Keermont Steepside Syrah 2017
Keermont Steepside Syrah 2017
TASTING NOTE
Topside Syrah 2017 is bright royal red in colour. It has a bouquet of dark spicy fruit with cloves, violets, and white pepper. The palate starts soft and weightless, but opens up with ripe sweet cherry fruit, herbs and dry angular tannins. There is a lovely sweet-sour balance which maintains the tension in the finish. Drink 2022-2035.
ACCOLADES
5 stars PLATTER GUIDE
96/100 TIM ATKIN (MW)
94/100 NEAL MARTIN (VINOUS)
90/100 WINE SPECTATOR
Franschhoek Cellar Rose 2024
Franschhoek Cellar Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Vilafonte Series C 2019
The Vilafonte Series C 2019 displays an intense ruby-purple colour and a vibrant, crimson rim. Dense on opening, this blend offers seductively fragrant layers of blackberry, cassis and baked plum, perfectly offset by a savoury, hoisin sauce note. Opulent floral notes; violet and lilac harmoniously blend to fresh-crushed juniper berry, pencil shavings, nuanced dark chocolate and sweet, warm
nutmeg. The palate reveals a plush, expansive entry, with vivid continuity. Fine-grained tannins throughout embody a cashmere embrace, building on the fine and assertive structure. Sumptuous black berry fruits are expressive and well-defined, underpinned by a mouth-watering core with effortlessly long finish. While alluring in its youth, the 2019 Series C promises a decade or more of cellaring to realise its full potential.
The Blend
Twenty-two months in seventy-four percent new French oak barrique, with the balance in older French oak.
Series C 2019 consists of Cabernet Sauvignon (fifty-six percent), equal parts Merlot and Malbec (twenty percent each) and Cabernet Franc (four percent).
Forty-six barrels were produced.
96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW
95/100 Deano da Vino
Vergelegen Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2020
VERGELEGEN V 2014
VERGELEGEN V 2014 has a complex nose, showing blackcurrants, red cherries, cedar wood,
lead pencil and cigar box aromas. These develop in the glass and are
joined by raspberry, black cherry, spice and a hint of gaminess. On the
palate the wine is concentrated but elegant, with fine-grained tannins.
These tannins soften even further in the glass, resulting in a luxurious
wine with a long aftertaste.
Cabernet Sauvignon 100%
Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2022
Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse 2021 is composed from a number of carefully selected vineyard sites in the Western Cape. A layered and complex nose reveals golden kiwi fruit, mace, apple skin and shy florals, leading into a rounded, rich palate of honeyed nougat with a long taut, slightly saline finish.
Viña Tondonia Reserva 2013
Viña Tondonia Reserva 2013
96/100 Robert Parker
This wine spends 72 months in barrel, yet don’t expect it to result in an oaky wine, as it’s polished, refined, on both the nose and the palate. A wine that’s very easy to drink, thanks to its delicate mouthfeel and low alcohol content. Its colour displays evidence of its evolution, with a brick-red rim when first released, although its ruby-red colour remains constant over time. On the nose it offers the typical aromas of a classic Rioja, toasted and cocoa, but there’s also ripe fruit, yet without highlighting any particular variety used in its production. On the palate it’s a wine which is clearly dry and juicy, with refined tannins, extremely inviting and with an extraordinary freshness, foretelling a long life ahead. The secret is the old oak barrels, a very good selection of grapes, patience and wisdom. It knows how to please.
Cadus Tupungato Appellation Malbec 2020
Cadus Tupungato Appellation Malbec 2020
TASTING NOTE
The combination of altitude (1300m) and rocky soils provide a platform for Malbec to excel. Intense purple in colour, the wine displays great depth of black fruits, fresh herbal notes and spice. The palate is elegant with lovely weight, crunchy black fruits and fresh acidity. The finish is firm and granitic yet rich in supple fruit.
FOOD MATCH
Roasted lamb, red meats, and the perfect match to the traditional "empanadas" from Argentina (home made meat pies). Or perfect as a comforting, fireside wine.
Paul Cluver Village Pinot Noir 2022
Paul Cluver Village Chardonnay 2023
A great expression of a lightly oaked chardonnay, bursting with citrus and fresh Granny Smith apple notes. Followed by nuances of white peach and complemented with subtle hints of oak. These characteristics follow through onto the palate which reveals natural, fresh and fine acidity, with a lingering finish