Always a trade tasting to look forward to
Siris/Morvino has some very interesting wine farms in their portfolio and it is usually very busy
Lourens van der Westhuizen of Arendsig had his Blok A10 Sauvignon Blanc grown on the banks of the Berg River
It has lovely texture and lovely fruit and is unwooded; fermented in concrete tanks
The Arendsig 2024 Shiraz block 22 is spicy on the nose, incense oak, a full on red fruit salad,
layers of dark and berry fruit with dark wood on the end, long flavours
Good to see John and Karen Loubser,
owners of Silverthorn in Bonnievale who were showcasing their Cap Classiques
The 2023 Green Man Blanc de Blanc is complex, crisp and delicious with lime and citrus and great bubbles,
long flavours, so good for a celebration
The NV River Dragon Cap Classique is pure Colombard and barrel fermented
It has a lovely prickle on the palate, extra crisp and satisfying. It must be the first Colombard Clap Classique
So good to see the Bruwer Family from Quando
The flood wreaked havoc on their farm; we know they have been through hell,
especially as they had replanted after last year's inundation
Good to taste the 2026 Sauvignon Blanc, classic green nose with crisp green fruit following
The 2026 Mourvedre Rosé lived up to our expectation, Rose petals on the nose with clean crisp notes,
very much a red wine on the palate, succulent and full of red berry notes
Always one we favour
Winemaker Fanus, Estelle and Viticulturist Martin Bruwer of Quando
Bevan Newton Johnson pouring a tasting of his family's 2024 South End Chardonnay
a hint of smoke, lots of quality grapes, so good on the palate, food calls
Then the 2024 Albarinho, so suited to higher temperatures in the vineyards
A joy on the palate this wine leads you by the nose and palate to Mediterranean food
It is different and delicious
And, finally, a revelation
The 2023 Falkirk Grenache. Incense wood and smoke with intriguing fruit, red berries, pomegranate and rose!
Rounded on the palate with a real kick of alcohol, followed by floods of wonderful fruit and chalky tannins
There were another two Grenaches tasted from other farms, both excellent, but this was the leader
Some vegetarian canapés topped with cream cheese and roasted butternut
Singed baby tomatoes on good basil pesto toast
Caramelised onions on goats' cheese and crisp toast
Two favourites from Groote Post
The 2026 Sea Salter, lived up to expectation with that great crisp Sauvignon Blanc and salty minerality
Ditto their 2025 Pinch of Salt Chardonnay, initially shy with minerality and a good chardonnay nose,
which follows through on the full palate, so enjoyable and food calls...
The full range for tasting. We had to taste the 2025 Top Merlot again, Lynne got it right in the competition
It is classically made, fruit nurtured and layered by the winemaker Lukas, its also very friendly to food
Winemaker Lukas Wentzel and owner Nick Pentz, of Groote Post
The Groot Phesantekraal Durbanville 2023 Berliet Pinotage has more Pinot on the nose, some cassis,
and rose perfume on the nose
Dark berries, blue and black with plum, long flavours
Doolhof Winemaker Rudger van Wyk and marketing manager Wimpie Borman
The Doolhof Estate Reserve Malbec has spice, rhubarb, aniseed and richness on the nose
Chewy with lovely sweet and sour fruit in balance, long flavours. The perfect wine with lamb...
Megan Mullis of Domaine des Dieux in the Hemel and Aarde
The Award winning 2021 Claudia Cap Classique is, as expected, clean, crisp and long with a good mousse and is very French in style
Their range
Good to see Anura Vineyards sales manager Emil Kanstinger and winemaker Stander Maass
We tasted the Arpeggio, a Rhône style blend made in older oak barrels
Lovely berry fruit, juicy with nice tannins and chalk, enjoyable
These red wines tell you they will last forever!
The 2024 Conclusion, a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
has a classic nose, full flavour on the palate, everything is in concert:
fruit, grapes, wood, tannins and chalk. A big recommend
The 2024 Conclusion, a Bordeaux style blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
has a classic nose, full flavour on the palate, everything is in concert:
fruit, grapes, wood, tannins and chalk. A big recommend
Nico Van der Merwe wines shown by
Nico and Petra van der Merwe, with their daughter Andrienne
The Cape Elements in the Robert Alexander range is a blend of Shiraz and Grenache
from the Bottelary region of Stellenbosch
Another Wow for Grenache. Spice and class, sweet fruit in layers with quality, quaffable. Another good food wine
The Raats Chenin Blanc is wicked, full with layers of fruit. It draws you in, no faults at all
The Cabernet Franc, a long time favourite of ours, is complex as only Cab Franc can be
Clean, with smoky layers of savoury fruit and chalky tannins. We need some
It needs time. Of course it will age, put lots down
Respected members of the wine trade!
Rui Blanco with Tony de Almeida of Constantia Wine and Craft and Ezra Benjamin of Liquor City, Claremont
Chris, Sam and Rob Boustred of Remhoogte in Stellenbosch
The Sir Thomas Cullinan is a Bordeaux style red blend of Merlot 60%, Cabernet 30% and Cabernet Franc 10%
The Cab Franc nose dominates; it is elegant and layered on the nose. Liquorice and salty minerality,
tight tannins and sour black cherry release long flavours. It is expressive and a food wine
Three more wines impressed Lynne
The Rickety Bridge Regina Loca 2024 Paarl Cinsault has a good fruity nose, light berry fruit on both nose and palate
with long, complex sweet and sour flavours
Vriesenhof 2023 Jan Boland Coetzee Bordeaux Blend
It has a classic nose and on the palate you can taste all the fruit components with dark oak,
very nice tannins and chalk. It is well made and will age well
It has a phenomenal dive-in nose, its wearable, almost floral. Roiling on the palate, good juicy fruit is very much present - cherries, plums and berries, tight tannins teeth closing and some wood on the end. Cant wait to see how it ages
This was quite a tasting, the wines just get better and better
Our journey back from Robertson took a little longer than we anticipated,
so we arrived about an hour later than expected
There were several wines we would have loved to feature here, but time ran out...
Our journey back from Robertson took a little longer than we anticipated,
so we arrived about an hour later than expected
There were several wines we would have loved to feature here, but time ran out...
Thank you Clark and Terence
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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