Semillon

An Impressive Selection of Wines Released by Duncan Savage for the Majestic 2025 Vintage…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Duncan Savage has developed a reputation for his elegant, pure, age worthy and thrilling red and white wines produced in his urban cellar in Salt River, Cape Town. Duncan spent 14 years cutting his teeth as winemaker at Cape Point Vineyards, creating saline Sauvignon Blancs and grapefruit-laden Semillons from the cool coastal sites of Noordhoek. In 2011 he produced his first Savage red vintage under his own label followed by his first Savage White Blend in 2012. Working with coastal and high-elevation single sites across the Western Cape, Duncan has always followed a simple mantra: “do as little as possible, as much as you can” to preserve the purest expression of place. 

Over a decade of producing premium quality wines have now made Duncan’s wines some of the most sought-after in South Africa… but also some of the most reasonably priced fine wines. I recently caught up with Duncan in May 2026 in London to taste through his new 2025s pre-release, and then again in August in Cape Town over dinner at Aubergine Restaurant, to catch up on all his latest developments.

Duncan Savage Salt River Sauvignon Blanc 2025, 13.5% Abv.

Made from three Sauvignon Blanc parcels, but soon to be four, this 2025 is a delicious expression with rich layers of white citrus, yellow grapefruit and Cape gooseberry with back grown aromatic hints of cut grass and Granitic mineral spice. Intense, concentrated and beautifully harmonious. This is very classy and one of his best Salt River Sauvignons to date. Drink now to 2032+.

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

Savage Wines Savage White Blend 2025, 13.5% Abv.

The 2025 blend is 71% Sauvignon Blanc, 29% Semillon from the Overberg, Stellenbosch and Villiersdorp, matured for 11 months in 500 litre barrels, of which 20% was new, together with some concrete eggs. The wine is bold and aromatic with exotic notes of white peaches, nectarine, lime peel and lemon grass spice. The palate is plush, textured and concentrated with a bright tangy acidity and a real breadth and depth of flavour. Beautifully complex and generous. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Savage Wines Never Been Asked to Dance 2025, WO Paarl, 13.5% Abv.

A wine that has fast developed into one of Duncan’s most sought after wines. Now that he has won the battles against the birds stealing all the fruit, this Paarl vineyard planted in 1956 is delivering some incredible fruit that is fermented and aged for 10 months in 600 litre barrels. The aromatics show a certain savoury mineral depth alongside notes of Granite, dried hay, white citrus, pear and white peach. A Chenin Blanc with great concentration, lovely purity and a real crystalline tangy brightness. Superb as always. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Savage Wines Follow the Line 2025, WO Darling, 12.7% Abv.

Always one of South Africa’s leading premium Cinsaults, the 2025 contains 93% Cinsault and 7% Syrah from Darling, both 50% whole bunch fermented and matured for 12 months in foudre and amphora. The aromatics are taut and focused, showing plenty of Granitic mineral spice before sleek, cool notes of cranberries and wild strawberries with a suggestion of garrigue spice. Plenty of linear tension and precision of a laser-like focused palate. Impressively serious. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Duncan pouring his 2025 releases in London.

Savage Wines Thief in the Night Grenache 2025, WO Piekenierskloof, 14% Abv.

Made from grapes from Piekenierskloof, the 2025 expression includes a 4% splash of Cinsault with 10% being whole bunch fermented before being aged for 10 months in concrete eggs and used 500 litre barrels. The aromatics are delicately earthy and savoury, understated even, before notes of red berries and strawberries, fynbos and Granitic mineral spice. The mouthfeel is plush but very elegant, exotically spicy with a medium bodied weight, finishing with drying, polished mineral tannins. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Savage Wines Girl Next Door Syrah 2025, WO Cape Town, 13.5% Abv.

Made from two Syrah vineyards on the Cape Peninsula, one being in Fish Hoek and the other in Noordhoek, both being matured for 10 months in older 500 litre old barrels. The aromatics are initially very dramatic and deep, showing hints of violets, garrigue, woodsmoke, tar and wood embers before a subtle medley of red and black berry fruits and a sappy peppery spice. The palate shows a broody depth and intensity, structured but elegant, packing plenty of power and poise with a well-integrated vein of acidity. An eye catching wine as usual. Drink now to 2036+.

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

Savage Wines Are We There Yet 2025, WO Malgas, 13.5% Abv.

The blend for the 2025 Malgas red is 56% Touriga Nacional and 44% Syrah with a 10% portion being whole bunch fermented. The aromatics show a subtle perfume of violets, dried herbs and tilled earth with red and black berry fruits in support. The palate is initially quite tight and broody with a pronounced stony, mineral focus and precision before a more plush, rich, exotic fruit complexity follows on the palate. Always structured and powerful, the 2025 has a couple of extra gears as well as a surfeit of buffering dry extract and concentration. A delicious wine with its own unique following. Drink now to 2038+.

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

Savage Wines Savage Red 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

This 100% Syrah red is made from Kuils River and Polkadraai Hills fruit with 15% fermented as submerged cap before being matured in older 500 litre barrels for 13 months followed by a further 10 months in foudre. The aromatics are sweet fruited and exotic showing hints of peach skins, red cherries and apricot pips. The mouthfeel is cool, sleek and minerally charged revealing a beautifully elegant texture, plenty of Granitic spice and chalky tannins on the finish. A very complete and compact wine. Drink now to 2038+.

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

The wines are offered by Great Domaines in Johannesburg and imported exclusively into the UK by Liberty Wines in London.

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.

Could the Future of the Bordeaux Wine Region be Resting On White Wine Shoulders? Tasting the Stunning New Chateau Climens Lilium Bordeaux Blanc Sec…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Chateau Climens, legendary for its sublime sweet Sauternes wines from Barsac, brings its centuries of winemaking mastery into the dry white wine arena with their Lilium Bordeaux Blanc Sec. Named after the delicate white lily that mirrors its elegance, this exceptional cuvée marks a thrilling new modern chapter for this historic Barsac estate.

Produced with the same meticulous attention to detail and organic and biodynamic principles that define the estate’s sweet Barsac grand vin, Lilium is composed of 100% of Sémillon grapes. This choice beautifully bucks the Sauvignon Blanc-heavy trend of the region, allowing the grape’s natural texture, power and complexity to shine through. In the glass, Lilium is a masterclass in balance. It bypasses oak treatment completely in favour of pure, vibrant fruit flavours from fermentation and ageing in glass demijohns, offering a bouquet of crisp white peaches, citrus blossom, and a distinct, classical chalky minerality derived from the estate’s unique limestone soils.

Sémillon vineyards at Chateau Climens on limestone soils.

Lilium Bordeaux Blanc Sec is not just a second act, or even a recovery from difficult sweet wine sales, it is a complex, fresh, sophisticated expression of Barsac terroir, tailor-made for contemporary wine lovers seeking a dry white wine with deep historical roots and a bright, energetic soul – fully suited to a new generation of younger wine drinkers. 

The very fancy 4000 Euro glass demijohns used for the Lilium white fermentation and ageing.

Chateau Climens Lilium Grand Vin Blanc Sec 2023, Barsac, 12.5% Abv. 

This is the top 100% pure Semillon dry white from the Chateau Climens range. Fermented and aged in large glass Demijohns, this is a more mineral, taut, ‘serious’ stylistic expression of Bordeaux Blanc Sec made for extended ageing. The aromatics are more backward and steely, restrained with suggestions of white apple blossoms, jasmine, pear fruits, and honey suckle. Cool and sleek, the texture is beautifully polished and elegant, the acids finely integrated with a steely structure that is at once accessible and seductive but also restrained and mineral, holding back a little extra exuberance for later in life. Drink now or cellar for another 3 to 5+ years before cracking your case. 

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

Jos Van Wyk Wines Releases Its Maiden Vintage of Le Lit de Franken Antares Field Blend White 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Antares Field Blend is a new wine made by young winemaker Jos Van Wyk of Marianne Winery fame in Stellenbosch and comes from a vineyard established in 2020 on a small farm in the Buffeljags River ward near Swellendam, Western Cape. A field blend of Chenin Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc, it is the maiden release and uses a spontaneous wild yeast fermentation before being maturated for eight months in a combination of old oak, glass demijohns and a stainless-steel tank.

Le Lit de Franken Antares Field Blend White 2023, WO Buffeljags, Swellendam, 12.94% Abv.

There are not too many field blend whites produced in South Africa, but this Antares 2023 is certainly an exciting addition to the category. Made from a blend of 63% Chenin Blanc, 23% Semillon and 14% Sauvignon Blanc, the wine stands crystal clear and star bright in the glass with just a faint pale white gold hue. The aromatics are taut and steely with subtle hints of white pear, lemon citrus, yellow apples, dried straw, and a delicately dusty, mineral wet granite top note. The palate bristles with the same wound spring tension and taut linearity as the nose, showing a texture that’s incredibly pure and chiselled, vibrant, fresh, and delightfully tangy. From my other Field Blend experience, the different cultivars tend to assert themselves at different intensities over time, and at the moment, the palate is steely, mineral and Chenin Blanc focused. If you drink this wine young, enjoy it over a few days to watch it evolve – but you will need strong will power and restraint as it is currently a delicious drop! Drink now to 2036+.

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

For further information on availability, contact: josvanwykwines@gmail.com 

Premium South African Producers Descend on London for the Liberty Wines Portfolio Tasting…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The first quarter of the year always sees the Liberty Wines Portfolio tasting at the Oval in Vauxhall, London, which features an incredible array of wines from around the world. This year I decided to focus on tasting the exciting crop of new and current release wines from South Africa in their range. Many in the UK will be aware that several key South African premium producers have recently moved over to the Liberty Wines portfolio, making it now one of the most exciting line-ups with any importer in the UK. As always, it was fantastic to catch up with the producers in person like John Seccombe, Marelise Niemann, Craig Wessels, Peter-Allan Finlayson, Chris Mullineux and others.

The Restless River New Releases from Craig Wessels will be featured in a separate write-up on A Fine Wine Safari coming very soon.

Dr Jamie Goode tasting with John Seccombe.

Thorne & Daughters:

Thorne & Daughters Paper Kite 2024, 13% Abv.

Semillon planted in 1963 on Granite soils. Rich leesy aromatics with lemon and herbs, lanoline and buttered white toast. Crisp, fleshy but beautifully saline and textured on the finish.

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

John Seccombe

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse White Blend 2023, 13.5% Abv.

Rich and waxy with lemon and peaches, lactic leesy hints and some marzipan nuances. Fleshy, and pithy, packing a nice bit of power on the long finish. Impressive as always.

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

Thorne & Daughters Snakes & Ladders Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 14% Abv.

This Skurfberg vineyard delivers a pithy, waxy yellow orchard fruit characters that balance the slightly oily notes of the Sauvignon Blanc phenolics. The palate is chiselled and fresh with a vibrant saline acidity and a cool, pithy, mineral finish. Classy grown up Sauvignon!

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

Thorne & Daughters Wanderers Heart 2022, 13.5% Abv.

A Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre blend. Shows exotic sweet spices, layers of red fruits and bramble berries. Acids are crisp and saline, the minerality adding extra crunch, definition and tension. Lovely textured red Rhone blend with weightless concentration.

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

Momento Wines:

Momento Chenin Blanc / Verdelho 2022, 13% Abv.

Complex leesy, herby, savoury aromatics before a more fleshy palate packed with granitic minerality and a yellow orchard fruit complexity. Serious effort as usual.

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

Momento Grenache Blanc 2023, 13.5% Abv. 

Pithy, dusty aromatics with grated apple skins, pear drops and granitic minerality. Beautifully balanced, the palate shows freshness, citrus pithiness, dried herbs and a crystalline wet river pebble finish. Top class example. 

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

Myself and Marelise Niemann

Momento Grenache Gris 2023, 13% Abv.

Waxy green apple cordial and wet grey slate aromatics. Lovely intensity on the palate, a pronounced salinity and a cool, crystalline, mineral finish. Impressive! 

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

Momento Paardeberg Grenache Noir 2023, 13% Abv.

Distinct bramble berry fruit aromatics, delicately perfumed with potpourri and rose petals. Beautifully cool, mineral and restrained in the palate, taut, crystalline and pure with crunchy saline chalky red berry notes on the finish.

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

Peter-Allan Finlayson

Crystallum and Gabrielskloof Wines:

Crystallum The Agnes Chardonnay 2025, 13.5% Abv.

Embryonic, pithy and fresh with white citrus, green melon and delicate fruit salad and cream notes. Lovely concentration, flinty stony reductive hint with a wet river stone finish.

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

Crystallum Clay Shales Chardonnay 2025, 13% Abv.

A little more citrus, peaches and cream with leesy hints and buttered brioche nuances. Dense, compact and textured, the concentration is punchy, the toasty melon and citrus fruits intense and long.

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

Gabrielskloof Elodie Chenin Blanc 2024, 13% Abv.

From 40- and 45-year-old Swartland Chenin Blanc vineyards. Taut stony mineral expression with apple, peach and pear drop aromatics. There’s impressively delicate weightless green apple notes, with a cool, crystalline, easy drinking finish.

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

Crystallum Peter Max 2024, 13.5% Abv.

Beautifully aromatic nose laced with potpourri, violets, and bramble berry spice. Incredibly intense and vibrant with piercing red berry fruits, cherry and a salty finish. Wow!

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

Gabrielskloof Syrah Whole Bunch 2024, 13% Abv.

A deliciously brambly, earthy peppery aromatics ps led full of smoky black berries, tar and burnt wood embers. Palate is soft and supple, cool, elegant and vibrant with crunchy acids and a long finish full of Christmas spices.

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

Gabrielskloof Cabernet Franc Landscape Series 2022, 14% Abv.

Beautifully expressive aromatics of sweet cedar, liquorice, tar and salty black currant. The elegance and salinity follows to a juicy, vibrant palate, finishing with graphite minerality and herbal spice.

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

Mullineux Wines:

Mullineux Old Vine White 2024, 13.5% Abv.

Still circa 70% Chenin Blanc with some Quartz vineyard but mostly low yielding Paardeberg Chenin Blanc. Aromatics are full of sweet herbs, crushed Granite and white peach with a weightless concentration, delicately pithy fruits and a yellow orchard fruit concentration on the finish. Punch and impressive for the vintage.

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

Mullineux Terroir Series Granite Chenin Blanc 2024, 13.5% Abv.

Lovely tangerine and white peach notes with hints of green apple, deep veins of liquid minerality and concentrated apple and white citrus on the finish. Layered, fleshy and intense, this packs a real punch.

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

Chris Mullineux

Mullineux Syrah 2023, 13% Abv.

A very pretty fragrant aromatics with red and black berry fruits, violets, lavander and sweet herbs. The tannins are cool and stony, pithy and mineral with notes of saline black currant, black liquorice and Granitic spice. Tangy, fresh and beautifully intense.

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

Mullineux Terroir Series Schist Syrah 2023, 13.5% Abv.

A beautifully fragrant and exotic aromatics showing violets, lavander, musk and stony minerality. The delicately perfumed nose gives way to a power packed palate, dense, savoury and spicy, packed full of black pepper, cured meats and smoky wood embers. A substantial wine indeed.

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

Leeu Passant Wines:

Leeu Passant Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, 14% Abv.

Intricate aromatics of sweet cedar, lead pencil, graphite, sweet Chai tea over black currant fruits. Silky and sleek in the mouth, cool, mineral and classically framed, this is really elegant and restrained for old world wine lovers.

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

Leeu Passant Chardonnay 2023, 14% Abv. 

Exotic aromatics of perfumed peach and apricot, honeydew melon, green apple and buttered white toast. Massive concentration on the palate with candied citrus, lime cordial and a fleshy green apple finish. Wow, this has a lot of stuffing.

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

Adi Badenhorst, a new agency for Liberty Wines.

Also on taste:  Restless River from Craig Wessels, AA Badenhorst Family Wines who’s sample bottles were mostly finished before I could taste them due to popular demand, the Bosberaad Wines from Paul Jordaan and Pauline Roux which I recently reviewed on A Fine Wine Safari, as well as a selection of Fairview Wines and Spice Route Wines. 

Pauline Roux, partner in Bosberaad Wines.

The New Release Old Vine Swartland Single Vineyard Wines from Jasper Wickens – Tasting His Tiernes Chenin Blanc and Wolwekop Semillon from 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

There are now so many famous names producing incredible red and white wines in the Swartland. The region has gone well and truly global with trade wine buyers and fine wine collectors snapping up the top offerings, all of which are now becoming quite tightly allocated. While most of the “young gun” growers and Swartland “Rhone Rangers” are now heading into their 50s, Jasper Wickens still represents a younger generation of vignerons that are pushing the boundaries of quality and terroir vintage after vintage.

Every new release from Jasper is eye opening and head turning, as collectors and enthusiasts are increasingly seduced by his wine’s incredible quality at still very modest prices – a true rarity in the world of collectable fine wines. Of all Jasper’s wines, no new releases are more anticipated that his old vine 1982 Chenin Blanc and 1963 Semillon. I recently tasted Jasper’s 2023 releases along side his 2023 Swerwer Chenin Blanc. I was not disappointed!

JC Wickens Swerwer Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

2023 was an incredibly concentrated and power packed vintage in the Swartland especially for white wines and this Chenin Blanc from Jasper Wickens is a super charged classic. The aromatics are supremely rich and expressive, laced with wet straw, white peach, clementine and tangerine fruits over subtle honied lemon tea notes. The white peach and tangerine fruits continue on the palate that shows impressive concentration alongside a vibrant freshness, all harmoniously interwoven together with incredible purity and precision. At this price, this is a must buy Chenin! Drink now to 2034+.

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

JC Wickens Wolwekop Single Vineyard Old Vine Semillon 2023, WO Swartland, 12.5% Abv.

Tasting the big-name premium producers of the Swartland has become a lucrative business for some of the world’s leading wine critics with no shortage of big scores being bestowed on said wines. However, almost all of them are guilty of merely paying lip service to the great single vineyard Old Vine wines of Jasper Wickens, most notably his Wolwekop Semillon that is harvested from a special vineyard that was planted in 1963 and which offers up, vintage after vintage, incredibly detailed, intense, focused, fresh Semillon whites that rival and often surpass anything produced in South Africa. Jasper is of course on a stellar run being awarded 97/100 for his eye catching 2021 and 96/100 for his deliciously accomplished 2022.

This 2023 turns the volume up once again and delivers a most melodious expression of this noble cultivar. Bright crystalline yellow gold in the glass, the aromatics of this new release are incredibly pure, fresh and focused showing notes of lemon grass, waxy lemon peel, white peach and hints of green apple all underpinned by a wonderfully dusty decomposed Granite Paardeberg minerality. With more in common with fresher vintages, there are no oily, lanolin nuances yet but rather fresher lemon and lime white citrus characters, Japanese green tea and a crystalline brightness with pinpoint purity. Seamless and harmonious in the mouth, the sleek lemon citrus intensity is pure and bright, supported by an incredibly well integrated tangy acidity that adds frame and definition to the long, stony, mineral finish. The oak influence is imperceptible and the focus and carry on the finish is mouthwatering and moreish. A fabulous wine that underlines the concentration and fruit power of the 2023 vintage in the Swartland. Drink from 2026 to 2038+.

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

JC Wickens Tiernes Single Vineyard Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

The wonderful thing about an accomplished old vine cuvee like Tiernes is its sheer depth, intensity and presence. Imposing in the glass, this 2023 shows all the muscle and flesh neighbour Eben Sadie was so profusive about with his entire range of old vine whites and reds from 2023. The aromatics simply soar like an eagle – plush, complex and packed full of waxy lemon and white citrus, white peach, dried herbs, and intense savoury leesy nuances. The palate is rich but classically restrained, reined in by a fresh tangy acidity that frames an incredibly broad, fleshy, expansive mouthfeel that is also incredibly focused, harmonious, and seamless, yet wonderfully effusive, showing dried peach, quince, and garrigue spice, before the archetypal wet stone granitic minerality closes out the finish. The clear standout elements of most top 2023 Paardeberg whites are their muscle, fruit power, and understated depth and intensity. Not in a loud and shouty style, nor in a big and brash manner – this wine simply strolls into the room silently and commands your attention. What not to love about an old vine Paardeberg Chenin Blanc from such a distinguished single vineyard? This is undoubtedly a wine to seek out and buy on release. Drink from 2026 to 2040+.

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

The Jasper Wickens wines are imported into the UK by specialist South African merchant Museum Wines. Single vineyard wines sell for £150 IB per 6 on release.

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.

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.

The 20 Year Wait is Over as MR de Compostella Launches Its Maiden Vesperi 2023 White Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Over the decades, there have been a few new South Africa fine wine releases that developed into epoque defining creations. One such wine was undoubtedly the 2006 release of the 2004 vintage MR de Compostella Cape Bordeaux blend made by Bruwer Raats of Raats Family Wines and Mzokhona Mvemve, the erstwhile University of Stellenbosch graduate. Together, they set about creating a classical red wine that at the time was not only the most expensive premium cuvée on the market from South Africa but was also one of the most uncompromisingly quality focused expressions produced by any winery in the Cape capable of shattering the glass ceiling of consumers’ quality perceptions.

The new MR de Compostella Vesperi 2023 white blend.

The first MR de Compostella release was followed not long after by another game-changing wine with a big-ticket price tag, namely The Jem 2004 from the Waterford Estate. Whereas the MR de Compostella seemed a perfectly conceived and expertly executed classical blend, The Jem was a slightly more excentric and exotic blend built around Cabernet Sauvignon (which has always been the wine’s backbone) at around 40%, followed by Shiraz at 20%, with Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the teens and Mourvèdre and Barbera in single digit percentages. With eleven varieties on the farm, The Jem normally used eight of these varieties to build up the layers of the wine.

Bruwer and Mzo in London for the Vesperi launch.

While neither of the above wines can claim to have achieved instant global success, The Jem was for several years viewed very much by fine wine buyers as a work in progress, whereas the MR de Compostella Bordeaux styled blend instantaneously nailed its colours to the mast and made its long-term intentions and aspirations of fine wine dominance very clear. It wanted to be able to compete with the finest wines of the world on a consistent basis, and if this was not possible in any given vintage, the wine would not be produced. Roll on 20 years and MR de Compostella is firmly established as one of the most respected premium boutique Cape Bordeaux blends produced in South Africa with notionally the consistently highest international critical ratings for any single wine from the Cape according to Bruwer Raats

It only took another 20 years until Bruwer and Mzokhona finally decided to craft and release a premium white blend under the MR Vesperi label, producing a white blend made from Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon as a true homage to the great whites of Bordeaux, but with a little Chenin Blanc to add a bit of South African flavour. With all three cultivar components sourced from seven different plots in the Polkadraai Hills, the wine retains a beautiful signature decomposed granite wet stone minerality and tension from start to finish. The MR de Compostella Vesperi 2023, meaning “evening star” in Latin, keeps with the wider ‘constellation of stars’ theme.

Benchmarking the Vesperi against some top French Bordeaux talent at 67 Pall Mall.

Mvemve Raats Vesperi White Blend 2023, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.

After a 21-year wait, the maiden vintage Mvemve Raats Vesperi white blend 2023 has finally been released, named after “the evening star” in Latin. Inspired by the great white blends of Bordeaux, the Vesperi includes a little local South African flavour in the form of 34% of Chenin Blanc to accompany the 33% Sauvignon Blanc and the 33% Semillon portions harvested from seven individual plots grown on decomposed Granite soils in the Polkadraai Hills ward. The Chenin Blanc was whole bunch pressed and fermented in a combination of concrete and used oak barrels, while the Sauvignon Blanc was picked fully ripe at around 14% potential alcohol and was fermented on its skins for around seven days before being basket pressed and transferred to oak barrels to finish fermentation and maturation. The Semillon was picked earlier, at 11% potential alcohol, to add a real citrus vivacity, freshness, and linearity to the wine, keeping more in common with Hunter Valley Semillon than the more glycerol, unctuous, lanolin-styled dry Semillons from Bordeaux. The individual components were aged for 10 months on their fine lees before each barrel was assessed blind for the final selection and assemblage.

The concluding blend is an incredibly accomplished, food-friendly fine wine offering a style that structurally has many white Burgundy parallels while never departing too far away from classical, premium, white Bordeaux expressions like those produced at Chateau Cheval Blanc and by the Guinaudeau family at Chateau Lafleur. On first opening, there are plenty of youthful, flinty, struck-match reductive hints interspersed with classic Polkadraai Hills wet stone minerality and crushed granite dustiness before notes of dry hay, dried green herbs, lemon grass, lemon curd, freshly baked pastries, and white peach start to emerge. The palate is full and assertive, yet incredibly well balanced and classical with notes of white citrus, waxy lemon and lime, buttered white toast and pithy yellow grapefruit marmalade on the long, focused, mineral finish. This is a very impressive debut and undoubtedly represents another formidable and noteworthy chapter in the history of modern premium white blends in the Cape. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years. (175 Cases produced.)

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

The Raats Family Wines and MR de Compostella wines are imported into the UK by Alliance Wines.

Jasper Wickens Reaching New Quality Heights with His Two Old Vine Masterpieces – Tasting the Tiernes Chenin Blanc 2021 and Wolwekop Semillon 2020…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

It’s always exciting visiting producers in the Swartland, whether it’s Eben at Sadie Family Wines, the Mullineuxs at Roundstone, or Adi Badenhorst at Kaalmoesfontein. But I certainly love how Jasper Wickens continues to beaver away producing some of the most exciting white and red wines on the market at the moment. Of course, there is plenty of competition in the Swartland, but Jasper’s wines continue to represent incredible value for money in an era when prices of the top wineries’ wines have continued to rise and rise.

If we are honest, Jasper is still a genuine Swartland young gun… not just being under 50… but under 40 years old! Full of energy, ideas and ambition, Jasper’s Swerwer brand is an incredibly exciting array of wines that continues to improve year after year, as he fine tunes and experiments in the winery to make ever more exciting wines. There are few more exiting Old Vine Chenin Blancs on the market than his Tiernes and with the Wolwekop Old Vine Semillon 2021 about to be released in the UK market, I thought I would take another look at these two exceptional white expressions that typify the supreme quality of premium fine wines in the Swartland.

Tasting the 2022 Tiernes with Jasper in March 2024. More excitement to come!

JC Wickens Swerwer Tiernes Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.

A visit to the Swartland Waterval farm of Jasper and Franziska Wickens is always enlightening. But it is only when you walk around the upper reaches of the farm, high up in the old vine Tiernes Chenin Blanc vineyard planted in 1983 that you see, smell, and taste the true terroir of the decomposed Granite-rich soils of the Paardeberg. Planted on deep granitic deposits, these vines yield an exceptional expression of Chenin Blanc that in cooler, fresher, more crystalline vintages like 2021, reveals the true majesty of this cultivar. Bright, fragrant and notably mineral on the nose, the aromatics display a complex interwoven array of white blossom, peach stone, green pears, waxy green apple skins, wet hay, sweet baking herbs, fynbos, crushed granite and dried lemon peel nuances. In the mouth this medium-bodied wine simply shimmers, illuminated by its fresh vibrant acids and an intense, concentrated, harmonious melange of nectarine, peach and pear fruits infused with a salty liquid mineral essence that grows incrementally in the glass as the wine continues unfurls. This is an incredibly special wine graced with a real presence, finesse and stand apart greatness. But you do need an extraordinary vintage like 2021 to realise this kind of exceptional quality and also an agile, skilled, artisanal mastermind like Jasper to capture its essence and bottle it for others to experience. Drink this beauty on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

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

JC Wickens Swerwer Wolwekop Old Vine Semillon 2020, WO Swartland, 13% Abv.

This enticing Swartland single vineyard old vine Semillon planted in 1963 shows a brightly polished bronze colour in the glass before delightfully lifted aromatics of sweet yellow honeysuckle, lemon custard, lemongrass, iced tea, white pepper, lanolin, dry bushveld and a dusty granitic mineral spice. Like the nose, the palate also reveals an incredibly plush, harmonious integration with seamless layers of textural and flavour complexity. In true old vine Semillon fashion, the flavours coat the mouth from corner to corner, lingering to display a cornucopia of honied yellow fruits, lemon pastille, pineapple confit, glacé orange peel and a subtle savoury, buttery, pithy white citrus spice on a long, dreamy finish. This really is an astonishingly delicious and profound expression of old vine Semillon that comfortably rubs shoulders with some of South Africa’s greatest expressions, most notably from the Swartland and the Franschhoek Valley. Definitely a savouring, cerebral style of Semillon but also one that every connoisseur will want to have in their cellar. Drink on release or cellar for 10 to 12+ years.

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

The Swerwer wines are imported into the UK by specialist wine merchant Museum Wines and retail for circa £36pb.

http://www.museumwines.co.uk