Monday, November 09, 2026

Caroline's 2026 White Wine Review

Caroline Rillema's Wine reviews are two of the most unmissable wine tasting opportunities each year
The Red Wine Review in winter and the White Wine review featuring the wines we should enjoy in summer 
They have been highlights in our calendar since 2013

This time we took two English friends (Swallows who live here for half a year)
who love their wine but hadn't been to this sort of occasion before. They loved it
There is so much wine to taste and the quality is always so high
as Caroline picks her favourites of the year for us to taste

Visitors to the show took advantage of the fine weather and went out onto the open deck
And it is great to have somewhere to sit and take a breath, especially if you have bronchitis!

Antonij Rupert Cap Classique winemaker Zanie Viljoen showed her beautifully aged L'Ormarins Private Cuvée 2017

Jacques Bruére 2015 Blanc de blancs from Bon Courage in Robertson
This was Lynne's favourite of the night, such a classic Blanc de Blanc, crisp with a great prickly mousse,
still fresh but heading for that lovely aged style we enjoy so much, the gout Anglaise!

Lee-Irvine Geduld and Michelle Elford of Bon Courage

Megan Mullis, Domaine des Dieux in Hemel and Aarde with her Claudia Brut 2021

Colmant Brut Reserve NV Cap Classique, made by Paul Gerber and Kalissa de Kok
It is shy on entry, then perks up with a good prickle of mousse
A blend of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay,
sourced from premium vineyards across Franschhoek, Robertson, Hemel-en-Aarde, and Elgin
Nice and lean flavours which we prefer. 

Natalie Opstaele showing the Almenkerk Chardonnay 2023 from their Elgin vineyards
Almenkerk Chardonnay 2024 won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in the UK

Boschendal Appellation Series Elgin 2023 Chardonnay made by Charl Schoeman

Richard Duckitt of Bellingham and Richard Hill of Capensis
With tables back to back, Richard Duckitt showed the Bernard Series Chenin blanc 2024
and Richard Hill the Capensis Silene Chardonnay 2025

Lisa Keulder, marketing manager, showing the Graham Beck Blanc de Blancs 2020
made by Pierre de Klerk and Lizemari Geldenhuys

Shelley Sandell with her Tierhoek Cape Classique 2024. It's a lovely, yeasty, crisp Blanc de blancs with lots of character

David Nieuwoudt showing his Ghost Corner Wild Ferment Sauvignon blanc 2024
The nose draws you in. It has lovely pyrazines on nose and palate,
crispness, quality, minerality and great length and depth. Food calls!

Miles Mossop showed his Chapters Old Vine Stellenbosch Sauvignon blanc 2025
We have had his wine recently with food and its a gem
Richness on the nose, complex. Superb texture on the palate layers of crisp stone fruit and length

Bev Murray of Strandveld Vineyards
tasting the Klein Constantia Perdeblokke Sauvignon blanc 2024 with Juanita Lategan
It has that classic inviting Constantia nose, silky on the palate with good long green flavours
and another to pair with good food

Rianie Strydom, cellarmaster at Cavalli estate with her Cavalli Estate Reserve White 2025,
a blend of Chenin blanc with barrel fermented Verdelho, Chardonnay and Viognier
It's a really interesting blend with lots of flavours melding and lovely to drink
Cavalli Chardonnay 2025 won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in the UK

Mark van Buuren with Antonij Rupert Cape of Good Hope Riebeeksrivier Caroline 2024,
a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne, Picpoul blanc, Viognier and Chenin blanc
The name, like the wine, a big, satisfying mouthful
We are liking these warm country blends very much, they have so much to offer for food as well
And the grapes will survive hot summers

Nicole Kilian with Keermont Terrasse 2024,
a blend of Chenin blanc with Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne
Always a classic Stellenbosch wine made by talented Alex Starey

Brookdale winemakers Xander Sadie and Shanice du Preez with Bradbourne 2024,
a blend of Roussanne and Grenache blanc with Marsanne and Picpoul blanc
Lots of aromatics and then layers of each grape presenting itself within the good palate
And that's the long and the short of it!

Clementine Berlin with Ashbourne Sandstone 2025,
a blend of Sauvignon blanc with Chardonnay and Semillon. Made by Emul Ross in the Hemel and Aarde

Vergelegen Estate White Bordeaux blend 2024, made by Luke O'Cuinnegan

Stuart Botha of Tokara with his Directors Reserve White 2023, made from Sauvignon blanc and Semillon
The Tokara Reserve Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2025 won a Master Award
at the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in the UK, scoring 97 points and a Veritas Double Gold
It has deservedly and consistently done well at all the competitions it has entered
It has an enticing nose, lovely fruit and good support from the aged French barrels used
A great wine and so good with food
Stuart is a finalist in this year's Winemaker of the Year

Nikki Heynemann pouring the Nitida Coronata Integration 2025 white blend
made from equal parts of Sauvignon blanc and Semillon. It is interesting and has a darker flavour than expected

Nicole Kuhnert showed the Morgenster Estate Reserve White 2024, a blend of Sauvignon blanc and Semillon

Mike Dawson showed his Journey's End Ad Infinitum 2024, made from 83% Sauvignon blanc with Semillon
The Journey’s End Legatum Chardonnay 2024
won a Master Award at the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in the UK, with 97 points

Georgina Wilkinson and Justin van Wyk with Constantia Glen Two 2024, made from Sauvignon blanc and Semillon
This wine is so special and so impressive, it's our favourite of this Sauvignon blanc and Semillon group
Floral notes, enticing, familiar on the nose and palate
Lovely fruit in layers with great texture and yet another great food wine

Grenache blanc by Scions of Sinai, grown in the Klein Karoo
From the Gramadoelas! A South African colloquial term that means "the back of beyond" or the boondocks
Vinified in Somerset West

by owner/winemaker Bernhard Bredell

Olifantsberg Grenache blanc 2025 grown and made in Breedekloof by Elizma Visser
Another impressive Grenache, we are seeing more and more

Jordan winemaker Sjaak Nelson and Kim Wucherpfennig showed their Assyrtiko 2026
 It is astoundingly good, transports one to those we tasted on Santorini; crisp, full and fruity on the palate
but in perfect balance and so a must with Mediterranean food or sea food

Gottfried Mocke with his Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2023 from Certified Heritage Vineyards,
which count amongst the oldest in South Africa. The grapes are from three Franschhoek Semillon vineyards,
two of which were planted in 1902 and 1942, and are unirrigated bush vines. The best we grow

Caroline Rillema discussing the Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2023 with Gottfried Mocke

Konrad Vlok showed his Strandveld Pofadderbos Sauvignon blanc 2025
from the country's southernmost vineyards near Cape Agulhas
Crisp and full of the typical minerality and class from wines of that area which is close to the sea

Wine industry veteran Mark Howell with John Seccombe
who was showing his Thorne and Daughters 2024 Rocking Horse Cape White
made from Roussanne, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon blanc and Clairette blanche,
sourced from a variety of Western Cape terroirs

Jaen Lochner showing his 2025 Starke-Condé Field Blend,
made from co-fermented, interplanted Roussanne, Chenin blanc, Verdelho and Viognier

Mzokhona Mvemve showed us his 2024 Mvemve Raats MR Vesperi
A blend of equal parts of Chenin blanc, Sauvignon blanc and Semillon
It has an intriguing nose, herbal and floral and a bit shy
Stunning quality on the palate, the wine is layered and gets deeper as you taste. Wow
Food is essential but quaffing while waiting works well

De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay 2025 made by Morgan Steyn
A lovely example of the good Chardonnays we produce

Hannes Nel of Lourensford showed his 2023 Kleipot Chardonnay, made in amphorae

Cellarmaster Wim Truter and Deidre Taylor, Sales & Marketing Manager of Meerlust with their 2025 Chardonnay
Stellenbosch minerality supports buttery flavour and texture, enhanced by rich, dry citrus flavours

Dudley Wilson showing the Kershaw Deconstructed Kogelberg Sandstone CY76 Chardonnay 2022
The price, R1904, led to much discussion; the wine is superb
Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2024 won a Gold Medal at the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in the UK

We tried to taste. or at least photograph, every wine in the show, but there were just too many
The show is so comprehensive, it could justify two days, or one full day

All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page


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Friday, November 06, 2026

Veritas Wines Tasting at Deloitte, Cape Town

The By Invitation Only tasting of the Veritas top winning wines was held at the offices of Deloitte
at the edge of the V&A Waterfront precinct and was a very well attended event
We have to confess that we were both not very well
Lynne has had a nasty flu-type virus for more than three weeks and was recovering slowly
and John was just resisting it (unsuccessfully)
We tried very hard not to exchange it with anyone
It appears to have migrated from Europe and the UK, where many of our friends there have had it this year

Bennie Howard CWM, Master of Ceremonies


So many wonderful Cap Classiques to taste and they did give us a lift
We started with the crisp and delightful Paul René 2022
made by Henk van Niekerk who was manning the stand
His Brut Rosé Double Gold is superb, balanced, showing good fruit and some nice age
We loved the 2020 Double Gold Durbanville Hills Blanc de Blanc
We drank a toast to our dear departed friend, their former cellarmaster Martin Moore, who made the wine



In the Museum Class entries, the Laborie Blanc de blancs 2016 was quite superb
bottle age elevating an already excellent wine

The double gold Spier Creative Block 2, a blend of Sauvignon Semillon was the wine of the night for Lynne
It Is full and satisfying, layered with minerality and great fruit in balance

Kobus van der Merwe, senior winemaker at KWV, with the  wine that won the Duimpie Bayly Vertex Trophy
for the top wine in the competition at the 2026 Veritas Awards, the Laborie Blanc de blancs 2020
This was the third time a Cap Classique has taken the competition’s highest honour, selected from 1 293 entries
It comes from a single Chardonnay vineyard in Wellington
and a winemaking process that requires decisions to be made years before anyone opens a bottle

For Kobus van der Merwe, who has worked with the Laborie brand since joining KWV in 2013,
the vineyard is where much of the work begins
It has for many years been our favourite Blanc de blancs, it is beautifully crafted from exceptional grapes

The Vertex Trophy with the wine

A selection of the top Cap Classiques

Three more to taste but we only managed the Hidden Valley Brut 2022 showing nice age, which we like

Photographers Andrew and Angela Gorman, sans cameras

On to taste some of the wooded Chenin blancs
Always a winner is the 2024 Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc which won Double Gold
Layers of good fruit and lots of oak

Chenin Blancs were in two groups, Unwooded or Wooded
The 2025 La Cave wooded Chenin Blanc and Darling Cellars Old Bush Vine 2025 unwooded Chenin,
which we often buy by the case were standouts
Well made, full of stone fruit and lime, well balanced and very typical Chenins from a warm area and a cool one
so good with a braai or just quaffing

Chardonnays

We tasted mainly Wooded Chardonnay, and of special mention is the 2025 Tokara Reserve Collection
It is winning lots of prizes at the moment, deserved for this classy layered Chardonnay which is perfect for food
It was a Master award winner at the 2026 Global Chardonnay Masters in the UK

The 2025 Diemersdal Reserve is good, the 2025 Avontuur has lots of wood, but also lime and lemon
The two KWV Cathedral Cellar 2024 and 225 Chardonnays are always worth tasting,
they tend to benchmark the category
Mont Rochelle Miko 2025 has lots and lots of wood. 

We tend to buy unwooded Chardonnays more often than wood-matured or fermented
and there were some favourites like the De Wetshof 2026 Limestone Hill, a classic Robertson wine,
full of clean, lean citrus fruit, minerality and class and well priced
The Weltevrede Calcrete 2025 has lots of that limestone character that Robertson does so well
and it's a great match with seafood and fish
The wooded Delaire Graff 2025 is very attractive with perfume on the nose and is well made and balanced

The GWM Grenache Noir won a gold and we really liked its almost Pinot character; exciting and a food wine

Made by Stettyn Family Vineyards between Villiersdorp and Worcester; almost Karoo, they say

Double gold winner, the De Grendel 2024 Op Die Berg Pinot Noir
Not a shy little flower, this wine is built to last with lots of strength and grippy  tannins.
We really enjoyed the more gentle The Pledge Our 1060M Pinot Noir, full of possibility, ripe cherries and enjoyment
From Grand Vin de Stellenbosch. the grapes come from the Ceres Plateau,
where they grow good cherries and have frost and snow in winter
Made by Debbie Thompson, Cellarmaster & Manager, and Mosima Mabelebele and Yolande Loubscher Assistant Winemakers
They source grapes for their wines all over the Cape
Mosima is a Finalist in the Young Winemaker of the Year competition

A selection of good Double Gold Pinotages which John had time to taste and enjoy
His personal favourites are Pierre Wahl's Survivor and Abrie Beeslaar's Beeslaar Pinotage
Which can be regarded as yardsticks of elegant modern Pinotages

A single gold medal for the very quaffable Van Loveren Pete's Pick Colombard Rosé from Robertson,
and another for the Goedverwacht Great Expectations with its attractive dive in nose - from Bonnievale

Single golds for the two Viogniers The Ridgeback 2025 and the Silkbush 2026 from the Mountain Vineyards.  and another for the Merwida Papenkuils 2026 Waterblommetjie Pinot Grigio

A selection of good Rosés in the second row
The VRL Daydream, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir particularly impressed
As did the Du Toitskloof Pinotage Rosé. Both are from the 2026 vintage and are fresh and dry,
so a good choice if some people sharing a meal are eating meat and others fish or seafood

Finally on to the red wines, we began with some very good Merlots
We love the direction Merlot is taking; our winemakers seem to have cracked the style
It is serious, has good potential to age and to pair with good food
The 2023 Steenberg is quite superb and gained a wow from us.  It is excellent and we should be looking closely at the style
Who says Constantia cannot grow red wines? They always have
The Dornier 2022 and the 2024 De Wetshof Estate Merlot 2024 also impressed
and the Groote Post 2025 is also exceptional
It was an Investec Gold Medal winner, the first Merlot to win that accolade

A good selection of Shiraz, we really liked the double Gold Stellenbosch Hills 2024
It's a food wine, good nose, silky tannins, great fruit and  perfect for roast meats and steak  

A selection of excellent Noble Late Harvest wines, all superb
We do need to sell more of these or they will disappear. 

More sweet wines. We really liked the Bon Courage White Muscadel

Black Pearl owner/winemaker Mary-Lou Nash CWM and her daughter

And of course the Nuy muscadels, serial winners at Veritas

Classic Heritage wines. All must come from vineyards verified as at least 35 years old
A valuable chance to taste these much-lauded two Grand-mère Semillons 2023 and 2024 from Franschhoek
From a single vineyard planted in 1936
In Lynne's mind, Semillon is the best white wine we produce and yet it is so hard to sell here
Overseas, they cannot get enough of our Semillons
These elegant and refined wines have spice, citrus, pear, granadilla flavours
and are beautifully textured and lasting with crisp minerality on the palate
They cry out to be paired with good food

Haut Collection 2023 Chardonnay, Kleine Zalze Old Vines 2026 and their 2026 Vineyard Selection Chenin Blancs

Three more Heritage wines Daschbosch 2025 Steen (Chenin Blanc),
Flagstone 2023 Paradigm Chenin and Haute Collection Amphora Chardonnay 2023


All the stories we have produced since 2012
can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page

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