Thelema

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Once Again Leading the Premium Wine Charge – Tasting and Reviewing Their Latest Vintage Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Gyles Webb bought an old fruit orchard farm in 1983 after giving up his accounting career in Natal to pursue wine farming in the Cape. The old manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema Mountain Vineyards label were released in 1988. By the mid 1990’s Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa.

Forever cemented as one of the Cape Wineland’s iconic wineries, the wider wine press attention in the noughties did somewhat shift away from the classical estates like Thelema towards the swathe of new up and coming exciting young gun producers primarily located in the Swartland.

Thomas Webb, the next generation in charge at Thelema.

But the classics always remain special and in the past decade, the wider global wine market has seen a massive refocus back on to the classical names that once helped re-establish the modern post-apartheid Cape wine industry. Thelema is just one of these wineries and their new releases under the stewardship of Thomas Webb are certainly worth a lot of attention! I caught up with Thomas in London recently and tasted through a superb selection of new vintages.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Vibrant, crystalline and fresh with bright acids, notes of lime peel and green passion fruit and a hint of green apple on the mouth watering finish. Beautifully lifted, pure fruited with a chalky density and impressive fruity, fleshy concentration despite being below <2g/l RS. A premium Sauvignon Blanc for drinkers who perhaps don’t like the more pungent grassy styles.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2020, 13% Abv.

Made 100% from mountainside vineyards offering a fulsome expression, rich and plush with a certain comforting opulence, boasting sweet lemon cordial, salted toffee, nutty pistachio and savoury biscuit notes. The palate shows impressive intensity with salty maritime notes, bright tangy acids with lemon grass, lime cordial nuances and a cool, mineral, drying finish. Really very smart.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

The new release 2021 Thelema Chardonnay possesses a beautifully pale lemon lime canary yellow with a fabulous shimmering brightness to it and is a very enticing Chardonnay offering indeed. The initial aromatics are full of dried green herbs, sweet lemon and lime citrus, tart pineapple and a most seductive vanilla pod hint that is seamlessly integrated into the wine. The classy oaking is equally evident on the palate but kept well in check by authoritative 2021 vintage acids, a stony granitic mineral frame, all tempered by tart crystalline white citrus fruits, white peach, green apple and a tangy fresh concentrated finish where another hint of tart pineapple makes an appearance. A truly classy wine from this phenomenal 2021 red and white vintage in South Africa, it shows its regal class and precision with such purity and clarity combined with intensity. One of the best Chardonnays from Thelema in more than a decade. Drink on release and over the next 8 to 10 years.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2020, 14% Abv.

Beautifully sweet fruited with aromatics of sappy cedar spice infused with black plum, black berry compote, dried baking herbs and a dusty granitic minerality. The palate is soft, sweet fruited and piquant with a supple fleshy texture, silky accessible tannins over subtle tobacco leaf, hoisin plum sauce, cigar wrapper and a cedar wood spice finish. A classy pure varietal expression of Merlot.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot Reserve 2021, WO Stellenbosch

The Reserve Merlot displays a delicate aromatic array of potpourri, dried violets, bouquet garni and incense together with hints of red currant, dried cranberries and red plum nuances. The palate shows a tender, seductive elegance, linear acids, and a taut freshness, that belies a sleek, incredibly subtle, cool fruited elegance. There are hints of sweet cedar, baking herbs and very fine grained stony mineral tannins that really steer this wine in a wonderfully old world Bordeaux – St Emilion direction from a cooler vintage of minerality, restraint and structure. This is a simply spellbinding wine with a tight knit texture, a phenomenal purity and an elegance of note. If you can’t afford £100+ Bordeaux right bank reds, this beauty will go a long way to fill this gap. Drink from 2024 to 2036+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This classy Cabernet shows a spicy, piquant inky aromatics laced with layers of iodine, cedar spice, tobacco leaf and sweet black tea. The balance and texture on the palate is super classy with silky sweet tannins, plump opulent red and black berry fruits, sweet tobacco, graphite and a supple, long, intense finish enlivened by tangy acids. Very classy and classical Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon but approachable now.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

A lush, plush opulent aromatics kissed with its signature minty leafy nuances over resinous menthol blackcurrant boiled candied sweets. Very sleek and fine boned on the palate, this is a beautifully supple, soft wine showing a silky elegance with finely balanced sweet tannins, tangy bright acids, and salty cassis intensity capped with a kiss of mint choc peppermint crisp complexity on the finish. A great returning vintage for the fabled Thelema Mint Cabernet!

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Rabelais 2020, 14% Abv.

2007 was the first vintage released commercially to the market after Giles Webb resigned from the CIWG where the wine was normally  destined. The 2020 expression is majestically complex and soft spoken, orchestral and refined with real precision, focus and textural poise. Beautifully earthy and perfumed with sweet violets, tilled earth, liquorice and salty black currant before a soft, silky, tangy palate loaded with black cherry kirsch liquor, saline cassis and a pure, long, intense classical finish. True class!

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Vin de Hel Dessert Muscat 2021

Made from 1 hectare of 37 year old vine Muscat (de Frontignan), picked at 35 balling to hit 149-150g/l RS with a TA of circa 5.7g/l. Grapey, fresh and vibrant on the nose with layers of lychee, rose petals, peach puree and quince jelly. Beautifully fresh, pure and utterly delicious. This is a very attractive but not overly sweet dessert style wine.

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

The Thelema crest.

The Thelema wines are imported into the UK by Enotria Wines.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Release Their Finest Premium Red Wine Yet – Tasting the Rabelais Cape Bordeaux Blend 2021…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Thelema Rabelais red blend originally started out as the prestigious Thelema Cape Winemakers Guild blend before evolving into the Rabelais label with the 2007 vintage, being produced originally from only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. From 2009, Petit Verdot started to replace the Merlot portion and now the blend appears fairly settled at approximately a 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot mix. The Rabelais represents the very best Bordeaux components from the Thelema range where the wines clearly show concentration, polished ripe tannins and undeniable refinement.

The 2021 vintage in the Cape was, by most accounts, extremely good. The growing season began with a cooler than average winter, which saw some heavy rains, which helped restore some of the water tables ravaged by the severe drought between 2015 and 2019. The cool weather continued into the spring, delaying budburst, while the rains raised the risk of rot and disease. Frost also struck surprisingly several times, damaging new vine growth, however, the vines were able to bounce back reasonably well and flowering was largely a success. Summer was benign, albeit cooler than normal, and grapes were slow to reach phenolic ripeness – although their aromatics and acidity were perfectly preserved – and the harvest was delayed beneficially by several weeks. Despite the delay, good conditions prevailed, and the harvest was a massive success. Some even suggest that this is the best vintage in the Cape in the past two decades.

Thelema Rabelais Red Blend 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

Another tantalisingly seductive 2021 vintage wine meets you in the form of the Rabelais 2021. Now generally regarded as one of the top Cape Bordeaux Blends produced in the Western Cape, this new vintage made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot typifies the cool, taut, linear tension and weightless purity of the vintage. But as elegant and sleek as it is, it is not simply a 2017 lookalike, showing an equal or greater fruit concentration, ripe intense resolved tannins that are assertive but incredibly fine grained, and a piecing crystalline freshness. The aromatics burst with black cherry, tart saline cassis, damson plum, sweet rose petals, earthy balsamic and pickled walnut nuances, with subtle earthy bruleed charcoal hints, stewed blueberries and a deliciously solid core of black berry fruits. This is an incredibly impressive, structured, fine wine of note that imbues class, pedigree and sublime balance to the entire Cape Bordeaux Blend category. In my reconning, this is the very best Rabelais produced to date. Drink now and over the next 20+ years.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Continue Their Great Run of Form with An Invigorating Rabelais Cape Bordeaux Blend 2020…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Cape Bordeaux red blend category is one of South Africa’s strongest aces in its vinous deck of cards and in recent years has been responsible for earning the broader South African fine wine category a lot of new international fine wine followers. Few regions outside of Bordeaux and California can conjure up the blended red wine magic of a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend – But South Africa is definitely part of this exclusive club!

While Thelema has been making excellent age worthy Cabernet Sauvignon since the mid 1990s, it was only really from around the 2013 or 2014 vintage that their Rabelais red blend hit a new quality zenith to join the likes of MR de Compostella, Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Stark Conde Oude Nektar and Meerlust Rubicon as one of South Africa’s best performing red blends annually.

With Thomas Webb from Thelema in London recently for the first London based tasting organised by Wines of South Africa since 2019, it was the ideal moment to catch up over a glass or two and post my final review of the current Thelema wine releases.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Rabelais 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

2.0g/l RS | 6.5g/l TA | 3.50 pH

The 2020 Rabelais is another impressive Cape Bordeaux blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. This is a striking wine with wafting aromatics of dried violets, iodine, graphite, kelp and sea breeze salinity and underlying notes of crème de cassis, red berries, dried mint leaf, milk chocolate, fresh pencil shavings and savoury tilled earth nuances. On the palate there is the most incredible briney salinity that resonates across the palate, combining with a fresh lemony acidity to invigorate layers of tart black cherry, red currants and pithy black berries supported by silky soft powdery tannins and an ample mid-palate weight of fruit extract. This is a very classy and dynamic wine that already shows impressive integration for a young wine but also a delightful harmony and core of fruit. It has all the attractive plushness with a gentle seductive power that many of the very best examples of the 2020 vintage exhibit and will undoubtedly feature as one of the top Cape Bordeaux blends of the vintage. Drink now and over the next 15+ years.

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

The wines are distributed to trade in the UK by Enotria Wines and retail for circa £50 per bottle.

New Release Review – Tasting the Thelema Mountain Vineyards Reserve Merlot 2020…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

After reviewing the Thelema estate Merlot 2019 recently, it’s always interesting to trade up and assess their Reserve Merlot. Annually among the top examples produced in South Africa, the 2020 vintage had its challenges for producers and many wines seem to show more accessibility early on.

But this Reserve Merlot displays plenty of meaty depth opening initially with leafy, sappy notes of sandalwood, wood spice, capsicum, black plum and black currants over roasted coffee beans and grilled herbs. Initially quite tight and broody as you’d expect from a young wine like this, with a few hours of breathing, the palate opens up beautifully to reveal a medium bodied depth and breadth, an impressive fruit intensity melting into integrated oak spice nuances and sweet polished tannins, a fleshy plummy texture with expressive black berries, black cherry, stewed black plums, brûléed espresso hints and a tangy fresh acidity on the finish. A classy and characterful red. Let this 2020 settle in the cellar for another year or two then drink over 10+ years.

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

Another Classical Rendition of Stellenbosch Merlot – Tasting the Thelema Mountain Vineyards 2019 New Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I am on record for describing Merlot as a bit of a weed. I mean, when you compare it to even Malbec, Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc let alone the grandeur of Cabernet Sauvignon, it soon becomes apparent that this is a very difficult grape to produced high quality, premium iconic wines from. Which is why for many years I have said there were only three places in the world that should bottle single varietal Merlot: Bordeaux (specifically Pomerol and St Emilion), Tuscany (specifically Bolgheri) and California (more specifically the Napa Valley and Sonoma).

But every time I get comfortable in my mindset, a wine like this delicious Thelema Merlot comes along to challenge my perceptions. Normally a straight Thelema Merlot release will be produced only if the quality of the vintage does not merit the Reserve selection. Whether it is the use of the Clone 102 Merlot grown on Richter 99 rootstocks in Hutton and decomposed granite soils or perhaps the age of the vines, planted in 1988, this is certainly a Stellenbosch wine that often over performs. In 2019, no Merlot Reserve was produced due to severe weather fluctuations during bud break and flowering, followed by cool windy conditions which contributed to less and more uneven bunches with smaller berries and generally lower alcohol levels.

The grapes for this 2019 Merlot were gently de-stemmed, retaining as many whole berries as possible after which the fruit was transferred to its stainless-steel fermentation tank. The grapes were then inoculated with a commercial yeast which the estate feels helps the fermented wine develop a more beneficial flavour profile. Malolactic fermentation took place in barrel where the wines were aged for 18 months with a 25% new French oak portion. The wines were only racked once during this period before being prepared for bottling.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2019, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

2.8g/l RS | 5.4g/l TA | 3.55pH

Displaying an attractive medium deep ruby colour in the glass, the 2019 Thelema Merlot has an open and expressive aromatics with notes of bruleed coffee beans, piquant red berry fruits, red currant, red plum, dried mint leaf, sage and hints of Chinese five spice mixed with sweet cedar. There is a definite generosity of fruit on the palate with a plush, soft textured mouthfeel that boasts spicy, fleshy, chocolatey tannins, yet more red berry fruit characters and a notable balance that really shines the light on the harmonious elegance Merlot can attain. A delightful, characterful Merlot that will offer a lot of drinking pleasure to followers over the next 6 to 8+ years.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Releases a Classically Proportioned Cabernet Sauvignon 2019…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Stellenbosch and its nine wards have basically made Cabernet Sauvignon its very own flagship grape over the past thirty or forty years. Indeed, it is when we open some of these older wines from the 1980’s or 1990’s that we see just how well suited the various terroirs of Stellenbosch are to making premium ageable Cabernet Sauvignon. Within the region, there are undoubtedly a handful of top producers who regularly push the boundaries of quality and finesse and Thelema Mountain Vineyards most definitely falls into this category.

Located high on the slopes of the picturesque Simonsberg Mountain in the heart of Stellenbosch, Thelema Mountain Vineyards can be considered an absolute Cape classic. With vineyards grown at elevations of between 370m and 530m above sea level, Thelema is one of the highest and coolest estates in the area with 100 percent of the fruit used coming from their own vineyards. But 2019 was an unusual year with severe weather fluctuations during bud break and flowering, followed by cool windy conditions which contributed to less and more uneven bunches and certainly smaller berries making for wines with intensity and a surprising amount of elegance at lower alcohol levels.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

1.6g/l RS | 5.6g/l TA | 3.66pH

The 2019 vintage Thelema is a plush, dense offering with dramatic fleshy layers of red and black berry fruits and aromatics that show true Cabernet Sauvignon nuances of red currants, earthy cassis, hints of violets, sweet grilled herbs, sweet tobacco, capsicum and black tea. The nervy herbaceous notes are balanced by fleshy red and black fruits, spicy black plum, sweet yellow capsicum, coffee bean spice and a strong undertone of graphite and stony minerality. Medium bodied with a velvety texture, the wine has plenty of freshly tilled earth savoury complexity, a subtle integrated oak spice and powdery dry tannins on the elegant finish. Still showing plenty of youthful restraint and reserve, this is a classically constructed Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon that will reward at least 10+ years ageing in the cellar before drinking.

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

Starting 2022 In Style – Reviewing the Sensational New Thelema Estate Rabelais 2019…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Thelema Rabelais red blend originally started out as the prestigious Thelema Cape Winemakers Guild blend before evolving into the Rabelais label with the 2007 vintage, being produced originally from only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. From 2009, Petit Verdot started to replace the Merlot portion and now the blend appears fairly settled at approximately a 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot mix. The Rabelais represents the very best Bordeaux components from the Thelema range where the wines clearly show concentration, polished ripe tannins and undeniable refinement.

As with so many Cape Bordeaux Blends of this quality, the Rabelais cuvee has now earned itself an impressive following, both at home and globally, making the wine increasingly sought after and necessitating tighter and tighter allocations at the estate. If you missed the impressive 2015 or the eye wateringly great 2017, it’s time to track down some of the delicious 2019.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Rabelais 2019, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The 2019 Thelema Rabelais is another incredibly refined creation being a blend of 90% Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. Since the 2015 vintage, this flagship wine has shifted into a sixth gear and is now hitting some exceptionally high quality notes. Always classical and composed, the aromatics boast notes of perfumed violets, dried herbs, black cherry and seductive hints of crème de cassis with undertones of sweet cedar wood spice, brûléed coffee beans, brown toast and some dusty mineral strands of crushed slate and graphite. The palate is silky soft, predictably sleek and polished and displays impressive textural elegance with fine filigree tannins, fresh acids, subtle complex layers of black currant, cherry cola, capsicum and breakfast espresso. This is another head-turning, eye-opening wine that displays wonderful balance and harmony. Fabulously pure, precise and regal on so many levels. Simply outstanding. Drink from 2024 to 2040+.

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

Another Sutherland Vineyards Stunner – Tasting their 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

It’s when you taste wines like this that you realise that Elgin can do no wrong. Whether Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah or Petit Verdot, this little cool climate pocket is just simply a viticultural garden of Eden. Unfortunately for the grape vines, this cool microclimate oasis also produces some of the most incredibly high-quality apples that I have tasted from anywhere in the world, making vineyards compete for space and economics.

If vitis vinifera is going to fight back, it is going to be with wines like this Sutherland Cabernet Sauvignon that hearts and minds will be converted. Grown on classic Tukulu-Glenrosa soils, these 12-year-old vines seem to be in a very happy stage of development yielding 9.7 tons per hectare. The fruit was destemmed, hand sorted and fermented in stainless steel tanks with a pump over one a day. After fermentation, the wine was racked into 30% new French oak barrels and aged for 18 months before bottling.

Sutherland Cab Sauvignon 2017, WO Elgin, 13.98% Abv.

2.1 g/l RS | 3.56 pH | 5.3 g/l TA

Elgin always seems capable of producing some of the most beguiling expressions of wine whether made from Pinot Noir, Syrah, Petit Verdot or Cabernet Sauvignon. The aromatics of this beauty show a nuanced complexity of pressed violets, sweet black tea, saline black currant, sweet herbs, wet tobacco and subtle hints of black cherry preserve. True to the vintage, the palate is fabulously elegant with silky tannins, a fine-grained crushed stone minerality, a weightless intensity and a long, cool, fresh finish that is simply mouth-watering, all delivered in such an effortless style. This is surely one of the most enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon reds you will experience from the 2017 vintage. Drink now and over the next 10 to 12+ years.

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

Reviewing The New Release Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2018…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Always one of the more notable single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon releases of the year, this 2018 vintage from Thelema Mountain Vineyards is certainly a wine that is going to appeal to collectors of premium Stellenbosch Cabernet. With some of the most exceptional terroir in the Western Cape, Thelema have rightly resurrected and restored their premier league standing as one of the most sought after and age worthy wine producers in the Cape, a position they held throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is produced from three clones of Cabernet, namely 46c, 169A and 338c which were planted at 2,000 to 2,300 vines per hectare in 2002, 2003 and 2008 on decomposed granitic Hutton soils. 2018 was a warm dry vintage with a late start resulting in a smaller crop yield of well structured, intense grapes. All fruit was destemmed, crushed and pumped into stainless steel tanks and saw two aerated pump-overs per day during fermentation before being racked into barrels for malolactic fermentation and an additional 18 months of ageing in French oak barrels, 40% of which were new.

A lot of consumers have stocked up their cellars with a good proportion of wines from the 2015 and 2017 vintages and quite rightfully so. These were probably the two greatest vintages modern-era winemaking has ever seen in South Africa. But I would caution consumers on tucking into these two great vintages too early in the same way many European consumers did with the opulent and seductive 2009 and 2010 Bordeaux reds. Indeed, they were very hard to resist such was their immediate overt appeal. My advice would be to buy into the 2018s and 2019s that are being released in South Africa at the moment to allow the more coveted 2015s and 2017s to be savoured on more special occasions in the future.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 13.83% Abv.

2.1g/l RS | 3.48pH | 5.7g/l TA

On opening the 2018 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon, it is clear to see that this is a cooler, leaner vintage style. The aromatics are about as classic as you’ll find for premium Stellenbosch Cabernet with an initially high toned exuberance of pressed violets, tilled earth, iodine, kelp, black currant together with very well integrated notes of sweet sandal wood, cedar spice with the obligatory broody baritone graphite nuances never far away. On the palate the wine begins with a steely textural sternness with plenty of tightly wound spring tension, saline cassis, black berry and bright crunchy acids. Allowed to breath for 5 to 6 hours, this serious wine starts to shed some of its linearity to gain extra palate layers of sweet fleshy black berry fruits, complex spicy tannins and a long dark chocolate and black currant finish. Cellar this classic vintage for ideally 2-3+ years more before revisiting and drink comfortably over the next 10-15 years.

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

Tasting a Stunning Pair of Whites from Sutherland Vineyards…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I have always known about the exciting Sutherland Vineyards winery in Elgin owned by the Webb family of Thelema fame but it was really only when their 2015 Chardonnay was rated 95+ points in a blind Decanter Magazine panel tasting for South African Chardonnay a few years ago that I started to pay a lot more attention to both the brand and the wines.

I was of course on that Decanter panel that rated this wine so highly along with other South African greats like Ataraxia 2015, Neil Ellis Whitehall Chardonnay 2015 and Rustenburg 5 Soldiers 2015. So it was a real pleasure to taste not only their new release Chardonnay 2019 recently but also their delicious 2017 Viognier Roussanne Rhone-style white blend.

Also, another one of my guilty pleasures has always been the copious amounts of their Sutherland Grenache Rose that I drink when I visit South Africa. Great value, dry, vibrant and expressive, it too has become one of my perennial summertime favourites. Elgin is definitely not just about cool climate Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling. This fiddle plays an array of fabulous tunes.

Sutherland Chardonnay 2019, WO Elgin, 13% Abv.

This is another wonderfully expressive Chardonnay from Elgin that always seems to show a really individual character. The aromatics balance enticing nervy yellow citrus nuances with seductive vanilla pod spices all underpinned by a bold stony minerality and delicate struck match reductive complexity. The palate is joyfully concentrated with sweet tangy pineapple and lemon pastille candied notes, a sweet and sour mouth-watering acidity and the pronounced hallmark Sutherland wet river pebble liquid minerality. Subtly savoury and herby but always vibrant and electrically fresh in the mouth, this is a wine that is enviably super individual but always stylistically classically orientated. Drink now or cellar 3 to 5+ years. Certainly a wine for white Burgundy lovers to try!

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

Sutherland Viognier Roussanne 2017, WO Elgin, 14.5% Abv.

3.7g/l RS | 3.29 pH | 6.10g/l TA

This is also a very attractive little white Rhone blend from a region more known for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. A blend of 70% Viognier and 30% Roussanne, the wine was fermented and matured in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels which lends the aromatics a delicious rich savoury nuance punctuated by leesy notes of white toast, waxy lemons, bruised yellow orchard fruits and quince preserve. The palate has a full, fleshy textural feel not dissimilar to a ripe cool climate Chardonnay but also displays delicious notes of ripe peaches, lanolin, vanilla pod spice and a lovely stony, slatey minerality. This is certainly a wine that is reminiscent to some of the serious northern Rhone white expressions that cost 3 to 4 times the price. The perfect counterfoil to Chardonnay or oaked Chenin Blanc, this will put a very big smile on a lot of people’s faces. Drink now and over the next 3 to 6 years.

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