South Africa Red Wine
We're now working with some of the top wineries in South Africa (directly), and several boutique importers, to bring many of the very best South African wines to the UK market. These wines are beautifully crafted, often in tiny quantities and represent excellent value for money. Please give them a try, you will be blown away by the quality.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 - in fact there are world class 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 low end on-trade offerings.We're personally very impressed by the quality of the boutique wines in South Africa, so we're actively sourcing more wines from small ethical producers, and we're importing these ourselves cutting out the importer's margin to bring them to you at the best prices.Many of these wines are exclusive to us in the UK and are amongst the finest to come from the Cape.Grangehurst Winery Stellenbosch
Grangehurst Winery on Eikendal Road in Stellenbosch is one of South Africa's very finest wineries producing exceptional unhurried red wines (and one Rose). It was founded by Jeremy Walker back in 1992 on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain.On Jeremy's first vintage he won the trophy for South Africa's Champion Wine! And since then he has accumulated a very impressive array of awards including the first 5-star rating for a red wine by Wine Magazine, the only CWG wine to be rated 5-stars by Wine Magazine, the only Pinotage (Hidden Valley) to be rated 5-stars by Wine Magazine as well as a Platter 5-star award for Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend, and the Nikela has received a 92-point Parker rating (USA).In fact the Nikela 2005 has just been voted in the top 5 Cape Blends by the Pinotage Association, winning Jeremy a trip out to California. His Cabernet Merlot 2005 just beat 8 top Bordeaux (costing five times as much or more) in a blind tasting in California too! And all his wines have consistently scored 4 to 4.5 Stars in the Platter guide, year after year. Jeremy is of course a member of South Africa's elite winemaking circle - the Cape Winemakers Guild. And Grangehurst is also Wine Magazine's most awarded 5 Star Winery.Jeremy describes his wines as European in style with elegance and structure, rather than new world blockbusters - "French style with more fruit". They take time to produce being aged at the winery for a number of years prior to release - something unusual for new world producers.We're delighted to be working with him bringing his excellent wines to our customers here in the UK.
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. We are listing nearly all the Zevenwacht portfolio though as all their wines are very good, and offer great value for money. Zevenwacht is a large estate of 500 hectares with 200 hectares planted to vine. Their winemaker, Jacques Viljoen, takes a bold approach to winemaking, using modern technology as well as traditional cellaring techniques to produce elegant premium wines. I've been listing their wines since 2008 and every year they get better and better. We have a good relationship with Denise (the owner) and we were even involved in creating a white blend for her on our recent trip out there - I hope it goes down well Denise! Zevenwacht's consultant winemaker Chris Keets is a bit of a perfectionist, and he even makes a small batch Bordeaux Blend under his own label which we will probably import when he makes enough to let us have any!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! There's a fantastic little shop where you can purchase a picnic to take down by the lake with your wine to while away the afternoon - just make sure you are not the driver!The estate is a big place and surprisingly easy to get lost on your first visit as all signs seem to say "Zevenwacht ...something" but once you reach the lake it's straight forward from there! I've been assured the signage will shortly be improved.Their vineyards back right onto Jordans, and interestingly Denise is about to launch the first vintage of a superb barrel aged Chardonnay this year - something Jordans are world famous for. I tasted it and it was fantastic so fingers crossed Zevenwacht's UK importers will actually bring some over if I pester them enough!
Jordan 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 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.The Jordan estate has one of the most spectacular views in Stellenbosch, which is a truly stunning location to enjoy lunch in the George Jardine restaurant. Being on the east of Stellenbosch on a hill they have a view west across to the Heldeberg and the mountains separating Stellenbosch from Franschoek. It is a real "must see" if you plan to visit the South African wine lands.
The Ernie Els winery is one of the most pristine and professional wineries in Stellenbosch. I suppose you would expect nothing less given that Ernie had the money to create his vision from scratch, rather than have to make his money from wine sales first! The result is quite spectacular.Set at the foot of the Heldeberg, this is Stellenbosch's premium region for red wines given that the slopes are north facing with a steep angle to the sun and cooling breezes from False Bay. This pedigree is borne out by the other prestigious red wine producers they have as neighbours - Grangehurst (some of the best reds in SA), Rust en Vrede, Guardian Peak, Eikendal and more.Ernie set up in partnership with his pal Jean Engelbricht with Louis Strydom as winemaker. Jean and Ernie have parted ways to follow their own separate business ventures but the Ernie Els winery remains a proud testament to what can be achieved.You will see in the picture Ernie's private tasting room as well as a temporary marquee on the front lawn! If you're visiting get yourself a driver and start at the top of the hill at Uva Mira with stunning views, then work down to Hidden Valley for a beautiful, fresh great value lunch. Then Ernie's, Guardian Peak and Rust en Vrede. Grangehurst is a five minute drive away directly behind Eikendal just off R44 and is a very small operation, but well worth a visit if you can manage it as their wines are something special.Many wineries offer 2 different tasting selections - always opt for the premium tasting selection, it's usually only about 30 to 50 Rand (£3 to £4 for 5 wines!) and you get to taste some of their very limited wines which cost upward of £20 at the winery door, so they are great value! And if you buy a bottle you don't pay for the tasting!
Boekenhoutskloof is set in a stunning location at the top of Franschoek Valley. Franschoek itself is a small upmarket town lined with outdoor eateries, art galleries and prestigious wineries. It is a stunningly beautiful location and perhaps South Africa's premier wine region.Boekenhoutskloof started in 1997 with just 5500 bottles for their first vintage. Today they produce about 4.5 million bottles each year. Much of this is their Wolftrap and Pocupine Ridge labels which are actually made at a larger more commercial winery. The original Boekenhoutskloof winery is reserved for their top wines, and they have purposefully retained it's character and integrity.The views from the terrace are stunning. Their top wines are rated amongst some of South Africa's best. If you look carefully at the bottom right image you will see 3 small barrels - this is their "Journeyman" a top cuvee which is produced annually (only if the conditions are right to produce perfect fruit). It is not commercially available but is given to their best restaurant customers locally. We did get a case of 6 ourselves two years ago (we have a strong relationship with the biggest allocation of their premium wines in the UK) but seeing these barrels next to their other wines really put in perspective how rare this wine is!You will also see the concrete "eggs" which is a very interesting way to ferment wine. Apparently the moon's gravational pull actually stirs the wine - like the movement of the tide!And the middle photo is their Semillon vineyard so again you can see it's very small, hence their Semillon is produced in tiny amounts, particularly once the baboons have pinched half the grapes!
| Graceland Vineyards A small winery of 18 hectares backing onto the Heldeburg, owned and operated by Paul and Susan McNaughton with their children lending a hand in the cellar at busy times! They produce only a small quantity of red wines which are particularly good. They regularly score at least 4 stars from John Platter, although these latest vintages are yet to be rated. Susan also packages them beautifully (Strawberry Fields may be a little unartistic but the others look great).She adopted Renault's famous painting of the "Three Graces" for the winery and this appears on each bottle, which also come elegantly wrapped in a 3/4 paper jacket sealed with the Graceland stamp. They make a lovely looking (and tasting) gift.The picture is of two of their dogs, as Susan says "when the dogs start eating the grapes off the vine we know they're ready for picking". |
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