South Africa

Tim Atkin MW 95 points. The  Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon  presents itself in a bright ruby red colour in the glass and exudes a complex bouquet of intense, dense fruit aromas such as blackcurrants, plums, notes of vanilla and tobacco. On the palate this wine is impressively structured with full body and intense fruitiness. Cassis and plum notes combine perfectly with soft tannins, a fresh natural acidity and a long and satisfying finish.

Tim Atkin MW 93 points. Deep ruby red. Typical Merlot notes of black plum, dark cherry, dried herbs underpinned by mocha and tobacco. The palate is generous with juicy dark fruit, while still delicate on the finish, showing complex cherry tobacco flavours coupled with a fine acidity. This wine shows will age gracefully and will gain in complexity and suppleness of tannin for many years to come.  

Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak, 94 points. "This was initially made as a one-off declassification, but now it is a permanent part of the range: they have 20 hectares of younger vineyards that need a home. 2021 was a lovely vintage, and quite cool, giving intense wines but also fresh wines and this year the wine was Cabernet Franc led. 18 months in oak, 10% new. Chunky and focused with sweet black cherry and berry fruits, with nice definition. Good concentration with a bit of structure and nice freshness. Lovely intensity to this wine with great balance and potential for ageing. 94/100"  May 2025. Additional Information Meerlust has...

Tasting Notes Youthful ruby red colour, with a garnet red hue. Supple red and black fruit, with warm spice on the nose with some supporting oak notes. Still young and intense, the palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh red fruit and soft rounded tannins.   Ageing Potential Ageing potential of 5-8 years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.   Blend Information 36% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot

Platter 5 Stars Tim Atkin MW 96 points. An absolutely brilliant bottling of this South African icon.   "Deep purple-black in colour, the intensity and gravitas of this vintage is highlighted by the tight, dense, dark broody aromatics that require more than a little coaxing out the glass before revealing a very focused, slightly introverted bouquet of complex, tightly interwoven notes of violets, black currant preserve, black plum, Black Forest gateaux and hoisin sauce with backing notes of dried fennel, salty black liquorice, spicy cedar and an exotic Asian 5 spice nuance. While 2017 certainly stands out as another classical year...

Tim Atkin 96 points. "Very deep, youthful colour, and intense almost purple hue. Very classic Rubicon nose with violets, ripe plum, cedar wood and intense spiciness. A typical liquorice note also evident on the nose. Still young and intense, promising further maturation potential. The palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh dark fruit and rounded, linear tannins."   #MEERLUST  

Porseleinberg is the result of Marc Kent’s search for the best Syrah grapes, a journey that inevitably took him to the Swartland. It was here that Kent found an isolated and windswept wine farm perched atop the Porseleinberg mountain. The site is now recognised as one of the greatest Syrah vineyards in the world.   "Given its consistently outstanding quality, it’s easy to forget that the average age of Porseleinberg's 14 hectares of vineyards is only seven years' old. Showing what Callie Louw calls a "little more crunch" in 2021, this is a Syrah with time on its side. Wild herb aromas of sage, oregano...

Rich aromas of blackberries, cassis, eucalyptus and dark chocolate follow through to a smooth palate that is both balanced and well-rounded with fine grained tannins.

Tim Atkin 95 points. The Peter Barlow, derives it’s name from the man who bought the property and lovingly restored it to become a South African icon in the wine industry. Being made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the oldest vineyard on the estate, the Peter Barlow is a rich, robust varietal example of the exceptional quality and ageability of Cabernet made on the Estate and in the Simonsberg region. A highly collected wine which will age gracefully under the correct cellaring conditions.

Recognised globally as one of South Africa’s top five wine estates, Rustenberg is also one of the oldest in the Cape. In 1941 the Rustenberg Farm, which sits 6km north of Stellenbosch, was bought by Peter Barlow. Vineyards producing the grapes for Rustenberg wines climb the rich red slopes of the Simonsberg and Helderberg; a range of slopes and aspects allows site-specific plantings that enhance varietal characteristics. With a long and very proud history of producing exceptional wines, Rustenberg’s winemaking style is simple: produce quality wines true to the style of the estate and the brand. Named after a former Rustenberg...

This is the fourth vintage of this wine after re-planting. Our idea has always been to make what is basically a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from this unique vineyard. It is not a true single-vineyard in that we have blended in barrel selections of the best of our other vineyards. The Cabernet has a very intense cassis aroma with unique citrus-rind notes. It has a firmer tannin structure than many of our wines, but still with the elegance for which Jonkershoek Valley wines are known. This wine is based around the highest elevation vineyard on the estate, which at 550m is arguably one of Stellenbosch’s highest Cabernet vineyards....

Platter 4.5 stars. WINEMAKER’S NOTES WINEMAKER: CRAIG MCNAUGHT The name pays homage to the Roman poet, Ovid, who is quoted on the front label of this wine: “Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it there will be a fish.” Despite a really tough vintage in 2018, this wine shines through. Always an early ripener, our Tempranillo was harvested in the first week in February, just before the searing heat we experienced later on that Summer. As has become protocol with this wine, we meticulously hand-picked, hand-sorted and destemmed each bunch before a 6 day pre-ferment cold...

Wine of Origin Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Production 759 cases (of 12). Release date April 2025 96 Points – Tim Atkin SA Report 2024 "Ignis hails from a warmer, comparatively free draining 2.4-hectare block on decomposed granite that's planted with four different Burgundian clones (113, 115, 667 and 777). Floral, ethereal and layered, it has some spice and texture from 15% whole clusters, subtle 28% new oak, a slightly salty top note, caressing wild strawberry, pomegranate and goji berry flavours, savoury tannins and mouth-watering acidity. "   Drinking Window:  2025 - 2032 Reviewer Name:  Tim Atkin MW...

Wine of Origin Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge Production 577 cases (of 12). Release date April 2025 96 Points – Tim Atkin SA Report 2024.   "Hannes Storm’s Ridge Pinot Noir uses grapes from a dry-farmed, 1.1-hectare parcel at La Vierge that’s planted with 7,500 vines per hectare. Firmer and more backward than his other two Pinots, it has flavours of plum and orange zest, a hint of clove spice and the concentration and intensity to age beautifully in bottle. The finish goes on for a minute. 96 points." Tim Atkin MW, timatkin.com, September 2024   #Heemel    

Wine of Origin Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Production 1048 cases (of 12). Release date April 2025 96 Points – Tim Atkin SA Report 2024. "Picking before the rain was very important in 2023 and Hannes Storm did just that. Vrede comes from a 3.6-hectare block planted with the 113, 115 and 777 clones on Bokkeveld shale and is generally the most opulent of his three single-site Pinots. Savoury fleshy and slightly ferrous, it has layers of rose petal, wild strawberry and orange zest and refined, detailed tannins."   Drinking Window:  2024 - 2031 Reviewer Name:  Tim Atkin MW   #Heemel

VITICULTURE Sourced from a 1-hectare vineyard at Fijndraai in Stellenbosch on heavily de-composed granite soils and just 4 km from False Bay. The vineyard is North-West facing and managed by Chris Williams. Planted in 2005, the Foundry Grenache Noir 2020 is the fourth vintage. The vineyard is starting to come into its own in terms of quality and site expression. The vines are trellised which allows us to manage the canopy precisely to enhance fruit, complexity and balance. A small crop was ripened under the perfect conditions of 2020 and harvested at modest sugar levels, but at full flavour ripeness to ensure lower alcohol but...

VITICULTURE This is the first vintage from our own vineyards in the Voor Paardeberg, planted in 2000. The vineyards are planted on low vigour, well-drained, granitic origin soils. The vines are managed to retain a healthy balance between grape production and growth, and the crop was reduced to 5.5 tons per hectare. The mature vines are naturally low yielding, and all damaged or unripe grapes were removed before harvest. The fruit was uniformly ripe and was picked on the basis of analysis, taste and vine physiology. VINIFICATION The grapes were partially de-stemmed with approximately 40% remaining as whole bunches directly into custom-made...

(94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot) Oz Clarke: 95 points "..the style is gloriously easy-going yet quite serious enough to be inspiring. The wine flows across your palate, full of red plum and cherry fruit and savoury seasoning of herbs, black olives and salted liquorice. It's led by acid rather than tannin and even hints at a little spice and violet scent." ref: Cambridge Wine Merchants #2017D