Roussanne

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

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anysbos Winery – The Best Kept Secret in the Western Cape’s Bot River Wine Region…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Located in the heart of the Bot River valley, Anysbos is far more than a traditional winery; it is a holistic farm where the wild beauty of the Overberg meets refined, small-batch craftsmanship. Established by Johan and Sue Heyns, the farm takes its name from the Anysboegoe, a local wild anise shrub that dots the landscape. This connection to the land is the winery’s guiding light, emphasizing a deep respect for the indigenous flora and the unique shale-heavy soils of the region.

The winemaking, led by the talented Marelise Niemann, focuses on varieties that thrive in the valley’s dry-land conditions. Anysbos has carved a niche for itself with its Rhône-style blends and exceptional Chenin Blanc. Signature labels like the Tesame (a Grenache-led blend) and the Disdit white blend are celebrated for their elegance, bright acidity, and true “sense of place.” Beyond the cellar, Anysbos is a Mediterranean-inspired sanctuary. The farm is equally famous for its award-winning goat’s cheese and its sprawling olive groves, which produce some of the finest oils in the district. By integrating livestock, fynbos conservation, and viticulture, Anysbos stands as a premier example of the authentic, unpretentious, and high-quality farming that defines the Bot River community. 

I recently caught up with owner Johan for dinner in London while he was on a whirlwind tour of the market. Together we tasted a range of wines that are undoubtedly one of the best kept secrets of the Bot River wine region.

Anysbos Disdit 2022, WO Bot River, 13% Abv. 

A blend of 69% Chenin Blanc, 13% Roussanne, 12% Marsanne and 6% Grenache Blanc. The Chenin shows beautifully with hints of lemon grass, lanolin and waxy lemon citrus peel. There is lovely energy here, cool, creamy and plush with seamless elegance, fantastic balance and deliciously tangy acids. Impressive concentration and focus, this is a beautifully fresh Rhone blend! Drink now to 2036+.

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

Anysbos Disdit 2023, WO Bot River, 13% Abv. 

A blend of 57% Chenin Blanc, 17% Grenache Blanc, 17% Marsanne and 9% Roussanne. An exotic aroma builds off delightful notes of lemon and herbs, buttered white toast, glazed brioche and lees complexity. The palate reveals a creamy balance with a fulsome mid-palate, a really saline, pithy concentration and a long, cool, seamless finish. The acids are soft but invigorating, beautifully integrated, making for a very smart wine. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Anysbos Tesame 2021, WO Bot River, 12.5% Abv.

A blend of 47% Grenache Noir, 45% Syrah and 8% Cinsault aged for 20 months in old oak. A classically cool, taut, fresh vintage speaks with a soft voice, whispering an aromatic complexity of sappy berries, crunchy red fruits full of dried herbs, fynbos spice and an irony ferrous minerality. Such a pretty wine with a cranberry and pomegranate freshness and purity with a delicate bramble berry hint. A really very special wine with such beautiful texture and freshness at such a meagre alcohol! Love it! Drink now to 2038+.

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

Anysbos Tesame 2022, WO Bot River, 13% Abv.

A blend of 55% Grenache Noir, 33% Syrah and 12% Cinsault aged for 16 months in old oak using a partial whole bunch portion. Incredibly pristine and bright, this is an evocative wine with crystalline red berry fruits, cranberry, bramble berry and a fynbos herby spice. The palate expertly walks a tightrope between sweet concentrated red berry fruits, stony minerality and a sweet bay leaf herby, silky finish. Drink now to 2036.

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

Anysbos Tesame 2023, WO Bot River, 13% Abv.

A blend of 56% Grenache Noir, 39% Syrah and 5% Cinsault aged for 16 months in old oak. This is a big, intense, punchy, extroverted style in 2023. Simply put, it takes your breath away. The aromatics are sweet and sappy, layered with dried herbs, fynbos, pithy red plum and red currant berry fruits. The integration and balance on the palate are simply stunning. This is the business! A fabulous wine I’d love a case of in my cellar. Drink now to 2038+.

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

The Anysbos wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Wood Winters Wine Merchants. 

Contact: andrew@woodwinters.com for more information on pricing and allocations.

The Majesty of the Fitou Region On Full Display with This Attractive 2021 White Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Domaine de la Rochelierre is a 15 hectare property in Fitou, right on the French south coast just north of Perpignan, run by Jean-Marie and Emilie Fabre. When I returned to the UK 25 years ago, you couldn’t walk into a supermarket, a high street wine shop or an indie merchant without finding an array of primarily red but also white Fitou wines. Somehow, in the clamour for big name Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhone Valley wines, ancient quality wine producing regions like Fitou have been somewhat usurped by more fashionable, more marketed regions. But the promise of quality certainly remains.

At Domaine de la Rochelierre, they use the Cousinié method to care for their vines, a combination of organic and biodynamic principles without fully subscribing to either school, and their Cuvée Camille is a positively joyful blend of southern varieties, featuring 50% Vermentino, 30% Roussanne and 20% Grenache Blanc – which spends just a couple of months in barrel before bottling. Surely it’s time that value and quality seeking drinkers rediscover the magic of the Fitou region again?

Cuvée Camille 60 & XV, Domaine de la Rochelierre 2021, IGP Pays d’Oc, 13.5% Abv. 

The 2021 is an excellent white wine vintage across France in what was a much cooler, fresher vintage. Accordingly, this classy white shows exuberantly pithy aromatics of yellow grapefruit, lime peel, fresh fennel root, green herbs and a wet Granite minerality. The palate is deliciously crisp and fresh with a fine supporting weight of yellow citrus fruits, wet stones, white peach, nutty nougat, garrigue herbs and a pithy phenolic grape skin grip on the finish. What a beautifully versatile, food friendly wine. Drink now on release and over the next 3 to 4 years. 

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

The wines are available in the UK from Private Cellar for £98 per 6 inc. (£16.33pb)

http://www.privatecellar.co.uk

Sutherland Winery Excels with Another Cool Climate Rhone White Blend 2023 Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Understandably, much of the international Cape white blend wine hype has justifiably been focused on Chenin Blanc based wines which often incorporate portions of Semillon, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Semillon Gris, Palomino, Verdelho and even Chardonnay. These blends have created a unique white fine wine ‘space’ that few, if any, other wine producing nations can compete in. This category has been one of South Africa’s great wine success stories globally along with, arguably, pure varietal Old Vine Chenin Blanc.

The 2023 release was awarded 5 Stars in the Platter’s Wine Guide 2025.

But we should not forget that many producers have long been looking at alternative white varieties that have historically performed well in warmer European regions like the Rhone Valley and the Languedoc, which have far more in common with the Cape’s more Mediterranean climate than either Burgundy, Bordeaux or the Loire Valley’s more continental climates do. 

Sutherland Vineyards in Elgin is owned by Stellenbosch icon, Thelema Mountain Vineyards, being established in the early 2000s by owner Gyles Webb, to focus on small-scale, cool climate wine styles. With vineyards located just 9km from the cooling Atlantic Ocean at altitudes between 140m and 250m, the conditions are ideal for aromatic cultivars such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and their new release Viognier Roussanne. (RRP R250 per bottle in SA.)

Sutherland Viognier Roussanne 2023, WO Elgin, 13% Abv.

Sutherland was always established to pursue cool climate expressions and this Rhone blend of Viognier and Roussanne is an aromatic white that was fermented in seasoned barrels for 10 months in order to add complexity, texture and mouthfeel. On the nose, the wine boasts aromatics of yellow stone fruits, pear, summer orchard fruits, white peaches and apricots over an intense and well-defined crushed gravel mineral dustiness with a sprinkling of white pepper and dried baking herbs. The creamy, gently glycerol palate is enlivened with a deliciously tangy fresh acidity with layers of white peach, lemon grass, marzipan, spicy herbs, and a pronounced nutty wet stone minerality, finishing with real drive and persistence. This is an impressive Rhone blend with the verve and vigour of the 2023 vintage and a delicious concentration to match. Drink this energetic beauty on release or age for 2 to 3 more years under screw cap to develop the peach and marzipan characters. 

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

Prodigious Stellenbosch Red Wine Producer Stark-Conde Release Another Block Buster White – Part 2: Tasting the 2021 Field Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This deliciously complex white is a barrel-fermented blend of 54% Roussanne, 30% Chenin Blanc, 9% Verdelho and 7% Viognier. All sourced from a single vineyard at the entrance of the Stark-Conde Oude Nektar farm, it is planted to a mix of varietals in order to match the complex mosaic of soil types found on this unique plot of land. The grapes are all picked at the same time, pressed and co-fermented together as a genuine field blend.

Stark-Conde Field Blend 2021, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

Very Southern Rhone in its varietal mix, but decidedly Mediterranean on the nose with lifted aromatics of wild garlic leaf, white blossom, sweet green herbs, bruised apple and subtle waxy incense notes over a dusty, stony granitic minerality. The barrel fermentation lends additional savoury, honied notes of lemon biscuits, warm white toast and peach stone fruits. On the palate there is a fabulous vibrancy and tangy acid freshness of crunchy yellow orchard fruits, white peach, ripe tangerines and a long, slightly pithy, phenolic finish of tart green pears and wet river pebble minerality. The richness and textural generosity of the of the Roussanne and Viognier is beautifully managed, enlivened by the salinity and freshness of the Chenin Blanc and Verdelho. Field blends seem to be the new trend setters for white wines in the Cape and I have not tasted many better than this yet. Another super exciting Cape white blend that expresses its own sense of place. Drink this on release and over the next 6 to 8+ years.

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

The Crystalline Brilliance of John Seccombe – Tasting the Exceptional Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2018 White Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

I have been following the outstanding work of John Seccombe from the very beginning of his Thorne & Daughters label which was started in 2012 by John and wife Tasha with the aim to produce authentic wines in the beautiful Western Cape. John works with grapes from all over the Cape peninsula and seems to have honed a particularly refined aesthetic when it comes to his winemaking. His Thorne and Daughters family concern is truly pushing the boundaries with old vines and simple, natural winemaking techniques.

Sometimes other producer’s wines have been more highly lauded or more vocally praised but this certainly has nothing to do with the quality of John’s wines. Indeed, John must be one of the most modest, humble and intelligent winemakers plying his trade in the Cape… silently and brilliantly. John’s 2018 Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse Cape white blend incorporates several old vine heritage vineyards that looks more to Burgundy rather than the Rhône for its stylistic compass.

With the release of John’s 2019 Rocking Horse hitting the airwaves at the moment, I thought it would be the perfect time to retaste the impressive 2018 blend, a wine that got a lot of wine trade tongues wagging at the New Wave 2019 tasting in London last year. As the current release and the wine most widely available, the 2018 is certainly worth further examination.

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2018 wWhite Blend, WO Western Cape, 13.2 Abv.

The 2018 is an exotic Mediterranean blend of 25% Roussanne, 22% Semillon, 19% Chardonnay, 18% Clairette Blanche and 16% Chenin Blanc. A rich straw yellow colour, the aromatics are complex and expressive brimming with notes of leesy lemon biscuits, white citrus, dried baking herbs, fynbos and thatch and dried tangerine peel. On the palate, the textural intricacy is notable as you would expect from a wine with 25% Roussanne in the blend, which lends extra dimensions of fleshy white stone fruit and marzipan depth. Naturally fermented in old oak, the 2018 shows the classical crystalline purity of the vintage framed by a tart lemon lime acidity and a stony, liquid mineral granitic complexity. Beautifully sensual and pristinely balance, every mouthful stimulates the senses and gives the drinker additional flavours to contemplate… crisp white peaches, crunchy green pears, granny smith apples, bay leaf herbal notes  and yet more green mango and saline twang on the long exhilarating finish. Impressively intense and taut for the vintage, this must be one of the most drop dead gorgeous white blends produced in the Cape at the moment. Drink now or age for 10+ years.

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

Thorne & Daughters wines are distributed in the UK by Liberty Wines.