Cabernet Franc

Tasting and Assessing the Hedonistic New Vintage Releases from Franschhoek’s Holden Manz Estate…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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.

Holden Manz Chenin Blanc Reserve 2023, WO Simonsberg – Paarl, 12.5% Abv.

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+.

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

Bruwer Raats Profiles His Stunning New MR de Compostella 2023 and Vesperi 2024 Releases in London…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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.

Glenelly Estate Releases Their New Lady May 2021 Cape Bordeaux Blend – A Wine That Reaches New Heights of Quality for This Prime Stellenbosch Property…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Lady May is the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon-led Bordeaux blend from Glenelly Estate, nestled on the southern slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain in Stellenbosch. Named in honour of the estate’s founder, the legendary May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, the former owner of Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, this wine represents a seamless marriage of French pedigree and prime South African Stellenbosch terroir. 

Characterized by its deep complexity, the blend typically features Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc alongside its Cabernet Sauvignon backbone. It offers a sophisticated profile of dark fruit, etched graphite tannins, and a fresh mineral core, ensuring remarkable aging potential. Only released in South Africa in May 2026, it seems almost implausible that I tasted and reviewed this wine for a Winemag.co.za article way back in June 2024! But as luck would have it, I retasted the wine again in mid-May 2026 at the Cabernet Collective 2021 Tasting in London, and all the joyful memories of tasting it the first time two years ago came rushing back! 

Dirk van Zyl in London recently presenting a masterclass at 67 Pall Mall.

Glenelly Estate Lady May 2021, WO Stellenbosch ,14.5% Abv.

A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Dense dark and opaque in the glass with incredibly potent and pure fruited aromatics of creme de cassis, saline black currant, cherry tobacco, grilled herbs, and subtle vanilla pod spice nuances. The palate embraces power and density showing fine chalky tannins, a real black and blue fruited intensity with just the most classically restrained, harmonious elegant finish. This is a phenomenal red wine that registers quality wise in the highest of echelons of what is possible for Cape Bordeaux Blends in South Africa. Drink from 2026 to 2046+.

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

The Glenelly wines are imported into the UK by Seckford Wine Agencies.

The Multi-Talented Chris Groenewald Hits London to Launch the New Releases of His Exciting Pounding Grapes Wine Range… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Chris Groenewald is a polymath of the South African wine scene, weaving together his background in theology, a deep expertise in blind wine tasting, and a “New Wave” approach to winemaking. Based in the Western Cape, Chris’s personal project, Pounding Grapes, reflects his philosophy of “naked, raw, and natural” wines that emphasize joyful character over any kind of technical rigidity.

As the captain of the South African World Blind Wine Tasting team, Groenewald possesses a world-class palate in anyone’s language, yet his own wines are anything but academic. His portfolio, which includes vibrant releases like the Bringing Back The Joy Skin-Contact Sauvignon Blanc and the Heart Candy Pinotage, focuses on minimal intervention. These wines typically undergo natural fermentation, often utilizing concrete eggs or old oak barrels to maintain fruit purity and texture without the mask of heavy wood.

Chris Groenewald from Pounding Grapes Winery.

Sourcing grapes from premium cool-climate sites like Durbanville, Pounding Grapes celebrates the “natty” wine culture – sometimes cloudy, often pithy, grippy and alive, while maintaining a high level of purity, cleanliness and technical precision. Whether he is reviving boutique labels like Terracura or crushing small batches for his own label, Groenewald’s work remains at the forefront of the Cape’s artisanal revolution, proving that serious wine doesn’t always have to take itself seriously.

Chris was recently in London and hosted an enlightening and informative tasting lunch at Noble Rot Mayfair, where we got to enjoy his new releases which are coming to the UK very soon through his importer, Wood Winters. 

Bringing Back the Joy Skin Contact Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Durbanville, 12.5% Abv. 

Malmesbury Shale soils facing table mountain. 7 days skin fermented, basket pressed into 1 x 500 litre Egg and 1 x 300 litre old oak barrel. Naturally fermented with malo fully completed. The aromatics are dusty and pithy, delicately grassy and herby with crushed Granite, lemon grass, pear and yellow orchard stone fruits. Delightfully fresh and tangy with an excellent fleshy mid-palate core of fruit, finishing with a zesty, intense salinity. Quite superb.

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

Terracura Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Swartland, 13% Abv. 

Chenin Blanc from vines planted in 1998. Basket pressed into one 525 litre egg. Lovely complex bruised yellow orchard fruit aromatics with hints of wet straw, waxy peaches, orange peel and savoury fynbos notes. Delicious weight, fleshy but beautifully characterful with excellent persistence on the finish.

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

Unicorns in the Sky Chenin Blanc 2025, WO Swartland, 13% Abv. 

Sourced from the ‘Sky’ Vineyard 75% Chenin Blanc planted 1998 and 25% from Kweperfontein Farm Chenin Blanc planted in 1964. Skin Fermented for 6 days, the Sky portion as per Terracura. Classical, waxy, savoury bruised yellow orchard fruit notes of the Paardeberg but this also has an intense Granitic hit of dusty, stony minerality, dried herbs and peach stone fruits with wet straw and fynbos hints. Incredible balance and restraint, with lovely orange blossom, and tangerine peel complexity.

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

Fairies in the Garden Semillon Gris 2025, WO Swartland, 12% Abv. 

Semillon Gris from the Kweperfontein Farm in the Paardeberg, with 7 days on skins, the big grapes packed with plenty of juice, open fermented and then into an egg and a 225 litre old oak barrel. A more natural leaning expression with delicious savoury notes, sapidity, orange peel, quince jelly and hints of yellow orchard fruits. So effortlessly juicy, tangy and bright, incredibly zippy, energetic and inviting. What an umami tinged complex stunner of a wine!

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

Wine writer Dr Jamie Goode merched up with his Pounding Grape cap.

Just Leave Me Flowers on My Grave Blend Chenin Blanc, 15% Abv.

65% left 3 years under flor (2023), 35% from fresh 2026 fruit. Blended a month ago and due to be bottled end May 2026. Saline and niche, nutty, tangy and umami salty without the cutting intensity of Sherry but with a salty, savoury complexity. The finish lingers – powerful and imposing with a pleasing walnut skin bitterness on the loooong finish. Idiosyncratic but also very delicious.

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

Heart Candy Pinotage 2024, WO Durbanville, 13% Abv. 

North facing vineyard, aged in two 225 litre oak barrels, the wine shows a lifted perfume intricacy and an exotic pink musk complexity, violets and red cherry rock candy notes. Super pure, bright and crystalline, this is delightfully translucent, energetic and vibrant with a smashable drinkability, tangy tart acids and a fabulous juicy length. Superb.

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

Where the Lines Bend 2025, WO Stellenbosch, 10.8% Abv. 

100% Cabernet Franc from the Bottelary Hills, 10 days cold soaked and fermented before being basket pressed into a concrete egg. The aromatics highlight the perfume and crunchy red fruit intensity, sweet cedar, crunchy red cherry and red currants. The delicate cedar spice sapidity follows to the palate with real energy and tension, tart linear acids and a cool, steely, taut focus with a hint of bay leaf spice on the finish. (1,300 bottles produced.)

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

Terracura 2025 Syrah, WO Swartland, 13.2% Abv. 

100% wholebunch Syrah, then basket pressed into eggs and 300 litre barrels. Incredibly stalky, smoky, sappy and peppery over a dark fruited black berry, brambly fruit core. This is incredibly Oldy Worldy Rhone style Syrah with a super sleek creamy texture, incredibly finessed tannins with an attention to detail second to none. Wow!

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

Contact Andrew@woodwinters.com for allocations and pricing. 

Bellevue Estate Continues Its Unstoppable Rise – Tasting Their Impressive New Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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.

Bellevue Estate Eselgraf Chenin Blanc Reserve 2024, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv. (1976)

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.

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

Tasting with Bellevue Sales Manager Luan Aucamp.

Bellevue Estate Chenin Blanc Reserve 2025, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv. 

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.

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

Bellevue Estate Atticus 2023 Cape Blend, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

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.

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

Bellevue Estate Tumara 2023 Cape Bordeaux Blend, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

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.

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

Bellevue Estate Reserve Collection Pinotage 2021, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv. 

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.

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

Long time Bellevue winemaker Wilhelm Kritzinger.

Bellevue Estate Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

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.

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

Bellevue Estate Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

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+.

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

Bellevue Wine Estate Heritage Pinotage 2021, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

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+.

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

Bellevue Wine Estate Reserve Pinotage 2023, WO Bottelary, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

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.

Bordeaux En-primeur 2025 – Part 2: The Wines of Martin Krajewski – Chateau Clos Cantenac and Chateau Seraphine…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The 2025 Bordeaux vintage is defined by a paradox of extreme heat yet produced many wines with surprising elegance. After a mild winter, an exceptionally early and uniform flowering in mid-May set the stage for an accelerated growing season. However, the defining characteristic was a series of intense heatwaves in June and August, with temperatures peaking near 42°C.

The result was a year of remarkably low yields but also intense, pure concentration. Small, thick-skinned berries – particularly in the Merlot – produced wines with deep colour and rich phenolic structure. While the heat initially threatened to block ongoing ripening, critical rains in late August combined with cooler night temperatures preserved a “crystalline” acidity that distinguishes 2025 from the more opulent and hedonistic 2022 vintage.

Key Highlights:

• Quality vs. Quantity: Exceptional aromatic intensity and ripe tannins, though volumes are down roughly -15% due to heat-induced berry shrivelling.  

• Terroir Success: Clay and limestone soils (notably in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol) thrived by regulating water stress.  

• Style: Early tastings suggest a “modern classic” – combining the power of solar vintages with a refined, fresh finish and moderate alcohol levels (averaging 13.5–14%).  

For collectors, 2025 stands as a “vigneron’s year,” where precise harvest timing was essential to balance its natural fruit density with graceful acids.

Petit Cantenac 2025, Saint Emilion Grand Cru, 13% Abv.

The 2025 Petit Cantenac stays true to the vintage and displays an incredibly intense, lifted, “crystalline” purity and perfume with piercing notes of violets, crushed red cherries, black currants and red currants with a delicate dusting of leafy spice, freshly cut cedar, and subtle notes of Asian five spice. The palate shows a mouthwatering crunchy structure, tightly delineated acids and a steely tension that envelops the bright red and black berry fruit concentration. The tannins are tense and sinewy rather than muscular, holding the ripe fruits in perfect balance. This is essentially a “modern classic” with a cool demeanour, crunchy bright acids together with a potent, focused depth of fruit. Forward and elegantly accessible in style but simultaneously quite a serious expression. Drink from 2028 to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 92-94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Clos Cantenac 2025, Saint Emilion Grand Cru. 13.25% Abv.

Once again, the 2025 Clos Cantenac Saint Emilion Grand Vin is a 100% Merlot offering that will be aged for 12 months in 40% new oak barriques and 60% in second and third passage barrels. While this wine’s aromatics share an exotic, lifted exuberance with its junior sibling, Petit Cantenac, the perfume and fragrance is that much more intricate, broader, and more intense, showing sweet violets, rich ripe black berry fruits, crème de cassis, blue berries, black cherries and pronounced Christmas gateau nuances. There is a lingering hint of spicy new oak in the background, but this wine is decidedly plush and hedonistic with an impressive classical elegance. The palate is tight knit, cool and incredibly focused revealing a tight grained, stony minerality, hints of cigar box, tobacco leaf, black cherry compote and tart cassis on the finish. This wine possesses all the composure, freshness and seduction of a truly great Bordeaux vintage. Dink from 2028 to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

L’Innocence de Seraphine 2025, Pomerol, 13.5% Abv.

Many drinkers imagine Pomerol wines being 100% Merlot, but this example is a 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc assemblage. The aromatics are true to form – lush, plush, exotic and hedonistic with fragrant notes of sweet violets, red currants, black cherries and frais de bois wild strawberries. Complexing veins of black chocolate run deep into the wine, complimented by notes of wet tobacco and dried baking spices. The mouthfeel is full, glycerol and textural revealing hints of vanilla pod spice, picante black berries, creamy tannins and a savoury black liquorice finish. This wine has all the power of Pomerol fruit but with a slightly softer, more integrated, harmonious finish. This wine offers great value for Pomerol lovers. Drink from 2028 to 2040.

(Wine Safari Score: 92-93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Seraphine 2025, Pomerol, 13.5% Abv.

We often like to compare second wines to their Grand Vins but this Seraphine is in a completely different league. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the wine will be aged in a selection of 300 litre new French oak barrels and amphorae. Thereafter, the wine is racked off into French oak barrels (45% new and 55% second and third fill) where it will be matured for 12-14 months to harmonise further. On the nose, this is pure hedonistic joy – vibrant, lifted and enticingly fresh and perfumed showing bay leaf and thyme spice. Notes of fresh violets, savoury black cherries, earthy loam, and damsons plum nuances melt into earthy black currants and a sappy wood spice persistence. The concentration is notable, the acid freshness and creamy fruit concentration simply breathtaking, buffered by incredibly supple, creamy fine grained tannins. An intricate, powerful, complex expression that is sure to impress Bordeaux lovers! Drink from 2028 to 2040.

(Wine Safari Score: 96-97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

EP and back vintages of Clos Cantenac and Chateau Seraphine are available from specialist UK merchant Museum Wines.

Vilafonte Releases Their New 2023 Vintage Series C and Series M to a Chorus of High International Praise…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Every year, one can point to the annual release of the Vilafonte Series C and Series M reds as two of the most important and noteworthy new Cape Bordeaux blends to hit the market. These two wines have, since their maiden releases in 2003, cultivated a committed global following among fine wine connoisseurs and passionate collectors alike. With the focus firmly on premium quality, each subsequent vintage is highly anticipated both in the wine trade and among consumers. The 2023 vintage was obviously a much more complicated harvest for many than either 2022 or 2021 due to persistent rain across much of the Cape, necessitating further clarification of Vilafonte’s picking dates from winemaker Chris de Vries.

“The 2023 vintage reminded us how swiftly light can turn to shadow, and how timing alone can separate fortune from misfortune” Chris de Vries opined. “Outstanding early conditions carried us through harvest, our final lots secured only days before March 4th brought a week of rain that might have rewritten the story entirely.” Picking at Vilafonte began on February 2nd and continued until March 1st, a slightly extended window, shaped by a warm first half of February followed by a cooler close. This shift tempered ripening, allowing balance and freshness to define the fruit. 

Berry weights reflected the season: Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc were modestly smaller than average, lending natural concentration, while Cabernet Sauvignon berries were slightly larger, contributing generosity and an approachable tannin profile. Although March delivered over 60 mm more rain than the norm, the Vilafonte harvest was safely picked before the downpours, leaving the Vilafonte team among the fortunate few who carried the season’s promise intact into the cellar. The resulting wines show a poised tension between ripe black fruit and lifted freshness, framed by fine tannins and a classical structure. “Opulence is tempered by clarity, and the 2023s stand as wines of both immediate allure and assured longevity” Chris de Vries concluded.

Vilafonte Series C 2023, WO Paarl. 14.5% Abv.

The 2023 Series C is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 12% Malbec and 7% Cabernet Franc and offers up classic Vilafonte aromatics of sweet black currants, saline crème de cassis, blueberry compote and wet tobacco leaves. Fabulously opulent and exotic on the nose, the wine has all the Series C hallmarks that has made this one of the most desirable Cabernet Sauvignon blends produced in the Cape, brimming with not only intense pure black berry fruits but also complex earthy layers of tilled loam over hints of graphite, dried herbs and warm buttered brown breakfast toast. The palate is sophisticated, silky, and lithe, neither weighty nor muscular, but rather sleek, picante, and spicy with cedar and vanilla pod notes, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a weightless black currant fruit concentration. There is a youthful, sinewy freshness and a tightly wound core of energy that should see this wine age gracefully for a decade or two. 

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

Vilafonte Series M 2023, WO Paarl. 14% Abv.

The 2023 Series M is a blend of 41% Merlot, 38% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc and displays a seriously opulent, showy Series M plushness and generosity combined with plenty of refinement and purity. The aromatics are vibrant and youthful revealing intense layers of blue and black berry fruits, bay leaf spice, damson plums and black cherry compote with a magical dusting of vanilla pod oak spice. In the mouth, the wine is marked with a fabulously creamy, silky texture, delicate notes of graphite and cocoa powder, saline crème de cassis and mulberry fruits with a pronounced mineral interplay on the complex finish. Once again, I’m super impressed at the intensity, power, and concentration Vilafonte achieves with their Series M cuvee – a wine that epitomises luxury, generosity, and sophistication. Drink on release until 2040+.

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

The Vilafonte wines are imported to the UK and distributed to trade by agent John E. Fells.

Premium South African Producers Descend on London for the Liberty Wines Portfolio Tasting…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The first quarter of the year always sees the Liberty Wines Portfolio tasting at the Oval in Vauxhall, London, which features an incredible array of wines from around the world. This year I decided to focus on tasting the exciting crop of new and current release wines from South Africa in their range. Many in the UK will be aware that several key South African premium producers have recently moved over to the Liberty Wines portfolio, making it now one of the most exciting line-ups with any importer in the UK. As always, it was fantastic to catch up with the producers in person like John Seccombe, Marelise Niemann, Craig Wessels, Peter-Allan Finlayson, Chris Mullineux and others.

The Restless River New Releases from Craig Wessels will be featured in a separate write-up on A Fine Wine Safari coming very soon.

Dr Jamie Goode tasting with John Seccombe.

Thorne & Daughters:

Thorne & Daughters Paper Kite 2024, 13% Abv.

Semillon planted in 1963 on Granite soils. Rich leesy aromatics with lemon and herbs, lanoline and buttered white toast. Crisp, fleshy but beautifully saline and textured on the finish.

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

John Seccombe

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White Blend 2023, 13.5% Abv.

Rich and waxy with lemon and peaches, lactic leesy hints and some marzipan nuances. Fleshy, and pithy, packing a nice bit of power on the long finish. Impressive as always.

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

Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 14% Abv.

This Skurfberg vineyard delivers a pithy, waxy yellow orchard fruit characters that balance the slightly oily notes of the Sauvignon Blanc phenolics. The palate is chiselled and fresh with a vibrant saline acidity and a cool, pithy, mineral finish. Classy grown up Sauvignon!

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

Thorne & Daughters Wanderers Heart 2022, 13.5% Abv.

A Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre blend. Shows exotic sweet spices, layers of red fruits and bramble berries. Acids are crisp and saline, the minerality adding extra crunch, definition and tension. Lovely textured red Rhone blend with weightless concentration.

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

Momento Wines:

Momento Chenin Blanc / Verdelho 2022, 13% Abv.

Complex leesy, herby, savoury aromatics before a more fleshy palate packed with granitic minerality and a yellow orchard fruit complexity. Serious effort as usual.

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

Momento Grenache Blanc 2023, 13.5% Abv. 

Pithy, dusty aromatics with grated apple skins, pear drops and granitic minerality. Beautifully balanced, the palate shows freshness, citrus pithiness, dried herbs and a crystalline wet river pebble finish. Top class example. 

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

Myself and Marelise Niemann

Momento Grenache Gris 2023, 13% Abv.

Waxy green apple cordial and wet grey slate aromatics. Lovely intensity on the palate, a pronounced salinity and a cool, crystalline, mineral finish. Impressive! 

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

Momento Paardeberg Grenache Noir 2023, 13% Abv.

Distinct bramble berry fruit aromatics, delicately perfumed with potpourri and rose petals. Beautifully cool, mineral and restrained in the palate, taut, crystalline and pure with crunchy saline chalky red berry notes on the finish.

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

Peter-Allan Finlayson

Crystallum and Gabrielskloof Wines:

Crystallum The Agnes Chardonnay 2025, 13.5% Abv.

Embryonic, pithy and fresh with white citrus, green melon and delicate fruit salad and cream notes. Lovely concentration, flinty stony reductive hint with a wet river stone finish.

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

Crystallum Clay Shales Chardonnay 2025, 13% Abv.

A little more citrus, peaches and cream with leesy hints and buttered brioche nuances. Dense, compact and textured, the concentration is punchy, the toasty melon and citrus fruits intense and long.

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

Gabrielskloof Elodie Chenin Blanc 2024, 13% Abv.

From 40- and 45-year-old Swartland Chenin Blanc vineyards. Taut stony mineral expression with apple, peach and pear drop aromatics. There’s impressively delicate weightless green apple notes, with a cool, crystalline, easy drinking finish.

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

Crystallum Peter Max 2024, 13.5% Abv.

Beautifully aromatic nose laced with potpourri, violets, and bramble berry spice. Incredibly intense and vibrant with piercing red berry fruits, cherry and a salty finish. Wow!

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

Gabrielskloof Syrah Whole Bunch 2024, 13% Abv.

A deliciously brambly, earthy peppery aromatics ps led full of smoky black berries, tar and burnt wood embers. Palate is soft and supple, cool, elegant and vibrant with crunchy acids and a long finish full of Christmas spices.

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

Gabrielskloof Cabernet Franc Landscape Series 2022, 14% Abv.

Beautifully expressive aromatics of sweet cedar, liquorice, tar and salty black currant. The elegance and salinity follows to a juicy, vibrant palate, finishing with graphite minerality and herbal spice.

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

Mullineux Wines:

Mullineux Old Vine White 2024, 13.5% Abv.

Still circa 70% Chenin Blanc with some Quartz vineyard but mostly low yielding Paardeberg Chenin Blanc. Aromatics are full of sweet herbs, crushed Granite and white peach with a weightless concentration, delicately pithy fruits and a yellow orchard fruit concentration on the finish. Punch and impressive for the vintage.

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

Mullineux Terroir Series Granite Chenin Blanc 2024, 13.5% Abv.

Lovely tangerine and white peach notes with hints of green apple, deep veins of liquid minerality and concentrated apple and white citrus on the finish. Layered, fleshy and intense, this packs a real punch.

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

Chris Mullineux

Mullineux Syrah 2023, 13% Abv.

A very pretty fragrant aromatics with red and black berry fruits, violets, lavander and sweet herbs. The tannins are cool and stony, pithy and mineral with notes of saline black currant, black liquorice and Granitic spice. Tangy, fresh and beautifully intense.

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

Mullineux Terroir Series Schist Syrah 2023, 13.5% Abv.

A beautifully fragrant and exotic aromatics showing violets, lavander, musk and stony minerality. The delicately perfumed nose gives way to a power packed palate, dense, savoury and spicy, packed full of black pepper, cured meats and smoky wood embers. A substantial wine indeed.

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

Leeu Passant Wines:

Leeu Passant Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, 14% Abv.

Intricate aromatics of sweet cedar, lead pencil, graphite, sweet Chai tea over black currant fruits. Silky and sleek in the mouth, cool, mineral and classically framed, this is really elegant and restrained for old world wine lovers.

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

Leeu Passant Chardonnay 2023, 14% Abv. 

Exotic aromatics of perfumed peach and apricot, honeydew melon, green apple and buttered white toast. Massive concentration on the palate with candied citrus, lime cordial and a fleshy green apple finish. Wow, this has a lot of stuffing.

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

Adi Badenhorst, a new agency for Liberty Wines.

Also on taste:  Restless River from Craig Wessels, AA Badenhorst Family Wines who’s sample bottles were mostly finished before I could taste them due to popular demand, the Bosberaad Wines from Paul Jordaan and Pauline Roux which I recently reviewed on A Fine Wine Safari, as well as a selection of Fairview Wines and Spice Route Wines. 

Pauline Roux, partner in Bosberaad Wines.

Polkadraai Hills Delivers Another Sensational Van Biljon Winery Release – Tasting the Cinq 2020 Cape Bordeaux Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Last year I paid an excellent visit to see Chris Keet, the winemaker at the Van Biljon winery in Stellenbosch in the Polkadraai Hills, situated just behind the Raats Family Winery. I was fortunate enough to taste a selection of lovely back vintages including the Cinq maiden release Van Biljon as well as their yet unreleased 2021. But with their 2020 blend only hitting the market now, I thought I would take another look at this exciting new release from what was quite a complicated Cape vintage.

In general, it is always difficult to generalise about Polkadraai Hills vintages as so often they depart from the Stellenbosch norm with their cool, south facing vineyards overlooking False Bay, benefiting from cooling breezes off the cold Atlantic Ocean. In 2020, good winter rains in 2019 laid the foundation for a “good, solid” vintage. Fortunately, the grapes were harvested and in the cellar by the end of March before Covid-19 started a mad scurry in the wider Cape winelands. Overall, the growing season was moderate to cool with timely in-season rainfall which laid the foundations for yet another high-quality vintage. A beautifully composed wine, the Cinq 2020 draws on the best elements of each cultivar in the blend and delivers a really distinguished expression that must surely rank among the top Cape Bordeaux blend examples of the vintage. Known for its high scoring consistency, the Van Biljon Cinq is slowly becoming a Stellenbosch phenomenon, and 2020 looks to continue this trend.

Van Biljon Cinq 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The 2020 Cinq cuvee is a majestic blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, the wine shows an enticingly fragrant, lifted, exuberant aromatics marked with sweet violets, piquant cedar spice, wet tobacco leaf, black currant and pronounced graphite lead pencil nuances. Lifted and airy, the palate is intricate and multi-dimensional revealing an energetic, vivacious character with the most seductive fine grained velvety tannins, cool spicy black currant and black cherry fruit notes, and a most agreeably fulsome and harmoniously textured balance on the spicy finish. It is surely this wine’s classical balance, effortless intensity and elegant concentration that makes it yet another incredibly attractive Cape Bordeaux blend offering. Drink now to 2040+.

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

The Van Biljon wines are available to trade in the UK from specialist importer Woodwinters, and to consumers from reputable merchants like Museum Wines.

Ten Years On – Tasting the Iconic Wines from the 2016 Bordeaux Vintage…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

The 2016 Bordeaux vintage was nothing short of dramatic. For those tending the vines, it was a growing season shaped by an extraordinary mix of weather patterns which produced wines of remarkable balance and complexity. At the time, the oenologists echoed what many were feeling: “Bordeaux, by some miracle compared to many French wine regions, is preparing for an exceptional vintage.” Within the context of this historical pronouncement, and a surfeit of high critical scores dished out at En-primeur time, the only thing that can settle the status of this vintage once and for all is a “10 years on” tasting of bottled wines. Many thanks to Bordeaux Index for the opportunity to assess a phenomenal selection of top Chateaux wines.

A wet and cold winter set the stage for the 2016 vintage, with rainfall in the first six months of the growing season matching that of the entire previous year. Then, from mid-June to mid-August, the weather shifted dramatically, bringing a long, hot, and dry summer, followed by just 20mm of rain in early September. For many winemakers, that combination was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the dry heat during July and August was a worry – especially on gravelly soils or younger vines which struggled with water stress.

On the other hand, the soils that had stored the winter’s water, especially clay and limestone plots, proved their worth and sustained the vines throughout the drought. Then came a timely and gentle revival: light rains in mid-September, followed by a long Indian-summer stretch – warm days, cool nights, and slowed-down ripening.

Christian Seely from Pichon Baron and Veronique Sanders from Haut Bailly.

As a result, many of the top estates found themselves harvesting remarkably late, often stretching far into October, allowing grapes the time they needed for full phenolic maturity: deep colour, rich tannins, well concentrated flavours, but without excess alcohol or overripe jammy fruit. As Jacques Thienpont of Le Pin noted, it was the first time in the estate’s history that harvest didn’t begin until October. Overall, the vintage was characterised by a balance of fruit and high (but supremely ripe) tannins with fresh acidity and pleasingly moderate alcohol levels.

Many thanks to Bordeaux Index for the opportunity to assess a phenomenal selection of top Chateaux wines.

The 2016 Bordeaux Selection:

Chateau Cheval Blanc 2016, Saint Emilion 

Lifted and perfumed. Silky and utterly sophisticated.

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

Chateau Ausone 2016, St Emilion 

Dark tight and broody. More black berry intensity.  Chiselled and fresh. Precise.

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

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Red fruit, cedar, black berry. Earthy, Xmas spice. Class.

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

Chateau Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Rich, broad expansive aromatics. Black currant and graphite. Incredible depth. Very impressive.

(Wine Safari Score: 99+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chateau Margaux 2016, Margaux

Fragrant cassis and saline black fruits. Silky, precise and fine grained.

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

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 2016, Pauillac

More savoury and brûléed. Dense and powerful with beautifully chalky tannins. A classic Mouton.

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

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild 2016, Pauillac

Red and black berry fruits, exotic lifted perfume. Silky soft, pristine and very persistent.

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

Chateau Latour 2016, Pauillac

Complex salty cassis, oyster shell, graphite with a dense seamless palate, impressive power with phenomenal finesse. Bold wine. As close to perfection as possible.

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

Chateau Le Pin 2016, Pomerol

Mint chocolate chip, black berry and damson plum. Sweet fruited, generous palate and beautifully exotic.

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

Chateau Lafleur 2016, Pomerol

Beautifully exotic and complex, but also intricate. Brûléed, dark berries, salted cassis with a long luxurious creamy finish.

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

Chateau Petrus 2016, Pomerol

Dense, creamy and delicately lactic with chocolate praline notes, pithy graphite tannins and a cool finish.

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

Chateau Angelus 2016, Saint Emilion

Deep dense ripe black fruits, cassis, sapidity, full and powerful. Opulent and accessible.

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

Chateau Belair Monange 2016, Saint Emilion

Smoky chalky nose, graphite and black currant compote. Dense and compact power. Very smart.

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

Chateau Canon 2016, Saint Emilion

Graphite, black currant, sleek, silky, sophisticated. Superb.

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

Chateau Canon La Gafaliere 2016, Saint Emilion

Dark, spicy, picante intense fruit, raisined cherries and a chalky finish.

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

Chateau Figeac 2016, Saint Emilion

Fabulous oak – fruit integration. Complex and classy. Very silky and complete. Sensational.

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

Chateau Clos Fourtet 2016, Saint Emilion

Deep, dark and broody. Spicy mineral tannins, graphite hints and plenty of limestone grip.

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

Chateau L’IF 2016, Saint Emilion

Touch stewed, raisined black berries. Fleshy, ripe expression. Exuberant.

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

Chateau La Gaffeliere 2016, Saint Emilion

Rich and textured. Plenty of ripeness and power. Black fruits are slightly raisined on the finish.

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

Chateau La Mondotte 2016, Saint Emilion

Warm toasty aromatics, plush and creamy, full throttle but beautifully fresh. A great success.

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

Chateau Pavie 2016, Saint Emilion

Dense and dark, packed with blue and black berry fruits. Chewy tannins, dry grippy limestone length. Serious.

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

Chateau Pavie Macquin 2016, Saint Emilion

Dusty limestone, liquor and creme de cassis. Cool and supple, elegant and vibrant. This is classy.

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

Chateau Quintus 2016, Saint Emilion

Earthy savoury black fruits. Polished but slightly baked black berry compote style on the finish.

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

Chateau Troplong Mondot, Saint Emilion, 15.5% Abv.

Broody black fruited nose, the palate silky, tangy and super vibrant. Very seductive.

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

Chateau Valandraud 2016, Saint Emilion

Earthy savoury black fruits. Dense, mineral grip. Slightly austere on the finish. But classical power.

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

Chateau La Conseillante 2016, Pomerol

Brûléed, exotic enticing nose. Creamy and cool, packed with blue and purple fruits. Simply sensational.

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

Chateau L’Evangile 2016, Pomerol

Silky, opulent and utterly seductive! Very polished example.

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

Chateau Lafleur-Gazin 2016, Pomerol

Ripe savoury black berry fruits, pithy, ripe. Chiselled tannins.

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

Chateau Hosanna 2016, Pomerol

Salty, picante black berry fruits. Oyster shell, cassis and a long creamy finish.

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

Chateau La Fleur-Petrus 2016, Pomerol

Graphite, wood smoke and creasote on the nose. Broad creamy palate with polished tannins, silky drying finish.

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

Chateau Trotanoy 2016, Pomerol

Broody black currant fruits, creamy and mineral. Power packed. Wow.

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

Chateau La Violette 2016, Pomerol

Blue black fruits, effortless concentration, light and airy but still substantial.

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

Chateau Clinet 2016, Pomerol

Silky, complex, very complete wine. Cool and mineral. Textured but such class!

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

Vieux Chateau Certan, Pomerol, 14.5% Abv.

Juicy red and black berry fruits, graphite, limestone and mineral lift. Dense, creamy and very classy.

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

Chateau Haut-Bailly 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Lovely melange of savoury earth and black berry. Compact, dense, silky but plenty of power.

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

Chateau Les Carmes Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Intricate, perfumed and exotic, very enticing. Compact but sleek. Silky tannins, fresh and elegant. True class.

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

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Savoury, truffle, exotic and complex. Creamy and intense. 

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

Chateau Domaine de Chevalier 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Ripe red berry fruits, graphite and limestone, densely textured, compact and true class. Wow.

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

La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion 2016, Pessac-Leognan

Earth, truffle, savoury black fruits. Fabulous creamy depth, intricate acids, and true class.

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

Clarence de Chateau Haut Brion, 13.5% Abv.

Supple, silky and soft, plenty of earthy minerality, with a taut grippy finish. Punches way above its price point.

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

Chateau D’Issan 2016, Margaux

Plenty of brûléed black fruit, creamy tannins and earthy black currant compote finish.

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

Chateau Palmer 2016, Margaux

Cool, pure black fruits, impressive intensity and length. Very elegant with underlying power.

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

Chateau Leoville Barton 2016, Saint Julien

A dense, compact wine with impressive depth and power, tantalisingly structured for the long haul. Yes please!

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

Chateau Pontet-Canet 2016, Pauillac

This is super juicy, vibrant and textured with a tangy acidity, fabulous saline crème de cassis depth. Really lovely opulence.

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

Les Forts de Latour 2016, Pauillac

Complex layered wine with tilled earth, black berries and wet tobacco. Super serious.

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

Carruades de Lafite 2016, Pauillac

Medium weight, elegant and silky with black currant, damson plum and black cherry depth.

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

Le Petit Mouton 2016, Pauillac

Creamy black fruited depth, graphite, tilled earth with delicate mint and milk chocolate nuances.

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

Chateau Pichon Comtesse Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, 13.32% Abv.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc. This 2016 offers a subtle power with elegance, floral and lifted showing violets, bramble berry fruits, wild black currants and raspberry. A very pure, complete expression, definitely Pauillac at its best. 

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

Chateau Pichon Baron 2016, Pauillac

Dense, compact, powerful expression full of earthy black berry fruit, sweet tannins. graphite and cedar spice. Plenty of stuffing for the long haul.

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION… contact Bordeaux Index Private Client Sales: Ellie.Roberts@bordeauxindex.com