Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonay 2022
Hartenberg The Eleanor Chardonnay 2022
Pale honeyed yellow in the glass, offering flinty aromas layered with notes of peaches and cream. The palate is richly creamy, balanced by a crisp finish with fresh acidity. Flavours of walnut and apricot add depth, creating a wine that is deeply nuanced and impressive.
95 points Tim Atkin
92 points James Suckling
4½ stars Platter’s SA Wine Guide
Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
The Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
A sublimely expressive wine that shows promise to deliver even more with ageing. Vibrant black cherry and blackcurrant on the nose underpinned by aromas of fynbos and tobacco. Just-ripe, juicy dark fruit is present on entry as well, showcasing an elegant and plush palate. Fine-grained, dry tannins prompt a lingering savoury and earthy finish.
Excellent with grilled ribeye steak. A classic match for richer savoury dishes, springbok fillet or black mushroom stroganoff.
94/100 Tim Atkins
Glenelly Estate Reserve 2017
Glenelly Estate Reserve 2017 is the signature red blend of Glenelly inspired by the classic Claret style of the 1700s, with Cabernet Sauvignon as its backbone, delivering rich cassis, mulberry, cedar, and tobacco notes. Syrah adds red and black cherry flavors with a touch of black pepper spice on the mid-palate. The wine is complex, layering intense fruit with mocha, Christmas cake, sandalwood, and leather. Fresh, fruity acidity balances firm tannins, leading to a clean, dry finish with strong aging potential.
GRAPE VARIETIES 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 12% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 5% Cabernet franc
91/100 Decanter World Wine Awards 2023: Silver Medal
90/100 International Wine Challenge 2023: Silver Medal
93/100 Tim Atkin MW Special South Africa Report 2021
Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is about completeness, and about structure; balance and harmony; about a mannered, agreeable charm that holds one with both the gentle finger-clasp of flirtation and the needy grip of seduction.
The wine has an evocative maritime, oyster-shell aroma, notes often found in well-schooled Cabernet Sauvignon, but mostly on wines of greater maturity. The saline scent, however, quickly gives way to broody, shadowy notes of autumnal fruit and brittle sun-dried cedar.
Upon the first taste the immediate presence and the wine’s commanding structure leads to a comparison of this Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 with some forms of non-consumable beauty. Evocative statuesque images that came to mind are a Michelangelo statue sculpted from Carrara marble; a leopard on its haunches, the golden spotted hide glowing in the late-afternoon sun as its coiled muscles await signals from the mind to unleash the body onto hapless prey; tennis goddess Aryna Sabalenka pummelling a cross-court forehand past a frozen opponent.
In this wine, the muscled tannins have been sculpted into forms of grace and beauty that bear the whole body from the beginning of the sip to the final sappy throes of its finish. The experience is all encompassing, riveting dense beams of classic wine-flavoured elegance covered with plush, broad layers of dark-fruited tapestries where plum, mulberry and blackcurrant are – at this stage of its development – discernible.
But the lasting impression of Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is the way the wine appears polished to a state of clarity and purity, placing it a long way down on the road to the unachievable destination of perfection. No wine will ever get there, but the distance Meerlust has reached is one only attainable by a remarkable few.
Kara-Tara Chardonnay 2023
Kara-Tara Chardonnay 2023 is made with grapes from Stellenbosch, Paarl, Overberg and Elgin. Partially fermented in new oak barrels, this wine has a firm acidity and balances a nuttiness with stone fruit flavours.
94/100 Greg Sherwood MW
After the highly acclaimed 2021, all eyes were on Rudger van Wyk to see what magic he could pull out the hat with the 2022 Kara-Tara release. Made from grapes sourced from four sites in three regions, namely Stellenbosch, Elgin and the Overberg, this wine has all the trappings of a cool climate masterpiece clearly moulded on a fresh vintage of Pouilly Fuissé or Saint Veran in Burgundy. Matured for eight months in barrels utilising 10% new oak, the wine reveals an attractively perfumed nose of honey suckle, white citrus, lemon verbena, popcorn, grated lime peel, zingy lemongrass and gentle herbal notes that intermingle with subtle leesy, biscuity nuances. On the palate there are deliciously racy acids that invigorate the taste buds, framing an intense yellow citrus fruit and oatmeal concentration that melts into a stony river pebble minerality. Fabulous laser sharp texture with a fine, linear cool climate precision, majestic crystallinity and a classically restrained finish. White Burgundy drinkers are going to be bowled over by its light touch 12.5% alcohol as well as its decidedly old world demeanour. Drink this on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years.
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2022
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2022 is a big structured wine with intense dark fruit flavours. Pleasant plum and blackberry aromas upfront with lovely cedar oak in the background. A wine that has great depth and balance with a lasting finish. It will pair well with spicy Indian curries or any red meat on the braai (BBQ). The wine will age superbly for 10 years or longer.
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage is a tribute to Beyers Truter's beloved Great Dane, Diesel, who features on the label. This remarkable Pinotage is a local hero drawing inspiration from their close relationship. Being lithe and supple with authentic varietal expression, depth of flavours, and intensity of fruit. Faithful to its origins, guided by the hand of the winemaker.
Beyerskloof Traildust Cape Blend 2022
The Traildust is a crafty blend of grapes created for serving chilled during the Summer seasons. The Pinotage, Cinsault and Pinot Noir provide for a generous amount of red fruit, cherries, and plum. A well-balanced wine with a juicy middle, so well-rounded tannins, and a sweet fruit finish. This wine is best served chilled (14°C) and combines well with Moroccan lamb and Thai curries.
Grapes were picked at optimum ripeness. Made in open fermenters, on the skins for 4-6 days at an average temp. of 26°C. Punching of the cap was done every 2 hours to extract good colour and flavours from the grapes. Aer malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine aged in third-fill French oak barrels for 12 months.
Rupert and Rothschild Classique 2021
Rupert and Rothschild Classique 2021 is the second vintage to include Cabernet Franc in the blend, which lifts the texture making for a more elegant wine, although Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon still dominate the assemblage. This is Classique at it’s best and after 16 months in French oak and a few years in the bottle this vintage is singing! A complex and smoky nose starts off with roasted coffee, cassis, black cherry and earthy spice. The palate is medium to full bodied with seamless tannins and just enough acidity to retain freshness. There’s ripeness and richness on the palate, but it’s not overworked or overripe, it’s balanced and very well made. The wines of Rupert and Rothschild seem to get better with every passing vintage, and Classique 2020 certainly supports that theory.
92/100 Deano da Vino
Springfield Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2022
The nose shows dark and red cherry.
Dark berries, spiciness and herbs linger on the palate. The wine has great purity of fruit with a hint of wet-stone minerality and a velvet soft finish.
Blend information: Crafted from 95% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec, this blend showcases the expressive character of these noble grape varieties.
Aging potential: Indulge in the Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2021 now for its exceptional drinkability, or allow it to evolve gracefully with cellaring for another 2 – 5 years.
Food suggestions: Pair this exquisite red with culinary delights such as pork loin with plum and Armagnac sauce, game bird with red wine sauce, or hearty dishes featuring Springbok, Ostrich, Kudu, Karoo lamb, or hard cheeses.
Most Recent Accolades:
2021 – 91 Points Tim Atkin MW
2020 – 91 Points Neal Martin MW Vineous
2020 – 91 Points Tim Atkin MW
La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé 2023
La Bastide Blanche Bandol Rosé 2023
The color is distinguished by its deep hue, somewhere between salmon and grapefruit. The nose, meanwhile, reveals notes of citrus and spices. The palate offers a fresh attack that evolves into the spices of Mourvèdre. The finish is relatively saline, almost tannic, with notes of spices and white flowers.
51% MOURVEDRE 24% CINSAULT 19% GRENACHE
92/100 Deano da Vino
Beyerskloof Faith 2021
Intense dark fruit and cassis upon entry, with delicate spice and cedar aromas from the new oak. A big structured Cape blend with excellent complexity but still great balance. Hints of dark chocolate add to a long smooth finish. Pairs well with Rib eye on the bone and oxtail potjie.
35% Pinotage 33% Cabernet Sauvignon 32% Merlot
A Cape blend of Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot which is a testament to the faith Beyers Truter has in Pinotage and the abundant blessings of nature melded in this ultimate expression of South Africa's heritage grape sired in Stellenbosch soils. A big structured, well-rounded, and elegantly balanced Cape blend. This wine will age well for 10-15 years.
