Winshaw Vineyards

Stellenbosch’s Winshaw Vineyards Continue to Impress with Their Sophisticated New 2021 Red Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Winshaw brothers, Pierre and JP, are well known for combining traditional beef and chicken farming with grape growing on their prestigious Stellenbosch property Klein Welmoed, selling fruit from their 50 hectares of vines to some of Stellenbosch’s most notable producers as well as making their own wines under their superb Winshaw Vineyards label.

Alongside a premium range of Cape Bordeaux blends, the line-up also includes a delicious straight talking varietal Malbec and a pristine pure fruited Cabernet Sauvignon. The two red blends honour their great-grandfather Dr William Charles Winshaw, founder of Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (SFW), and their grandfather Bill, another key figure in the history of the SFW. With a growing collector following in both South Africa as well as in the UK, their wines still represent excellent value for money in an over heated fine wine market. The 2021 blends are certainly not to be missed.

Winshaw Vineyards Charles Winshaw 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

This impressive Cape Bordeaux blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 17% Merlot is incredibly complex and intricate displaying aromatics of dried potpourri, spicy red currant, earthy black berries, dried herbs, hints of charcoal, graphite and dusty granitic spice. The palate is medium bodied and incredibly harmonious with fine grained mineral tannins and a bright, crunchy acidity that adds plenty of vitality and energy. This is a delightful text book Cape Bordeaux blend with notable precision, tension and accessible drinkability. Drink now to 2040+.

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

Winshaw Vineyards Bill Winshaw 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

This beautifully styled Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec, 20% Merlot was matured for 12 months in used French oak barrels. The aromatics are elegantly perfumed, brimming with fragrant violets, sandalwood, dried thyme and a vibrant melange of red and black berries with a sappy, cedar spice complexity. This Cabernet Franc lead blend is incredibly sleek and lithe, silky textured with fine grained powdery tannins underpinned by deliciously bright vivacious acids and a real persistence of black berry, red currant and pithy brambly fruits with a granitic liquid minerality that punctuates the seamless finish. This is true class personified. Drink now to 2040+.

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

Winshaw Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

The focus of all Winshaw red blends is based around either Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, but with this pure Cabernet Sauvignon that was matured for 12 months in French oak barrels, of which 30% were new, the essence of Stellenbosch terroir is laid bare to see. The aromatics are archetypal, revealing lifted perfumed notes of pressed violets, sweet black cherries, crème de cassis over subtle notes of dried herbs, wet tobacco, and subtle graphite hints. On the palate, the sumptuous, fleshy opulence of the warm and dry 2022 vintage are expressed with ripe glycerol layers of black berry fruits, black plum and delicately tart mulberry hints that fades into more savoury, earthy cedar spice nuances. The texture is dense, plush and mouth filling, retaining enough acid vibrancy to invigorate the soft, creamy, compact mineral tannins and carry the wine to an accessible, sleek well-balanced finish. An impressive expression of pure Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon that  you can drink now and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

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

The Winshaw Vineyards wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

Winshaw Vineyards Becoming a Leading Producer of Premium Single Cultivar Malbec in South Africa…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

While Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc have carved out an enviable quality offering from specialist premium producers in the Cape wine regions of Stellenbosch and Paarl, another cultivar has joined the party of late, showing an incredible affinity to the local terroir and climatic conditions. This cultivar is Malbec of course and there are roughly 450 to 490 hectares of Malbec currently planted. This represents a significant increase from the 40 hectares planted in the 1990s. The Swartland, Paarl, and Stellenbosch regions in the Western Cape currently account for about three-quarters of the total Malbec plantings.

A particular favourite among consumers in the UK, there is simply no holding back the success of single cultivar Malbec wines whether from Argentina or indeed South Africa. Handled correctly and vinified with care and attention, some very attractive, rich, fruit forward Malbec wines are being produced in South Africa and Winshaw Vineyards are becoming a leader in this new(ish) premium single varietal category. The 2024 vintage should hit the UK retail market in the Autumn of 2025 and retail for approximately £26.99 per bottle and I tasted a bottle on my recent trip to the Cape. 

Winshaw Vineyards next door to Vergenoegd Low and Meerlust Estate.

Winshaw Vineyards Malbec 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv. 

A beautifully composed, well constructed fine wine from the Winshaw’s boasts a delicious aromatics of sweet mulberries and damson plum, black berries, and black cherries laced Christmas spices, cinnamon and vanilla pod. Dense, fleshy and creamy, the palate shows a delicious black berry breadth punctuated by a complexing sapidity, leafy black currant depth and a long savoury leesy finish. Malbec lovers will be smitten once again! Drink now to 2030+.

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

Another Stand Out Malbec 2022 Release From the Quality Focused Winshaw Vineyards Winery in Stellenbosch…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Brothers Pierre and John Philip (JP) Winshaw released some beautiful wines with their maiden 2017 Charles and Bill Winshaw Cape Red Blends, and subsequent releases have also followed suit with striking quality, impressive fruit selection and wonderfully precise winemaking. They visited the UK to launch their winery brand in 2023 and from the very first moment, critics were seduced by the intensity, purity and overall appeal of their delicious wines.

A particular favourite of consumers in the UK, there is simply no holding back the success of single cultivar Malbec wines whether from Argentina or indeed South Africa. Handled correctly and vinified with care and attention, some very attractive, fruit forward Malbec wines are able to be created in South Africa and Winshaw Vineyards, along with the likes of Vilafonte in Paarl and Doolhof in Wellington, are becoming leaders in the category. The 2022 vintage should hit the UK retail market in mid-2024 and retail for approximately £26pb.

Winshaw Vineyards Malbec 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The sumptuous 2022 Winshaw Vineyards Malbec continues almost exactly where the 2021 left off despite the vintages being fairly different in overall character. Made from MC71 clone vineyards planted in 2001, these 21-year-old vines are really starting to hit their stride, producing wines with great depth, breadth and character, suitable for single cultivar bottlings as well as making an attractive blending partner within the Charles and Bill Winshaw cuvees. The aromatics show wonderfully spicy, picante dark broody black berry fruit aromatics with lashings of black currant, black cherry, mocha chocolate and chargrilled meat nuances. The palate texture is plush, seductively inviting and delightfully accessible, with beautifully silky soft sweet tannins, sleek, cool spicy blue and black berry fruits, with hints of crème de cassis, cherry kirsch liquor and a slightly sappy, plummy finish that is suitably bright and attractively mouthwatering. This elegant Malbec is sure to be as big a hit with customers as previous vintages, but be warned, quantities produced are once again very small. Drink now and over the next 4 to 6+ years.

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

The Winshaw Vineyards wines are imported exclusively into the UK by specialist South African merchant Museum Wines.

Winshaw Vineyards Release Another Delectable Range of Stellenbosch Reds…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Brothers Pierre and John Philip (JP) Winshaw released some beautiful wines with their maiden 2017 Charles and Bill Winshaw blends, both of which sold incredibly well. The range is continuously evolving and being fine tuned and this year sees another very impressive set of 2018 Cape Bordeaux blends but also a fabulous Malbec 2021 as well as a new edition to the range in the form of a pure Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Winshaws combine traditional farming with grape growing on their Stellenbosch property Klein Welmoed, selling fruit to some of Stellenbosch’s most notable producers. But the brothers not only make their own wines under the Usana label, but they have also stepped up their focus on the more premium Winshaw Vineyards label. I tasted the current releases earlier this year with the Winshaw brothers ahead of the release of the wines in the UK.

Winshaw Vineyards Malbec 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

This Malbec shows picante dark broody black fruits with lashings of black currant, black cherry, mocha chocolate and graphite spice. The texture is seductively inviting and accessible, beautifully silky soft and sleek with cool spicy blue and black berry fruits, crème de cassis, cherry kirsch liquor and a supple, dry mineral granitic finish. A very focused, fresh and elegant expression of Malbec. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years. (Only 1,300 bottles produced)

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

Winshaw Vineyards ‘Bill Winshaw Cuvee’ 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

A distinguished red blend made from 45% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 10% Malbec that shows impressive aromatic lift, seductive perfume and attractive floral notes of violets, white flowers, sweet herbs, sun raisined black berries and subtle hints of balsamic, soy and black berry pastries. The entry is cool, soft and silky with classical Cabernet Franc elegance, a plush fleshy accessibility with inky, spicy layers of blueberry, black currant, sweet cedar and a supple creamy musky purple rock candy nuance on the elegant finish. So pretty and so harmonious with soft fresh acids, creamy plush tannins and a spicy, mineral finish. This is good to drink now and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

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

Winshaw Vineyards ‘Charles Winshaw Cuvee’ 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Malbec, the wine displays compact aromatics boasting broody black berry fruits with hints of purple flowers, blueberry, sweet raspberry herbal tea, crème de cassis and purple rock candy with a kiss of graphite. The palate shows more power, textural density and depth than the Bill Winshaw Cuvee but an equal amount of elegant harmonious black fruited breadth, creamy black cherry and a soft supple, inky saline black berry length. A really delicious expression of a Cabernet Sauvignon based Cape Bordeaux blend. Drink now and over the next 10 to 15 years.

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

Winshaw Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14.26% Abv.

A new edition to the Winshaw premium range being 100% pure Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a serious effort straight off the bat showing graphite, violets, crushed granite, pithy black cherry and subtle black chai tea notes covering a creamy tannin structure with a confident density, power and textural frame. Very precise, polished and pinpoint with impressively seamless acids and a beautifully supple, grippy mineral finish. Drink now and over the next 8 to 10+ years.

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

A selection of the Winshaw Vineyards wines are imported exclusively into the UK by South African specialist fine wine merchant Museum Wines. http://www.museumwines.co.uk

Brothers Pierre and JP Winshaw Honour Their Ancestors with An Accomplished Cape Bordeaux Blend – Tasting the Charles Winshaw Cuvee from Winshaw Vineyards…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I first met brothers Pierre and John Philip (JP) Winshaw in 2018 when I was asked to co-chair the incredible Whole Bunch Tasting titled ‘The Wines That Raised Us’, just before the Cape Wine 2018 trade fair. The Winshaw brothers had pulled a number of incredibly rare old South African heritage bottles out of their grandfather, Bill Winshaw’s cellar, to present to the who’s who of the world’s wine trade. It was at this prestigious tasting that I rated my first South African wine 100 points – the Chateau Libertas 1957, now a legendary wine.

Today, the Winshaws combine traditional farming with grape growing on their Stellenbosch property Klein Welmoed, selling fruit to some of Stellenbosch’s most notable producers. But the brothers not only make their own wines under the Usana label, but they have also more recently, started making a premium range of Cape Bordeaux blends under the Winshaw Vineyards label. The line-up includes a delicious straight Malbec (which I recently rated 93/100) and two super cuvees, one based around Cabernet Sauvignon and one based around Cabernet Franc. The two red blends honour their great-grandfather Dr William Charles Winshaw, founder of Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (SFW), and the second their grandfather Bill, another key figure in the history of the SFW.

Ahead of my departure for Cape Wine 2022, I decided to get into the spirit of things by tasting and reviewing the Charles Winshaw Cuvee, their Cabernet Sauvignon based blend.

Winshaw Vineyards ‘Charles Winshaw Cuvee’ 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

A serious blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec and 4% Merlot, I tasted this wine over the course of three days to assess its true fine wine potential. On opening, the aromatics showed classical Stellenbosch Cabernet notes of sweet tobacco, tannery leather, black currant, black plum, chai tea and freshly tilled earth notes. The palate was full and glycerol with creamy soft sweet tannins, layers of black and blue berry fruits with the classic 2017 vintage weightless concentration. Fabulously balanced with classical poise and harmony. But on day two and day three, the wine shed some of its initial sapidity and sweet tea leaf and tobacco notes to reveal an incredible purity, depth of blue and black berry fruits and a seamlessly vibrant cherry-laden tangy intensity on the finish. I am so pleased I gave this wine the time and space to really show its blue-blooded pedigree. As the cliché goes, the first glass was delicious, but the last glass was mind blowing. Track this beauty down if you can as the R300 local price tag (£16-£18) is ridiculously cheap. Drink now and over the next 12 to 15+ years.

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