black currant confit. The acids are fresh, the fruit intensity tangy and bright, with an underlying salinity, a sweet and sour acidity and the most silky, seductive tannin texture with a minty, herby, chocolatey kiss of oak.

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

Also tasted: (snapshot tasting…)

De Grendel Wooded Sauvignon Blanc 2023 (Charles Hopkins) – 93/100 GSMW

Bartho Eksteen Wine Estate Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc – Wooded 2023 (Bartho Eksteen) – 92/100 GSMW

Spier Frans K. Smit Heritage Reserve White 2023 (Frans Smit) – 92+/100 GSMW

David & Nadia Veiling Chenin Blanc 2023 (David Sadie) – 96/100 GSMW

Cederberg CWG Auction Chenin Blanc 2023 (David Nieuwoudt) – 92+/100 GSMW

Survivor CWG Chenin Blanc 2023 (Pierre Wahl) – 93+/100 GSMW

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Sandford Chardonnay 2022 (Gordon Newton Johnson) – 95/100 GSMW

Paul Clüver The Wagon Trail Chardonnay 2023 (Andries Burger) – 95+/100 GSMW

Lismore Valkyrie Chardonnay 2023 (Samantha O’Keefe) – 92/100 GSMW

Kershaw Wines Ziggurat Chardonnay 2023 (Richard Kershaw MW) – 95+/100 GSMW

David Finlayson Wines “Naja Nivea” Chardonnay 2023 (David Finlayson) – 93/100 GSMW

De Grendel Op Die Berg Pinot Noir 2022 (Charles Hopkins) – 93/100 GSMW

Luddite Hands Off Mourvedre 2023 (Niels Verburg) – 94/100 GSMW

Dewaldt Heyns Family Wines CWG Shiraz Reserve 2021 (Dewaldt Heyns) – 94+/100 GSMW

Leeu Passant Franschhoek Hillside Cabernet Franc 2022 (Andrea Mullineux) – 95+/100 GSMW

Hartenberg CWG Aution Amphora Merlot 2021 (Car Schutz) – 96/100 GSMW

Neil Ellis Wines Abel 2020 (Warren Ellis) – 94/100 GSMW

De Trafford CWG Perspective 2022 (750ml & 1.5L) (David Trafford) – 94/100 GSMW

Neil Ellis Wines Cain 2020 (Warren Ellis) – 93+/100 GSMW

Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2021 (Abrie Beeslaar) – 97/100 GSMW

Spier Frans K. Smit Heritage Reserve Red 2021 (Frans Smit) – 94/100 GSMW

Ernie Els CWG 2021 (Louis Strydom) – 94/100 GSMW

Miles Mossop Wines Maximilian 2021 (Miles Mossop) – 97/100 GSMW

Erika Obermeyer Wines Fields of Gold 2021 (Erika Obermeyer) – 93/100 GSMW

Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 (Morné Vrey) – 96+/100 GSMW

Hartenberg CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 (Carl Schultz) – 95/100 GSMW

Survivor CWG Pinotage 2022 (Pierre Wahl) – 94+/100 GSMW

The annual Cape Winemakers Guild auction takes place on the 4th and 5th of October with the Protégé Programme Auction also officially underway, with bidding taking place virtually from 6pm the 7th Oct on the @StraussFineWine website. Coveted auction lots include unique collections, rare verticals & tasting experiences with Guild members.

Please contact: kate@capewinemakersguild.com for more details on how to obtain some of these world-class, ultra rare wines!

Tasting the Impressive Wines Selected for the 2020 Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction…

September 28, 2020September 28, 2020 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The 2020 Nedbank CWG Auction hosted by Bonhams London will be held online on Saturday 3rd October from 12h00 (BST). Due to Coronavirus, there were no public tastings prior to sale making the limited tastings by a select group of wine journalists even more important this year. The line-up comprises 28 wines with total cases on offer amounting to 564 cases (6 x 750ml) compared to 45 wines and 1,932 cases in 2019.

In support of one of the Guild members, buyers will have the opportunity to bid on smaller lots – the funds raised by the first case of six bottles of every wine will be given as financial assistance to Samantha O’Keefe, whose Lismore property in Greyton was devastated by fire in December last year. The CWG will also be hosting a 50 – item Vinotheque Auction made up of select older wines donated by members with express objective being to raise funds to assist employees within their businesses whose livelihoods have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 CWG Selection:

CWG host and Jordan Winery owner Gary Jordan taking us through the 2020 CWG wines.

Graham Beck Cuvée 129 Extra Brut 2009, WO Western Cape

Winemaker: Pieter Ferreira. 51% Pinot Noir, 49% Chardonnay. Cuvée 129 refers to the number of months on the lees aging – 10 years and 9 months.

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

Silverthorn Big Dog VI Méthode Cap Classique 2015, WO Robertson

Winemaker: John Loubser. 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. Chardonnay fermented and aged in old French oak, Pinot Noir in steel. 50 months on lees.

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

De Grendel Wooded Sauvignon Blanc 2019, WO Darling.

Winemaker: Charles Hopkins. Crushed, 18 hours skin contact, then settled and fermented in old oak.

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

Bartho Eksteen Vloekskoot Sauvignon Blanc 2019, WO Cape Coast

Winemaker: Bartho Eksteen. Whole bunch pressed, no settling. Naturally fermented in older, big wood.

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

Simonsig Mediterraneo 2015, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Johan Malan. 66% Roussanne, 28% Grenache Blanc, 6% Verdelho. Whole bunch pressed, mix of wild and cultured yeast.

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

Miles Mossop Wines Saskia-Jo 2018, WO Swartland

Winemaker: Miles Mossop. 65% Chenin Blanc, 25% Clairette Blanche, 10% Grenache Blanc. Decomposed granite soils.

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

Rijk’s CWG Chenin Blanc 2018, WO Tulbagh

Winemaker: Pierre Wahl. 14-year-old bush vines, fermented in new and used French oak.

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

Raats Family Wines The Fountain Terroir Specific Chenin Blanc 2019, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Bruwer Raats. Rich, creamy but super bright with leesy, peachy fruit complexity and incredible precision and vibrant intensity.

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

Paul Cluver The Wagon Trail Chardonnay 2018, WO Elgin

Winemaker: Andries Burger. From the oldest Chardonnay vineyard on the Estate, planted in 1987 (the oldest vines in Elgin).

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

Leeu Passant Radicales Libres Chardonnay 2015, WO Klein Karoo

Winemaker: Andrea Mullineux. 100% Chardonnay, long elevage inspired by Jura and Rioja. From the incredibly cool Barrydale Valley in the Klein Karoo, after fermentation this Chardonnay was aged in barrel for five years.

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

Ataraxia Under The Gavel Chardonnay 2019, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

Winemaker: Kevin Grant. Cool and Crystalline with a stony minerality, pithy peachy yellow citrus concentration and a long, pure brilliance.

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

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Windansea Pinot Noir 2017, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

Winemaker: Gordon Newton Johnson. Stoniest, most clay-rich parts of the vineyard used for this. No sulfites in the winemaking. 11 months in barrel then six months in large oak.

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

Neil Ellis Wines Amper Bo Tempranillo 2015, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Warren Ellis. Whole berry fermentation then 18 months in 60% new French oak barrels and 40% in second fill.

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

Rust en Vrede CWG Auction Estate 2017, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Coenie Snyman. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Syrah.

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

Ernie Els CWG 2017, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Louis Strydom. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Shiraz, 10% Cinsault. Fermentation in small 300 litre open top oak barrels with three weeks extended maturation.

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

Luddite The Lone Stranger Mark II 2018, WO Bot River

Winemaker: Niels Verburg. 50% Mourvèdre, 40% Shiraz, 10% Grenache Noir. Small open fermenters then pressed to barrel for two years.

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

Delaire Graff Estate Banghoek Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Morné Very. 55% Cabernet Franc, 34% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec. Whole berry fermentation with limited punch downs. Four weeks post-ferment maturation on skins before being basket pressed. Matured in 40% new French 225 litre barrels for 16 months.

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

Spier Frans K Smit Auction Selection 2017, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Frans K Smit. 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Organic.

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

Strydom Family Wines The Game Changer 2017, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Rianie Strydom. 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot. North facing slopes on the Helderberg.

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

Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2017, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Abrie Beeslaar. 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot. From Simonsberg. Fermented in open top ‘kuipe’ for six days, then malolactic fermentation in tank, and matured in new French oak for two years.

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

Groot Constantia CWG Gouverneurs Reserve 2018, WO Constantia

Winemaker: Boela Gerber. 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Cabernet Franc. 75% new oak.

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

Villiera Drip Barrel Cabernet Franc 2018, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Jeff Grier. 18 months in new and used French oak.

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

Edgebaston Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2017, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: David Finlayson. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc. From the clay-heavy section of their GS vineyard, picked five days earlier than the rest of the vineyard. New French oak for two years.

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

Hartenberg CWG Auction Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Carl Schultz. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Bottelary Hills. 20 days on skins, 20 months in 50% new 225 litre French oak barrels.

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

Boschkloof Epilogue Syrah 2018, WO Stellenbosch

Winemaker: Jacques Borman. Harvested in three tranches, 30% whole bunch. Some matured in concrete, some in barrel (30% new).

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

Cederberg Teen Die Hoog Shiraz 2018, WO Cederberg

Winemaker: David Nieuwoudt. Red slate soils. 85% new oak.

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

Saronsberg Die Erf Shiraz 2017, WO Tulbagh

Winemaker: Dewaldt Heyns. The best barrel of Block 27. Aged for 20 months in a new French Allier oak barrel.

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

Boplaas Cape Vintage CWG Reserve 2015, WO Western Cape

Winemaker: Carel Nel. 80% Touriga Nacional, 10% Touriga Franca, 6% Souzão, 4% Tinta Barocca. Fermented and fortified in small lagares and barrel matured in large seasoned oak barrels.

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