Red Blend

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

~ 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.

KWV Building Up a Track Record of Excellence With Their Roodeberg 1949 Cuvée – Tasting the 2020 Vintage…

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The Roodeberg label from KWV is one of the South African wine industry’s iconic brands that rose to fame in the 1950’s and 1960’s and then soared to icon status in the 1970s and early 1980s before mysteriously losing its way with the changing of the guard post 1994. The 1949 Roodeberg Red Blend is a return to the original premium Roodeberg tradition and philosophy attempting to create a wine with universal fine wine appeal. The excellent maiden 2017 vintage was produced from premium Stellenbosch grapes grown on the Grondves Farm, one of the primary sites for the development of mother plant material for the South African wine industry decades ago. 

Roodeberg 1949 embraces the revival of exciting French and Spanish varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon forms the foundation of the blend supported by Tempranillo, Carignan and Carménère. After fermentation, the different components were left to mature for circa 18 months in new French oak barrels with only the best barrels selected for blending and bottling. If you’ve never tried this KWV Cuvee, seek it out as it offers incredibly consistent high quality at an accessible price point just over £22 per bottle.

KWV Roodeberg 1949 Red Blend 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

This is another enticing 1949 Cuvee with rich nuanced aromatics of sweet black plum, bramble berries, blackberry compote, milk chocolate and delicate herbal hints with a sweet bay leaf kiss. On the palate, the sweet red and black berry fruits are seamlessly balanced by bright tangy black currant acids, soft sweet supple tannins and a medium weighted, creamy intensity.  This is an attractive, well constructed red blend that stays true to the 2020 vintage’s supple, elegant, fleshy accessibility. Always excellent value for money, I remain a massive fan of the 1949 Cuvée! Drink on release until 2030+.

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

The KWV 1949 is imported into the UK by North South Wines.

Tasting Naudé Family Wines Third Oupa Willem 2020 Cape Heritage Red Blend Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This classical premium Naudé red draws on the unique South African expressions of bush vine Cinsault blended with prime Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, resurrecting and mimicking the styling of the old South African “heritage red blends” of the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.

Now in only its third vintage, the 2020 is a tremendous, finely crafted effort, fermented naturally using 40% whole bunches to create a cellar-worthy Cape heritage blend that Ian believes will stand the test of time and improve in bottle for over 20+ years. With Ian back in the UK to visit trade clients, I took this opportunity to meet up and taste his new releases again including this impressive red.

Naudé Family Wines Oupa Willem 2020 Heritage Blend, WO Western Cape, 11.5% Abv.

1.9g/l RS | 6.00 g/l TA | 3.39pH

In the glass this 2020 Oupa Willem glows with a bright translucent red cherry and ruby red plum clarity. Consisting of 82% Cinsault, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc sourced from across the Western Cape in Darling and Stellenbosch, the aromatics show a delightfully lifted, perfumed nose of sun raisined cranberry, red cherries, smoky branded sandalwood, nori seaweed, sweet cedar spice, fynbos and a dusty crushed granite and graphite minerality. The palate is taut and super sleek, mouth-wateringly tart and fresh, bristling with an electric acidity, fabulous energy and notable concentration. The ripeness is sweet fruited, tangy and intense and simply defies the wines 11.5% alcohol level! The tannins are supremely precise, fine grained and powdery, perfectly balanced by juicy red summer berry fruits, hints of marzipan and a subtle kiss of Turkish delight on the finish. This really is a stunning wine that has grown in depth and stature since I first tasted it in Cape Town in March 2020. Almost Grand Cru Burgundy meets Grand Cru Loire in style, this sublime 2020 red blend is going to acquire a massive following. Could this be Ian’s finest Oupa vintage yet? He thinks so. Drink on release and over 20+ years.

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

Wines imported exclusively into the UK by Museum Wines. The new releases from Naudé will be released in the UK in July. http://www.museumwines.co.uk – The Oupa Willem 2020 will retail for circa £39.99pb.

Wine Safari New Release Review – Tasting the KWV Roodeberg 1949 Second Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The 1949 Roodeberg Red Blend is a return to the original premium Roodeberg tradition and philosophy attempting to create a wine with universal fine wine appeal. The excellent maiden 2017 vintage was produced from premium Stellenbosch grapes grown on the Grondves Farm, one of the primary sites for the development of mother plant material for the South African wine industry. The 2018 is another very impressive creation and a very worthy follow-up blend.

Roodeberg 1949 embraces the revival of exciting French and Spanish varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon forms the foundation of the blend supported by Tempranillo, Carignan and Carménère. After fermentation, the different components were left to mature for circa 18 months in new French oak barrels with only the best barrels selected for blending and bottling for this commemorative wine.

KWV 1949 Roodeberg Red Blend 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Carignan and Carménère. Much like the maiden release 2017, the new Roodeberg 1949 displays wonderfully seductive aromatics of violets and lilac, lush ripe red and black berry fruits and a creamy, bruleed top note of brown toast and roasted coffee beans. While the bouquet is certainly very inviting, the palate texture is simply drop dead gorgeous with a cool, fleshy, dreamy harmony of tart black plum, black cherry, black currant, salty black liquorice and a subtle leafy sapidity on the finish that adds plenty of interest. This is a wine that never lacks acidity but always shows an impressive balance, superb depth of flavour and plenty of poise. Stylistically, this is South Africa’s very own Ribera del Duero red that is masterfully crafted and blended. Quite simply, if you missed the incredible maiden release 2017 that sold out almost before customers could hear about it, then you have been warned. The 2018 second release is coming and it’s a cracker too. Drink on release and over 8 to 10+ years.

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

The Next Big Thing In South African Wine? Tasting the New Release Lourens Family Wines Cinsault Based Red Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Franco Lourens is the assistant winemaker at Alheit Family Wines in Walker Bay and another of his own label new releases is this superb red blend from fruit sourced around the Western Cape. Cinsault is already seducing journalists and consumers around the world with the likes of Sadie Family’s Pofadder, Naude Old Vine Cinsault and others. But the category is evolving fast and new Cinsault based red blends are now starting to steal the headlines.

Quality wines to turn heads recently include the Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines Leeu Passant Cinsault – Cabernet Sauvignon Blend and Adam Mason’s Raised By Wolves School House Red Cinsault – Cabernet Sauvignon. And who could ignore the iconic cult wine Follow the Line from Duncan Savage!? Well here is another cracker to join the ranks. Using fruit sourced from unique vineyards across the Western Cape, the grapes underwent spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts in open top fermenters without any additions of any sort. The wine was then aged in old French oak barrels for 9 months and bottled without acidification or fining.

Mono-varietal wines are often the styles to grab consumer attention as they are easier to pigeon hole and easier to understand. But with the South African category maturing nicely, you can expect to see more Cinsault based blends making headlines in 2018. This will certainly be one of them.

Lourens Family Wines Howard John 2016 Red Blend, WO Western Cape, 12.5 Abv.

A blend of 43% Cinsault from Darling and Stellenbosch, 43% Carignan from Wellington and 14% Grenache Noir from Bot River. The aromatics on the nose are incredibly intense and perfumed almost catching one unawares. Poured in a Zalto Burgundy glass, there are notes of lavender, marzipan, sweet red peppercorns but also violets and dried coriander seeds. While all very floral and lifted, there are also deeper, darker savoury notes of bresaola, cured meats, and red cherry spice. You just don’t know where the palate at 12.5 Abv is going to take you. This is a real joy-ride in the back seat of a high powered sports car. The palate is beautifully balanced and fresh, but shows impressive concentration of flavour. There are layers of sweet pithy red cherries, wild strawberry, sweet peppercorns, and raspberry ripple and the finish is rather enticing with pink stick candy and strawberry bon bons. Amazingly suave and harmonious for this type of red blend, with the varieties all pulling in the same synergistic direction. An absolutely delicious wine displaying very accomplished winemaking using high quality fruit. This wine is named after and dedicated to Franco Lourens’ father, Howard John Lourens. I imagine he must be very proud of this namesake from Franco. Drink now to 2026+

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

Tasting Carl van der Merwe’s Impressive New White and Red Blends from Stellenbosch…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

Carl joined award winning DeMorgenzon winery owned by Hilton and Wendy Applebaum in July 2010 after an 8 year stint at Quoin Rock Winery in Stellenbosch where he made a range of highly regarded wines which duly collected many trade accolades.


Whilst Carl’s extraordinary talent in the winery and genius in the cellar add immeasurably to DeMorgenzon, it is reassuring to see that the Applebaums have allowed Carl to experiment with his new venture… The Great White and The Great Red, two interesting blends.

The Great White Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon / Chenin Blanc 2015, 13.5 Abv.

This wine features Sauvignon and Semillon as well as 10% Chenin Blanc that was barrel fermented. There is plenty of lifted aromatics and grassy lime peel, lemon grass, and dusty white peach stone fruit. The palate is full and textural, one of Carl’s winemaking signatures, with lovely round harmonious, fleshy, creamy mouthfeel. This wine has impressive gravitas for its price point (£17-£18pb) and a complex, spicy granitic mineral finish with great lucidity.

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

The Great Red Cabernet Sauvignon / Cinsaut / Cabernet Franc / Petit Verdot 2015, 14 Abv.

A very attractive nose greets you on this well constructed, well proportioned red. There is plenty of sweet spicy red fruit, soft fleshy red currants, sweet leaf, earl grey tea, cedar and tobacco spice. There is an opulence and generosity to the wine brimming with sweet black berry and foresty bramble fruits. Full core of fruit, dense but precise and elegant with a very fine seamless texture and a soft, pithy red cherry skin finish. A fine effort.

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

Carl is currently working towards his British Master of Wine, for which we wish him the best of luck. South Africa is long overdue another MW in its ranks!