Paarl

The Vilafonte Winery Releases An Accomplished Trio of New Premium Vintage 2022 Expressions… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Regardless of who you speak to, the general consensus is that the 2022 vintage conditions in the Cape reverted back to more “normal” conditions after the unusually cool and extended harvest of 2021. But like many good vintages that follow great vintages, the resulting wines have to work that much harder to capture the imagination of fine wine consumers. At Vilafonte, the team have delivered another exceptionally fine trio of wines that has something for everyone. 

A cool wet October and November 2021 saw above average rainfall leading to vigorous growth in the vineyards which required extra work to manage canopies. January and February 2022 saw multiple heat spikes in keeping with more ‘normal’ vintage conditions in the Cape. There was some variable ripening across cultivars and plots ultimately leading to a fairly late, drawn-out harvest season which began nine days later than predicted and which lasted for over four weeks from February 19th until March 17th. The resulting wines show density and concentration rather than heaviness with well integrated harmonious acids.

The approachability of the Seriously Old Dirt blend makes this wine a perennial favourite with fine wine lovers looking for exceptional quality and value without compromising fruit, structure or power. The Series C is also another stand out Cape Bordeaux Blend that celebrates the incredible quality of Cape Cabernet Sauvignon. But if it’s sheer hedonism you are after, the Series M is once again a dead ringer for an opulent, showy, Right Bank Merlot dominated Bordeaux blend. With a 1st of November release date for all three wines, these are definitely wines you’re going to want to make space for in your cellar. 

Seriously Old Dirt by Vilafonte 2022, WO Western Cape, 13.5% Abv.

After the rich, fresh, characterful wine of 2021, the Seriously Old Dirt 2022 blend has certainly turned out to be another impressive creation from the dedicated Vilafonte team. A dark opaque purple black plum colour in the glass, the wine offers up bold notes of mint leaf, violets, crème de cassis, black cherries, dried thyme herbs, cigar wrapper, and hints of chocolate peppermint crisp. Medium bodied with a rich, spicy, fleshy palate, this wine has certainly carved out a name for itself based not so much on branding but more on innate quality and true value for money. The mouthfeel is delicately spicy, alluring, and supple with notes of dark blackberries, fresh peppermint tea, vanilla pod, and sweet Christmas spices that linger long on the palate, framed by picante, mineral spicy graphite tannins. This is undoubtedly an impressive second wine fashioned after the famous left bank Bordeaux expressions, and also shares the similar trait of often putting bigger Grand Vin expressions to shame. Always seamless, and nearly always the complete deal, this is THE go to wine for so many Bordeaux lovers around the world! Drink on release and over 8 to 10 years.

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

Vilafonte Series C 2022, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.

Vintage variation at wineries like Vilafonte often means little, but for the market, 2021 was the vintage of the decade to buy and covet. Like 1996 followed and surpassed 1995 in Bordeaux, could this plush and opulent 2022 excel in the shadow of the iconic 2021 Series C cuvee? In the recent months, all the 2022s I have tasted are every bit the equal of many of the 2021 wines, showing concentration, balance and freshness. Always the benchmark cuvee of the Vilafonte winery, the Series C 2022, a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc, presents itself as a rich, opulent expression packed full of salted black liquorice, sweet black berries, warm blueberry crumble and subtle aromatics of vanilla pod and cedar wood spice. The initial approach on the palate is classical and restrained, showing drying tannins and classical granitic mineral undertones but the texture is like silk, seamless, sultry and beautifully balanced with a big punchy concentration on the finish.This is high pedigree Cabernet Sauvignon done extremely well in a global context. Drink on release to 2040+.

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

Vilafonte Series M 2022, WO Paarl, 14% Abv.

The Series M 2022 is a blend of 40% Merlot, 39% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Fabulously dark, rich, and opaque, this inky Merlot based blend once again boasts a sold Right Bank Bordeaux styling, with aromatics packed full of dried herbs, potpourri, spiced black plums, mulberries, and blueberry hints with a top note of graphite and gunpowder smoke. But it’s on the palate that the fireworks really light up the sky, with a cool, creamy, super fine-grained tannin texture, a picante spicy granitic minerality over plush black berry fruits and a pithy black cherry complexity. The top 2022 reds show softer, more integrated acids than the 2021 vintage but also a creamier, fleshier, more sumptuous mouthfeel with impressive generosity and an accessibility. This is another beautiful Series M expression that bridges the stylistic paradigm of Right Bank Bordeaux and New World fruit-driven opulence. Drink on release until 2038+.

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

The Vilafonte Wines are imported into the UK by wine merchant John E. Fells.

http://www.fells.co.uk

The Beginning of a New Era for Lievland Vineyards – Tasting and Assessing Some of their Latest Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The previous Lievland Wine Estate can certainly be counted as one of the grand old Cape brands of the 1980s and 1990s and I can confirm that I certainly drank my fair share of their famous value red blend, the Lievlander, as well as plenty of their Shiraz and their delicious DVB Cape Bordeaux Blend. In 2017, it was announced that MAN Family Wines had acquired the 110 hectare estate with ambitious plans to build a new cellar facility and also slowly replant some of the 60 hectares under vine.

Lying on much respected Simonsberg Stellenbosch terroir, immediate neighbours are Natte Valleij, Warwick, the old Uitkyk, Kanonkop and Le Bonheur. I recently caught up in London with their head winemaker, Riaan Möller, to taste through a current selection of the Lievland Vineyards wines.

Lievland Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2022, WO Elgin, 13% Abv.

Deliciously exotic aromatics with peach skins, apricot, gooseberry, melon and green apple pastille. 100% stainless steel fermented with several inoculated yeast strains. From Sandstone soil vineyards, south facing, the grapes yield deliciously cool crystalline fruits boasting white peach, green pear, white pepper, rocket leaf and hints of lychee. Sleek, vibrant and wonderfully energetic with a really youthful vivacity and a delicate tropical kiss on the finish. A delicious cool climate expression.

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

Lievland Vineyards Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Paarl, 13% Abv.

Made from a Certified Heritage Vineyard planted between 1977 and 1987 from Agter-Paarl with the use of up to 30% barrel fermented portion. The aromatics show a fruity candied opulence with notes of smoky straw, fynbos, peach rock candy and hints of green pear. The palate is rich and expressive with mouth watering layers of spicy white peach, greengage, green apple and hints of fig preserve on the long, persistent, textured finish.

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

Lievland Vineyards Liefkoos Shiraz / Mourvedre / Cinsault Rose 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 12.5% Abv.

An attractive pale salmon colour, the wine shows bright dusty chalky aromatics packed full of pear drops, crushed granite, crushed red cherry and crunchy wild strawberry fruits. The palate is cool, sleek and very precise with a delicious weightless concentration, lovely purity, mineral pithiness and impressive length. One for the lovers of Provençal Rose.

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

Lievland Vineyards Bush Vine Pinotage 2021, WO Paarl, 13.5% Abv.

From a vineyard on the westerly slopes of Paarl mountain planted in 2000/1 with a small 5% addition of Grenache. Only a small amount of new large oak is used (15%) and mostly multi-passage 225 and 300 litre used barrels. Packed full of vibrancy and freshness with notes of bramble berry, forest fruits, tilled earth, black plum and hints of red apple. Super polished and sleek, the texture is silky, elegant and delicately exotic with lovely purple rock candy, Parma violets and a mouthwatering Fanta Grape-flavoured allure. The finish is bone dry, spicy and mineral with real balance and length. A very individual expression of Pinotage, but undoubtedly delicious.

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

Lievland Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Cape Coast, 14% Abv.

High altitude fruit from the Helderberg and Agter-Paarl, makes for a very classy Cabernet Sauvignon with a sneaky 5% Cinsault, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc blended in. The aromatics show sweet red berry, red plum, red currant, raisined cranberries, cassis, tilled earth and delicate notes of sweet tobacco and tannery leather. On the palate the soft, seductive silky layers dominate, revealing a very fine textured, compact mouthfeel. A very impressive wine with great complexity, lovely granitic minerality and a delicate salinity on the finish.

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

Lievland Vineyards Heart’s Ease Syrah 2019, WO Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

Fruit from original vineyards on the farm planted 2001. 86% Syrah and 14% Mourvedre with 20% whole bunches, were fermented and aged 100% for 16 months in mostly used neutral 225 litre barrels with a 15% new French oak portion. The aromatics are lush and seductive with blueberry, black cherry, tart plum and subtle hints of dried herbs, cumin and peppercorns. Wonderfully pure, delicate and elegantly fresh, this is a very classy, considered, light touch Syrah made with real attention to detail. The finish is intense and focused with a fine weightless concentration.

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

The Lievland Vineyard wines are imported into the UK by Berkmann Wines.

Vilafonte Release a Seductive Series M Cape Bordeaux Blend from the Uniquely Cool and Classical 2021 Vintage…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Exceptional vintages have the ability to yield exceptional wines. Just think of 2000, 2005, 2009 and especially 2010 in Bordeaux, and perhaps 2004, 2009, 2015, and 2017 in the Cape. Without doubt, 2021 was another extraordinary vintage with ample winter rains followed by an unusually cold and wet spring and early summer. In an era of global warming and extreme weather events, getting a vintage like 2021 in the Cape must surely be a winemaker’s dream. So many I have talked to have described making wines that they feel they may never get the opportunity to make again due to the unusually cool, slow ripening conditions.

At Vilafonte in Paarl, flowering was largely even with good fruit-set, boding well for not only a healthy crop but also an ample crop. Early season growing temperatures were cool to moderate, warming gradually towards ripening, with a lack of February / March heatwaves a very noteworthy feature of the vintage. Berries were supple-skinned, bursting with flavour, showing a vibrant freshness and bold tannin structures. Harvest began on February 11th under mild weather conditions that continued for the remainder of the season. The resulting wines show a piercingly perfumed intensity, deep inky colours, sophistication and poise.

Vilafonte Series M 2021, WO Paarl, 14% Abv.

The 2021 Series M is a blend of 41% Merlot, 35% Malbec, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Cabernet Franc that spent 22 months in French oak barrels with a 26% new oak portion. The aromatics are enticing and alluring, offering up notes of dark berries, exotic Asian spices, plum compote, black liquorice, graphite and wood smoke with subtle dried bay leaf nuances. Despite being dominated by Merlot and Malbec, the Series M often boasts a structure more in common with Cabernet Sauvignon blends, but in the cooler 2021 vintage, this wine remains very much in a Bordeaux right bank leaning style boasting precociously sumptuous notes of supple black currant fruits, mulberries, black plum with hints of cocoa powder, chargrilled charcuterie and pithy blood orange peel. Beautifully plump and opulent in the mouth, the tannins are velvety, supple and sweet, enveloping the palate and finishing with incisive saline acids and complex notions of baked blackberries, preserved plums and star anise. A wonderfully complete wine that already offers abundant pleasure in its youth. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

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

Vilafonte wines are imported into the UK and are available to trade on allocation from importer John E Fells, and are available retail from specialist South African merchant Museum Wines.

http://www.museumwines.co.uk

Vilafonte Release a Truly Exceptional Series C Cape Bordeaux Blend from the Uniquely Cool and Classical 2021 Vintage…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

We all know that exceptional vintages have the ability to yield exceptional wines. Just think of 2000, 2005, 2009 and especially 2010 in Bordeaux, and perhaps 2004, 2009, 2015, and 2017 in the Cape. Without doubt, 2021 was another extraordinary vintage with ample winter rains followed by an unusually cold and wet spring and early summer. In an era of global warming and extreme weather events, getting a vintage like 2021 in the Cape must surely be a winemaker’s dream. So many I have talked to have described making wines that they feel they may never get the opportunity to make again due to the unusually cool, slow ripening conditions.

At Vilafonte in Paarl, flowering was largely even with good fruit-set, boding well for not only a healthy crop but also an ample crop. Early season growing temperatures were cool to moderate, warming gradually towards ripening, with a lack of February / March heatwaves a very noteworthy feature of the vintage. Berries were supple-skinned, bursting with flavour, showing a vibrant freshness and bold tannin structures. Harvest began on February 11th under mild weather conditions that continued for the remainder of the season. The resulting wines show a piercingly perfumed intensity, deep inky colours, sophistication and poise. The Series C is scheduled for a 1st November 2023 global release.

Vilfonte Series C 2021, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.

The Series C 2021 is another sumptuous Cape Bordeaux Blend made up of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 7% Cabernet Franc that was aged for 22 months in 81% new French oak 225 litre barriques, with the balance aged in used French oak barrels. Winemaker Chris de Vries was very excited by the berry flavour complexity at harvest time and when you pull the cork on this wine, the 2021 vintage displays an incredibly vivid, overt, beautifully lifted, piercing array of perfumed sweet violets, iris, cherry blossom, potpourri and incense with a delicate dusting of cocoa powder and vanilla pod spice. With the cool fruited aromatic ebb and flow, delicious notes of saline black currant, black cherry, crème de cassis, sandalwood, cigar wrapper, and cinnamon spice slowly develop, all pristinely pure and fabulously intense. Medium bodied, tightly wound and layered, the sleek supple mouthfeel truly typifies the very finest premium reds produced in this classically cooler vintage. Indeed, I cannot quite recall another vintage in the past two decades quite like it, with such sweet well-rounded tannins, fresh piercing acidities and magnificently weightless, crystalline tart red and black berry fruits on the velvety, seamless palate. The jury is out on whether this is the greatest Series C produced by Vilafonte to date simply because the astounding 2016 was such a uniquely brilliant creation. Needless to say, a wine of this beauty and precision will undoubtedly be counted as one of the finest reds of the vintage. Drink on release and enjoy over the next 20+ years.

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

The Vilafonte wines are imported into the UK by John E Fells and are available retail from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

The Rising Greatness of the Brookdale Estate in Paarl is Amplified by their Impressive new Mason Road 2022 Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

They often say the true measure of the greatness of any winery is made by assessing how good their entry level wines are every year. The Brookdale Estate in Paarl is undoubtedly a grand venture and already owner Tim Rudd has spared no expense trying to elevate the estate’s wines to the highest level possible in the shortest amount of time possible. Ambitious indeed. However, with most of the original estate’s vines having been grubbed up after purchase out of necessity, the time scale for producing the full envisaged Brookdale Estate flagship wine range has inevitably been lengthened considerably.

But every cloud has a silver lining and in the case of all the younger vine fruit coming from the new plantings, Brookdale Estate have established a very impressive entry level range… (if you can call £15 – £16 wines entry level?). But with other similarly ambitious larger scale South African wine brands like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs range now hitting the shelves at a similar price level, the Mason Road range from Brookdale can only be viewed as well priced considering the plaudits the whites and reds have already garnered over the past 2 years. I recently tasted through the Mason Road 2022 new releases and was suitably impressed.

The 2022 vintage will be remembered as a cool season before harvest, followed by a sudden temperature spike from January. Good vineyard practices were followed, and canopies were managed well, which delivered exceptional grape analyses and wine quality. Temperatures rose sharply during early January and accelerated the early cultivars’ ripening dates, although Brookdale harvested more than a week later than in 2021. Frequent high temperatures during February further contributed to harvest dates shifting sooner and harvesting returned to normal timing by the end of February. Brookdale were fortunate not to experience any crop losses or mildew infections leading into harvest.

Brookdale Estate Mason Road Chenin Blanc 2022, WO Paarl, 13.56% Abv.

2.2g/l RS | 5.8g/l TA | 3.43pH

From a 30-year-old Chenin Blanc vineyard planted in 1993 that was picked in four separate batches at differing degrees of ripeness, has allowed winemaker Kiara Scott to create a wine with incredible depth and presence for the price. We can all name a few budget Chenin Blanc brands in South Africa, but the Mason Road has continued to impress from day one making it an incredibly savvy purchase. The 2022 shows complex aromatics of dusty dry stable hay, fynbos, pineapple pastille, lemon cordial, white citrus and a stony granitic crushed rock minerality. Classic old vine Paarl Chenin Blanc traditionally boasts rich exotic layers of peach and pineapple fruit on the palate and this vintage is positively brimming with a tangy sweet and sour concentration, bright mouth-watering acids and a long, intense, crystalline limey finish that is both salty and tart with a pleasing glycerol gloss. Simply put, this wine performs in a manner more akin to super premium expressions of Chenin Blanc from the Cape making it something very special indeed. Drink on release and over the 5 to 8+ years.

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

Brookdale Estate Mason Road Serendipity Rosé 2022, WO Paarl, 12.91% Abv.

3.2g/l RS | 5/6g/l TA | 3.42pH

This is a delightful coppery salmon pink Provencal-styled Rosé made from Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah with exotic and enticing aromatics of fraise de bois wild strawberries, dried apricots, hibiscus and subtle watermelon nuances over dried herbs, fynbos and a delicate granitic minerality. The palate is cool, crisp and classical but fabulously intense and evocative with a vibrant tangy sweet-sour acidity of blood oranges, raspberries, lime cordial and sour cherries before an energetic but incredibly precise, pristine crystalline finish. An instantly attractive Rosé that looks set to continue building its growing cult following internationally. Drink on release and over 2 to 3 years.

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

Brookdale Estate Mason Road Syrah 2022, WO Paarl, 14.56% Abv.

2.6g/l RS | 5.1g/l TA | 3.66pH

This is another impressive Mason Road Syrah release that aims for the stars and comes pretty close to hitting the bullseye! With a small percentage of the Syrah grapes fermented whole bunch without destalking, the nose reveals a complex array of aromatics led by sweet cherry kirsch liquor notes, hints of sweet coriander laced with red peppercorns, cured meats, bresaola, sappy vanilla wood spice and an undertone of salty crème de cassis. The palate is delightfully supple and fleshy showing an impressive density and textural breadth, while always remaining incredibly harmonious and balanced. The juicy acids add a fine tangy, mouthwatering frame from which delicious layers of black berry, bramble berry and spicy plum fruits are proffered for your palate pleasure, before the savoury finishing finale. A simply wonderful expression of Syrah offering sophistication, value for money and incredible drinkability.

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

Brookdale Estate Mason Road GSM 2022, WO Paarl, 14.68% Abv.

2.4g/l RS | 5.0g/l TA | 3.60pH

Despite the cooler vintage conditions running into the pre-harvest period in January 2022, warmer temperatures from February onwards have ensured a deliciously ripe and opulent red boasting exotic aromatics of crushed sour cherries, Parma violets, burnt bushveld, ripe cranberries, salty red liquorice and a broader inviting melange of summer berries. This really is a fabulously complex maiden release focusing on Grenache and Syrah grapes that were separately whole bunch fermented before a short maceration and then further ageing in 500 and 300 litre barrels. The energy and vibrancy revealed on the nose follow succinctly to the palate that’s packed full of spicy, peppery black currant fruit, tart bright tangy acids and a silky soft fine-grained finish showing a subtle kiss of salted caramel. I’m not sure how much more wine drinking enjoyment you can pack into a bottle!? Drink on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years.

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

The Brookdale Estate and Mason Road ranges are imported exclusively into the UK by South African fine wine specialist merchant Museum Wines.

http://www.museumwines.co.uk

A Block Buster Single Vineyard Old Vine Stellenbosch 2021 Cinsault Released by Alex Milner of Natte Valleij…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Natte Valleij single vineyard labels of Alex Milner use the dashing strap line ‘An Exploration of Cape Cinsault’ … and I can tell you that this incredible 2021 vintage Stellenbosch Cinsault made from 49-year-old dryland bush vines grown on deep decomposed granite soils, takes you on one hell of journey.

Affectionately called ‘the ballerina’ in the cellar because of its bright ethereal energy and gracefulness, the wine was matured for 11 months in concrete egg to maintain the vineyards essential perfumed purity and mineral poise, two hallmarks of this granitic vineyard lying in the shadows of the Helderberg Mountain.

I recently caught up with Alex Milner in March at his cellar during harvest and then again in early May in London to taste through all his new releases. But two of his wines specifically left a very big impression on me, namely his single vineyard old vine Cinsault reds from Stellenbosch and Darling, that are made in circa 2,000 bottle quantities.

Natte Valleij Stellenbosch Old Vine Cinsault 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 11.5% Abv.

A translucent red cherry ruby in colour, the aromatics on this wine are astonishingly pretty sharing the tantalisingly perfumed opulence and lift that you would find on a young classical Grand Cru Burgundy tasted from barrel. The fragrant notes of violets, cherry blossom and pressed rose petals slowly melt into waves of red cherry, cranberry and wild strawberry fruits with that ever present granitic mineral vein lending further complexity. The texture in the mouth is enchanting, resembling liquid silk and the intense red berry fruits are as pure as driven snow. This is an impressive single vineyard wine built around purity and precision, finesse and freshness, and in 2021, Alex Milner has created a proverbial liquid masterpiece. Drink this on release and over the next 10 to 12+ years.

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

The Natte Valleij wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Museum Wines and the single vineyard Cinsault reds retail for circa £27pb. http://www.museumwines.co.uk

Brookdale Estate Recaptures the Lost Art of Field Blends with their Maiden Release Sixteen Varietal White 2021 Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Brookdale Estate, situated at the foot of the lofty Du Toitskloof Pass in Paarl, is a very impressive boutique winery owned by Englishman Tim Rudd and is planted with not only 25+ year old Chenin Blanc vines but also several other special Chenin Blanc blocks that are now over 35 years old and certified under the Old Vine Project as Heritage Vines. When Tim Rudd bought the farm, most of the existing vineyards were in very poor condition necessitating their removal to make way for broad new plantings of not only Syrah but also several massive white and red field blends.

I believe the field blend plantings were initially inspired by Duncan Savage, the original consulting winemaker at Brookdale until Kiara Scott took over the winemaking, producing Brookdale’s third vintage of premium Chenin Blanc in 2019. But when I visited the estate back in 2018 to meet Tim Rudd for the first time, I was fascinated by these impressive field blend plantings which contained a broad array of varieties.

So it was with great excitement and anticipation that I sat down recently with a bottle of the maiden Brookdale Field Blend 2021 to assess this fascinating young vine wine. Having recently tasted and reviewed the excellent white field blend from Jonkershoek Valley winery Stark Conde, I looked forward to cracking this maiden release from Tim Rudd and Kiara Scott and comparing the viticultural theory with what was actually bottled.

The Sixteen Field Blend is comprised of 16 different varietals, interplanted as bush vines and essentially seeks to recapture the lost art of field blend winemaking as practiced all over Europe in the last century before the rise of mono-culture winemaking.

Brookdale Estate Sixteen White Field Blend 2021, WO Paarl, 14% Abv.

The aromatics are classical yet ever so slightly exotic all at once with a pronounced dusty granitic minerality fading into dried baking herbs, sage, jasmine, dried stable straw, desiccated coconut and acacia honey on warm buttered white toast. The palate is silky, crystalline, fresh and lithe with plenty of front palate peach, apricot, honied fruit concentration on the entry before the wine’s gravelly minerality reasserts itself again to offer a complex liquid minerality with appealing wet river pebble nuances. Such a wonderfully considered and intricate wine in its maiden release with a beautiful green apple, nectarine and stone fruit depth, harmonious glycerol waves of texture and an impressive resinous fine wine palate breadth. Drink this on release or watch it evolve in unknown directions over the next 6 to 8+ years.

The Brookdale wines are exclusively imported and distributed in the UK by South African fine wine specialist, Museum Wines. http://www.museumwines.co.uk

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

Vilafonte Excels with Another Impressive Wine of Harmony and Balance – Tasting the New Release Series C 2020…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

After returning from a very successful Cape Wine 2022 wine fair, the tragedies and hardships of the Covid-19 pandemic almost seem a distant faded nightmare. But as I start tasting a fresh wave of exciting new 2020 red releases, the memories of this unprecedented time come flowing back especially when you consider that many producers in the Cape, at the time, feared that they would not be able to even pick their succulent grapes as harvest approached. But if there is one thing wine producers are well versed at coping with, it is extreme disruption and endless uncertainties.

The 2019/2020 growing season brought fair and favourable conditions with a return to a more traditional cold and wet winter. With Spring came warm, fair-weather conditions resulting in an even, two-week early bud-break. As is often the case in the Cape vineyards, windy conditions during flowering resulted in a variable berry set and looser clusters with small intense berries. Thankfully, temperatures during ripening remained modest without any heatwaves, leading to an even, measured pace of ripening and picking. By the time the national Covid-19 lockdown was announced by the national government on the 26th March 2020, Vilafonte had already processed all wines safely to barrel.

Looking back to February 2020, it seems crazy to think that my visit then to the Vilafonte winery at the time would be part of my last visit to South Africa for over two years due to the pandemic. While the overall harvest continued into March, I clearly remember watching multiple trucks offloading the freshly picked Malbec grapes in late February that were tiny pea berry sized, pitch black, perfectly healthy and faultlessly formed. Spirits were high for another exceptional, high-quality harvest.

Vilafonte Series C 2020, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.

The 2020 Vilafonte Series C is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Franc that was aged for 22 months in 68% new French oak barriques with the balance in older used French oak barrels. In the glass, the wine displays an intensely dark, alluring purple black colour and an expressive aromatics of violets, sweet macerated black cherries, blue berries, smoky cassis and touches of Christmas pudding, sweet cherry tobacco, melted liquorice, milk chocolate and ginger cake nuances. There are slight caramelised touches to the aromatics with hints of vanilla pod, clove oil, camphor and sweet cedar spice that melt seamlessly back into the rich, opulent black and blue fruited complexity. Full, rich and elegantly textured, the palate is laden with spicy black fruits, black cherry compote, black currant pastille and intriguing layers of cinnamon spice, salty liquorice and sun raisined blue berries. There in an impressive intensity and concentration on display yet the wine remains fine grained, harmonious and fresh, finishing with spicy, supple velvety tannins and yet more stony, pithy minerality. Delightfully ripe and sometimes erring on the side of hedonistic exoticism, the core essence of this wine is nevertheless built around balance, concentration, purity of fruit and brazen intensity without ever becoming overbearing. A wonderfully individual expression of the vintage, this delicious 2020 continues the Series C’s rock-solid consistency of premium form. Drink from 2024 and comfortably over the next 10 to 12+ years.

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

Brookdale Winery Coming of Age With Their Stunning new 2020 Chenin Blanc Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Brookdale is an impressive winery owned by Englishman Tim Rudd that is planted with 20+ year old Chenin Blanc vines as well as several other special Chenin Blanc blocks that are now fully certified as 37 year old Old Vines planted in 1985, situated at the foot of the lofty Du Toitskloof Pass in Paarl.

The property was bought by the Rudd family who instantly kick started a widespread replanting programme where sustainable viticulture and farming for the future generations were at the centre of their ethos. The first vintage of their new field blend white was recently released and will be reviewed on the Fine Wine Safari in coming weeks. With most of the previous vineyards acquired with the original estate very neglected, most were uprooted with only the old vine Chenin Blanc blocks retained. This exceptional site offers altitude and granitic soils rich in clay and schist that are perfectly suited for Chenin Blanc and in their 4th vintage, the true pedigree of the Brookdale terroir is finally being revealed with an exceptional white wine.

The Paarl Old Vine certified Chenin Blanc vineyard planted in 1985.

With winemaker Kiara Scott taking Brookdale forward from the 2019 vintage, Kiara is a young winemaker who studied at Elsenberg before being selected to join the Cape Winemakers Guild Protege Programme. Kiara has worked vintages in the Rhône Valley, Sancerre and the Russian River in Sonoma, California. Duncan Savage, who produced the first two vintages, still acts as a consultant to the ambitious Brookdale project helping them to meet their lofty aspirations.

Brookdale Chenin Blanc Single Vineyard 2020, WO Paarl, 13.5% Abv.

Now a designated single vineyard Chenin Blanc, and newly labelled as such, the 2020 certainly rises to the challenge to offer an old vine intensity and quality that exceeds anything released from Brookdale previously. Everything is text book here and assembled with absolute precision. The aromatics burst forth with lofty notes of tangy sweet and sour yellow citrus, wet straw, hints of pineapple pastille and sweet herbal notes of fynbos and dried thyme. Fabulous lift and intensity continue to the opulent palate that shows an impressive concentration of white peach and citrus fruits with a tangerine kiss underpinned by fabulously tangy acids and a pronounced stony wet river pebble minerality on the long, unctuous finish. A wine with a revved up complexity and intensity but also a delightfully sophisticated balance. This is top level Tetris where all the blocks have slotted in together seamlessly to create a wine of beauty. Enjoy on release and over the next 10 to 12+ years.

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

The Ancient Vilafonte Soils Yield Another Blockbuster Series C Cabernet Sauvignon Red Blend in 2019…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The first post-drought vintage is about to be released by the team at the Vilafonte winery in Paarl and the 2019 vintage clearly illustrates what is possible when nature decides to co-operate to help yield some exceptional raw materials to make another iconic Cabernet Sauvignon based red blend. The discussions are already starting as to whether this blockbuster 2019 vintage will join other great historic vintages like 2003, 2009, 2015 and 2017 in redefining premium South African fine wine quality.

Speaking to winemaker Chris de Vries, the vintage was really a tale of two seasons. While rains initially remained elusive, there was an upswing in rainfall towards the end of the 2018 winter and continuing into spring and early summer. Weather fluctuations in the spring did however result in uneven bud-break and berry set. Conditions improved somewhat at the onset of summer with a warmer November being very conducive to healthy vineyard growth. Some uneven ripening was remedied with in-bunch sorting after veraison and by the time harvest arrived at the beginning of February, the fruit quality was looking exceptional.

Vilafonte Series C 2019, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.

The Series C 2019 is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 20% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc that was aged for 22 months in 74% new French oak barriques with the remainder aged in older, multiple passage barrels. A deep ruby-purple colour, this really is an impressively intense and striking blend that is seductive and alluring from the moment the cork is pulled. The aromatics offer glimpses of black cherries, earthy stewed black plums, black currants, fertile loam, tilled earth, freshly cut hedgerow together with hints of hoisin plum sauce and melted chocolate nuances. The palate is medium to full bodied but incredibly pure and polished with a confident, approachable accessibility, sleek rounded tannins and layer upon layer of seamless creamy black berry fruits, saline liquorice, sweet cedar spice and a subtle blueberry accent on the vibrant fresh finish. This wine does not try and hide its sweet seductive black fruits yet there is certainly a subtle subtext of earthy, stony minerality that runs in unison with all the vivid fruit concentration. But beware all the seductive sex appeal on this wine because only the foolish would drink all their bottles on release before allowing this serious blend to hit its straps after 8 to 10+ years ageing. A deliciously accomplished wine.

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