Wines from South Africa

A unique version of a Cote-Rotie blending Shiraz and a small percentage of Chenin.
Floral, with crunchy, fresh red and black fruits on the nose with a rich, but elegant palate of cocoa, blackberries and sweet spice.

Country: South Africa

Region: Voor Paardeberg

Grapes: Shiraz and Chenin Blanc

ABV: 14%

Light, fruity, juicy and ripe red. Full of flavour and vibrant, crunchy red fruit character. Good stuff!

Country: South Africa

Region: Paarl

Grapes: Cinsault

ABV: 13%

Food pairing: pan fried duck breast with a berry sauce or cheese and cured meats with quince jelly.

Deeply varietal nose of dark cherry-chocolate over crushed minerals with a leafy note. The palate is generously laden with dark plum and chocolate notes on a long, velveteen finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Merlot

ABV: 12.5%

Food match: Baked mushroom stuffed with sundried tomato cous cous.

From Paarl vineyards grown on sandy loams, where picking early is crucial to finesse this tricky cultivar’s essential notes of blueberry, bramble and natural leafiness. An accomplished Merlot, correct yet moreish in the glass.

A complex bouquet of crushed rose petals, wild jasmine and fresh French herbs. The palate shows beautiful purity with layered red fruits, cranberry, raspberry, silky tannins and a long, savoury finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Walker Bay and Elgin, Western Cape

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 13.5%

70% of the grapes came from Stanford, Walker Bay and 30% from Elgin, both in the cool climate region Cape South Coast. The vines are all Burgundian, clone 115. The Stanford vineyard is close to the southernmost tip of Africa and is located in one of South Africa’s coolest wine producing regions. The maritime vineyard enjoys a long ripening season, because of the strong cooling winds that are prevalent in the summer. This microclimate is ideal for creating a long hang time, concentrating the flavours in the berries, while retaining natural acidity levels. Elgin is situated at 400
metres above sea level and ripens even later then the coastal vineyard. The vines
here, planted in shale and clay soils, produce fleshier fruit, adding weight to the final
blend.

Kalahari Truffles and Rooibos tea?! Not your average botanicals and not likely you've tasted anything like this before. 

Country: South Africa

Region: South Africa

ABV: 42%

Grape Spirit

KWV The Mentors

London Dry style gin crafted using botanicals unique to the Cape region. Kalahari Truffles, the signature botanical used and known locally as !N'abbas, can only be found by experienced truffle hunters after it rains, when the truffles swell up and create a distinctive cross shaped crack in the ground giving away their location. This cross in the land is where the gin derives its name from.

The gin is double distilled from grapes with more common botanicals juniper, coriander, cardamom, lemon, almond and aniseed and then two other more whackey South African botanicals, Rooibos and Honeybush, which compliment the truffle to give Cruxland gin a distinct South African character .

Honey, ripe peach and citrus aromas and flavours with lovely long, fresh finish. A fantastic foody, versatile Chenin that can accompany many dishes.

Country: South Africa

Region: Voor Paardeberg

Grapes: Chenin Blanc

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Parma ham, peach and goat's cheese tart.

Food Match: Great with seafood, salads and creamy pasta dishes.

Aromas and flavours of cassis, violets and freshly ground black pepper. An intense, complex, red wine with fine tannins and a lingering finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Walker Bay in South Africa is becoming a shining example of how Stellenbosch no longer holds the mantle of 'best region' in South Africa - there are now other contenders.

Abundantly fruity on the nose with fragrant white peach aromas mingling with a rich, creamy character. These follow well onto the palate and combine seamlessly with crisp minerality and natural acidity.

Country: South Africa

Region: Walker Bay

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Viognier

Since founding Creation in 2002, Jean-Claude and Carolyn have led conservation efforts for the area, becoming one of only nine wineries in South Africa to receive EnviroWines accreditation. It’s not simply an audit, but scientific measurement of every management practice.

A Brave new style of red wine. Crafted from varieties, on the edge of wildness, the aroma can be described as organised chaos. Breathe in deeply because this is the small path less travelled. With aromas of black cherry, basil, rosemary and spice and flavours of ripe plum and dark chocolate the wine surprises with its refreshing acidity and softness (due to a lack of tannin).

Country: South Africa

Region:  Overberg

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Cinsault, Touriga Franca 

Subtle and elegant with a steely core, its aroma portrays freshness and perfume.

Country: South Africa

Region:  Witzenberg Mountain range in Ceres

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Chardonnay

Food Match:

An oaked Chardonnay will be complemented by slightly creamier dishes such as porcini mushroom risotto, or butternut gnocchi with shavings of rich Gruyere cheese. For something out of the ordinary, enjoy it with fried arancini stuffed with goats cheese to pair with this Chardonnay.

Complex nose with hints of dark chocolate, blackberry, lavender and mocha. Good structure with plum, vibrant red berry and mineral complexity and a lingering finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elim, Cape Agulhus

Grapes: Shiraz Grenache Mouvedre Viognier

ABV: 14% 

Fresh, clean and summery with a splash of strawberry and raspberry aromas on cloud of
candyfloss. 

Country: South Africa

Region: Voor Paardeberg

Grapes: Grenache Noir

ABV: 10%

This is superb value for money, a  Merlot dominant Bordeaux blend from the slopes of Stellenbosch's Simonsberg Mountain.

Country: South Africa

Region: Bankhoek, Stellenbosch

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

This blend from the Bordelaise specialists of Banghoek Valley is brim full of ripe, bramble and plummy fruit with dark curranty corners. Bright, fresh and gently leafy on the finish.

An elegant and velvety wine with good colour and concentration for Cinsault. Red berries and cherries, savoury black olives and black spice. Well balanced with lively fine tannins and an elegant complexity on a long finish. Food Match: Reduced baby marrow tomato pasta with black olives to give it a Mediterranean twist. Also goes well with seafood, sushi, pizza, pasta and chicken dishes.

Country: South Africa

Region: Piekenierskloof, Swartland

ABV: 14%

Grapes: 100% Cinsault

Pikenierskloof Wine

Grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Piekenierskloof region from vineyards that were planted in 1976. These vineyards are all unirrigated bush vines and grow on sandy, loam soils. The vineyards are meticulously farmed and managed to yield below 5 tons per hectare and hand harvested second week of March.

Grapes are handpicked and cold soaked for 24 hours. Fermentation is initiated with selected yeast strains and is kept under 24°C. Malolactic fermentation is completed in tank, 50% of the wine is matured for 12 months, 2, 3 and 4th fill in 500L French oak barrels and the rest in a foudre.

A classic varietal nose of jasmine, white peach and fruit blossom, with a whiff of white pepper. The palate is generous, and richly flavoured balanced by bright, zimgy acidity and with a gingery, textural finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier

ABV: 13%

 Food match: Thai green curry, Cape Malay curries, goats cheese and roast veg.

From Paarl vineyards grown on sandy loams, where timing of harvest is crucial to the varietal balance of aromatics, generosity of palate and freshness. Kleine Oranjerie Viognier does exactly that and is a hugely welcome, judiciously finessed addition to our South African portfolio.

Silky, velvety, smooth and simultaneously plush. Ripe plums, hedgerow fruit, cocoa, cedar and spice, cigar box flavours makes for an enveloping mouthful. Complex, elegant and beautifully integrated, the oak is seamlessly balanced with the fruit. Lingering and harmonious with not a single element out of place.

Country: South Africa

A very special limited parcel wine from talented young South African winemaker Izele Van Blerk. Drinking window 2023 - 2028. Only 1300 bottles made!

The wine spent 36 months in 2nd and 3rd fill 500L French oak barrels and 24 months in bottle before release. The grapes are from 136 very old vines!

This full-bodied wine explodes with aromas of rose petals, red cherries and raspberries with hints of lavender. The palate is focused with an undertone of cloves, dried fruit and
leather. The grippy tannin structure and zippy acidity is well integrated and delivers an intense, lasting finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 14.5%

Food match: Beef Tenderloin,
braised duck, wild mushrooms and aged Gouda.

Intense savoury nose with notes of dried citrus peel, marmalade, brown spice and almond skin. Full flavoured and textural on the palate with flavours of apricot kernel and fruit peel followed by a fine bitter orange finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Breedekloof

Grapes: 90% Chenin Blanc, 10% Muscat D'Alexandria

ABV: 12.5%

Dachbosch Wine

Food match: 

The grapes are sorted, de-stemmed and crushed. Fermentation process started with juice still on the grape skins, whereafter the wine was left on the grape skins for a further 6 months. The clear wine was then racked, blended and bottled.

This rare, complex and multi-layered dessert wine exudes aromas of honey, orange blossom and fruitcake. The palate has intense flavours of sultanas, ripe candied citrus peel and sweet mandarins.

Country: South Africa

Region: Breedekloof

Grapes: Hanepoort (Muscat d'Alexandrie)

ABV: 16.5%

Daschbosh Wine

The Hanepoot grapes for this wine are from timeworn, gnarly vines which bear a meagre yield, the vines are over 120 years old (South Africa only started recording vine age from 1900). Small bunches of concentrated and perfumed Muscat d'Alexandrie fruit are hand harvested, the juice fortified with a pure spirit.

Deep purple/red colour with an opaque core. On the nose it is rich with sweet red and black berry notes, some vanilla and sweet spice. On the palate it is much weightier than the nose suggests.  Very opulent, but elegant and balanced at the same time.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 14%

Grape: Shiraz

Clear and bright, straw with a hint of green. Expressive fruit, initially lemon and citrus, but under that, it’s more tropical and pineapple, all seamed through with crushed almond, savoury oak tones.

This is a layered, complex wine, the result of cool-grown fruit carefully handled, plus barrel selection. The palate is silky, with a tangy finish from the fruit and acid combination, extending the flavours.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

From the true masters of Cape Cabernet - the benchmark Stellenbosch Cab. 

Red rocks and warm sand. The palate is initially firm but relents to a wine of great purity and subtlety with notes of tomato, cocoa powder, hazelnut chocolate and star anise. Overall, a heady concoction somehow assembled into a seamless red of phenomenal quality.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon

Le Riche Wine

The backbone of the range, it’s a phenomenal expression of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon when it’s allowed a maritime influence, and it is this that sets it apart and marks it as truly Bordelaise. With carefully selected fruit from the cool gravelly slopes facing False Bay to the rich red granitic soils around Stellenbosch, the wine gains its complexity by expertly blending fruit from 4 specifically diverse terroirs. 

The nose is complex and inviting, offering Morello cherry, cranberry, raspberry and whiffs of candyfloss, rose petal and acacia blossom. The palate shows red apple and nectarine flavours with hints of green plum, citrus and rosewater following through. The wine is focused and balanced with a well-rounded, smooth mid-palate and integrated natural acidity. It ends clean and fresh with an attractive cherry finish and hints of exotic spices and cling peach. Great mouthfeel and complexity for a wine made in this style and a very versatile partner to everything from seafood to hot Thai dishes..to braais!

Country: South Africa

Region: Swartland

Grapes: Cinsault 69%; Syrah 21%; Grenache Noir 10%

ABV: 12%

Crisp peach, under-ripe pineapple, honeysuckle and a touch of tangerine, fresh and crisp white that doesn’t lack for intensity or length.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Grenache Blanc

ABV: 13%

Old bush vine Cinsault forms the backbone of this 'proper' rosé. A pale, spicy and textural Rosé mostly sourced from bush-vine Cinsault with summer fruits on the palate and a lovely clean, savoury, dry finish.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cinsault, Mourvedre

ABV: 12%

There is almost no food that fails to work with this wine. Perfect with Mediterranean dishes especially juicy pan-fried garlic prawns... or drink chilled on its own.