Tasting With the Franschhoek Vignerons – An Exploration into the Valley’s Premium Quality Winemaking and Its Unique Terroirs…

August 26, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 3 Comments

Franschhoek is of course better known as the “French Corner” of the Cape winelands, and as such, has built up an internationally respected reputation for boutique wine quality to accompany its world-famous culinary tourism and boutique hotel and spa scene. Working in co-ordination with the Franschhoek Vignerons’ membership, and in particular Gerard Holden of Holden Manz winery fame, I was able to put together an incredible in-depth, deep-dive line-up of wine tastings, vineyard walks and winery visits over a three-day visit to the Franschhoek Valley in August 2026.

The Franschhoek Valley and its vignerons are certainly not short on brand strengths and general unique selling points when it comes to promoting their wider reputation. They already possess a brand equity built on quality and heritage, with their unique Huguenot founding story and French lineage intertwined with a well-established food-and-wine tourism identity helping to set them apart from other nearby regions such as Paarl, Wellington, and indeed Stellenbosch.

This distinct narrative advantage over other generic “South African wines” has given the Valley a valuable differentiated positioning in the UK market where South Africa is already a familiar, trusted Wine of Origin for international consumers. Crucially for the Franschhoek Valley, South African wine exports have been shifting from bulk to value added, an export strategy that has been prioritised by multiple wine industry trade bodies for some years now, where market diversification and strategic positioning have become all important.

As global wine consumption continues to soften, the data reveals that volumes shipped to the UK declined by 7% in the most recent reporting period, while export value rose by 4%, underscoring the growing competitiveness of South African wine in retail and on-trade channels. For Franschhoek’s largely premium wine producers, this “value over volume” trend plays directly to their strengths as they are not competing on bulk pricing but on quality, story and provenance, which the market is rewarding even as overall demand contracts.

As someone who has bought, sold and drunk the best wines of Franschhoek for many decades, after three deep dive days tasting and travelling around the Valley’s various terroirs, I’m very pleased to report that the Franschhoek’s winemakers, often led by a new generation of young ambitious vignerons, is focusing on quality and precision like never before. Franschhoek is a small Ward, and production is largely boutique within the context of the Western Cape wine industry, with 71% of producers considered small-scale, crushing between 1 and 500 tons of grapes annually.

The luxury Spa at Terre Paisible winery.

Another overlooked benefit of decades of luxury tourism to the Valley is how this now plays directly into the fast growing Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales trend, with these channels now emerging as very lucrative alternative revenue streams for wineries at higher-than-normal retail margins. Despite sales volume pressures, the UK remains the anchor market in which South Africa cannot afford to lose momentum, and to my mind, there is still plenty of room for Franschhoek’s producers to leverage market share more aggressively through premiumisation, positioning single-estate, terroir-driven wines above the generic South African category, in specialist independents, fine-dining lists, and DTC subscription models.

Wine tourism – while not a be-all and end-all opportunity in itself – remains an underused lever for converting cellar-door visitors into meaningful customers, and a realistic path to continued success for Franschhoek’s wineries will be value-led, premiumising the Franschhoek Valley name, expanding direct-to-consumer and hospitality channels, and better exploiting the very well establish fine dining and culinary USP of the Franschhoek Valley, tying the boutique wines of the Valley more closely into a premium virtuous food and wine circle.

Finally, on a more practical winery level, there are still many basic winemaking levers available to producers to further develop niche wine sales categories.

Some of these categories that can and should be championed more confidently include:

* The White Blend category, specifically as it relates to Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon “White Bordeaux Blends”.

* Continuing to champion the old vine heritage of the Valley, in particular the famous old vine Semillon wines that are becoming more and more sought-after globally.

* Being more confident in promoting the excellent quality of the Valley’s Cabernet Sauvignon and red Bordeaux Blends, as has been championed by producers such as Boekenhoutskloof in the past with their famous Franschhoek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

* The continued development of Cabernet Franc single cultivar wines as the category continues to gain popularity worldwide.

* Making more of the exceptional potential of the Valley’s Syrah vineyards, some examples perhaps needing to be reined in a little with regards to ripeness levels, picking dates and alcohol levels, but the fruit quality is undoubtedly clearly evident.

* For single cultivar white wines, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc continue to offer excellent potential, and producers would be wise to continue building on the quality reputation that already exists globally for these cultivars. While there isn’t a lot of Chenin Blanc planted in the Valley, the quality potential is also excellent.

* Finally, Franschhoek Valley has become very well known for its excellent Cap Classique traditional method sparkling wines and this represents a lucrative ongoing, scalable opportunity for producers.

Franschhoek Vignerons Tasting:

(Winemakers were invited to present several of their top wines to the other attending Franschhoek Valley winemakers with constructive open discussion being welcomed.)

Cap Classique:

Wildeberg Cap Classique Météorique Blanc de Blancs 2023, WO Franschhoek

Harvested from 5-year-old vines, super rocky soils, fermented in older 6th fill French oak barrels, kept on lees for 24 months, zero dosage. Creamy biscuit, salted brioche, (8-9,000 bottles) brine and maritime salty kelp hints. Creamy, plush and broad in the mouth, vibrant, steely, linear, with a delicious white citrus finish.

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

Haute Cabrière Cap Classique Pierre Jourdan Blanc de Blancs 2021, WO Franschhoek

100% Chardonnay, 4.5 years on lees, with 1 g/l dosage, leaving a 3g/l RS. Apple pastille, lemon cordial, creamy mousse, lemon peel, baking spices and a creamy textural finish with a kiss of rock salt salinity.

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

Terre Paisible Cap Classique Vivre Blanc de Blancs 2019, WO Franschhoek

Aged 36 months on its lees, zero dosage, an opulent rich style made from pure Chardonnay off the property. Earthy nuances, savoury root veg, citrus and explosive mousse on the finish.

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

L’Ormarins Cap Classique Private Cuvée 2017, WO Western Cape

First vintage 2012. A regional blend of fruit including Robertson and Darling shows steely white citrus, chalk and talc notes. Energetic, vibrant grippy mousse, lovely saline edge with a punchy persistent finish.

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

Le Lude Cap Classique Madáme Millésime Blanc de Blancs 2017, WO Western Cape

Pure Chardonnay aged 8.5 years on its lees with zero dosage. Intense, leesy, sourdough and brioche character with a hint of brine and lemon cordial. Energetic mousse, fine grained, creamy and chalky with a delicately savoury finish.

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

Le Lude Cap Classique Vintage Cuvée 2016, WO Western Cape

Aged 8 years and 8 months on its lees. Only the third release after 2012 and 2013, this is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, lovely depth and breadth, the mousse very fine grained and creamy, the purity and sublte richness lingering on the long persistent finish. Characterful, hints of truffle and lovely length. Classy.

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

Le Lude Cap Classique Rosé 2019, WO Western Cape

57% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 3% Pinot Meunier aged 6.5 years on its lees, disgorged in March 2026 with a 3.3 g/l RS. Delicate copper pink the aromatics are very red fruited, rose petals, cranberry, and more creamy mousse. Savoury but subtle and perfumed, a lovely benchmark Rose Cap Classique.

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

White Wines:

Terre Paisible Les Dames de 1987 Sauvignon Blanc 2023, WO Franschhoek

Intense aromatics, powerful, lifted and quite profound. Grapefruit, gooseberry, green apple and limestone minerality. Textural, complex, multi-layered with a lovely long finish.

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

Rickety Bridge Regna Loca Semillon 2025, WO Franschhoek

A new wine range. Franschhoek 1905 old vine Semillon grown on sandy well-draining soils. Low vigour vines yield a steely, mineral, cool classical aromatics from the Landau Vineyard that was so famous. Tightly wound, mineral and white citrus. Very serious expression. Love it.

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

Old Road Wine Co. La Colline Single Vineyard Grand Mere Semillon 2024, WO Franschhoek

7,000 vines per Ha planted in 1936. Whole bunch pressed into 500 litre oak barrels and clay amphora aged for 9 months, sometimes with partial malo. Beautifully waxy, yellow orchard fruits and hints of peach. Honied, textural and delicately mealy and savoury with a touch of lanolin and butter on the finish. Superb.

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

Holden Manz Semillon Reserve 2023, WO Franschhoek

25- to 30-year-old vineyard with a good vigour. Complex nose of green apple, white citrus and delicate sapidity. Cool, stony and rich, beautifully textured, creamy and tangy with a fine vein of stony minerality. Impressive.

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

Chamonix Old Vine Steen Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Franschhoek

Decomposed Granite and Greywacke soils with clay. Planted in 1965 on the coolest pocket on the farm, packed full of peach and quince with dried herbs, hay, thyme and mint leaf. Rich, textured and glycerol with impressive concentration, orange peel, tangerine, and sweet honeycomb and peaches.

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

Old Road Wine Co. Single Vineyard Stone Trail Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Franschhoek

Planted in 1982, 400 metres above sea level on Table Mountain sandstone, unirrigated. A more dusty, spicy, dried straw and herbal expression. A more mineral, flinty, linear style with circa 2g/l RS. Steely, lean and delicately savoury with a peachy, stony finish. Serious class.

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

Lynx Winery Viognier 2021, WO Franschhoek

Graves and pebbles on old alluvial soils. Rich and honied, showing plenty of peachy stone fruits, mealy savoury notes, wet straw, honey, bees wax and delicate wood spice notes. Plush and textured, with bright acids, a creamy, glycerol, honied palate texture. A very classy example aging well for a 2021.

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

Wildeberg White Blend 2023, WO Franschhoek

Started in 2018 with first vintage. 100% Semillon from the Landau Vineyard. Semillon and 5% Semillon Gris harvested and vinified together. Fermernted and aged in 600 litre Stockinger barrels, 20% new. Steely, ripe, tangy with a dusty Granitic minerality, tangy bright acids and a cut apple, peachy concentration on the finish. Very classy and sophisticated.

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

Haute Collection Amphora Chardonnay 2024, WO Franschhoek

Creamy, talc, lemon curd, dusty, from a 1983 vineyard on alluvial valley floor soils. Early picked, then fermented in Amphora. Stony pithy aromatics, flinty reductive hints, pure lime and citrus, light, finessed elegance in a very pure, hands-off expression. Delicately leesy, steely acidity and vibrantly fresh.

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

La Bri Barrel Select Chardonnay 2024, WO Franschhoek

Young vine 8-year-old Chardonnay with three specific clones. (548, 277 and CY95). Delicately malty, mealy, biscuity top notes before savoury spicy lemon peel, a bright tangy sweet – sour acidity with a delicate vanilla pod kiss on the finish. Very expressive, complex and delightfully fleshy and long. Impressive.

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

La Motte Reserve Chardonnay 2024, WO Franschhoek

Cool, smoky and classical with a pronounced struck flint reductive character. Fermentation started in stainless steel before being transferred to barrel. Intense, vibrant and very gastronomic. Steely, lemon and lime focus.

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

Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay 2023, WO Elgin

A complex mineral, lemon and lime complexity, layered with herbs, stony minerality and a hint of orange blossom. Lovely lift of lime citrus, salted caramel, zippy intensity and a really delicious energy. Superb.

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

Great Heart Chardonnay 2022, WO Stellenbosch

Classic Stellenbosch Chardonnay with depth, earthy nuances and mineral spice. Quite a pronounced vein of leesy mealy biscuit notes from 7 months ageing on its lees. Classic peaches in honey, lemon cordial and a cool, creamy finish.

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

Paserene Chardonnay 2019, WO Elgin

A touch reductive still with a hint of honey, chamomile and kerosene, with a delicate oak footprint from 30% new French oak. Rich and green fruited, toasty, mealy with complex savoury wood spice nuances. Ageing well, this has plenty of legs to go further. No rush.

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

Terre Paisible Vigne d’Or Chardonnay 2022, WO Franschhoek

UC Davis 1 clone with thick skins, whole bunch pressed, racked into barrel for an inoculated Champagne yeast fermentation with circa 10 months ageing. Delicate reduction shows struck flint, lime peel, smoky nuances. Steely, mineral chalky and wet stone minerality and a lovely classical old-world finish. Classy.

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

Stony Brook Ghost Gum Chardonnay 2025, WO Franschhoek

548 clone shows bright and zesty with a hint of pyrazine leafy spice, wet chalk, grey slate and subtle white citrus. Palate is steely, bright and nervy, full of tension, linearity and coolness, displaying hints of pear drops, lemon citrus and delicate vanilla notes. 50% new French oak, 11 months in barrel. Lovely.

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

Red Wines:

Rickety Bridge Regna Loca Cinsault 2025, WO Paarl

1954 Old Vine Cinsault, incredibly lifted and perfumed, Granitic soils, this has lift, concentration and intensity. Violets, rose petals, Turkish delight, dried cherries. Taut, vibrant and fresh, nervy, intense and superb complexity.

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

Great Heart Pinot Noir 2022, WO Elgin

Dusty aromatic lift, touch of whole bunch spice, savoury, smoky brambly and delicately Granitic and earthy. Paul Cluver fruit, the red and black fruits are brambly and pithy, spicy and supple with good length.

(Wine Safari Score: 90+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Haute Collection Pinot Noir 2023, WO Franschhoek

Circa 4 to 5 tons per hectare, 4-day cold soak, 11 months in barrel. Minty choc spice lift with eucalypt, peppermint crisp, and wild strawberry spice. Intense concentration, piercing, tangy and focused. Impressive.

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

Chamonix Reserve Pinot Noir 2024, WO Franschhoek

14 months in French oak blond toast barrels, 50% new. Bright and pure, crystalline, sour cherry, lovely purity, elegance and precision with just a delicate hint of mint and eucalypt on the finish.

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

Lynx Winery Grenache 2023, WO Franschhoek

Vines are 25 years old with a regrafting from Cabernet Sauvignon in 2009. There is a broody black cherry, Granitic, wet slate complexity. Wild and candied on the palate, exotic, spicy and red fruited with a cherry cola kiss on the finish.

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

La Bri Syrah 2023, WO Franschhoek

Planted on alluvial sands with the use of circa 5% Viognier co-fermented with the Syrah, all picked together in mid-March. A very harmonious style, in barrel for two years, 18% new, yielding balance, black berry fruits, pepper, spicy charcuterie and juicy, tangy fruit length. A very accessible wine with lovely approachability. Delicious.

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

Old Road Wine Co. Single Vineyard Pepper Wind Syrah 2024, WO Franschhoek

Fermented in small 1-ton fermenters, then basket pressed, with a portion in 600 litre ceramic pots. Delicate tarry notes, black currant, blue berry and black cherry. Picante, fresh and focused. Impressive and enticing.

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

La Motte Reserve Syrah 2024, WO Cape South Coast

A vineyard lost in a flood so incorporates circa 30% Elim with the 60% Franschhoek Syrah and a splash of Stellenbosch Cabernet. Very cool and kelpy, liquorice, with a long linear, polished finish. Yum.

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

Wildeberg Red Blend 2023, WO Franschhoek

100% Syrah from Bo-Hoek in Franschhoek. 30% Whole bunch fermented is older 600 litre old barrels with ageing for 9 months. Dried herbs, thyme, garrigue, savoury black berry fruits. Creamy, polished and very attractive with wet slate, black cherry and creamy tannins. Truly classy!

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

Stony Brook The Max Red Blend 2022, WO Franschhoek

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Pithy, black berry fruited expression with graphite, creating an opulent, ripe, picante, accessible fleshy texture with delicately spicy, kelpy, sappy, tobacco leaf notes. Cool, mineral and restrained layered with saline black current with a maritime finish.

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

Antonij Rupert Optima Red Blend 2022, WO Coastal Region

38% Cabernet Sauvignon, then Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Cool, savoury and elegant, the 30% new oak is well integrated, showing black currant, black plum and an earthy note. Sleek, vibrant creamy palate, lovely balance, that’s compact and fine grained. Wow, really delicious.

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

Paserene The Union Red Blend 2016, WO Tulbagh

Shiraz, Carignan and Mourvedre. All from Tulbagh fruit, the aromatics a broody medley of red and black fruits, savoury, earthy and delicate charcuterie notes with a hint of salinity.

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

Lynx Winery Spirit of Lynx Red Blend 2019, WO Franschhoek

Bordeaux blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon, savoury, toasty, tilled earth aromatics, leafy, mulberry fruits. Full, textural and plush, silky, velvety, tannins with a lovely long creamy finish.

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

Paserene The Marathon Red 2019, WO Tulbagh

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Tulbagh, 30% new oak, aged for 24 to 30 months ageing with another year in barrel. Plush, creamy, powerful blue – black fruits, a touch lactic with a full, velvety finish.

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

Rickety Bridge Regna Loca Cabernet Sauvignon 2024, WO Franschhoek

Pretty, blue black fruits, tart, steely, saline and bright, delightfully cool, creamy and bright, fresh and crystalline with a black berry finish.

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

La Motte Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch

From Helderberg fruit, only 7km to the sea on decomposed Granite soils. Show classic cool, kelpy, saline, black currant and black cherry with oyster shell. Fresh acids, a harmonious 13.85% Abv. with 40% new oak used, makes for a serious wine.

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

La Bri Limited Release Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Franschhoek

Gunpowder, spice, graphite, salty black currant with white flower hints. Plush, attractive and deliciously accessible, bright acids, glassy texture and a pure, linear finish.

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

Stony Brook Ghost Gum Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Franschhoek

Earthy, black currant, touch of tertiary, diesel rag, mulberry, plush sweet fruited and complex with a maritime hint. Super expressive.

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

Holden Manz Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Franschhoek

A deep earthy tilled earth note, plush earthy Cabernet, black currant, black chai tea with a hint of tobacco leaf. Plush and full in the mouth, expansive, accessible with a kiss of coffee bean brûléed oak complexity.

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

Great Heart Cabernet Franc 2021, WO Franschhoek

Spicy and saline, this shows graphite, black cherry and salty liquorice, coffee bean spice and a picante finish.

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

Holden Manz Cabernet Franc Reserve 2022, WO Franschhoek

Picked mid-April, this shows cool, creamy black berry layers and a nose with hits of cedar, graphite spice and picante lead pencil. Plush, velvety, full and harmonious, this has breadth and depth, plushness and subtle, understated power. Very classy, powerful with a tight grained tannin expression. Superb.

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

Antonij Rupert Cabernet Franc 2020, WO Franschhoek

Sweet red fruits, perfume, red currant, sappy sweet cedar, fleshy red currant melange. Super creamy, lactic and elegant, silky, supple, soft and accessible. A very classy expression.

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

(On my recent trip, I want to thank all the Vignerons who generously gave me their time to taste and chat about the current state of play in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley: Anthonij Rupert Wines, Babylonstoren, Chamonix, Great Heart, Haute Cabrière, Holden Manz, La Bri, La Motte, Le Lude, Lynx, Old Road Wine Co., Paserene, Rickety Bridge, Stony Brook, Terre Paisible, and Wildeberg.)

The New 2026 Releases from Thelema Mountain Vineyards – One of Stellenbosch’s Most Iconic Producers Tasted and Reviewed…

August 24, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Tucked away on the southeastern slopes of the Simonsberg mountain range along Stellenbosch’s scenic Helshoogte Pass, Thelema Mountain Vineyards stands as one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine estates. The family-owned property was founded in 1983 by Gyles Webb, who purchased a run-down fruit farm on the mountain’s slopes. Webb had abandoned an earlier path to pursue winemaking, eventually establishing Thelema as a serious estate in the heart of the Cape Winelands. The first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988, and by the mid-1990s the estate had achieved cult status, with its wines selling out within a month of release.

What sets Thelema apart is its terroir. Situated on south-facing slopes with elevations reaching around 530 metres above sea level, the estate holds some of the highest vineyard elevations in Stellenbosch. This combination of altitude and rich red soils creates ideal conditions for premium grape growing, and Thelema has become known as a true leader in Cabernet Sauvignon production, helping put Stellenbosch’s Cabernets on the global map. The estate’s guiding philosophy centres on minimal cellar intervention, letting each vineyard’s character shine through naturally without being obscured by oaking or the hand of the winemaker. This dedication to quality has help cement Thelema’s reputation as one of South Africa’s most respected producers, offering elegantly structured wines that reflect both mountain terroir and decades of meticulous, family-driven winemaking.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

South African producers are known for releasing their Sauvignon Blancs super young as that is what the local market demand dictates even if the wines merit further bottle ageing. But with the superb 2025 releases, I am all for cracking the screwcaps and pulling the corks on new releases as this vintage is simply one of the lushest, most concentrated, vibrant and harmonious grape harvests to bless the Cape winelands in recent years. The Thelema Sauvignon Blanc typifies this intensity with aromatics bursting with perfumed white flowers, freshly cut green apple, ripe guava and delicate hints of freshly mown lawn. On the palate, the fruit concentration simply bristles, the flavours amplified and enlivened by bright tangy fresh acids and a deliciously crystalline purity. Intense, flavour packed and incredibly long on the finish. This is just too good not to enjoy in its youth.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The 2023 Thelema Chardonnay set a new quality benchmark and the 2024 release picks up seamlessly where the 2023 left off. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, this steely expression shows bright, crystalline aromatics of white blossoms, lemon and lime peel, yellow grapefruit pith and delicately savoury biscuit notes alongside a classical stony mineral vein. The purity and clarity shown on the nose are even more pure and piercing on the palate, the acids crisp, bracing and chiselled, interwoven with nervy, sinewy yellow citrus fruits, green mango and lime peel zest with a subtle dusting of vanilla pod spice. Intense and steely but never severe, this is a wonderful expression of the 2024 vintage. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Roussanne 2024, WO Elgin, 13.5% Abv.

Roussanne is normally quite a full bodied grape from the Rhone Valley, renowned for its aromatic complexity, oily texture but balancing acids. This classy expression is not only from the crisp, linear 2024 vintage but also from the blissfully cool Elgin Valley. The aromatics are alluring and complex, brimming with notes of white peach, pear, freshly baked brioche and delicate herbal tea nuances. On the palate, the acids shine brightly, lending vivacity, crunch and real zip to the tangy green and yellow stone fruits, hints of honeycomb and a tangy, glycerol peachy finish. Steely, linear and beautifully precise, this is a masterclass in freshness, complexity and balance. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

There are a handful of South African producers who have made a reputation for world class Merlot and Thelema is certainly one of them. Always a mainstream benchmark expression, the 2022 vintage plays to all the cultivar’s strengths of plushness, opulence, approachability and succulent red and black berry fruits without the severe structure of Cabernet Sauvignon. 2022 was a particularly ripe, harmonious and accessible vintage with aromatics displaying a medley of summer berry fruits, ripe plum, sweet cedar and notes of chocolate peppermint crisp confectionary. Supple, balanced and fleshy on the palate, the tannins are velvety and fine with soft toned acids deliciously integrated with the creamy black berry fruits. A glass of Thelema Merlot is comparable to a big warming red wine hug. This is definitely an approachable vintage to drink before the more tightly wound 2021 offering.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The source of the “mint” character in this wine is attributed to the airborne transfer from the Eucalyptus trees which border this specific Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, to the grape berries. As the berries adsorbs Eucalyptol, a compound responsible for the aroma, this compound subsequently becomes dissolved in the wine during the fermentation process, giving the wine a “minty” character unique to this vineyard. The aromatics on this 2023 are cool, sleek and deliciously black fruited, layered with notes of cassis, black berries, graphite alongside a high toned minty eucalyptus complexity. The medium bodied palate is creamy, finely textured and plush with velvety tannins, juicy blueberry fruits, bright acids and a long mouthwatering finish. Impressively concentrated and intense with a hint of bay leaf and thyme spice. Delightfully integrated and harmonious already, you can start pulling the corks now and drink over the next decade.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

This pure Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, shows all the opulence, accessibility and elegance of the ripe 2022 vintage. The aromatics are vibrant and perfumed, showing violets, black liquorice, black currant and black cherry fruits with a dusting of iodine, graphite, tilled earth and oak spice. The medium bodied palate is plush and soft textured, the mouthfeel creamy and fleshy with a wonderfully harmonious, generous fruit concentration, a seamlessly interwoven fresh acidity, finishing with a delicately picante persistence. This is a deliciously honest wine revealing pinpoint Cabernet Sauvignon typicity with plenty of stylish cassis and black berry fruit, fashioned in a very accessible and elegant manner. Like many of the 2022 Stellenbosch reds, this is already very pleasurable to drink now and over the next 10 to 12 years.

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

Hamilton Russell Vineyards Release Their New 2025 Vintages on World Pinot Noir Day…

August 18, 2026August 18, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Located in South Africa’s maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hamilton Russell Vineyards stands as a South African benchmark for cool-climate viticulture. Planted just 1.5 kilometres from the cold Atlantic Ocean on 52 hectares of ancient, clay-rich shale soil, the estate produces only two wines – a single Pinot Noir and a single Chardonnay. Both wines are designed and assembled not merely to showcase these two Burgundian cultivars, but also to capture the precise personality of their unique Valley terroir.

The 2025 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay is defined by its striking natural acidity, dry minerality, and structural poise. Whole-bunch pressed and grown on low-yielding vines, the style prioritizes tension, length, and elegance over heavy oak or overt fruit nuances. The Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir leans into a classically savoury, Old World profile, characterized by dark spice, subtle primal tones, and firm structural depth, it trades higher alcohols and simple fruit sweetness for more refined, age-worthy classical complexity.

Blessed with near-ideal growing conditions in 2025 – a cold winter, clean bud break, and flawless harvesting conditions, owner Anthony Hamilton Russell considers 2025 to be one of the finest vintages in the estate’s history. Together, these two new releases represent an ultra-sophisticated, Burgundy-inspired craft from one of South Africa’s flagship Pinot Noir producer.

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13.5% Abv.

The 2025 Hamilton Russell production sees a slight volume recovery on the 2024 vintage but remains still well below normal. Fortunately, the 2025 Chardonnay quality, like the 2024, is truly superb, the wine boasting gorgeous notes of fragrant white blossoms and waxy bergamot lemons with delicate salted green pistachio hints. Delicately nutty on the nose and palate, the limestone mineral vein is never far away, combining with intense crystalline notes of lemon and lime cordial, salted caramel, and crunchy green apple fruits, finishing with superb concentration and a vibrantly tangy acidity. This is top notch Chardonnay from an excellent vintage in the Valley. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Tasting the 2025s and 2026s with winemaker Emul Ross.

Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13.5% Abv.

Like in Burgundy, every vintage in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is slightly different, and thankfully after several consecutive small vintages, the Pinot Noir volumes started to recover in 2025 and 2026. Luckily, Anthony Hamilton Russell and Emul Ross have produced one of their finest Pinot Noirs in possibly a decade, the aromatics restrained, delicately perfumed and slightly stony before hints of pink musk, red apple, red and black cherry and notes of small wild strawberries. On the palate, the oak is fully integrated and absorbed by the pure fruit concentration, the terroir minerality showing a steely vein of nervy freshness and the linear acids giving way to tart red berries, cranberries, and bright red bramble berry fruits. A very pretty, triumphant Pinot Noir with stony mineral tannins lining the wine’s textural pathway, finishing with intensity and clarity. Drink now to 2036+.

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

The Hamilton Russell Vineyard wines are imported into the UK exclusively by Mentzendorff Wines.

Holden Manz Winery Prepare to Release Two of Their Flagship Wines – Tasting their Chardonnay Reserve 2023 and the Super Premium Elysium Red Blend 2022…

July 22, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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+.

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

Holden Manz Elysium 2022, Merlot / Shiraz Blend, WO Franschhoek, 15.5% Abv.

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.

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 9: Tasting the Graham Beck Cap Classique Blanc de Blancs 2012…

May 30, 2026June 1, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Situated in South Africa’s breathtakingly pretty Robertson wine region, Graham Beck has firmly established itself as a premier global benchmark for Cap Classique quality, the country’s prestigious traditional method sparkling wine style. Crafted on a unique estate defined by limestone-rich soils and extreme diurnal temperature swings, these world-class bubblies showcase an exceptional balance of bright acidity, vibrant fruit profiles, and complex depth.

While the estate’s entire portfolio captures the essence of refined Cap Classique craftsmanship, most notably with their premium ‘Cuvee Clive’ bottling, their Blanc de Blancs stands out historically as a true crowning jewel. Crafted from 100% hand-selected Chardonnay clones and partially fermented in Champenoise barrels, this acclaimed vintage sparkling wine epitomises true elegance. Extended lees aging infuses the palate with rich layers of creamy brioche and roasted almonds, building toward a long, saline-tinged finish.

*Now retired from Graham Beck and focusing on his own label, Pieter ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira was the mastermind behind Graham Beck’s global Cap Classique dominance.*

Whether marking a historic moment, such as being poured at the presidential celebrations of Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, or elevating an intimate gathering, Graham Beck’s Cap Classique wines capture the true spirit of celebration. Ultimately, their Blanc de Blancs serves as an undeniable testament to South Africa’s world-class sparkling wine culture and terroir.

Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2012, WO Western Cape, 12.5% Abv.

Still a fresh vibrant bright golden lemon yellow in the glass, the wine is zippy and fresh, the bubbles dancing in the glass with verve and vigour. The first sniff confirms the youthful machinations of this wine, loaded with brioche, bergamot lemons, hints of honey and leesy autolysis. Most importantly, the tertiary notes are pure, precise and beautifully integrated with the citrus and toasted sourdough nuances, finishing with real electricity, an energetic mousse and delightfully tangy acids. Guests I served this blind to called Blanc de Blancs but went straight to Champagne because of its creamy balance, acid freshness and overall complexity. What a treat when ageing a wine rewards you like this. Drink now but no rush at all!

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

Elgin Valley’s Iona Vineyards Championing Cool Climate Elegance with their New 2024 Releases…

May 4, 2026May 13, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Few wine regions in the Cape Winelands are as climatically individual as the Elgin basin. Also home of the cash crop apples, the battle for economic supremacy is an on going battle for wine farmers. But there are producers that have doubled down and focused on producing high quality premium Grape cultivars.

Perched 420 meters above sea level on a mountain plateau that forms the coastal edge of the Elgin basin, sits the Iona winery, renowned as South Africa’s coolest vineyard site. Located in the Elgin Valley, this former apple farm benefits from a unique microclimate shaped by the icy Atlantic Ocean and frequent orographic cloud cover.

These conditions ensure a long, slow ripening period, allowing grapes to achieve physiological ripeness at lower sugar levels. The result is a portfolio of elegant, terroir-driven wines, most notably Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, producing wines characterised by bright acidities, mineral purity, and restrained alcohol levels, often drawing comparisons to the fine European styles owner Andrew Gunn is so fond of.

I recently caught up in London with Andrew Gunn’s son-in-law Rob Macdonald, to taste through Iona’s exciting new releases.

Iona Monopole Elgin Highlands Chardonnay 2024, WO Elgin, 13% Abv.

This shows a cool, pithy elegance on the nose with pristine aromatics of lemon and lime cordial tightly interwoven with a pronounced stony minerality. The purity and crystallinity continue to a wonderfully bright palate that is fleshy, concentrated and fully charged showing an electric brightness, tangy green apple and lemon confit notes with a slightly phenolic, herby grapefruit-tinged finish. Surprisingly, this 2024 has wonderful flesh and midpalate stuffing, plenty of concentrated yellow citrus fruits and a delightfully long tangy acidity. A really impressive cool climate Chardonnay. Drink now to 2040+.

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

Iona Monopole Elgin Highlands Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc 2024, WO Elgin, 13% Abv.

A blend of 92% Sauvignon Blanc and 8% Semillon fermented and aged in older 300 and 500 litre French oak barrels. The first impression on nosing the wine is one of impressive complexity but also mouthwatering exoticism with the barrel ageing offering hints of quince and waxy orange peel, dried mango and subtle guava notes before a vein of more savoury, leesy white toast and biscuit kicks in. The palate is full and mouth filling, with the dried mango and papaya notes coming to the fore but certainly not in an obtrusive manner. The balance is simply spot on and the concentration and tangy acidity delicious, finishing with hints of dried herbs and lemon iced tea. This is serious Sauvignon Blanc kit for people who perhaps struggle with Sauvignon’s pungent character. Certainly, a benchmark style in the context of Elgin and the Cape. Drink now to 2038+.

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

Iona Monopole Monopole Elgin Highlands Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Elgin, 13% Abv.

This 2025 Sauvignon Blanc also features 8 to 10% Semillon which is all barrel fermented on top of around a 5% portion of the Sauvignon Blanc to add extra complexity and texture. This wine, from an admittedly superb Cape vintage, has intense, characterful aromatics of grassy gooseberry, yellow citrus and green apple pastille with delicate hints of guava and papaya. The palate is pitch perfect, striking a superb balance between tangy freshness, intense concentrated yellow and green citrus fruits and a subtle, slightly veiled minerality that lurks ever present. Harmonious, elegant and a true delight to drink without being too pungent or tropical. This is certainly a wine to go long on and enjoy over the next two to three summers! (Bottled under screwcap.)

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

Iona Monopole Elgin Highlands Pinot Noir 2024, WO Elgin, 13.5% Abv.

This is an enticing Pinot Noir offering from Iona displaying an impressively classical, Old World Burgundian elegance and focus, with delicious black berry and strawberry fruit notes, damson plum, black currant and a delightful Cotes de Nuits limestone mineral nuance underpinning the wine. The palate fruits are pithy and incredibly restrained and stony, adding handsomely to the feel of tension and linearity in the wine, before a finish of gravelly, powdery tannins, bramble berry spice and a smoky granitic austerity. Really quite superb. One for the Burgundy lovers out there! Drink now to 2034+.

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

Iona One Man Band Red Blend 2021, WO Elgin, 13.5% Abv.

An eclectic blend of Petit Verdot, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Mourvedre and Viognier. Normally led by Syrah at 35% to 45%, but in 2021, the Syrah from Rosie’s Elgin Brocha Farm performed so well that most of it went into the award-winning Solace Syrah 2021. Spicy and broody on initial sniff, the aromatics boast deep dark notes of dried violets, bramble berries, red currants and red plums. There is a hint of sapidity and stalky spice but also delicate herbal mineral nuances. The palate is a little more punchy and imposing, showing notable power and muscle, a dense core of damson plum, blue berries and bramble berry fruits, before a finish that is notably stony, mineral, and picante. Superbly dense, compact and tight knit with a harmonious mouthfeel, this is an accomplished red blend that shares many similarities with the finest reds of the Southern Rhone. Drinking on release but you can expect this to hit its straps at 8 to 10 years old and then go on further.

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

Iona Solace Syrah 2022, WO Elgin, 13.5% Abv.

Sourced purely from 100% Syrah fruit from Rosie Gunn’s Brocha farm, following on from the block buster, high scoring 2021, this 2022 is really quite a piece of work, with intensity, purity, and superb focus. The aromatics boast cool restrained black fruits, saline black currant, savoury bresaola cure meats, liquorice and a fresh pepper corn spice that follows on to the palate. Compact yet deliciously fresh, the palate displays a firm hand of structure and focus, supported by cool, sleek linear acids that are ever present yet notably integrated, balanced and subtle. This is another masterpiece for Syrah in the context of Elgin and the vintage, just perhaps a touch more restrained than the iconic 2021. Drink this on release to 2040+.

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

The Iona wines are imported into the UK by Alliance Wines.

Tasting the New 2026 Restless River Releases in London with Winemaker Craig Wessels…

April 16, 2026April 16, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

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.

An Inside Look at Some of Meerlust Estate’s New 2025 Red and White Component Wines…

March 16, 2026March 16, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Wim Truter is the current Cellar Master and Head Winemaker at the historic Meerlust Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa, taking over from Chris Williams in 2020. He oversees the production of their renowned wines, including the famous Rubicon Bordeaux blend, working alongside winemaker Altus Treurnicht and long time owner Hannes Myburgh.

The iconic Meerlust Estate Rubicon Cape Bordeaux Blend.

So when Wim Truter and Deidre Taylor, the Meerlust head of sales and marketing, landed in London for a flying visit enroute to the Prowein trade fair in Germany, we caught up over lunch to taste two exciting new component wines – a Chardonnay 2025 and a pure Petit Verdot 2025 – as well as taking another look at the delicious new Rubicon 2023.

Wim has brought an exciting new level of precision, focus and renewal to all the wines in the Meerlust range, preparing this iconic Stellenbosch estate for a new era of global fine wine fame.

Meerlust Estate Chardonnay RT13 2025, 12.5% Abv. (Bottled component)

This vineyard Chardonnay component is planted alongside the Meerlust driveway next to the cemetery and is grown on rocky Greywacke and Shale soils. Fermented in concrete tanks and aged on its fine lees for 8 months with no malo, this wine is deliciously cool, crisp and crystalline, showing white blossoms, yellow citrus, crunchy pears and a hint of honeydew melon. But it’s on the palate you experience its zippy freshness, wound spring tension with a tangy yellow citrus fruit showing impressive glycerol weight and superb intensity and precision on the finish. Now bottled as a 10% portion of the 2025 Meerlust Estate Chardonnay blend.

(Wine Safari Score: 94-95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Estate Petit Verdot 2025 (Bottled component)

One small concrete fermenter, basket pressed into 100% new Quintessence barrels, drawn off at 10 months, to make up around 4% of the Rubicon blend. Majestically rich and creamy, packed full of blue and purple fruits with a brûléed savoury plum compote component. Plush, cool and textural, the full dense palate shows incredible balance and harmony but never loses its bright, delicately tart underlying acid frame. Such perfect ripeness and balance, this could have been bottled on its own. Now there’s an idea for the Meerlust range!

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

Cellar Master Wim Truter and Deidre Taylor.

It should be noted that 2025 was an exceptional red and white wine vintage in South Africa, so collectors should start drinking up back vintage bottles to make space in their cellars – there are going to be a wealth of “must have” releases coming soon!

The ribeye steaks we ate for lunch at top South African restaurant Kudu, were perfectly matched with a superb bottle of new release Meerlust Rubicon 2023 that is mellowing beautifully in bottle. This is, once again, the complete package – deep, textured and concentrated yet effortlessly balanced, finishing with a picante brûléed brown toast complexity. A class act that is sure to be one of the standout Cape Bordeaux blends of the vintage earning a worthy 96+/100 GSMW score. A big thank you to Wim and Deidre for sharing these delicious Meerlust treats.

The Meerlust Wines are distributed in the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines (MMD).

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 7: Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2013 from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley…

March 9, 2026March 9, 2026 ~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Cracking open a bottle of 13-year-old white Burgundy these days is probably slightly less risky than it was a few years ago when white Burgundy was mired in its very own premature oxidation crisis. But what about an aged South African Chardonnay? Firstly, many (or even most) examples are not really made for long-term ageing but of course there are a handful of premium expressions from top producers such as Hamilton Russell Vineyards that can improve with plenty of bottle age. While their estate’s Chardonnay quality is exceptional every year, some cooler, more structured vintages are certainly capable of ageing incredibly well. I recently pulled a bottle of their 2013 from my cellar and was pleasantly surprised by its youthful vigour. This was a wine critically appraised on release by numerous commentators at 93-94/100 points.

2013 was a standout vintage in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley with rich, generous, sumptuous wines displaying great depth of fruit and structure. The reds in particular benefited from the 2013 harvest conditions, with dark, complex fruit at moderate alcohol levels. A cold winter was followed by a cold wet spring almost up to flowering, while cool strong Southeasters with some rain during flowering and berry-set contributed to very low yields. In general bud-break was later than usual and for the first time Sauvignon Blanc ripened before Pinot noir and Chardonnay. A drier, breezy December and January contributed to healthy disease-free ripening. The average of the maximum temperatures for December, January, February and March was, at 25.33 Centigrade, a touch higher than the long-term average of 25 Centigrade – warmer than 2012, 2010 and 2009, but cooler than 2011.

As far as I remember, this 2013 would have been vinified by Hannes Storm, Hamilton Russell’s winemaker until the 2014 vintage, after which current winemaker, Emul Ross, took over.

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2013, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13% Abv.

This 2013 Chardonnay displays a stunning old yellow gold colour in the glass. Crisp, clear and bright, the aromatics are exotic and complex but incredibly measured and pinpoint pointing to the clarity and precision of a cooler vintage. Open and fragrant from first pour, the nose boasts honied herbal tea and lemon cordial, dried mango, salted dried pistachios, toasted almond flakes and hints of salted creme caramel. On the palate the oak is seamlessly integrated, adding a delicately pithy note of phenolic grip along side taut crystallised citrus peel, candied fig, crisp linear acids and a long saline oyster shell finish. A superb expression from a cooler Hemel-en-Aarde Valley vintage. Drink now and over the next 5+ years.

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

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

March 2, 2026March 2, 2026 ~ 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)

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)

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)

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)

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.