Perhaps the best way to gauge the direction in which South African white wine is heading is to attend a tasting like this
and, from the quality of the wines chosen by Wine Merchant Caroline Rillema as her choices of the year,
we are going onward and upward
All the wines in the tasting are excellent
It was held at The View conference centre in the Waterfront
Of course, one always starts with the Cap Classique bubbles... the best way to liven the palate for an epic tasting
L'Ormarins Private Cuvée 2015 hit the spot with crispness, fullness and elegance
Bon Courage Jacque Bruére classic dry Blanc de Blanc with the many awards this wine has won
It is amazingly fresh and zesty for a 2012
Danielle Jacobs, Cap Classique Winemaker at Boschendal
showing their premium Jean le Long, which shows quite a lot of wood
2023 Genevieve is a new release Blanc de Blanc made by Melissa Genevieve Nelson in the Bot Rivier area
It is different, golden, layered, perfect if you have the gout anglaise
And from Graham Beck in Robertson, their superb top of the range 2018 Cuvée Clive
Lovely and crisp, with a good prickle and long-lasting flavours
Kobus van der Merwe and Nicholas Dewing, KWV winemakers with Laborie 2017 Blanc de Blancs
One which we buy when we can. This wine is deservedly winning lots of awards this year
Marvelous bready nose, a great mousse, crisp, extra dry with layers of lime and lemon flavours
Le Lude was showing their Prestige Rosé Cap Classique
It has lovely raspberry notes and is crisp with great elegance
Winemaker Nathan Valentine with Villiera's Flagship Cap Classique Monro Brut 2016
A lovely nose, so right, age showing with length and depth and long flavours of lime and lemon
Winemakers Rudi Schultz of Thelema and Alexander Grier of Villiera
And then on to taste the Chardonnays
A small concern - many are going back to using too much new oak
and so we don't seem to have learned anything from ABC. Others are sublime
Boschendal 2020 Elgin Chardonnay
Capensis Silene 2021 Chardonnay from Stellenbosch grapes
Glenn Martin with Creation 2022 Art of Chardonnay from the Hemel and Aarde
Top of the class, so well made
David Finlayson's Camino Africana Shale Terraces Stellenbosch Chardonnay
Winemaker Anthony Sanvido with De Morgenzon Reserve Chardonnay 2019
Another excellent Chardonnay from De Wetshof in Robertson, their flagship Bateleur,
what we want from a very special Chardonnay for special occasions
Layers and layers of complexity and great fruit
Groot Constantia 2015 Chardonnay
Emul Ross with Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2022
Winemaker Patrick Ngamane with Hartenberg's The Eleanor Chardonnay 2020
Kershaw Elgin Chardonnay 2020 presented by Sarah du Plessis
French in style and difficult not to covet, Richard Kershaw makes very good wine
Adele Botha with Lismore Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2021
Warren Ellis presented his Neil Ellis Whitehall Chardonnay 2021
Vanilla perfume on the nose, crisp and clean, full of lime and lemon fruit
with some tannin and chalk to keep it in trim, superb
Oak Valley in Elgin's 2020 Tabula Rasa
Paul Cluver Flagship Chardonnay, 2021 Seven Flags, so well crafted, so lasting
Rustenberg 2022 Chardonnay from Stellenbosch
Pierre Wahl's Survivor Chardonnay from Overhex near Worcester
Luke O'Cuinnegan of Vergelegen with Rudi Schultz
Tokara winemaker Mia du Plessis with her excellent Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2022
The Uva Mira 2022 Chardonnay
And on to one of the best - crisp, green and layered Sauvignon Blancs, Strandveld Pofadderbos 2022, also in our cellar
Old Road Wine Company winemaker Ryan Puttick and Danielle Jacobs of Boschendal
with his Grand-mère Semillon 2018 from the 1936 La Colline vineyard
Very French in style, crisp, full, fat and long. Love this style, the best wine for food
Jean Smit, winemaker at Damascene Vineyards in Elgin
with his 2021 Semillon, which was one of the most impressive wines of the tasting
From special aged vineyards it is perfumed with vanilla. round the silky, crisp layered palate with lime and enjoyment
Tayla Kimdell, Stark-Condé winemaker, with their Monkstone Chenin Blanc 2022
We only had time for one chenin and are so glad it was this one
It circles on the palate; crisp, clean, with limes and loquats, a food wine
Then to the White Blends, a category where we are finding such impressive wines
We started at the much talked about and enjoyed Rall 2022 White,
an unusual blend of Chenin, Verdelho and Viognier from the Swartland
Very French in style, crisp, dry and elegant; just sensational on the palate
Not quite what most would expect from this hot and dry area, but Donovan knows how to handle his grapes
Donovan Rall with Matthew Copeland of Vondeling and Sarah du Plessis. They are both quite tall...
Winemaker Matthew Copeland with his Vondeling Babiana 2022, another wine we buy
A blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Roussanne
showing how well Southern Rhône grapes adapt to our climate
A lovely mouthful of richness and enjoyment
Suzette Jansen van Rensburg showed Lemberg's Hungarian grape, Hárslevelü 2021, the most unusual grape on show
It is challenging, and intriguing, something new, perfumed with depth and long flavours of melon, spice and ginger
Mullineux Old Vines White from the Swartland certainly got our attention
A great blend of mostly Chenin with Clairette Blanche, grenache Blanc, Viognier, Semillon gris and Verdelho
It's complex, full and full of ripe peach, apple, pear, with good acid balance
Alex Starey and Nicole Kilian with Keermont Terrasse 2020
A blend of six varietals grown high up in the Stellenbosch mountains
Chenin, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc with dashes of Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier
Perfumed, full bodied with the support of some tannins and chalk, well made; this will go the distance
Jess Nunes and Karen Visser with David and Nadia Sadie's Aristargos 2022
A wonderful fruit salad blend of Chenin, Clairette, Semillon, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Verdelho,
Viognier, Marsanne & Colombard from the Swartland
Definitely worth bottling!
The boss - Caroline Rillema at the end of another
very successful evening
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