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: CED116
Cederberg, Chenin Blanc, Cederberg, 2016
“Always our benchmark wine here, and particularly expressive in the latest vintage. Open, appealing scent of fresh pineapple and citrus. Mouthwatering...”
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Product Code: BAD116
Badenhorst, Secateurs White, Chenin Blanc, Swartland, 2016
“From old - largely planted in the 1960s - vines on Adi Badenhorst’s family farm on the Paardebeerg, plus fruit from a neighbour. About 10% goes...”
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Product Code: BAD314
Badenhorst Family White, Coastal Region, 2014
“This is the top white blend made by Adi Badenhorst, hirsute parrot breeder and winemaking genius. The target is consistent, a densely textured,...”
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Product Code: CHX614
Chamonix, Reserve White, Franschhoek, 2014
“55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Semillon. 10% of the Sauvignon is whole-bunch fermented 'Maceration Carbonique' and matured in oak. The wine of...”
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Product Code: CHX715
Chamonix, Chardonnay Reserve, Franschhoek, 2015
“A 2017 Platter Wine Guide 5 star winner, again confirming this as one of the Cape’s top Chardonnays. From vines at 400-500m up, the fruit is all...”
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Product Code: FRY116
Fryer's Cove, Sauvignon Blanc, Bamboes Bay, 2016
“This is brilliantly intense. A little tight on the nose - but opens out superbly and the palate shows a terrific cocktail of ripe citrus and...”
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Product Code: NIT115
Nitida, Semillon, Durbanville, 2015
“Nitida, near Cape Town on the Atlantic-influenced west coast, is well-known for growing high quality Semillon: half of this wine is barrel fermented,...”
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Product Code: NIT314
Nitida, Coronata Integration, Durbanville, 2014
“This won the top Platter 5 star award, described thus in the 2016 Platter’s guide: "Smooth, silky 14 combines barrelfermented sémillon (60%)...”
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Product Code: CHX916
Chamonix, Unoaked Chardonnay, Franschhoek, 2016
“Chamonix’s unoaked Chardonnay, crafted using only wild yeasts, always shows splendid weight and character.”
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Product Code: ATA114
Ataraxia, Chardonnay, Western Cape, 2014
“Now sourced entirely from cool-climate sites in Hemel-enAarde, picked in late March, barrel-fermented, and aged in 26% new French barrels, 74% second...”
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Product Code: BBO116
BLANKbottle, Moment of Silence, Wellington, 2016
“The latest vintage of this highly popular wine. It’s a blend of Chenin Blanc from four different sites, plus Grenache Blanc and Viognier (so...”
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Product Code: CAH116
Cape Heights, Chenin Blanc, Western Cape, 2016
“A revelation: winemaker Marinda Kruger Van Eck sources dry-farmed bush-vine Chenin from Paardeberg, Paarl and the Drakenstein area, and makes a...”
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Product Code: NIT415
Nitida, Riesling, Durbanville, 2015
“Wow - this Riesling is a new wine for us, but we were knocked out by this example: if it came from Alsace or Germany it would be £14-17.00 a bottle.”
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Product Code: LEM813
Lemberg, Harslevelu,Tulbagh 2013
“A tiny production wine " we have taken nearly a fifth of the bottles" this is made in a deliberately oxydised style, aged in 500litre...”
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Product Code: DDD113
Domaine des Dieux, Chardonnay, Hemel-en-Aarde 2013
“This is the second vintage we have shipped of this terrific Chardonnay from a prime site on the Hemel-en-Aarde ridge. It's just come 18th in a...”
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Product Code: CED616
Cape Atlantic, Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, 2016
“This is David Niewoudt's 2nd label: the wine is from the young Sauvignon parcels at two cool-climate sites: the Cederberg estate, 3000 feet up...”
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Product Code: CAH316
Cape Heights Viognier Western Cape 2016
“From fruit grown on granite-based soils around Worcester, a warm zone perfect for ripening Viognier at the high yield necessary for this price. Open,...”
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Product Code: GDV116
Goedverwacht, Great Expectations, Chardonnay, Robertson, 2016
“We have not shipped this wine for years, but were impressed by the balance between ripe fruit, a little oak flavour, and excellent freshness. Gently...”
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Product Code: CAP116
Cape Rock White, Olifants River, 2016
“Cape Rock is the creation of Gavin Brand, a mildly introverted and modest landscape architect in Cape Town. His family’s 11 hectare farm is near...”
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Product Code: FLE114
The Fledge & Co, Vagabond, Western Cape, 2014
“60% Viognier from the Klein Karoo with 40% Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc, barrel fermented: the Viognier offers delightful scents of pure apricots with...”
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Product Code: FLE314
The Fledge & Co Klipspringer, Swartland, 2014
“From old bushvine Chenin Blanc, grown on the Paardeberg in Swartland on decomposed granite – unoaked, but given lengthy ageing on the lees. We like...”
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Product Code: CED316
Cederberg, Bukettraube, Cederberg, 2016
“"Cederberg produce a well-made, exotically-fruited version with around 25g/l residual sugar", Jancis Robinson , Wine Grapes, 2012. I...”
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Product Code: BBO414
Blankbottle Dok, Elgin 2014
“Winemaker Pieter Walser says: "This is the 3rd vintage of DOK, and I am so sorry to say, also the last. This white blend made of mainly Weisser...”
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Product Code: CED514
Cederberg, V Generations Chenin Blanc, 2014
“David Niewoudt bottled just nine barrels, 360 cases, of this top white, a barrel-fermented Chenin of great freshness and intensity. Very pale and...”
Displaying Wines 1 to 24 of 24
