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South Africa

 

New Award Winning Wines arriving shortly!

Now here's a country which has suffered at the hands of unscrupulous wine merchants and the large factory produced brands. I've tasted virtually hundreds of frankly awful South African wines wondering what all the fuss was about in the media. How could a nation have such a large wine industry if it was all such poor quality? The truth is, there are good South African wines, we just have to search very hard to find them in the UK amongst the mass of cheap plonk that's swamping the supermarkets and the greedy pub companies. Pinotage is a South African hybrid of Pinot Noir and Hermitage and can make good wine if you get the right one. Get a bad one and it can put you off for life. I have some more good South African wines due to be added to the site after Christmas.
 
 
Zevenwacht

As all our regular customers know, we personally select every wine on this site on it's own merits, we don't simply list every wine from each producer. Very occassionally we happen across an outstanding winery where virtually every wine they produce is something special, and that's what has happened here with Zevenwacht. We're very fortunate to have formed a good relationship with Denise and have the opportunity to exclusively offer our customers some of their very limited production top end wines. I urge you to give them a try, they're fantastic.

Zevenwacht, owned and run by Denise & Harold Johnson, is an independent estate of 500 hectares with 200 hectares under vine, mostly noble varieties. Their winemaker, Jacques Viljoen, takes a bold approach to winemaking, using modern technology as well as traditional cellaring techniques to produce elegant premium wines.

The estate comprises as well as the winery, of a cheese factory, a chef school, top restaurant with banquetting and conferencing facilities, as well as an inn and guest cottages, and is a fully licensed wedding venue all set in stunning surroundings! On top of all this they make fantastic wines too!

zevenwacht
 
 

Zevenwacht Z Bordeaux Blend Stellenbosch 2007 75cl

Severely limited. This wine is made in tiny quantities - only 1200 bottles, and is exclusive to us in the UK.

Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 09 - Bronze Medal. John Platter 4 Stars

Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. A superb Bordeaux blend with big rich fruit flavours, complexity and structure, very smooth and satisfying with great length. Specific parcels of grapes were identified and selected for this special wine from three separate vineyards, then harvested by hand. The different grapes were all vinified and aged separately for twelve months. The best barrels were then selected and blended, then returned to 50% new and 50% second fill French oak for a further four months. The resultant wine is fantastic. The Cabernet Sauvignon lends weight and structure while the Merlot adds rich red fruits and a softness in the mouth. Cabernet Franc brings delicious strong fruit flavours and mature tannins. The oak aging lends vanilla and cedar wood notes and softens the tannins. Already drinking well, this wine will cellar for at least ten years. Denise tells me Jean Daneel is a big fan of this wine, and he makes some of the best red blends in South Africa!

Only 46 bottles remaining - it's a fantastic wine, I strongly suggest you try a bottle now while you can!

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £19.95 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

OMT
John's Rating
92 Points

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Z Bordeaux Blend Stellenbosch 2007 75cl
 
 

Zevenwacht Z Rhone Blend Stellenbosch 2007 75cl

Severely limited. This wine is made in tiny quantities - only 1200 bottles, and is exclusive to us in the UK.

Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 09 - Bronze Medal. John Platter 4 Stars

Syrah 71%, Mouverdre 25% and Viognier 4%. This is a fantastic Rhone blend. I've just tasted it again and I'm lost for words. The wine is beautiful, intense plum colour, very very smooth with wonderful 'Rhone' flavours of dark chocolate. 'Blooming gorgeous' was how Jane described it. We've only been able to get 60 bottles so it won't last long. I very strongly recommend you try a bottle while you can!

Only 48 bottles left!

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £19.95 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

OMT
John's Rating
93 Points

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Z Rhone Blend Stellenbosch 2007 75cl
 
 

Zevenwacht Tin Mine Red Stellenbosch 2005 75cl

Veritas Awards 2008 Bronze Medal, with IWSC Silver Medal and Veritas Bronze for the 2004 vintage. 14% abv. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Primitivo. This wine is delicious, powerful fruit, with good tannic structure, full bodied, smooth and lingering with a little pepper from the Syrah. We thoroughly enjoyed it on it's own, but this would be a good food wine too. It's refreshing to see a winemaker, in a country dominated by varietals, blending grapes to produce a wine of such elegance and quality. Highly recommended.

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £9.19 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

VER
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Tin Mine Red Stellenbosch 2005 75cl
 
 

Zevenwacht Merlot Stellenbosch 2006 75cl

This vintage was awarded John Platter 4 Stars and Veritas Silver Medal. The 2004 was awarded - Wine Magazine Top 10 Best Value.

14.5% abv. Lovely wine. Ruby in colour. I aerated it through the Vinturi and was instantly met by a strong nose of ripe black fruits and cocoa. Delicious fruit on the palate which is tempered by tannin and light oak toward the finish with a hint of dark chocolate. Smooth and warming, almost 'chewy' in the mouth, with good body and a long dry finish. This is a super Merlot with more body and complexity than expected at this price. Well suited to food - I had mine with roast pork - or equally delicious on it's own.

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £9.29 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

JP
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Merlot Stellenbosch 2006 75cl
 
 

Zevenwacht Pinotage Stellenbosch 2008 75cl

Unfortunately John Platter has this wine marked as 'untasted' in his 2010 guide. It's a real shame he missed this one as I believe it would have been awarded at least 4 Stars!

14% abv. 100% Pinotage, hand harvested fermented in new French oak, then subsequently aged in second use French oak for a further nine months. Bright cherry in colour with aromas of coffee, chocolate and spice. Cherry flavours with sweet tannins and some vanilla from the oak. Delicious.

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £10.16 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Pinotage Stellenbosch 2008 75cl
 
 

Zevenwacht Syrah Stellenbosch 2006 75cl

Old Mutual Trophy 09 - Bronze Medal. John Platter 4 Stars

14% abv. 95% Syrah with a tiny amount of Viognier and Mouverdre. Hand harvested from a very old and special Syrah vineyard. The Syrah and Viognier were fermented together then matured for 15 months in 85% second use French oak and 15% new American oak, then the Mouverdre added and returned to barrel for a further 4 months aging. It's a toasty warm wine with good fruit tempered by spicy pepper. Soft and velvet like in the mouth, smooth with good length.

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £14.95 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

OMT
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Syrah Stellenbosch 2006 75cl
 
 

Zevenwacht Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 2007 75cl

Old Mutual Trophy 09 - Bronze Medal. John Platter 3.5 Stars

14.5% abv. Deep purple in colour with ruby tints, hinting that this is going to be a big powerful wine. Concentrated fruit flavours with noticeable but very well balanced oak and tannin. It's full in the mouth with some spice and white pepper complimenting the fruit flavours, with a long dry finish. It's made in that typical powerful South African style, rather than the more subdued elegant style of old world Cabernets. If you like powerful wines, it's a cracker.

Zevenwacht Website

Price: £10.16 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

OMT
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Zevenwacht Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 2007 75cl
 
 
jordan image
 
 
The Jordan winery today is run by Gary and Kathy Jordan making some outstanding world class wines. The 300 year old 146 hectare farm was purchased by Gary's parents - Ted and Sheelagh - back in 1982, when they undertook an extensive replanting programme of all the vineyards. Gary and Kathy spent a couple of years abroad learning their wine making skills then returned home in 1992 and began producing quality wines from 1993 onwards, once the vines were mature.

Gary and Kathy are 'next door neighbours' and close friends with Harold and Denise of Zevenwacht - although I wouldn't like to walk from one house to the other! The secret to both estates' success is largely due to the same factors - yes, you need wine making skill and experience as well as a dedication to producing the best quality wine possible, but both these estates also have an array of different terroirs. Here lies the real skill of matching each grape variety to it's ideal terroir. Because of the specific landscape both estates have slopes facing to all four points of the compass, all at different altitudes, different degrees of slope and aspect to the sun, and all on 600 million year old soils with unique qualities. Add to this the cooling Atlantic and Indian oceans and the mediteranean climate and there's a myriad of different combinations.

The Jordans have got it right - and so have Zevenwacht - with each variety in it's ideal location producing optimum fruit. Their wines are highly recommended.
 
 

Jordan Cobblers Hill Stellenbosch 2005 75cl

John Platter 5 stars for the 2005, with the 04 awarded 4.5 stars too. Wine Enthusiast 90 points for 2004 with previous vintages winning a host of awards. This 05 is the one to buy as the 06 has gone back down to 4.5 stars. Get it while you can!

14.5% abv. 46% Cabernet Sauvignon 33% Merlot 21% Cabernet Franc, aged 24 months in French oak barriques. This is a beautiful wine.Very deep ruby purple in colour with a powerful nose of dark chocolate. Intense fruit flavours in layers. This is a structured wine, smooth with supreme length. Very well suited to food but also absolutely delicious on it's own. Superb.

Jordan Website

Price: £17.82 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

John Platter
John's Rating
90 Points

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Jordan Cobblers Hill Stellenbosch 2005 75cl
 
 

Linton Park Shiraz 2002 Paarl 75cl

A host of South African awards including Michelangelo - Gold Medal, Fairborn Capital Trophy, Wine Magazine - 4 Stars, John Platter - 4 Stars. 14.5% abv. The 'Linton Park' range are the estate's premium wines. Very deep and dark in colour with a wonderful, big nose. Full bodied and full on the palate with plenty of fruit and vanilla, very smooth with great length. This is a big powerful wine. Recommended.

Linton Park Website

Price: £10.58 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

MA
John's Rating

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Linton Park Shiraz 2002 Paarl 75cl
 
 

Linton Park Shiraz 2001 Proprietors Reserve Paarl 75cl

John Platter - 4 Stars. 14.5% abv. Description to follow.

Linton Park Website

Price: £14.69 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

J PLATTER
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Linton Park Shiraz 2001 Proprietors Reserve Paarl 75cl
 
 

Capell's Court Shiraz Linton Park 2007 75cl

15% abv. A big, powerful shiraz with plenty of black fruit on the palate, which gives way to flavours of toffee and spice. High in alcohol and full flavoured. If you like subtle and delicate wines, this one is not for you! Best drunk on it's own as it'll overpower food.

Linton Park Website

Price: £7.64 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Capell's Court Shiraz Linton Park 2007 75cl
 
 

Capell's Court Cabernet Sauvignon Linton Park 2005 75cl

IWC Bronze Medal. - Library photo of Shiraz

Good fruit on the nose. The wine has great fruit, fairly full bodied, rich and complex with just the right balance of wood and acidity on the finish. I really enjoyed it on it's own but it'd also be good with strongly flavoured foods ideally steaks, barbequed meats, casseroles or good cheese. It's refreshingly big and powerful for a Cab Sauv. Delicious.

Linton Park Website

Price: £7.64 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
Awards:

IWC
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Capell's Court Cabernet Sauvignon Linton Park 2005 75cl
 
 

Capell's Court Pinotage Linton Park 2005 75cl

13.5% abv. Deep purple colour. Good fruit upfront, soft and smooth with good length. Suprisingly, not as big as the Cab Sauv or Shiraz, but still a good wine to enjoy on it's own.

Linton Park Website

Price: £7.64 (Inc.  VAT at 17.5% )


Sulphites:
John's Rating

Quantity:     Bottle(s)

Capell's Court Pinotage Linton Park 2005 75cl