Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Caroline's Red Wine Review 2025

The Members Lounge at the DHL Stadium.  It's a vast area and, this year, it was filled to bursting with great red wine
Lots and lots of enthusiasts too, a very popular tasting
This was taken at the beginning...

Caroline Rillema, convenor of the show

and with Nathan Jankelowitz, owner of Bacco Wine Estate in the Simonsberg/Paarl foothills
He was showing his 2021 Estate Red Blend 



Dr Rijk Melck talking to Lynne about hip ops!
We so enjoyed tasting his 2021 Ansela van de Caab Bordeaux blend
Lots of great fruit and lots of depth, balance and good wood, but still youthful with ages to go

Tayla Kymdell, Stark-Condé winemaker, with the Oude Nektar Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec red blend

Brett Naicker presenting the Anysbos Tesame Grenache noir, Shiraz and Cinsaut
Lovely colour, very rounded on the palate with great fruit and quite delicious, a find!
Made by Marelise Niemann on this Bot River farm

Broadcaster Guy McDonald with Rickety Bridge winemaker Mari Kotze, cellarmaster Donovan Ackermann and a friend

Jade Kylander showing the 2017 de Trafford Elevation 393 
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc single site red blend
We were impressed, as we always are at the elegance and quality of these wines
The winemaker is Hendry Hess

Emil Kanstinger, Sales Manager at Anura Vineyards with the 2022 Anura Malbec Reserve made by Sander Maass
It has a splendid dive-in nose, savoury and enticing, with layers of flavour and good supporting tannins and wood

Idiom Barbera 2023 is made by Roberto Bottega
Very Italian in style, with big fruit, lots of tannins and years to go

The Newton Johnson Walker Bay 2023 Pinot Noir was presented by winemaker, Bevan Newton Johnson
Yes, we are biased; yes, we buy this wine; and yes, it was the top Pinot Noir of the evening for us
It is sophisticated, the nose has perfume, wood smoke and black cherry fruit,
which follows through on the luscious palate
with layers of gently melded raspberry and cherry fruit gathered together so beautifully
And a definite wine for good food

Jacques du Plessis, Oak Valley winemaker pouring his 2021 Tabula Rasa Pinot Noir for Marie Uys  of Amorim Cork
Top of the Oak Valley range, this wine is textured, full of class, deep flavours and one to pair with food and to cellar

Paul Cluver winemaker Chelsea Gibson with the Paul Cluver 2023 Estate Pinot Noir
Another of our favourites and always impressive
 In perfect balance with ripe, dark berry fruit and good supporting oak, a hint of terroir with elegance and length

Berene Sauls showed her 2023 Tesselaarsdal Pinot Noir
Perfumed, light in colour but not light in flavour; all the cherries in a bunch, with long delicious flavours

Benguela Cove GM and winemaker Michelle Waldeck with her 2022 Walker Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 

Beyerskloof Eerste Ry 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon made by Anri Truter

Cederberg winemaker Gwen Marais
pouring the Cederberg 2020 Five Generations Cabernet Sauvignon for a happy taster
This wine was made by Jean Nel.

Annemie Arendse with David Finlayson's 2022 GS Cabernet Sauvignon
Full of layers of good fruit and made by Pieter vd Merwe

Never one to miss, the 2023 Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon, a quality wine made by Andrea Mullineux

Nederburg winemaker Zinaschke Steyn presented her 2021 Private Bin Nederburg Two Centuries Cabernet Sauvignon

Petra and Nico van der Merwe with their 2020 Nico Cabernet Sauvignon

Joris van Almenkerk pouring his 2022 Almenkerk Elgin Merlot

Lizann Groenewald showing the 2021 Sijnn Red, a blend of Syrah, Tinta Amarela, Touriga Nacional
made by Kruger Theunissen

Winemaker Bertho van der Westhuizen with his 2022 Alto Estate Blend

Rijk Melck with his Muratie Ansela van de Caab red blend

Jackie Rabe with the 2021 Stony Brook Ghost Gum Cabernet Sauvignon from Franschhoek, made by Craig McNaught

Thelema winemaker Rudi Schultz showed Thelema's 2022 The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon, made by JC Smit

KWV winemaker Izele van Blerk pouring 2021 The Mentors Cabernet Franc
Superb and true to the varietal

Raats Family Reserve 2022 Cabernet Franc, always one of the top Cabernet Francs, classy and delicious
Made by Bruwer Raats

Jana Cloete decanting the 2022 Rainbow's End Cabernet Sauvignon made by Anton Malan

Space for a restful interlude
Needed as there were so many excellent wines to sample. We could not possibly taste them all

Buitenverwachting cellarmaster Brad Paton with his excellent 2017 Buitenverwachting Christine Bordeaux Blend

Duncan Marshall and his daughter Micayla were so enjoying the evening.

De Grendel 2020 Elim Shiraz made by Morgan Steyn

Lanzerac cellarmaster Wynand Lategan showed the iconic 2021 Lanzerac Pinotage, one of the oldest planted in the Cape
and the first Pinotage to reach the market - in 1959

Bellingham winemaker Richard Duckitt with his 2022 Bernard Series Basket Press Bellingham Shiraz

Overhex cellarmaster Pierre Wahl in the DHL Stadium with his 2022 Survivor Reserve Pinotage

Pieter Carstens proudly showing his 2019 Leeuwenkuil Heritage Syrah

Niels Verburg amusing fans of his 2022 Luddite Shiraz made by Alice Verburg, his daughter
Another wine family dynasty

Saronsberg winemaker Daniela Jansen with her much-decorated 2022 Shiraz

Fairview winemaker Annette van Zyl showed The  Beacon 2021 Shiraz

Eenzaamheid's 2023 Grenache Noir is an exciting young red wine; we wonder how it will develop
With perfume on the nose, floral and leesy, with good raspberry and cherry fruit, chalky tannins on the palate
Impressive even at this stage. Made by Janno Briers Louw 

Sarah and Jacques du Plessis comparing notes
Jacques is the Oak Valley winemaker; Sarah is sales manager at Richard Kershaw Wines

Thelema Mountain Vineyards showed their Sutherland vineyards 2022 Emily Petit Verdot made by JC Smit
This was our second highest scoring wine of the night and so impressed us and others. Much talked about
Classic violets on the nose, dark red berry fruit opens in layers on the palate
Delicious, juicy, supple, a good surprise and a food wine to scoop up

Red Winemaker Timothy Witbooi and Bradley Solomons with the 2023 Lourensford Limited Release Merlot

Richard Duckitt discussing his Bellingham Shiraz with Lynne

Two glamorous Wine lovers who asked to have their picture taken

Top Sommelier Marlvin Gweze runs the wine department at Newmark Hotels

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Monday, July 28, 2025

Tasting at Meerendal with John Collins Wines

John Collins, one of the most respected independent wine negociants in the Cape,
has taken on the account of Meerendal in Durbanville

We were invited to taste the wines he will be adding to his impressive list
Winemaker and GM of Meerendal, Wade Roger-Lund, has always made wine of quality

The line up on the tasting room counter
We began with the Meerendal 2023 Cap Classique Rosé
 which has a lovely crisp and dry zing on the palate and a hint of strawberry to finish

The Meerendal 2024 Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc has all the green aromatics this grape produces
It's crisp and green and full of character, with long flavours

The 2023 Meerendal Cellar Select Pinotage Rosé in a classic Provence shape bottle
Its made in the Cap Classique method then put through malolactic fermentation
Pinotage shows on the nose with some floral notes and it has a lovely texture and mousse. Very French in style

The 2025 Sauvignon blanc, just released, is clean and green on the nose which draws you in
Clean and and crisp on the palate, with pyrazines in layers, some minerality and a hint of chalk on the end
A splendid wine for food especially fish and seafood. Expect to see this on good restaurant lists


It includes some specials

The 2024 Chapel Sauvignon Blanc is barrel fermented with lees on the nose and just a hint of golden oak
Complex and textured with layers of crisp fruit and wood, this will age so well. One for the cellar

The Meerendal 2023 Pinotage has perfume of roses and violets on the nose
A lovely full palate of good berry fruit entices you, good dark oak supports and shows at the end of the palate
Layered with chalky tannin, it will last and is a good food wine

The 2024 Heritage Block Pinotage has violets, wood and minerality to draw you in, juicy with berry fruit,
chalky tannins and long ripe fruit flavours and quality

The Meerendal 2023 Shiraz is sweet and spicy on the nose, with red berry and plum fruit
which follows through on the palate with tannins, chalk, pepper and some heat on the end

The Loft 2023 Cape Blend has perfume of roses and jasmine, followed by good berry fruit
The wine has good red fruit, depth, length and lasting quality with chalk, tannins and supporting wood on the end

There were some good platters of cold meats and cheeses set out for us to enjoy

And some tiny moist cupcakes to follow

The 2023 Pinot Noir really impressed us. It has a lovely nose with lots of class, cherry and good wood notes
Good to savour on the palate too with layers of superb fruit gently supported by good oak,
those long Pinot fruit flavours guiding you to drink more.   And to eat
Future bottlings will, we were told, be in the traditional Burgundy shape bottle

Wade with restauranteurs from The Hussar Grill in Durbanville

Wade talking to members of the wine and restaurant trades

Sommelier Siphokazi Moyaphi from Tokara Restaurant diligently making notes

General manager and cellarmaster Wade Roger-Lund with John Collins

And the splendid view of the Helderberg mountains over the winter vineyards

All our stories can be opened from the archive list near the top of the column on the right of this page

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