Franschhoek

A Brace of New Holden Manz Releases from Franschhoek Valley Tasted and Reviewed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Holden Manz is often described as “the hedonistic heart of Franschhoek.” Lying in the top corner of the Franschhoek Valley, Holden Manz Wine Estate continues to establish itself as a benchmark producer of unashamedly plush, opulent, hedonistic wines. Embraced by dramatic mountain peaks and nurtured by the valley’s rich loam soils, this unique microclimate yields fruit of notable depth, ripeness and structural refinement. 

While the estate is justly famous for its muscular Bordeaux blends, it is perhaps their Syrah and Semillon that truly showcase the diverse capabilities of this multi-layered terroir. Their Syrah, in particular, is always opulent, ripe and highly expressive, with multiple releases showing plush layers of sweet violet perfume, black plum compote, roasted coffee beans and brûléed oak spice characteristics. But in a very much juxtaposing, slightly atypical Holden Manz style, their Semillon delivers a wonderfully cool, fresh, and crystalline personality loaded with pithy lemon peel, white blossoms, and a vibrant, tangy mouthwatering acidity that keeps the palate energetically alive. Two diametrically opposing styles showing that this estate should not be pigeon holed. 

Holden Manz Semillon 2023, WO Franschhoek, 12.5% Abv.

This 2023 is a fabulously bright, crystalline pale gold yellow that simply bristles with energy. Coming from the Franschhoek Valley, one of the Cape’s true Semillon homelands, this wine shines with taut, mineral aromatics showing delicate tart white citrus, honeysuckle, fresh lawn cuttings, saline briney notes together with crushed oystershell and delicately herbal green leaf nuances. The delicately prickly aromatics follow to a cool, steely, intense palate with a pronounced wet stone minerality, tart yellow plums, green apple skins, and a lovely pronounced line of acidity on the linear finish. This is a top drawer Semillon expression that can confidently stand tall amongst the finest examples in the Valley. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Reserve Syrah 2020, WO Franschhoek, 15% Abv.

While the aromatics and ripeness on this opulent Reserve Syrah suggest a warmer vintage, on the contrary, 2020 in Franschhoek was not considered a warm dry harvest with the growing season widely celebrated as a cooler, wetter, and highly favourable vintage that marked a welcome relief from the severe, multi-year drought that plagued the Western Cape between 2015 and 2018. On this impressive reserve wine we see lush, plush, bold aromatics of savoury black plum, blueberry compote, salty black liquorice and delicate burnt sugar and molasses nuances. The palate deceptively screams Southern Rhone, showing a creamy blue and black berry fruit concentration, savoury hints of cured deli meats, chargrilled charcuterie and a creamy lactic oak kissed concentration on the bold, hedonistic finish. The earthy Chateauneuf-du-Pape’esque character will certainly appeal to many connoisseurs who like their Syrahs with a little more ‘meat on the bone’. Drink now to 2034+.

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

The Holden Manz wines are imported into the UK by Vindependents and are widely available retail from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines and Wood Winters in Scotland.

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)

Holden Manz Estate’s New Red Wine Releases Continue to Impress – The New 2021 and Reserve 2022 Vintages Rated and Reviewed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Holden Manz Wine Estate is situated within an eclectic array of Franschhoek wine farms at the top of the Franschhoek Valley where the Holden Manz wine farm is dominated by the spectacular surrounding mountains which stand guard over some of the most scenic vineyards in the Cape. The wine farm lies between Franschhoek and the Stony Brook rivers, where this 22-hectare winery benefits from wonderfully fertile, dark loam soils and state-of-the-art winemaking. 

The Franschhoek Valley is one of the main destinations in the world for fine wine tourists, with farms dotted around the beautiful and quaint Francophile village of Franschhoek. There are no fewer than forty stately wine farms that form an important part of the Cape’s elaborate wine landscape. Here, English owner Gerard Holden has carved out his own little piece of paradise making wines that have earned the brand a global fine wine following. Uniquely plush, opulent and ever so hedonistic in style, the Holden Manz Estate wines are unlike any in the valley, allowing them to establish their own individual brand personality – one that seems to resonate with consumers globally. In July 2025, I managed to taste a tidy selection of new releases from the estate.

Holden Manz Big G 2021, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv. 

The 2021 Big G displays lush layers of black currant compote and cherry kirsch liquor with intricate high tone notes of raisined cranberries. Luxurious, creamy and textured, the breadth and depth on the palate is impressive, the tart tangy black cherry fruits mouth coating and broad. The tannins are wonderfully powdery and creamy, the finish picante, glycerol and incredibly long. A suitably impressive follow up vintage to the lauded 2020. Drink on release and over 8 to 10+ years. 

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

Holden Manz Big G 2020, WO Franschhoek, 15% Abv.

The 2020 vintage was incredibly generous and opulent from the start and this Big G shows layers of ripe plum, sweet mulberries, and tilled earth with subtle red currant berry notes. Super sleek, plush, and silky in the mouth yet carries an impressive weight of fruit concentration, finishing with an intense saline creme de cassis twist. An incredibly seductive, polished red blend from Holden Manz. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years.

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

Holden Manz Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

Rich bold and dark fruited, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has a multi-layered structure brimming with aromas of sweet damson plum, ripe black currant and macerated black cherries. Deliciously sweet fruited on the palate, there is a fine vein of bright acidity running beneath the ripe black berry fruits that harmoniously integrate with plush fleshy tannins and well-integrated, measured oaking. An accomplished wine from this noteworthy Cape vintage. Drink now to 2035+.

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

Holden Manz Merlot Reserve 2022, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

This Reserve Merlot shows a smoky, broody, black fruited nose with a distinctive granitic mineral spice before hints of damson plums, ripe black cherries and a delicate cedar oak spice. Impressively light on its feet, the palate is cool and classical, finely grippy yet delightfully fresh and bright with notes of black liquorice, salty black currant, and mint chocolate on the long finish. A very sophisticated and polished style with real presence that will undoubtedly impress Merlot lovers internationally. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years.

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

The Holden Manz wines are retailed in the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

The Beauty of Aged Whites – Tasting the Rare Maiden Release Thorne & Daughters Tin Soldier Semillon 2013…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Tin Soldier is a skin-fermented wine made from Semillon Gris, which is almost unique to South Africa, and a vestige of a time when Semillon was the grape on which the South African wine industry was built. This 2013 Tin Soldier however, John Seccombe’s maiden release, is from a different vineyard to the sélection massale of Semillon Gris that he currently uses from a Wine of Origin Swartland vineyard, which was planted with cuttings taken from an adjacent vineyard of Semillon that was planted in 1964.

As John Seccombe points out … “the interplay between savoury and sweet is a key point of interest in Tin Soldier, a skin-fermented wine made from Semillon Gris, which is almost unique to South Africa. The colour of the wine is unusual, having taken some bright copper tones from fermentation on skins. We continually aim to improve on our winemaking, and patience at picking time has allowed us to pick wines just that little bit riper and more complex without losing any elegance.”

Thorne and Daughters Tin Soldier 2013, WO Franschhoek, 13.13% Abv.

2.1g/l RS | 4.8g/l TA | 3.52pH

Bought on release, this perfectly cellared bottle of Tin Soldier Semillon 2013 has rewarded patience. With a pristine cork coming out the bottle, this beautifully aged Semillon only requires about half an hour to blow off any bottle aromas of sappy, honied lanolin and peach tea before starting to reveal a complex array of fragrances and flavours. With air, the bouquet yields notes of lavender, peaches in honey, sweet herbs, pithy orange peel, curry leaf, pink peppercorns and yellow orchard stone fruits. There are tertiary notes, but with every extra moment in the glass they diminish as the fruit develops. The palate is intriguingly dry and pithy, showing plenty of “Gris” phenolics and glycerol depth but expertly balance with a fresh, crisp tangy orange citrus acidity and grippy drying tannins on the finish. The lingering flavour in the mouth is almost like orange liquor with hints of vermouth, peaches and rooibos tea. This wine is a true testament to these fabulous old vine Semillon grapes (30 years old) of Franschhoek and to John Seccombe’s own winemaking genius. Drink now but certainly no rush as I can’t see this wine evolving rapidly, preferring to slumber in a certain gentle stasis. 

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

The Thorne and Daughters wines are available in the UK from Liberty Wines.

Martin Smith and Paserene Winery Release an Eye-Catching Cabernet Sauvignon 2022…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Martin Smith originally made a name for himself producing some of the early vintages at the Vilafonte Winery in Paarl before starting his own winery project under the Paserene label. After taking on an investor, a new winery and tasting room were completed in Franschhoek in late 2017. 

Known for his skill in crafting impressive Cabernet Sauvignon based reds, Martin has also latterly cultivated a top reputation for some very accomplished Chardonnays. The 2022 vintage in South Africa produced a smaller grape crop than the previous year, but the quality of the wines, particularly reds, is considered to be high quality. The cool weather during the growing season led to slower ripening and striking flavour and colour development. While Stellenbosch generally had a larger crop, other regions experienced challenges like disease pressure and sunburn. The harvest started later than usual due to the cooler season yet the results are vastly different to the taut, crisp, fresh linear styles of 2021. But 2022 offers ripeness, elegance, fleshy and an accessible concentration much like the 2020 vintage.

Paserene Midnight Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv.

This is an impressive Cabernet Sauvignon from this fleshy, ripe vintage. With an invitingly deep ruby red colour in the glass, the aromatics are packed full of perfumed violets, black raspberry jam on warm brown toast, salty black currants, and red cherries over notes of black berry herbal tea, granitic and graphite minerality. Medium bodied, the palate shows a classical 2022 styling with fine grained silky tannins, a weightless red and black berry fruit concentration but also a lovely fleshy depth and purity in the mouth. This is a beautifully polished, soft, supple accessible Cabernet Sauvignon that is perfect for drinking on release but will reward a further 5 to 8 years of ageing. 

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

Adam Mason Spinning His Vinous Magic Again at Franschhoek Boutique Winery Terre Paisible – Tasting a Pair of their Latest Releases… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The premium Terre Paisible winery project in the Franschhoek Valley gathers pace and with consulting winemaker Adam Mason with his hand firmly on the rudder, this is definitely a winery brand to watch. With grapes for their Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay sourced from their own premium vineyards in the valley, quality has been steadily heading upwards.

Their 2021 Chardonnay was an impressively Burgundian-styled cool climate expression garnering numerous global accolades. Likewise, Adam’s super suave 2021 red Cape Bordeaux blend made from bought in fruit from several premium sites from around Stellenbosch, bears testament to the incredible quality of the 2021 vintage. I had a snapshot tasting of the full unfinished range in South Africa in March with Adam but recently tasted the below completed pair of wines in London, including the follow up 2022 Chardonnay Vigne d’Or.

Terre Paisible Vigne d’Or Chardonnay 2022, WO Franschhoek, 13% Abv.

The Terre Paisible Vigne d’Or Chardonnay 2022 is a distinctive assemblage of grapes all from their own Franschhoek Valley vineyards, fermented and matured for 9 months in 500 litre neutral French oak barrels. The aromatics offer up expressive notes of white flowers, pickled cucumber, baked Golden Delicious apples, warm custard, and Key Lime pie together with subtle salted caramel and grapefruit confit nuances. On the palate the oaking is sympathetic and beautifully integrated allowing crystalline lemon and lime fruit notes to shine through. The wine has impressive concentration and a focused fruit intensity which is caressed by fresh tangy acids and a delicately pithy mineral finish. This is an exceptionally well-made wine that stylistically marries the best notions of white Burgundy with the opulence of a Californian-styled Sonoma Coast Chardonnay. Drink it on release and over 3 to 5 years.

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

Terre Paisible Vigne d’Or Red Blend 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

Consultant winemaker Adam Mason (of Klein Constantia fame) certainly got the opportunity to flex his winemaking expertise with this new release from one of the greatest Cape vintages in the past two decades, and this 2021 Terre Paisible Red Blend surely stands as one of the most exciting new red wines from the Cape in recent years. This noble expression draws on the finest fruit from the Stellenbosch region to deliver a fragrant expression with lifted aromatics of crème de cassis, pressed violets, potpourri, cherry tobacco, and sweet plums with hints of sappy cedar spice. Dense and generous but supple in the mouth, this wine shows an incredibly layered texture with a fresh seamless core of salted plums, blueberry, and black currant, all energised by a crisp, vibrant acidity and a sleek, powdery mineral tannin mouthfeel that’s polished and suitably tight knit. Simply wonderful to witness such inspired winemaking in an iconic vintage like 2021. Drink on release but preferably over the next 5 to 12+ years. A real triumph from Adam Mason.

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

Franschhoek Valley’s Stony Brook Vineyards’ Current Releases Rated and Reviewed Including their Sensational New Ghost Gum 2021…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The unique mesoclimate at Stony Brook Vineyards seems naturally suited to growing red Bordeaux varieties. There is plenty of sunshine to allow the grapes ample ripeness, while the cool night-time temperatures seal in the acidity and increase the potential for hangtime on the vine. With each vintage of The Max red blend, the aim is to craft a wine that has good ageing potential as well as rich, harmonious flavours that allow the wine to be enjoyed in its youth.

The two blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on Stony Brook used for the Ghost Gum red make up the complementary components for this exceptional wine. Extremely well-drained soils ensure maximum concentration and intensity with the bunches harvested by hand at full ripeness, before being hand-sorted and undergoing a cold macerated for 4 days prior to fermentation. The 2021 vintage also produced some of the finest fruit quality that Stony Brook have seen from their Cabernet vineyards.

I visited Craig McNaught at the Stony Brook farm in March 2024 and had an opportunity to taste a selection of their excellent wines. Franschhoek Valley is undoubtedly riding high on a new era of premium quality as producers focus on the best grapes the valley can produce rather than trying to buy in grapes from neighbouring Paarl and Stellenbosch for their top cuvees. Indeed, the days of Franschhoek Valley looking to join the Paarl region seem well and truly a thing of the past as producers like Stony Brook and others push the quality of WO Franschhoek origin grapes ever higher. 

Stony Brook Vineyards Camissa 2020, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

2.0g/l RS | 6.0g/l TA | 3.48pH

Camissa means ‘sweet water for all’ in Kora, the Khoi language of the Cape, and is only produced every few years when the blend changes with each release. The 2020 edition is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot made from fruit all sourced in the Franschhoek Valley, which is then matured in 30% new French oak barriques for 24 months before bottling. The 2020 offers up soft toned fragrant aromatics of violets and dried herbs, sweet cedar, red currants and cranberry fruits alongside generous notes of chocolate praline, tannery leather, graphite and freshly brewed breakfast tea. The palate is fleshy and creamy textured, medium bodied with a plush harmonious mouthfeel with supple soft tannins and delicately fresh, integrated acids. Plenty of accomplished winemaking on display here for a wine that definitely over delivers at its price point. Enjoy this delicious red blend on release and over the next 5 to 8+ years. 

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

Stony Brook Vineyards The Max 2019, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.

2.1g/l RS | 5.9g/l TA | 3.48pH

The Max 2019 is an illustrious Cape Bordeaux Blend featuring 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot and 14% Petit Verdot in a classical ‘left bank’ expression that was matured in 50% new French oak barriques for 26 months before blending and bottling. From a powerful vintage, this blend is a wonderfully soft fulsome wine with alluring aromatics of ripe black plum, black chai tea, dried tobacco leaf, sweet herbs, gun smoke, salty black currant, and hints of sweet blueberry rock candy. The palate displays a textural depth and generosity that is incredibly seductive and inviting. The acids are taut, bright, and steely but are embraced by moreish sweet and sour black cherry and black plum fruits, with subtle hints of graphite and blue berries in the background. An intricate wine with a serious stature but an amiable finish. Enjoy now and over the next 3 to 8+ years. The perfect alternative to your ‘mid-week’ Claret. 

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

Stony Brook Ghost Gum Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

2.2g/l RS | 6.0g/l TA | 3.48pH

The 2021 Ghost Gum Cabernet Sauvignon is yet another stunning expression from one of the best red wine vintages the Cape winelands have seen since 2017, 2015 and 2009. The aromatics are delightfully vibrant and fragrant revealing notes of violets, sage, potpourri, sweet black currant, black cherries, and subtle notes of cedar spice, tilled earth and a dusty granitic minerality. In the mouth, the wine is luxuriously rich, fleshy, and textural, coating the palate with creamy crème de cassis, stewed black plum fruits and sweet, dense, silky tannins all underpinned by sumptuously soft integrated acids. An incredibly harmonious wine with a finessed balance and a pristine black fruited concentration kissed with a hint of chocolate praline and spearmint on the finish. A triumphant wine for the Franschhoek fine wine scene. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

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

The wines of Stony Brook Vineyards are exclusively imported into the UK by specialist merchant Museum Wines.

A Block Buster Pair of New Release Reserve 2021 Wines from Acclaimed Franschhoek Cellar Holden Manz…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The premium boutique estate of Holden Manz is nestled in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley and stands as one of the most impressive winery visits available to tourists. The Holden Manz wine range is indeed extensive, with multiple white, Rose and red cuvees produced, but it’s their Reserve wines range that draws more attention than possibly even their super premium Elysium prestige cuvee. 

The Reserve red wine range consist of the Holden Manz Merlot Reserve, the Cabernet Franc Reserve, and their Reserve Syrah, three wines that every year can be counted among the top red fine wines produced in the Franschhoek Valley. The Holden Manz wine style is unashamedly plush, opulent and hedonistic with “plenty of meat on the bone” when it comes to concentration and depth of fruit. What makes their three Reserve reds even more interesting is the way French winemaker Thierry Haberer manages to impart ample elegance, finesse and classical balance to these impressively dense and powerful wines. I recently tasted two of the three long awaited 2021 Reserve expressions to see what Thierry had crafted in this unusually long, cool vintage in the Cape. 

Owner Gerard Holden at the winery.

Holden Manz Merlot Reserve 2021, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.

A deep, dark, opaque purple colour, this premium Cuvee boasts rich alluring aromatics of sweet cedar oak, red toffee apples, grilled nuts, nougat and sweet molasses hints before vibrant notes of mulberry, black currant and sweet black plums emerge. The palate is fabulously opulent and plush with a rich luxurious textural density that’s seamlessly creamy, broad and hedonistic. But true to the Reserve’s style, it carries off its richness, power and concentration with an effortless elegance and ease thanks to the vintage’s underlying freshness and suppleness. Lovers of Holden Manz’s premium wines will revel in this delicious wine’s intensity and right bank Pomerol’esque plushness and elegance. 

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

Tasting the 2020 Reserve at the Estate with Gerard Holden in March 2024.
One of the Cape’s stand out Cabernet Franc reds.

Holden Manz Cabernet Franc Reserve 2021, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.

This is another highly anticipated wine from the 2021 vintage, and in true form, the Reserve range from Holden Manz delivers again… in spades. Deep, dark and opaque in colour with a delicate ruby rim, the aromatics on this cuvee is wonderfully rich and opulent, with succulent layers of perfumed black currant, black plum compote, cherry cola and sweet sappy cedar spice that is intertwined with vanilla pod and brown breakfast toast nuances. In the mouth, the wine is rich, broad, and luxurious, with an intricate fine grained textured but also luscious layers of black cherry, crème de cassis, pecan pie, and seductive freshly baked blueberry crumble notes on a vanilla pod-tinged finish. Seamless premium oaking together with a cool freshness, impressive complexity, and an all-round harmonious balance leave you gasping for another sip. Bravo Gerard and Thierry! Drink now on release and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

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

 The Holden Manz wines are available retail in the UK from South African Specialist Merchant Museum Wines, and to the wine trade from Vindependents.

Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira Launches a Collaboration Wine with Holden Manz Estate in Franschhoek…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Ahead of the second Springbok rugby test against Ireland, I thought I’d review a wine for all the devout rugby and wine connoisseurs out there. Tendai Mtawarira is a Zimbabwean-South African retired professional rugby union player who last played for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby and previously for the South Africa national team and the Sharks in Super Rugby, becoming one of the most capped front rowers for the Springboks ever.

He was born in Zimbabwe and qualified for South Africa on residency grounds, before later acquiring South African citizenship. Mtawarira, known by the nickname Beast, became the most capped prop ever for the Springboks with 117 test caps. Not only is he the most capped prop in South African history, he is also currently the fourth most capped Springbok of all time behind Blue Bulls legend Victor Matfield, Bryan Habana and Eben Etzebeth.

I recently caught up with Beast and ex-England rugby international, Simon Halliday, the UK importer of Beast’s wine, to see what all the fuss was about!

The Beast Wine Collection Cabernet Sauvignon – Syrah 2016, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

Shows a dramatically fragrant aromatics of exotic sweet scented incense, Middle Eastern spices in a souk, with notes of rose water, Turkish tobacco, pomegranate, blood orange and deliciously mouthwatering black berry and saline creme de cassis nuances. Silky soft with sweet ripe tannins, the palate shows a creamy, opulent and generous texture with seamless Cabernet and Syrah integration through masterful blending, and a really sumptuous long finish. Really quite a fine tuned and classy wine with an understated power.

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

The Wine is available from The Sporting Wine Club for circa £40 per bottle in a case of 6.

Big Can Be Beautiful – Tasting the 2019 Holden Manz Big G Cape Bordeaux Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Holden Manz, based in Franschhoek have always made bold, opulent, hedonistic wine expressions, and in doing so, have cultivated a very loyal following around the world with wine lovers who like a little more meat on the bone. Winemaker Thierry Haberer may have deep Francafile roots but his wines are anything but lean, mineral and austere expressions, instead he embraces a pleasurable, accessible opulence allowing the wines just enough rein to point their noses towards a riper, bolder, more fruit forward style while simultaneously never losing sight of the terroir and minerality of the wines’ Cape wineland heritage.

Among the rather extensive Holden Manz range, it is probably the Big G Cabernet Sauvignon based red blend that has proved to be one of the estate’s most popular wines. Plush, dense and fruit forward, this is also a very serious wine for the money that certainly would not look out of place in a line-up of premium Napa Valley Meritage red blends.

Holden Manz Big G 2019, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv.

3.2g/l RS | 4.9g/l TA | 3.77 pH

Always one of the estate’s most popular wines, the high anticipated Holden Manz Big G 2019 is finally release and boy what a cracker it is. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, which were all handpicked and hand sorted to select the very best fruit for this cuvee, before being fermented using natural wild yeasts with a 10% portion in new oak barrels. The aromatics are seductively dark and broody with layers of ripe black berry compote, damson plum, black currant, cedarwood and sweet Christmas spices. In the mouth, the wine is super plush, seductive, and wonderfully round, coating the palate with notes of hoisin plum sauce, sweet cherry tobacco, and exotic black and blueberry fruits, that are enveloped by the supplest of silky ripe tannins. Beautifully balanced and fresh yet delightfully intense and concentrated, this is a very voluptuous Cape Bordeaux Blend with focus, power and poise. I absolutely love it… as I’m sure all devoted Holden Manz fans will too. Drink now and over the next 8 to 10 years.

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

The Holden Manz wines are available to trade from Vindependents and retail by the bottle from specialist merchant Museum Wines.