Rustenberg, John X Merriman, 2020, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec snd left in the cask for 20 months makes this red blend from Rustenberg rather good. There’s plenty of red and black fruit flavours, spice, leather, oak notes with a slightly smokey under tone lifts this above the completion. At £14 a bottle it’s not cheap but it’s very nice.
Catherine Marshall, Peters Vision, 2017, South Africa
Made with cab franc and merlot this is good morning red from South Africa. So pretty bold wine reasonably smooth with Titanic’s and very dry. You have flavours and aromas of black fruit, oak and herbaceous notes but with a leather and earthy undertone.
It’s one to drink with food definitely a good steak or tomato based pasta and at £25 a bottle it’s a little bit on the pricey side that said it’s a very good bottle.
I have a soft spot for Rustenberg as the wines are generally good quality I could prices and this pretty much follows through in this Chenin Blanc. Deep lemon in color and although it’s not meant to have been aged in any Oak you do get much more richness that you might expect, I think this is partly because it’s been left on its lees for maturing. It’s dry and crisp and lots of flavor of pear and citrus possibly a little strong for my liking that said it would go very well with white meat fish and Chinese food so from that aspect a thumbs up. At about £6 a bottle it is good value.
Rustenberg Estate, Chenin Blanc, 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Nederburg, Sauvignon Blanc, Auction Reserve, 2015, South Africa
Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa is generally good, more french than New Zealand but this Auction Reserve from Nederburg is superb. Suble aromas of lemon, pineapple and hints of gooseberry and minerality and added flavours that include lime and peach.
There’s lots here but all in harmony and working together. Excellent, truly excellent.
We went to Hartenberg on our last trip to the Western Cape, South Africa and its still as great as when we first tried. There’s a big hit of petroleum on the nose with hints of ripe tropical fruit. Its an off dry riesling that comes across sweeter on the taste with floral, pear, tropical fruits it there. The texture is fuller than many white wines but below that of a traditional german Riesling. Excellent with a vegetarian sweet and sour meal and at £13 a bottle, fair value.
Hartenberg, Occasional Riesling, 2016, South Africa
South Africa does some really good Merlot and Shiraz and this blend brings some good qualities. That’s not a huge amount of aromas on this blend but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You do get flavours of raspberry and plum with more red fruit in there.
It’s a decent red just for drinking ?.
Crows Fountain, Shiraz, Merlot, 2018, South Africa
South Africa produces a lot of Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay and this Daniel’s Drift from Marks & Spencer is pretty typical. At £7 a bottle (£5 on offer) or part of the M&S meal deal this is an easy drinking white wine.
Its light in colour, fresh and crisp on the nose with smells of ripe melon, apple and hints of citrus. There’s more in the flavour with grass, gooseberry and more lemon coming through. It’s a dry wine table wine with goes well with a supermarket meal or on a summer afternoon sitting in the garden.
Decanter gave it a bronze medal at the 2019 awards with 87 points which on reflection and most of the bottle is spot on and great if you can get it at £5 a bottle.
Marks & Spencer, Daniel’s Drift, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, 2018, South Africa
South African Chenin Blanc has a decent reputation of being consistently good quality and good value. This is no exception.
This is the second vintage of Chenin Blanc produced by Rustenberg and they are doing things right. There are aromas of pear and pineapple with wood on the nose with follow through in the taste but are added to with lemon, lime and lychee. This is a crisp, dry white that at £10 a bottle is good on taste and value.
Rustenberg, Chenin Blanc 2018, Stellenbosch, South Africa
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is easy to spot, loads of gooseberry and in your face.
French Sauvignon Blanc is more subtle and this is where this one from South Africa sits. There’s citrus notes with hints of gooseberry on the nose. When you taste it there’s flavours of green apple, citrus, floral hints and a crispness. The acidity is high and there is a cleanliness on the finish that makes this pretty good. The finish is a little short which is a shame.
I liked this wine and at about £7 a bottle its good value. For the summer this will be a great BBQ wine, open, pour and drink.
Klein Street, Sauvignon Blanc 2018, South Africa more
From the minute you pour this wine and see the deep purple colour and then smell the black fruit, vanilla, spice and smokey notes you get the impression that this is an impressive wine.
Its a pretty rich tasting wine with loads of black fruits, blackcurrants, plum but also redcurrant. There spice and smoothness with a little dryness that compliments the whole package.
This is a very good wine and at £11 a bottle pretty decent value.
Grillhouse, Shiraz Pinotage 2017, Western Cape, South Africa