South Africa
South African White Wines
(from IWC 2016's South African Specialist Award Winner)
South Africa’s white grape is Chenin Blanc, a local speciality: after all, there’s a lot more Chenin planted in the Cape than there is in its Loire homeland.
We always offer half a dozen pure or Chenin-dominated styles, from thrillingly crisp and mineral via fruity and weighty to oaked examples.
Chardonnay is also hugely successful in the Cape, at every price level, but especially from cooler zones such as the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Franschhoek. Likewise even if it’s too hot in most of the winelands for Sauvignon Blanc, the best, from cool coastal vineyards, successfully bestride the gap between Loire and New Zealand styles.
The most exciting recent development in the Cape is the emergence of South African white blends as a real national strength: these now come in three styles: Chenin-based blends with a seasoning of varieties from Chardonnay, Sauvignon to oddball extras; white Bordeaux blends majoring on Sauvignon and Semillon; and Rhône blends featuring Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette - with perhaps some Chenin.
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South Africa
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Product Code: FAB119
False Bay, Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, 2019 (Screwcap)
“From dry-farmed, bush vines, mainly in the Paardeberg and Riebeek Valley, slowly fermented, using only wild yeasts. Lightly honeyed scent. This is...”
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Product Code: CED119
Cederberg, Chenin Blanc, Cederberg, 2019 (Screwcap)
“Always our benchmark wine at this estate - this is the 17th continuous vintage we have shipped. As usual, almost water white. Open, appealing scent...”
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Product Code: BAD119
Badenhorst, Secateurs White, Chenin Blanc, Swartland, 2019 (Screwcap)
“10% goes into old oak barrels, giving volume rather than oak flavour, and the wine gains weight from about seven months on its lees. This is just so...”
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Product Code: BAD317
Badenhorst Family White, Kalmoesfontein White Blend, Coastal Region, 2017
“The target is consistent, a densely textured, complex wine, based on fruit from the family vineyards on the Paardeberg: in this vintage 32% Chenin...”
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Product Code: CHX615
Chamonix, Reserve White, Franschhoek, 2015
“From 79% Sauvignon Blanc and 21% Sémillon. Assured winemaking: all barrel fermented (about 10% of the Sauvignon whole bunch fermented); then into...”
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Product Code: CHX716
Chamonix, Chardonnay Reserve, Franschhoek, 2016
“This seems more restrained than past vintages - more sophisticated? Aromas of high quality barrels and stone fruit. Creamy volume and richness. So...”
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Product Code: FRY117
Fryer's Cove, Sauvignon Blanc, Bamboes Bay, 2017
“A Cape Pouilly-Fumé - an intense mouthful of gooseberry and passion-fruit, checked by crisp minerality. Some tasters may taste salt in this wine -...”
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Product Code: CED418
Ghost Corner, Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc, Elim, 2018 (Screwcap)
“From vines on slate, koffieklip and gravel at cool Cape Agulhas, this is David’s top Sauvignon: the 2017 vintage won the Sauvignon Blanc trophy in...”
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Product Code: BBO117
Blankbottle, Moment of Silence, Wellington, 2017
“Moment of Silence (or MoS for short) is always the best value wine in Pieter Walser’s eclectic zoo of mad and bad blends. Chenin Blanc from four...”
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Product Code: BBO218
BLANKbottle, Epileptic Inspiration, Western Cape, 2018
“The name refers to Pieter’s epilepsy: after a bad fit in 2013 Pieter found himself lacking any short-term memory, and thus robbed of the cares of...”
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Product Code: CAH118
Cape Heights, Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, 2018 (Screwcap)
“Surprisingly good at the price: winemaker Marinda Kruger Van Eck sources dry-farmed bush-vine Chenin from Paardeberg, Paarl and the Drakenstein area,...”
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Product Code: BAD219
Badenhorst Family Wines, Papegaai, Palomino / Semillon, Western Cape, 2019 (Screwcap)
“By European standards this is a strange blend: the Spanish Palomino grape, known for sherry; with Semillon, best known for dry and late harvest wines...”
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Product Code: CED619
Cape Atlantic, Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, 2019 (Screwcap)
“We are the sole importers of this brilliantly charged and zippy SB, made by top Cape winemaker David Nieuwoudt at Cederberg. Although there is no...”
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Product Code: GDV119
Goedverwacht, Great Expectations, Chardonnay, Robertson, 2019 (Screwcap)
“Our favourite wine at this estate - and one which has become more and more popular, even to the point of us selling it to some smart restaurants - is...”
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Product Code: CED319
Cederberg, Bukettraube, Cederberg, 2019 (Screwcap)
“"Cederberg produce a well-made, exotically-fruited version with around 25g/l residual sugar", Jancis Robinson , Wine Grapes, 2012. We...”
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Product Code: CED518
Cederberg, V Generations Chenin Blanc, 2018
“Twelve selected barrels were used to produce 1000 cases of the estate’s top Chenin – always one of the best in the Cape. Concentrated, quite oaky...”
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Product Code: FRY319
Doring Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, 2019 (Screwcap)
“Doring Bay is the second line of Fryer’s Cove. An intense, green-fruited and zippy example, based on their cool coastal fruit, punchy and...”
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Product Code: DDD116
Domaine des Dieux, Chardonnay, Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 2016
“Lovely bright hue – does it have a hint of green? As ever, rich and opulent, showing lime and cream, whilst restrained by a chalky note. In short:...”
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Product Code: SIX119
Six Hats, Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, 2019 (Screwcap)
“Six hats is the estate’s second, Fairtrade label, including fruit not just from the estate but from farmers near Malmesbury too. This is such a...”
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Product Code: PIK118
Piekenierskloof, Grenache Blanc, 2018
“Largely from very low-yields (in the drought year) from bush vines planted in 1987 on koffieklip (ferricrete, a sedimentary rock widely distributed...”
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Product Code: KOE117
Koelfontein Chardonnay, Ceres, 2017
“From a block planted in 1987, and about 1/3 matured in new barrels, 2/3 second fill. Opulent, exotic, full-on example – an old-fashioned Cape...”
Displaying Wines 1 to 21 of 21
