The beautiful Stark Conde winery is located in the scenic Jonkershoek Valley ward of the Stellenbosch region and up until 2023, the wines were produced by Cabernet Sauvignon magician, Rudger van Wyk, now head winemaker at Doolhof Winery in nearby Wellington. I often state that a winery’s quality and ambition can be most easily measured by the quality of their entry level offerings, and for the Stark Conde winery, their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon forms one of the most important wines in their range as well as one of their most enticing offerings when you consider quality and price.
Owner Jose Conde and the Stark Conde Winery often describe themselves first and foremost as a premium Cabernet Sauvignon producer and of course why wouldn’t you when your vineyards are situated on some of the most attractive Cabernet-friendly Stellenbosch terroir in the entire Western Cape. So it is always interesting to taste and assess their new Estate Blend Cabernet Sauvignon release as any winery is only as good as its most modestly priced wine. With the release of their phenomenal 2021 vintage (96/100 GSMW) selling out incredibly quickly, all eyes were immediately focused on the follow-up 2022 vintage offering.
The 2022 vintage in the Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, produced high-quality, elegant wines, particularly noted for a sense of freshness, brightness, and well-structured, fruit complexity, often with a slightly lighter, more refined style in reds and vibrant, crisp acidities in the whites. The cooler, more sheltered nature of the Jonkershoek Valley, combined with Stellenbosch’s consistently mild conditions in 2022, allowed for excellent natural acidity retention and intense flavour development.
Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Jonkershoek Valley, 14% Abv.
This 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is yet another blinder from Stark Conde. The lift, aromatics and perfume seem that much more expressive, showing a piercing fragrance of pressed violets, sweet baking cloves, salted black liquorice and sappy cedar before darker, broodier notes of damson plum and crème de cassis. The palate is delightfully supple and soft, impressively elegant and accessible at this youthful stage, yet utterly enticing as the salty black currant and black cherry waves of fruit wash over the palate before leaving a stony, graphite mineral-tinged finish. Another real beauty of a wine that has all the swagger and sophistication you’d expect from this dynamic Jonkershoek Valley estate. Drink now until 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Stark Conde wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines. Release price is approximately £110 IB per 6 excluding duty and VAT.
The Sonop farm in Koelenhof, Stellenbosch has been in the du Bois family since 1931 and of the 140 hectares under vine around 20 of those hectares are planted to Old Vine Chenin Blanc, some of which have in the past been bought by wineries such as Alheit Family Vineyards, where Gabriel worked with Chris Alheit from 2020 to 2024, as well as by Bellingham who use the fruit in their famous Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc.
Over the years, I have been persuaded by winemaker Ian Naude to do multiple wine lectures at the Elsenburg College in Stellenbosch and have built up a bit of a soft spot for the incredibly talented young students I have encountered there. Fourth-generation Gabriel du Bois also studied at Elsenburg, and this new wine is his first release under the du Bois family label, sourced from two Old Vine Chenin Blanc blocks planted in 1982 and 1986, which were whole bunch pressed, spontaneously fermented and then matured for 11 months on their fine lees in used 400 litre oak barrels. The wine was aged for an extra 6 months in bottle prior to release.
The two single vineyards behind this wine were planted on the northeastern slopes of Sonop hill in 1982 and 1986. These old heritage certified bush vines, rising above Koelenhof at 240 to 280 metres, lie on red and blue shale with fractured clay beneath, allowing deep root penetration, steady moisture uptake, and a natural fruit lift. The 2024 growing season brought heavy rain in early spring, followed by persistent, fierce False Bay breezes that dried out the topsoil and kept vigour in check. The resulting low yields delivered berries with concentration, brightness, and vivid flavour.
Du Bois Vineyards Sonop Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.
This Old Vine Chenin Blanc offers up beautifully classical aromatics of warm rain on granite, dried straw, fynbos and lemon blossoms over more seductive white peach, fresh stem ginger and green apple fruit nuances. Initially very nervy, slightly reductive and tight fisted on opening as you would expect with a young 2024 wine, the perfume and fruit slowly unfurl, offering up something extra each time you nose the glass. The steely tension and linearity initially shape the palate but given a few hours to unwind, the wine shows the vintage’s archetypal effortless concentration and seamless glycerol texture with classical restraint. Deliciously saline with mouthwatering acids, the wine remains taut, racy and incredibly precise with a long, persistent honey and pear laden finish. Still embryonic, so lock this Chenin Blanc up in the cellar and revisit with interest in 2 to 3 years’ time. A phenomenal maiden release, Gabriel du Bois is definitely an exciting new young talent to watch very closely. Drink from 2027 to 2038+.
Last year I paid an excellent visit to see Chris Keet, the winemaker at the Van Biljon winery in Stellenbosch in the Polkadraai Hills, situated just behind the Raats Family Winery. I was fortunate enough to taste a selection of lovely back vintages including the Cinq maiden release Van Biljon as well as their yet unreleased 2021. But with their 2020 blend only hitting the market now, I thought I would take another look at this exciting new release from what was quite a complicated Cape vintage.
In general, it is always difficult to generalise about Polkadraai Hills vintages as so often they depart from the Stellenbosch norm with their cool, south facing vineyards overlooking False Bay, benefiting from cooling breezes off the cold Atlantic Ocean. In 2020, good winter rains in 2019 laid the foundation for a “good, solid” vintage. Fortunately, the grapes were harvested and in the cellar by the end of March before Covid-19 started a mad scurry in the wider Cape winelands. Overall, the growing season was moderate to cool with timely in-season rainfall which laid the foundations for yet another high-quality vintage. A beautifully composed wine, the Cinq 2020 draws on the best elements of each cultivar in the blend and delivers a really distinguished expression that must surely rank among the top Cape Bordeaux blend examples of the vintage. Known for its high scoring consistency, the Van Biljon Cinq is slowly becoming a Stellenbosch phenomenon, and 2020 looks to continue this trend.
Van Biljon Cinq 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
The 2020 Cinq cuvee is a majestic blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Malbec. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels, the wine shows an enticingly fragrant, lifted, exuberant aromatics marked with sweet violets, piquant cedar spice, wet tobacco leaf, black currant and pronounced graphite lead pencil nuances. Lifted and airy, the palate is intricate and multi-dimensional revealing an energetic, vivacious character with the most seductive fine grained velvety tannins, cool spicy black currant and black cherry fruit notes, and a most agreeably fulsome and harmoniously textured balance on the spicy finish. It is surely this wine’s classical balance, effortless intensity and elegant concentration that makes it yet another incredibly attractive Cape Bordeaux blend offering. Drink now to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Van Biljon wines are available to trade in the UK from specialist importer Woodwinters, and to consumers from reputable merchants like Museum Wines.
In South Africa, the Old Vine Project (OVP) exists to protect the heritage of old vines and to ensure that old vineyards continue to thrive. Old vines are living history. Wines made from them embody decades of care, skill, and dedication. In South Africa, the OVP affords producers the opportunity to certify their old vine vineyards and wines. That it can do so is largely thanks to the South African Wine Industry Information Systems (SAWIS) database, and its records dating back to 1900. This database enables the OVP to verify planting dates and gives South Africa a unique global advantage – traceability and credibility. Members of the OVP may apply for the Certified Heritage Vineyards seal that clearly states the planting date for wine made from vineyards of 35 years or older.
When consumers think of the majority of Old Vine wines, chances are they will reference Chenin Blanc or Colombard, cultivars planted on mass years ago mostly for distillation. However, when it comes to red cultivars, the diversity of Old Vine wines on offer is a little more restricted. But among the leaders of the pack has to be Cinsault and Pinotage, two work horse varietals in the South African wine landscape.
Fuselage Wines Staggerwing Old Vines Cinsault 2021, WO Paarl, 12.5% Abv.
Danie Morkel is the acclaimed winemaker for Roodekrantz who also happens to make wines under his own boutique label called Fuselage – his family owns the Diemerskraal airfield between Wellington and Malmesbury which obligingly lends Danie’s brand the aviation link. Planted in 1954, Danie finds beauty in the mundane workhorse of Cinsault that has stood the test of time, endearing it to its operatives and taking it to an elevated status, to one of a classic and collectable wine.
This 2021 is a charming expressive Cinsault red displaying intricate aromatics of fragrant pink flowers and rose petals, tart cranberries and red cherries over a savoury, earthy base of wet loam. The palate is cool and well defined, the crisp acidity lending a fine frame over which sleek, crystalline, translucent red berry fruits are elegantly draped. The fruit sweetness is subtle and sophisticated allowing a wet stone pithy minerality to shine through on the finish. Elegant, delightfully easy drinking and utterly charming. Drink now to 2032+.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Welgegund Heritage Wines Old Vine Cinsault 2024, WO Wellington, 12.5% Abv.
Established in 1777 and lovingly restored by the Brimacombe family since 2014, Welgegund – a Dutch word meaning “well bestowed” – regards their Heritage range of wines as a key part of their legacy with their Certified Heritage Vineyards a source of great pride. Their Certified Heritage Vineyard that produces their Cinsault grapes was planted in 1974. It is a dryland, bush vine and low yielding vineyard that produces top quality fruit. This Southwest facing vineyard has ancient, decomposed granite soils that add to the minerality in the wine and the vines are packed with hay bales at their feet to retain moisture and as a natural way of keeping weeds at bay. The fruit is harvested by hand in the early morning and cool grapes are delivered to the winery where the grapes go to open top fermenters, in mostly whole bunch clusters with stalks intact, and are then aged for 12 months in 500 litre French oak barrels before being bottled unfiltered in June 2025. Only 1,400 bottles were produced.
Wellington is of course home to the oldest Cinsault vineyard in South Africa (Basson Vineyard), so unsurprisingly, this 1974 Old Vine expression also shows plenty of pedigree loaded with attractive aromatics of wild strawberries, mulberries, and Pink Lady apples with a delicate dusting of cracked pepper spice and Granitic minerality. On the palate, the wine is soft, supple and approachable with a harmoniously fleshy mid palate that reveals cool, well integrated acids, a hint of salinity, silky powdery tannins and a pithy, red cherry fruited finish. Open, generous and beautifully approachable. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Bellevue Heritage Pinotage 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
Bellevue Stellenbosch is the oldest commercial producer of Pinotage in South Africa having produced South Africa’s first bottled Pinotage. Bellevue’s story is one of bold decisions and forward thinking. When Pieter Krige (P.K.) Morkel couldn’t find Gamay vines in 1953, he embraced a pioneering South African cultivar: Pinotage. This decision not only shaped Bellevue’s identity but also contributed to the global recognition of Pinotage as a uniquely South African wine. Bellevue currently works with the oldest average vine age in Stellenbosch with their youngest block 25+ years old and their oldest 73 years old.
Bellevue winemaker Wilhelm Kritzinger.
This 2021 Pinotage is another special heritage wine with a profound sense of place from one of the oldest commercial Pinotage vineyards in the world. A registered single vineyard planted in 1953, this 1.85 hectare sustainably farmed old bush vine vineyard reveals an incredibly complex and exotic aromatics that’s multi-layered with red and black bramble berry fruits, hints of dark chocolate and peppermint crisp, and an infusion of sage and bay leaf dried herbs. The palate is full bodied but supple with a broad, creamy, luxurious opulence that is embellished with lashing of sweet black currant and mulberries, Christmas spice and a deliciously sweet and sour acidity that slowly melts away on the long concentrated finish. Deliciously accessible but super serious as well. Drink now to 2036+.
I have been a big follower and fan of the Capensis Chardonnay wines since their maiden release in 2013. South African winemaker Graham Weerts, based in the USA for many years but now firmly back in Stellenbosch, is of course the driving force behind the label with undoubtedly a firm hand of support for many years from Jackson Family Wines US owner Barbara Banke.
On one of my last trips to the Cape winelands in 2025, I finally managed to catch up with Graham at the Capensis winery in the hills above Stellenbosch where we toured the vineyards around the tasting room and then shared a lovely sunset braai and several bottles of delicious Capensis Chardonnay – always one of my favourites in South Africa.
Myself, Michelin Star chef Roger Jones and Graham Weerts in the Capensis vineyards.The incredible views of Stellenbosch from the Capensis vineyards.
Other than a delicious bottle of Graham Beck Yin 2016 Cap Classique (the sibling of the Yang 2016 special release pair), we also enjoyed an impressively youthful bottle of the Capensis Chardonnay 2013 (94/100 GSMW) that somehow seemed to have shed much of its previous new oak character to reveal a more detailed citrus fruit purity. This 2013 was tasted alongside a current release Capensis Chardonnay 2021 (96/100 GSMW) that was taut, vibrant and coiled like a wound spring as you would expect from this excellent cooler vintage. Then we were treated to a real surprise – the first Stellenbosch red produced at Capensis from Helderberg fruit – Graham’s Cabernet Sauvignon 2023.
Capensis Silene Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
This first red release from Capensis is a classy and classical Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon from the Helderberg that is varietally labelled but also draws on the salt and pepper complexity of a 9% Merlot and a 6% Cabernet Franc addition that was matured in French oak, 30% new, for 14 months before bottling. Picked before the rains, this 2023 displays perfumed aromatics of violets and rose petals, sweet cedar and smoky Christmas spices, lead pencils, red and black berry fruits, and subtle notes of graphite and oystershell. In the mouth there is a deliciously fresh acidity that supports lush, supple sweet tannins and a medium weighted, concentrated black berry fruited finish that slowly recedes to reveal a stony, classically dry mineral finish. An excellent debut effort. Drink from 2026 to 2040+.
With global fine wine markets restricting and consumer consumption continuing to decline, wine connoisseurs and collectors are becoming ever more discerning when it comes to the wines they choose to buy – not only the ones for immediate consumption but also those special bottles they entrust to their wine cellars or professional storage for future drinking. Almost 30 years of industry experience tells me that when times get tough, the consumer migration back to the reliable and proven classic brand names becomes ever swifter. The marketeers call it ‘cocooning’ that features a pronounced switch to trusted comforts. In terms of iconic South African Cape Bordeaux blends, there can be none more famous and trusted than Meerlust Rubicon.
The 2023 Rubicon vintage marked the third full year of Wim Truter’s tenure as head winemaker and cellarmaster where he continues to thrive and impress with his focused winemaking style built around purity, tension, precision and freshness. The 2023 vintage saw very similar cool ripening conditions as with the much-lauded 2021 vintage (rated 96+/100 GSMW). Early phenolic ripening, which is a key attribute of this coastal section of the Stellenbosch region, allowed Meerlust to harvest intense, flavourful, and bright varietal components from the four main terroir units on the farm, with rapid flavour development evident on the majority of their vineyards harvested before the rains began in the latter part of March.
Tasting with owner Hannes Myburgh in 2025 marking this 7th generation estate’s 50th anniversary of their “Estate Bottled” wines.
The Rubicon 2023 is a classical blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Every parcel of each cultivar was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 litre French oak barrels. After 8 months in barrel, the components were assembled, blended and given another 10 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. The similarities in growing conditions between 2021 and 2023, extends in many ways to the qualitative expression found in the superb Meerlust Estate wines of 2023. The palate is still very tightly curled and opens with power and persistence with gentle decanting. This is a Rubicon that truly expresses the ageability of the style, but with elegance and balance that also allows for earlier drinkability – a characteristic of all truly great modern fine wines.
Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
The Rubicon 2023 blend shows aromatics of ripe black currants, blue berries, damson plums with a cornucopia of sweet Christmas spices, black tea and melted caramel over fresh cedar and graphite hints. There is an impressive textural presence on the palate – opulent, dense, and fleshy, layered with crème de cassis, black cherry compote, lead pencil spice, and chalky mineral tannins that smother a cool, subtle, beautifully integrated acidity. This is, once again, the complete package – deep, textured and concentrated yet effortlessly balanced, finishing with a picante brûléed brown toast complexity. A class act that is sure to be one of the standout Cape Bordeaux blends of the vintage. Drink from 2026 to 2045+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Meerlust Estate wines are imported into the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines and should be available from all discerning fine wine merchants for circa £40 to £45 per bottle inclusive.
Over the past few years, brothers Pierre and John Philip (JP) Winshaw have released some impressive wines within their premium Winshaw Vineyards range, including two Cape Bordeaux blends, a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and an impressive Malbec, all of which have sold incredibly well locally and internationally. The range is of course continuously evolving and being fine tuned and this year sees another very impressive range of more modest value for money “estate wines” released under their straight Winshaw label, previously known as Usana. On the whites, the range includes a Chenin Blanc, a Chardonnay and a delightful Pinot Gris. I recently cracked a bottle of their new 2024 release to see if it was something to get excited about.
Winshaw The Runaway Pinot Gris 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.
Pinot Gris (or Grigio in Italy) can be a pretty innocuous grape making thin dilute cocktail wines. But this beauty from the Winshaw brothers is more in the premier league alongside top examples from Friuli, Alto Adige and of course Alsace in France. For starters, this sophisticated example was fermented in a combination of stainless steel and old oak barrels with extended ageing on its fine lees (fermentation yeast sediment) lending the wine more complex aromatics and an extra textural dimension.
The characterful nose is jam packed full of fragrant white blossoms, candied summer fruits, crunchy pineapple, white peach with a zesty twist of lime peel citrus. The palate is equally inviting, medium bodied but impressively fleshy, pithy and fresh revealing a delightful yellow orchard fruit phenolic grip, more white peach and tangy green apple fruits dusted with dried baking herbs. The bright acidity kicks in again on the finish, offering the wine a crystalline purity and a pithy yellow citrus energy. A dynamic, versatile white wine that ticks all the boxes – from stand alone quaffing to more intricate food and wine pairings. Drink now to 2028+.
(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Winshaw Pinot Gris is available in the UK from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines at a modest £16.99 per bottle retail.
I have known Paul Jordaan for many years, primarily through his role as the Sadie Family Wines’ lead winemaker, where he held this position for 12 years. It was during this tenure that he co-founded the Paulus Wine Co. in 2018, with first vintages released to great acclaim in as early as 2019. Founded alongside Pauline Roux, who I have not had the pleasure to meet yet, the Paulus Wine Co. was created “to reflect their shared passion for the Swartland, organic viticulture, low-intervention winemaking and site-specific Chenin Blanc” Paul explains.
To complement Paul’s enviable decade plus of winemaking experience at arguably South Africa’s most famous and respected premium boutique winery – Sadie Family Wines – Pauline too has a commensurate amount of experience having worked vintages at Domaine Drouhin in Oregon, at Brokenwood in the Hunter Valley in Australia, as well as having served stints at local wineries in the Cape including Mullineux Family Wines and AA Badenhorst Wines, both situated in the Swartland.
At the moment, the range consists of two wines – the Paardeberg Bosberaad Chenin Banc and the Bartas Helderberg Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch. Having now departed his winemaking role at Sadie Family Wines, this dynamic duo are free to devote their full time and energy to promoting and developing this exciting new boutique wine brand. I recently tasted their two new release cuvees from the 2023 vintage that have just arrived in the UK and was suitably impressed.
Paulus Wine Company Bosberaad Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Swartland, 13.5% Abv.
The grapes for the Bosberaad Chenin Blanc are sourced from the heart of the Siebritskloof Valley in the Paardeberg, on the southern border of the Swartland. The vineyard is owned by their good friend and third generation grower, Franziska Wickens of Waterval Farm. The old dryland grown bush vines were planted in 1980 and produce low yields of intensely concentrated fruit. Located on an east-facing ridge, the site benefits from afternoon shade, tempering the region’s warm climate. The site’s decomposed deep Granite soils also result in excellent balance, minerality and freshness. The vines are farmed organically, without certification. 2023 was a challenging vintage in the Swartland. Winter was warm and dry, followed by a dry growing season. Rain in mid-December helped to reduce vine stress and extend the ripening. Fortunately, the region did not experience prolonged heatwaves, only short 1-2 day heat spikes. However, yields were still relatively low. Paulus’s harvest began in mid-January and finished at the end of February 2023.
The Bosberaad 2023 is yet another benchmark old vine Chenin Blanc from Paul Jordaan made from Paardeberg grapes grown on decomposed Granite soils. The aromatics are true to the Swartland terroir with intricate notes of dry bushveld after the first rains, wet hay, white peach, crunchy pear, and crushed granite with just the most subtle top notes of white toast and honeycomb. The palate is packed with concentration and intensity with confident yellow orchard fruit flavours, yellow apples and pear puree all concertinaed between a pithy wet stone minerality and deliciously bright, taut tangy acids that lend great persistence, focus and clarity to the finish. The 2023 Swartland vintage was a bit of a slow burner on release but with a little extra time in bottle has revealed a veritable feast of flavour and freshness. Swartland Chenin lovers are going to want some of this gem in their cellars. I certainly do! Drink now to 2035+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Paulus Wine Company Bartàs Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 12.5% Abv.
The grapes are sourced from a vineyard block located on a small hill on Rustenhof Farm in the Helderberg, the southernmost coastal region of Stellenbosch. Planted in 1978, the bush vines are rooted in shallow decomposed Granite soils, contributing to the wine’s distinctive mineral character. The site faces a prevailing south-easterly wind and is located roughly five kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean resulting in a notable precision, purity and tension in the wine. The 2023 vintage produced elegant wines in Stellenbosch. The Helderberg region experienced a cooler winter than average at the end of 2022, allowing the vines to effectively rest and recover from the previous harvest. Berries were slightly smaller than average resulting in excellent flavour development and intense concentration. The grapes were harvested at the end of January 2023.
Paul Jordaan and Pauline Roux’s Bartàs 2023 is sourced from a stunning old vine parcel of Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc planted in the Helderberg in 1978, and like its sibling from the Swartland, the Bosberaad Chenin Blanc, is grown of decomposed Granite soils. This coastal Chenin Blanc shows a pronounced dusty crushed Granite minerality over notes of green apple, crunchy pear, dried herbs, fynbos, and delicate, pithy grape skin phenolics. Beautifully pure and delineated on the palate, the acids are noticeably bright, tangy, and lemony, melting seamlessly into tart green apple, sweet quince, and salty lemon peel nuances. This is another very impressive Helderberg Chenin Blanc with a surfeit of mineral intensity and precision, fabulous fruit purity and a terroir driven complexity. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Paulus Wine Co. wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Liberty Wines.
This is the story behind South Africa’s first bottled single varietal Merlot. Upon discovering the Merlot vines he planted in 1973 were infected with leafroll virus, Braam van Velden set out to find healthy virus-free vines. After an extensive search, new Italian clone Merlot vines were obtained and planted in 1979.
Braam explained … “Our first vintage from this block was in 1982. The wine was so impressive that we deemed it worthy to be bottled on its own. This also prompted us to extend the wine’s time in the small oak barrels to nine months, which was a long time in those days.”
When the Merlot was bottled in 1983, it was the first single varietal South African Merlot on the market. There were many raised eyebrows: “I remember being asked why we were bottling a blending wine on its own” Braam van Velden would exclaim.
David van Velden
The Overgaauw estate, like many of South Africa’s famous historic wineries, has seen its fair share of ups and downs and financial challenges as the family generations have transitioned, but successor David van Velden, in recent times, has put in a proper shift to help return the business to the glory days of the past. The latest three releases to return to the UK market suggest the future is indeed bright for this historic Stellenbosch wine brand.
Overgaauw Estate Merlot 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
They say Merlot can be one of the most temperamental of all the Bordeaux red cultivars. But this juicy expression is as classical as they come, plush, soft textured with red and black berry fruits, ripe black plums and spicy undertones of coffee beans and wet tobacco leaf. The palate is plush and approachable, medium bodied with a juicy, tangy plumy acidity shrouded by fine powdery tannins and a core of black berry fruits with a notable red cherry kiss on the finish. The has all the balance and polish you would hope for from a textbook Merlot. Drink now to 2030+.
(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Overgaauw Estate Reserve Merlot 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
As the first Estate bottled Merlot in South Africa, the burden of expectation rests heavily on the shoulders of the Overgaauw winery. Where the Estate Merlot is sleek, modestly complex, and textbook supple and elegant, the Estate Reserve opens more avenues of complexity and intricacy. Remaining classical and elegantly restrained in a true Stellenbosch style, the Reserve reveals complex aromatics of freshly tilled earth, fleshy plum and black currants, hints of mulberry and sweet tannery leather. On the palate, the sweet sappy cedary oak spice melts seamlessly into layers of fleshy plummy black fruits, black chai tea, delicately herbaceous dried baking herbs, graphite, and crushed granite minerality underpinned by dense creamy soft tannins. Undoubtedly a wine with substance and depth that will appeal to drinkers looking for something substantial but also slightly less challenging than Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now to 2034+.
(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Overgaauw Estate Tria corda Cape Bordeaux Blend 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 15% Abv.
A classical blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, this 2020 shows overt creamy blue and black berry fruits, crème de cassis, sappy cedar, graphite, and gentle hints of brûléed coffee beans and moist pipe tobacco. The palate is impressively compact, dense and concentrated with savoury black currants and black cherry notes, sweet velvety tannins, and bright tangy acids that lend great palate energy and vibrancy. A well-balanced Cape Bordeaux blend that has a real feel of class and pedigree to it remaining unhindered by its 15% abv. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The wines of Overgaauw Estate are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.
With Abrie Beeslaar departing the Kanonkop Estate in August 2024, we are nearing the end of his winemaking stewardship. The 2022 vintage offered up a cold and wet winter which was ideal for late but even vine budding. The wetter and cooler weather in the Cape persisted through Spring, with a slight heat spike towards the end of January. Later veraison and cooler growing conditions made the 2022 vintage a memorable one for the Kanonkop team with structured, elegant, age worthy wines produced.
Grapes for the Paul Sauer were fermented in open top concrete fermenters at 29c, the floating skins punched down by hand every 2 hours during fermentation. The juice was drawn off the skins after 5 days. After malolactic fermentation, the wine was matured for 24 months in 100% new 225 litre French Nevers oak barrels before bottling.
Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer 2022 Cape Bordeaux Blend, WO Simonsberg, Stellenbosch, 13.35% Abv.
I tasted this new release Paul Sauer several times at Cape Wine 2025 in September but finally found a quiet moment on my return to London to open a sample bottle that had been settling in my cellar for several weeks. This is a big, powerful cuvee and young vintages are easily interfered with and often suffer bottle shock. But on opening, this classy blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Cabernet Franc and 18% Merlot was absolutely singing. Plush, textured, and multi-layered, the aromatics showed a newfound clarity, purity and intensity boasting saline crème de cassis, back cherries, blueberry, maritime kelp, iodine, and black liquorice with an underlying new French oak kiss. Sourced from six older blocks on the estate, the palate shows a vibrant freshness together with an opulent accessibility before tightening up on the long, saline finish that’s layered and harmonious with tart black currant, damson plum and spiced cranberry nuances. Elegant, seamless, and pretty profound, this is undoubtedly another must-buy vintage for Paul Sauer lovers. Drink from 2026 to 2048+.
(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Kanonkop Estate wines are imported into the UK by exclusive agent Seckford Agencies.
