Was held once again in the large venue at Moyo at Kirstenbosch
Having just been to the huge Chardonnay Association tasting,
we decided to taste Pinot Noir first and we started well
Ataraxia 2022 Pinot Noir has a classic nose and lots of raspberry fruit
The 2023 Young Blood Pinot Noir is made by winemaker Kevin Grant's son
and it is elegant and perfumed on the nose, layered fruit with hints of rooibos
Dane Raath with Bouchard Finlayson
The 2023 Galpin Peak is attractive on the nose, elegant and perfumed, full of flavour with deep dark fruit and good wood
Baleia Wines 2023 Pinot Noir is silky on the palate with minerality and good dark berry fruit.
Crystallum Peter Max 2024 is, as expected, a beautiful wine
The Fledge & Co showed their Katvis 2023 Pinot Noir
Winemakers Leon Coetzee of The Fledge & Co, showing his Katvis Pinot Noir,
and Johnny Calitz of Glen Carlou had two Chardonnays on show
His 2024 Glen Carlou and the 2023 Quartz Stone Chardonnay show their terroir really well
Annemie Arendse showed the David Finlayson wines
The 2023 Pinot Noir is modern New World in style
and has good ripe raspberry and cherry fruit and earthy minerality
David Finlayson Camino Africana Pinot Noir Reserve 2023 was special and in balance
It spent 15 months in new French Oak.
Glenelly showed three Chardonnays: 2023 Glass Collection, 2022 Estate Reserve and the 2019 Estate Reserve
Eddie Smit was there with the wines of Hasher Vineyards in the Hemel en Aarde Valley;
their Marimist 2023 Chardonnay and the 2023 Ernest Pinot Noir
Kerry Sutherland showed the Hamilton Russell wines: 2024 Chardonnay and 2024 Pinot Noir
Tayla Vermaak and Bea de Swardt were there with the wines of Haute Cabrière
The 2023 Reserve Chardonnay and the 2021 Reserve Pinot Noir, which has developed very nicely indeed
Jordan was represented by Melanie Melvill with their 2021 Blanc de Noir, the 2024 Unoaked Chardonnay,
the special 2020 Barrel Fermented Library Selection Chardonnay,
the top of the range 2023 Nine Yards Chardonnay and the 2023 TImepiece Chardonnay
Thea van der Merwe, marketing manager of Journey's End with the 2023 Haystack Chardonnay,
the 2023 V1 Chardonnay and the 2024 Destination Chardonnay
The wines
Julien Schaal, represented by winemaker Sophie Schaal with their 2023 Evidence Chardonnay,
2024 Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay, 2023 Influence Pinot Noir and the 2024 Mountain Vineyards Pinot Noir
John Collins was there with the Chardonnays of Springfield, including the Garuzis Brut Cap Classique
The Kat se Snor (Cat's moustache) wines were a 2023 Chardonnay and 2024 Pinot Noir
Terra Loci had their 2023 Fe Chardonnay and 2022 Babilon Pinot Noir
Sarah du Plessis showed Richard Kershaw's wines The 2023 Smuggler's Boot Chardonnay,
the 2021 Clonal Selection Chardonnay and the 2023 Smuggler's boot Pinot Noir
All tasted recently at the Morvino trade show and all excellent
The Smuggler's Boot Pinot noir
and Kershaw's Clonal Selection Chardonnay
Krone with their range of Cap Classiques:
2023 Borealis Cuvée Brut; 2023 Night Nectar Vintage Demi-Sec, 2021 Koelfontein Blanc de Blanc Brut
and the 2021 Night Nectar Blanc de blanc Demi-Sec, so you could compare them
La Vierge was shown by Tom Mills
2024 Story Teller Chardonnay, the 2023 Estate Chardonnay,
2023 Story Teller Pinot Noir, which was fresh and young as expected
Made by Christo Kotze as is the 2023 Estate Pinot Noir which is also young, but has gravitas and potential
This will age so well
Muratie had the 2024, so popular, Isabella Chardonnay and the 2017 Isabella Family Reserve Chardonnay, one to savour
The 2020 George Paul Canitz Pinot Noir is impressive, lovely deep fruit with long flavours, so well made
Georg Canitz planted the first Muratie Pinot noir in South Africa in 1927
This 2020, named for him, was the last wine produced from the original vineyard. Future wines will come from Elgin fruit
Oak Valley had 2023 Beneath the Clouds Chardonnay and the 2023 Groenlandberg Chardonnay
We tasted the 2024 Sound of Silence Pinot Noir with its attractive nose, good fruit and oak
It's one we often buy and also order at their restaurant
The 2023 Groenlandberg Pinot Noir has perfume of rose and raspberry on the nose
and on the silky soft palate with more fruit and good wood. An enchanting wine we scored very highly
The Paul Cluver 2024 Village Pinot Noir is lively with fresh raspberry fruit, young but delicious
Reciprocal Trading showed Louis Latour wines
Redamancy with their 2024 Brave Chardonnay and 2022 Chardonnay
Restless River had their 2022 Ave Maria Chardonnay
and the best wine of the evening for us and many others, the 2022 Le Luc Pinot Noir
Dark plum, raspberry, black cherry on the full nose and palate, rather French in style
Layers of so much carefully handled fruit with elegance and sophistication. In good French oak, 30% new
Stuart and James Downes of Shannon with PR guru Pozy Hazell
Shannon never disappoints with their Pinot Noirs
The 2021 Rockview Ridge is perfumed, structured and layered with good French oak - a wine to pair with food
The 2023 RocknRolla Pinot Noir is perfumed, elegant
with chalky tannins and dark complex fruit just waiting in the wings for age to let it bloom
The Steenberg 1682 Cap Classique Pinot Noir Rosé non vintage was impressive,
such well handled fruit and good crisp mousse
Tanya Reynolds with the Steenberg Cap Classiques
Bubs Hyland showed Tesselaarsdal Wines
with winemaker Berene Sauls' son
Vriesenhof showed their 2024 Unwooded Chardonnay,
their well-known and well regarded Barrel Fermented Chardonnay and the 2022 Pinot Noir
Yardstick 2024 Chardonnay and 2023 Pinot Noir were shown by their winemaker Adam Mason
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
