wine-info
Badenhorst Family Wines
It was only just over a year ago that we shipped for the first time from Adi Badenhorst - he of the interesting facial hair, top parrot-breeder and winemaker of rare genius - after he gave up his post as the head winemaker at Rustenberg. Alongside his family-owned vineyards at Kalmoesfontein farm on the Paardeberg, Adi’s cellar is now looking fully renovated and he was in ebullient form when visited in March. His wines have found favour everywhere - from our band of customers to wine critics around the world.
What is his secret? Well, he is crafting wines in a very traditional, minimal interventionist manner, using concrete fermentation tanks and old oak, often big old barrels which give no wood tannins at all. Whilst he professes total naivety along the lines of “Ach, man, we dump it all in here and it just makes itself”, he is also highly thoughtful. He prefers to leave his reds, post-fermentation, on their skins for 6-12 months - as he believes this delivers smooth tannins, texture and suppleness. He is also moving towards picking earlier, to avoid
jamminess and to seek a more perfumed, Rhône-like style.
The rosé is a new arrival and we are the only UK shippers to date. We tasted a tank in the spring and found this blend, from Adi’s younger vines of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, so delicious that we pushed him to bottle it immediately.
Related Wines
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Badenhorst, Secateurs Rosé, Cinsault, Shiraz, Grenache, Swartland, 2011
“Bright pink, slightly coppery. Gorgeous, seductive mouthful of fresh red berries. Great depth of fruit and considerable weight, full-flavoured yet...”
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Badenhorst, Secateurs Red, Coastal Region, 2010
“A lightly oaked blend of mainly Shiraz, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault and Grenache, bold but wholly smooth. A bottle slips down all too...”
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Badenhorst Red Blend, Coastal Region, 2007
“80% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, 7% Cinsault, and 3% Grenache. Only the second vintage of this Rhônish blend. Brooding aromas of smoke, toast with savoury...”
Our Favourite Selection
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Château Pierre-Bise, Savennières, Clos de Coulaine, 2009
“Pale gold with a suggestion of green. Apricot on the nose with grassy hints. Richly textured, powerful quince fruit, with a fine mineral thread and a...”
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Château Pierre-Bise, Coteaux du Layon, Beaulieu, Rouannières, 2009
“From a vineyard on thin soil over spilite. Old gold colour. Very expansive tropical aromas. Apricot and rich fruit cake flavours , cut with tingling...”
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Domaine du Joncier, Lirac, Le Gourmand, 2010
“Marine Roussel adopted organic viticulture a few years ago, after being near-organic for years. From the 2008 vintage the wines have been certified...”
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Santa Luz, Sauvignon Blanc, Bin 955, Valle Central, 2011
“Chile is the best place in the world for good value Sauvignon Blanc: though one still has to hunt hard to seek true varietal character at a fair...”
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Conviviale, Primitivo, Salento, 2010
“Bittersweet , brambly fruit - quite punchy and lively, but also supple. Discreet smokiness. One for robust Mediterranean cuisine: tomatoes, peppers,...”
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Domaine Ninot, Rully Blanc, 2009
“From a single vineyard south west of the village. Engagingly open hazelnut aroma. Clean, ripe pear fruit, with well integrated acidity and mealy...”
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Château Barrejat, Madiran, Tradition, 2009
“From 60% Tannat, with 20% Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, lightly oaked, this is an honest, mildly rustic wine, a perfect foil for sausages or...”
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Domaine de la Pigeade,Ventoux Classique, 2010
“We have listed Thierry’s red Ventoux Classique (from Grenache, Carignan and Syrah), before but he has moved it onto a different level with the...”
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Domaine Fontanel, Côtes du Roussillon, 2009
“Aromas of black cherries with dark chocolate touches. Lively, plum and black cherry favours,. Good ripe tannins. Just slightly (and attractively)...”
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Domaine des Amadieu, Côtes du Rhône Villages, Cairanne, Vieilles Vignes, 2007
“Retains a good deep colour. Attractive Kirsch aromas. Concentrated, old-viney fruit, redolent of red berries and mulberries, lightly spiced. This is...”
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Château Tour de Bellegarde, Bordeaux, 2009
“Crafted by the Janaud family at Villegouge near Fronsac, this 100% Merlot cuvée is all aged in barrel; and offers another example of how the superb...”
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Ca’ di Ponti, Grillo, IGT Sicily, 2010
“As a grape which retains freshness and character in Mediterranean heat, Grillo is perfectly suited to Sicily.”

































