JC Wickens

A Selection of Talented Jasper Wickens Swartland 2021 and 2022 Vintages Tasted and Assessed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

While noise around the Swartland region and its many cult wines seems to be subsiding somewhat, as long as rock star producers like Eben Sadie, Adi Badenhorst, David & Nadia and Chris and Andrea Mullineux keep releasing high scoring whites and reds, wine critics will remain fixated on this versatile region.

But not everyone making iconic wines in the Swartland attempts to steal the wine headlines at every opportunity. One such talent is Jasper Wickens, who along with his wife Franziskia, is creating some of the most profound wines from fruit grown on their Waterval farm in the Paardeberg, next door to both Eben and Adi. With Jasper’s new 2023 vintages landing on my doorstep today, I thought I’d set the scene for my upcoming 2023 vintage reviews of Tiernes and Wolwekop with a compilations of some unreleased back vintage notes.

Jasper in one of his Chenin Blanc Vineyards at Waterval farm.

JC Wickens Swerwer Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

After the long, cool harvest of 2021, 2022 reverted back to more “normal” conditions with several heatwaves taking place during the early season in the Swartland forcing some wineries to harvest grapes perhaps a little sooner than they normally would have in order to preserve acidity. The Chenin Blanc grapes in this 2022 are all grown on deep decomposed Granite soils and offer up classical Swartland notes of wet hay, wet stone minerality, dried baking herbs, white peaches, orange blossom and pithy white citrus and pear fruit characteristics. With its impressively low, cool alcohol level of only 12.5%, the palate displays a light touch balance and elegance with cool, savoury peach notes, quince, and tangy apple puree. The acids are soft, well integrated, but bright and pithy and the finish stony and mineral with a certain degree of phenolic grip. A delicious wine with purity and precision that is ready to drink on release and over the next 6 to 8+ years.

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

JC Wickens Swerwer Shiraz 2022, WO Swartland, 14% Abv.

A seductively dark purple black plum colour in the glass, this attractive Syrah is made from Paardeberg grapes from the Wickens Waterval Farm grown on 100% decomposed Granite soils. 100% whole-bunch fermented, the aromatics on the 2022 are perfumed and lifted showing red and black berries, violets, lavender, hints of cranberry and pomegranate with delicately complexing notes of fynbos, crushed gravel and kalamata olives. In the mouth the wine is medium bodied but beautifully sleek, soft, and harmonious with silky fine grained chalky tannins, mouthwatering tangy acids and a long, succulent berry fruited finish. So enjoyable to drink in its youth with its fabulous generosity of fruit, vibrancy, and accessible structure. Drink on release to 2034+.

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

Tiernes Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc planted in 1982.

JC Wickens Tiernes Single Vineyard Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

The Tiernes vineyard planted in 1982 is very special indeed, overlooking the whole Waterval Farm of Francisca and Jasper Wickens from the top of the hill. With the vines grown on some of the deepest decomposed granite soils on the farm, the old vine Chenin Blanc grapes yield an incredibly complex and intense wine with aromatics packed with crushed rocks minerality, rain on granite boulders, lemon grass, grated lemon and lime peel, and delicate quince jelly notes. The palate is wonderfully intense and crystalline with real verve and vigour, a fruit purity of note with a chiselled mouthfeel of tart limes, fresh fennel, white peach, and yellow grapefruit pith. The concentration is slightly lighter and more ethereal than the 2021 but the purity and refinement are unmatched. The single vineyard Tiernes is undoubtedly one of the most profound Chenin Blanc expressions produced in the Swartland and a wine every fine wine collector should follow and buy. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years.

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

JC Wickens Wolwekop Single Vineyard Old Vine Semillon 2021, WO Swartland, 12.5% Abv.

The back label of the Wolwekop simply states… “a pure expression of Semillon, Granite and Nature.” Well, if you didn’t have time to read a full tasting note, this would succinctly sum up the exceptional quality of this delicious terroir driven Old Vine Semillon sourced from a majestic Swartland vineyard planted in 1963. The long, cool, atypical 2021 vintage needs no introduction, already being well regarded and widely lauded as one of the best vintages in the Cape in the past decade. From a Zalto Universal glass the aromatics are notably lean, mineral and overtly stony, revealing a relatively shy bouquet, but once transferred to a bigger Burgundy bowl glass, the wine explodes into life offering up fragrant notes of savoury waxy lemon peel, lanolin, fennel root, lemon herbal tea and subtle beeswax notes before a pronounced wave of crushed gravel and dusty granitic minerality follow. The palate is equally complex and beguiling, featuring a bold spicy mineral laden glycerol palate with wet stone minerality, bergamot, green melon, yellow apples, and tart yellow quince that’s beautifully framed by bright, searing crystalline acids before a dried herb laden finish with a delicately nutty, almond skin nuance. Packed with energy, focus and drive, this must surely be a wine Jasper is very proud of. Drink now on releases and over the next 10 to 12+ years.

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

JC Wickens Wolwekop Single Vineyard Old Vine Semillon 2022, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

After the high scoring 97/100 point benchmark Wolwekop 2021, Jasper Wickens has pulled a little more magic out the bag to produce yet another enticing Semillon offering in 2022. A golden yellow colour, the wine displays a complex aromatics of pithy lemon citrus, leesy lemon biscuits, buttered white toast, brewed green tea, lemon grass, honey and delicate green herb nuances. Full and fleshy in the mouth, there is a clear harmony and balance punctuated by a stony granitic minerality supported by well-integrated acids and a pithy, peach stone fruit strand with peppery, sappy, lanolin hints. Another Old Vine masterclass from Jasper. Drink now to 2035+.

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

The Jasper Wickens Swerwer wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

Swartland Winemaking Talent Jasper Wickens Continues to Spin His Magic in the Paardeberg – Tasting a Trio of 2022 Swerwer New Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Jasper Wickens and his wife, Franziska Wickens (néé Schreiber), who is the third generation of a Swartland farming family in the Siebritskloof Valley in the Paardeberg, make a formidable winemaking team. Together, they are responsible for some of the most breathtaking wines currently being produced in the Swartland, made from premium quality grapes grown on Franziska’s substantial Waterval farm.

The true potential of many of their top old vine sites was undoubtedly matched by some incredibly high quality wines in the long, cool, atypical 2021 harvest. But never one to rest on his laurels, Jasper has recently released another stunning array of wines from the more “normal” 2022 vintage conditions, and I got to taste and review a selection of these wines in London. 

JC Wickens Swerwer Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

After the long, cool harvest of 2021, 2022 reverted back to more “normal” conditions with several heatwaves taking place during the early season in the Swartland forcing some wineries to harvest grapes perhaps a little sooner than they normally would have in order to preserve acidity. The Chenin Blanc grapes in this 2022 are all grown on deep decomposed Granite soils and offer up classical Swartland notes of wet hay, wet stone minerality, dried baking herbs, white peaches, orange blossom and pithy white citrus and pear fruit characteristics. With its impressively low, cool alcohol level of only 12.5%, the palate displays a light touch balance and elegance with cool, savoury peach notes, quince, and tangy apple puree. The acids are soft, well integrated, but bright and pithy and the finish stony and mineral with a certain degree of phenolic grip. A delicious wine with purity and precision that is ready to drink on release and over the next 6 to 8+ years.

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

JC Wickens Swerwer Shiraz 2022, WO Swartland, 14% Abv.

A seductively dark purple black plum colour in the glass, this attractive Syrah is made from Paardeberg grapes from the Wickens Waterval Farm grown on 100% decomposed Granite soils. 100% whole-bunch fermented, the aromatics on the 2022 are perfumed and lifted showing red and black berries, violets, lavender, hints of cranberry and pomegranate with delicately complexing notes of fynbos, crushed gravel and kalamata olives. In the mouth the wine is medium bodied but beautifully sleek, soft, and harmonious with silky fine grained chalky tannins, mouthwatering tangy acids and a long, succulent berry fruited finish. So enjoyable to drink in its youth with its fabulous generosity of fruit, vibrancy, and accessible structure. Drink on release to 2034.

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

JC Wickens Tiernes Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

The Tiernes vineyard planted in 1982 is very special indeed, overlooking the whole Waterval Farm of Francisca and Jasper Wickens from the top of the hill. With the vines grown on some of the deepest decomposed granite soils on the farm, the old vine Chenin Blanc grapes yield an incredibly complex and intense wine with aromatics packed with crushed rocks minerality, rain on granite boulders, lemon grass, grated lemon and lime peel, and delicate quince jelly notes. The palate is wonderfully intense and crystalline with real verve and vigour, a fruit purity of note with a chiselled mouthfeel of tart limes, fresh fennel, white peach, and yellow grapefruit pith. The concentration is slightly lighter and more ethereal than the 2021 but the purity and refinement are unmatched. The single vineyard Tiernes is undoubtedly one of the most profound Chenin Blanc expressions produced in the Swartland and a wine every fine wine collector should follow and buy. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years.

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

The wines of Jasper Wickens are imported into the UK exclusively by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

Swartland’s Jasper Wickens Continues to Impress with His New 2021 Swerwer Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Jasper Wickens started working with Adi Badenhorst at the Kalmoesfontein property in the Paardeberg in 2009 and was a central character in the whole Swartland Revolution movement. Exactly 10 years after he first moved to the Paardeberg, Jasper completed his final harvest at AA Badenhorst Family Wines in 2018 as he prepared to move full-time into the repurposed wine cellar at his Waterval farm next door to focus on his own Swerwer range that was established back in 2012.

Jasper’s Swerwer range is now quite extensive and includes, among others, a Chenin Blanc, an old vine skin contact Tiernes Chenin Blanc, a Semillon Gris, as well as reds made from Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Tinta Barocca, and Touriga Nacional. Jasper is undoubtedly making some of the most exciting wines in the Swartland and his 2021 expressions from this cooler vintage are some of his best yet.

JC Wickens Swerwer Rooi Groen Semillon 2021, 12.5% Abv.

An alluring medium straw golden yellow colour, the aromatics speak of the Swartland’s unique granitic terroir, loaded with crushed rocks, dusty grey slate, dried straw, baking herbs, lemon peel and grated pear. Mineral, earthy and stony, the wine bursts to life on the palate with its vibrant, bright tangy acids promoting notes of white peach, yellow orchard fruits, tart plum and hints of crisp quince. The wine possesses an impressive textural density, a glycerol yellow stone fruit concentration and a liquid minerality all tightly interwoven so as to present an incredibly harmonious white with a delicious equilibrium. Jasper has really nailed the beautiful 2021 vintage with some supremely fine white wines. Drink on release and over the next 10+ years.

(95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

JC Wickens Swerwer Red Blend 2021, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

A delicious red blend made up of Cinsault, Grenache and Tinta Barocca, this is a cool crystalline red wine that marries these traditional Swartland cultivars sourced from mostly gnarled old vines grown on deep decomposed granitic soils. With the grace and freshness of the Cinsault and Grenache, this blend is delightfully bright, elegant, and vibrant with a distinct cool sense of purity and precision. Initially savoury and sightly meaty on the nose when opened, the aromatics soon blossom to reveal perfumed notes of pressed violets, lavender, bramble berries and wild strawberry with an inviting underlying earthy fynbos and sweet garrigue spice. But this cool, elegant 2021 vintage is ultimately all about freshness, vitality and mid-palate tension, with the Tinta Barocca adding extra depth and tannic structure without compromising the wine’s overall balance and finesse. This is certainly a mouth-watering creation that offers enticing drinkability and red meat friendly food accompaniment. Drink on release and over the next 5 to 8+ years.

(94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Jasper with his 2023 Syrah grapes.

JC Wickens Swerwer Touriga Nacional 2021, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

This delicious 2021 Touriga Nacional from Jasper Wickens is made from vines planted in deep granitic soils on cooler mountain slopes in the Swartland, with grapes harvested earlier to retain a freshness and elegance easy lost in this warm region. Naturally whole bunch fermented and treated to very gentle extraction, this cooler vintage red show’s this Portuguese cultivar’s true heritage with lifted aromatics of floral red flowers, lilac, earthy bramble berries, black berries and black plum with undertones of smoked meats, bresaola, fireplace wood embers and a subtle sappy wood spice. The palate is equally impressive with plenty of overt juicy black and earthy red berry fruits that really shine under the coolness of the wines modest 13% alcohol. Elegant and complex, the wine retains a wonderfully soft texture and mid-palate balance with fine sweet silky tannins and notes of orange peel, grilled herbs and sweet savoury black berries. The finish sees an understated but concentrated length with a gracefully dense persistence, making this a really very attractive and appealing Touriga Nacional expression. Drink on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years.

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

Jasper Wickens’ Swerwer Wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Museum Wines.