We were invited by Daleen Edwards and Du Toit Hoffman
to their Regal Brands' wine trade show at the Winchester in Sea Point
where we tasted a wide variety of brands, wines and varietals and two spectacular Chardonnays
Luan Aucamp, Sales Manager at Bellevue Wine Estate
Two chenins. The 2025 Heritage Chenin Blanc has vanilla oak, richness, great fruit and is a classic from the Bottelary area
The Reserve Chenin 2026 really got our attention, a bit shy initially then classy with crispness, depth and minerality
The 2025 Cinsault is rich on the nose with berry fruit, a hint of old barrel wood with long flavours
The 2023 Malbec is rounded on the nose with juicy dark berry fruit, sappig (juicy)
Good soft tannins and asking to be paired with food
Bernard Dewey, Sales & Marketing Manager of Chamonix with winemaker Neil Bruwer at a very busy table
We tasted the 2025 unoaked Chardonnay and it blew our socks off
A perfume on the nose that Lynne would wear, zesty with good lime and lemon and lots of long delight on the palate
Then a wine that has impressed us in the recent past with supper, their elegant Chamonix Greywacke 2022 Chardonnay
Light on the nose, deep on the palate, smooth mouth filling fruit and minerality
Peter Falke has a good Blanc de Noir with a lovely prickle, crisp and enticing fruit and is very well priced
Their Noelina Cap Classique 2019 is mature (for the goût anglais lovers) has good fruit in layers and is a good wine for food
It was good to see David van Velden of Overgaauw
Lynne thanked him for his classic green Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, 2025
Lynne thanked him for his classic green Estate Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, 2025
no tropical flavours there, just classic elderflower and gooseberry crispness, lightly oaked brings it all together
He produces Merlots that we really like - Overgaauw planted South Africa's first Merlot -
and the Reserve Merlot 2023 is beautifully layered with fruit, long deep flavours and good chalky tannins
His Sylvaner was also available for tasting
Shy on the nose, just waiting, a bit smoky from a little wood chip intervention and crisp fruit
Eagle's Nest from Constantia has a very good Reserve Shiraz, 2023
with a classic nose, sweet berry fruit and lovely texture with long flavours
Their 2022 Reserve Viognier has a whiff of smoke, light peach & nectarine on the nose
Golden fruit, crispness of white peach and flint and wood on the end
The 2024 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc has a classic nose, lots of green pepper and gooseberries,
and is deep and full on the palate
Ridgeback Estate cellarmaster Renier van Deventer
Their 2025 Viognier is classic in style, great peach and white stone fruit on the nose, elegant with some smoke
Classy on the elevated palate, with fruit in concert with the light touch of wood, long flavours, a food wine
The 2020 Ridgeback Signature C Bordeaux blend is ready now with sultry, sweet juicy fruit
and the 2023 Cabernet Franc is a good example of this enjoyable varietal
Restaurateur/chef Giorgio Nava considering his choices
Winemaker Nic van Aarde was holding court at the Oldenburg table; it was so popular, and deservedly so
This is where we found our favourite Chardonnay of the tasting, the UNA V 2024,
a classically made wooded Chardonnay, layered on the nose and palate
The richness of the wood stays and shapes the wine. It spends 10 months in Burgundian oak barrels; 32% are new
Crisp stone fruit melds and comes to the fore, richness delights with fruit and supporting wood
This beautiful blend received a High C from Lynne
The Oldenburg Per Se 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is also remarkable with good fruit and chalky tannins
It needs time but will reward keeping
Vonn Chardonnay 2024 comes from Robertson grapes grown by winemaker Yvonne Lester's grandfather
A classic, rich, full-bodied chardonnay; crisp and long with yellow fruit and wood
Winemaker De Wet Viljoen of Wildekrans showed us his 2024 Grenache Chenin Blanc Barrel Select Reserve
which is juicy, sophisticated and different; and it's a food wine
The Cabernet Franc Barrel Select has a very good classic nose and palate
Ripe fruit in layers; it needs some time, but will develop well
Dornier winemaker Philip van Staden
We tasted the 2025 Pinot Grigio with white peach on the nose, crisp and layered
The 2023 Semillon has waxy honeycomb on the nose and is a classic full, layered, crisp example of this beautiful grape
The 2021 Petit Verdot lived up to expectation with violets on the good nose
It has ripe berry fruit with supporting chalky tannins and asks for "food please, now!"
As does the Tempranillo with its layers of ripe fruit
It has ripe berry fruit with supporting chalky tannins and asks for "food please, now!"
As does the Tempranillo with its layers of ripe fruit
This is a budget-friendly selection of wines from a farm belonging to the family of Taaibosch winemaker Schalk Willem Joubert
Pink Valley sparkling cleaned the palate with crispness. The Le Chant Rouge 2020 has soft fruit on a deep nose and lot of berry fruit on the palate
The Taaibosch Crescendo 2021, is grown in the vineyards that produced the classic Cordoba Crescendo
Sadly, the bottle we tasted did not live up to expectation, with big tannins, light berry fruit and a short finish
Sadly, the bottle we tasted did not live up to expectation, with big tannins, light berry fruit and a short finish
We should have started with Benguela Cove, who had the table nearest the door
but they were so inundated that we left them till last, but the wait was worth while
Two excellent winemakers in Michelle Waldeck and Johan Fourie
(who also runs the Manning's Heath and Leonardslee Sussex vineyards in England for owner Penny Streeter)
but they were so inundated that we left them till last, but the wait was worth while
Two excellent winemakers in Michelle Waldeck and Johan Fourie
(who also runs the Manning's Heath and Leonardslee Sussex vineyards in England for owner Penny Streeter)
One of their top wines is the Cuvée 58 Brut NV made from Sauvignon Blanc,
a wine to start a party with, it has a lovely prickle and clean crispness
We liked their 2026, green and deliciously crisp, 2026 Sauvignon Blanc
The Catalina Semillon was a wow, layered with good full and crisp fruit; it was impressive
The 2025 Pinot Noir is lighter in style, but has delicious fruit; it lights up the palate and is another food wine
The best wine was the Collage 2023 Bordeaux blend. It is spicy on the nose;
a wine to start a party with, it has a lovely prickle and clean crispness
We liked their 2026, green and deliciously crisp, 2026 Sauvignon Blanc
The Catalina Semillon was a wow, layered with good full and crisp fruit; it was impressive
The 2025 Pinot Noir is lighter in style, but has delicious fruit; it lights up the palate and is another food wine
The best wine was the Collage 2023 Bordeaux blend. It is spicy on the nose;
a blend of the components, and then the full berry fruit with pomegranate dryness and good supporting oak
Wow, this has such potential and another good wine with food
Our final reward was a taste of the Noble Late Harvest 2025 which has such fullness and future
Wow, this has such potential and another good wine with food
Our final reward was a taste of the Noble Late Harvest 2025 which has such fullness and future
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
