Superstars

From the true masters of Cape Cabernet - the benchmark Stellenbosch Cab. 2015 was the winner of platter 5* best Cabernet Sauvignon in South Africa.

This is the only red wine produced by Le Riche that is not 100% Cabernet. A reincarnation of Le Riche's classic Cab Merlot blend, this is an exceptionally lovely, classically Bordelaise blend. Restrained but appealing on the nose with typical red fruit aromas of plum, cherries and milled pepper are balanced by an aroma of finely ground graphite found in Left Bank Bordeaux. The palate is a masterpiece of blending - hugely appealing with juicy mouth-filling flavours of red berries, plums and smoky hints balanced with a fine, soft tannic structure and rounded finish. Finely structured and phenomenally fine, Christo Le Riche has more than stepped into his father’s shoes!

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Petit Verdot

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. 

Gorgeous garnet colour. Aromas of roasted beetroot, rosemary, sun dried tomato, and ripe figs with a round, vibrant, fruity palate. Flavours of pomegranate reduction, chocolate and fresh coffee. Savoury, black olive finish. A balanced, complex Amarone with a rustic charm.

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella

ABV: 14.5%

Amarone also known as Amarone della Valpolicella - a powerful red wine from Italy's Veneto region. It is made from the same grapes as Valpolicella: with Corvina and Rondinella as the main varieties, other grapes used are Molinara, Corvinone and Dindarella.

Wonderfully approachable white Burgundy with lovely tropical, marzipan notes.

Country: France

Region: Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%]

Jafellin Wine

One of our favourite wines ever! If you are after something a little special then this is one of the wines we recommend in store whenever we have stock! 

Intense ruby ­red colour, deep and complex nose; fruity with a prune and cherry jam aroma, notes of tobacco, slightly spicy. A full­ bodied wine, soft and rich in fine tannin, with notes of cocoa, coffee and vanilla on the finish

Country: Italy

Region: Puglia

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Primitivo

Very old vineyards selected in San Marzano and Sava. The soil is mainly red with a fine texture and a generally calcareous underground with few emerging rocks. The well ­known redness of these soils is due to the presence of iron­oxides. The climate is characterised by high temperatures all year round, very little rainfall and a wide temperature range between night and day, which has a positive influence on the quality of the grapes. This is the central area of d.o.p. “Primitivo di Manduria”.

Deep and concentrated on the nose, it opens up on the palate to reveal crisp cassis fruit with smoky edges and a hint of green pepper all hung on a ripe firm structure. Excellent balance. Excellent wine.

Country: South Africa

Region: Robertson

ABV:14%

Grape Varietys: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc

Harvested at full seed ripeness. Cold macerated uncrushed in open fermenters for 10 days. Punched through 3 times daily. 3 weeks alcoholic fermentation, only free run used. 100% malolatic fermentation in barrel. 24 months barrel maturation in 1st and 2nd fill Sequin Moreau 300l barriques. 4 years bottle maturation at 14°C. Terroir is very gentle, southerly with chalk soil and calcrete formations. Climate is moderate summer with low night temperatures, cold winter.

Springfield Estate

A beautifully concentrated wine with layers of flavour and character. Classico in every sense of the word.

So many flavours - along side the deep black fruits, plums and floral notes there is a spicy backbone with spices, herbs and chocolate.

Country: Italy

Region: Valpolicella

ABV: 15%

Grapes: Corvina, Rondinella

Astonishingly good Riesling from an outstanding New Zealand producer. Concentrated, explosive in the mouth! Dry, flavoursome Riesling with honeysuckle notes, aromatic nectarine, baked peach, apricot, lime and preserved lemon. One glass will not be enough!

Country: New Zealand

Region: North Canterbury

ABV: 15.5%

Grapes: Riesling

Read Wine Advocate Erin Larkin’s wonderful review of Pegasus from latest trip to the South Island

'From there, I went to Pegasus Bay, and it was here that I was so impacted. This is an iconic Riesling producer—Rieslings worth crossing the ocean for. They age slowly and gracefully, employ botrytis as a textural aid and are thundering examples of Riesling from New Zealand. I can’t overstate that. These are collectors’ wines. I have seen older examples in Australia over the years, served blind, that have taken the room by storm. My thanks to Winemaker Matt Donaldson for the afternoon; it took us in directions I think neither of us expected.'

Pegasus Bay Riesling Bel Canto 2022 – 94 points.

The 2022 Bel Canto Dry Riesling leads with loquat, kumquat and orange rind. In the mouth, the wine is floral, detailed and full—it is actually quite wide, spreading to all corners of the mouth, leaving a trail of fine chalky texture in its wake. Really good. Textural. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Erin Larkin Wine Advocate

Velvety smooth, rich, concentrated and supple. Flavours of cassis, bramble and black cherry with a sheen of vanilla from the oak ageing.

Country: France

Region: Margaux

ABV:13.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot

Serve 12 to 14 degrees C

Food Match: Red meat dishes such as beef Wellington or roast lamb.

Top class Bordeaux from the iconic village of Margaux the 2nd wine of 3rd growth Chateau Kirwan.

Velvety smooth, rich and supple. Flavours of cassis, bramble and black cherry with a sheen of vanilla from the oak ageing.

Country: France

Region: Margaux

ABV:12.5%

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

Luciously rich and decadent red made from selected grapes from three top class vineyards. 

Aromatic with ripe dark berried fruit alongside sweet spice, a ripe, rich style. The texture is rich and round with abundant, ripe, dark berried fruit supported by fine oak.

Country: Italy

Region: Valpolicella

ABV: 15%

Grapes: 80% Corvina & Corvinone, 10% Rondinella and 10% Molinara

The grapes come from the 5 hectare, steep, rocky, terraced hillside vineyard of Calcarole as well as the gently sloping clay vineyards of Rovereti and Pojega in the heart of Negrar, the most celebrated of the communes in Valpolicella. 

This expressive, barrel-fermented Viognier seduces you with the beautiful perfume of honeysuckle and orange blossom and a textured palate of apricot, kiwi and pineapple.

Country: South Africa

Region: Western Cape

Grapes: Viognier

ABV: 13.5%

Lismore Wine

Aromatic, medium to full bodied and powerful, with good extraction of the sweet flavours of black ripe fruits. Elegant with good texture and firm tannins, giving wine great ageing potential. A touch of mint, with lavender notes. Firm, well balanced oak and long finish with fresh, spicy, integrated mouthfeel.

Country: South Africa

Region: Wellington

ABV: 14%

Grape: Shiraz

Andreas Wine

Andreas only produce this wine - and they are good at it. The wine is aged for 18 months in French and American oak and bottle matured for another year. Winemaker Shaun Meyeridricks' first first vintage was in 2018, since joining Andreas from Boekenhoutskloof where he was previously making exemplary Shiraz.

A very attractive honeyed nose, with lifted yellow fruits and more golden tropical elements such as mango, guava and pineapple. It has a particularly tropical character and a very fresh feel on the palate, with steely minerality and a zippy background acidity giving invigorating tartness to keep the wine luscious and buoyant. The rounded, approachable finish has good length.

Country: France

Region: Loire Valley

Grapes: Chenin Blanc

ABV: 12%

VEGAN

Food Match: Rich starters like foie gras or sweetbreads and will see you through to dessert or cheese.

Rustic in a pretty way; your classic rosy-cheeked farmer's daughter. Violets on the nose. Great structure, pure elegance.

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Burgundy is renowned for a jigsaw of small plots, fitting side by across the rolling cotes and cru with many different owners - the result of equal inheritance. While some heirs want to make wine, others prefer to live their lives elsewhere, meaning their plots go unloved. Enter Patrice du Jeu, a Parisian restaurateur with the dynamism and energy to revive such plots. Together with family and friends, he managed to buy several parcels in excellent terroirs of the Côte de Beaune including Santenay, Chassagne Montrachet and Mercurey. Joining with white Burgundy expert Jean-Baptise Alinc the wines of these heirs - Les Héritiers - are both technically competent and beautifully crafted.

Pure, sublimely crisp and mineral in style, this wine is fresh and elegant with subtle notes of citrus, grapefruit, Golden Delicious apple and white pear. Dry, with a lively palate of crisp, ripe fruits and a charming acidity. A lovely expression of the delicate elegance of the Koshu grapes.

Country: Japan

Region: Yamanashi Province

Grapes: Koshu

ABV: 12%

Sublimely crisp, floral and mineral in style with an almost. Chablis type razor sharp saltiness on the finish.

Grace Winery was established in 1923, in the Katsunuma province, the birthplace of
the Japanese wine industry. Committed to the belief that great wine is made in the
vineyard, they were the first to research and introduce European training and
pruning methods introducing such as using long cordon training and Vertical Shoot
Positioning in 1990. The wines are made in a modern way to retain the delicate
characteristics of this individual and exciting grape variety.

Classic, smooth, dry claret with a bit of bottle age. Notes of cassis at the front leading onto subtle hints of leather and tobacco.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux, Medoc

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.5%

Concentrated, complex and rich, oak matured Douro red, made from a blend of selected parcels from the best vineyards on the estate.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: 74% Touriga Nacional, 13% Sousão, 12% Touriga Franca, 1% Fernão Pires

ABV: 13.5%

Rich, ripe, but savoury Pinot from Canterbury. We love this wine!

Country: New Zealand

Region: North Canterbury

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

You can't miss this bottle on the shelf with it's distinct tactile, voluptuos shape. Deep garnet ruby-red colour, it is a full and rich wine, the bouquet verges on dried fruit, violet, blackberry, raspberry with hints of spices coming form the barrels. Deep, dry and full bodied finish, long and lingering.

Country: Italy

Region: Piedmont

Grapes: Nebbiolo

ABV: 13.5%

Gattinara Riserva is a characterful red wine from Piedmont, a region in Northern Italy. With great ageing potential Gattinara rivals Barolo and Barbaresco. The Riserva Gattinara is made only in the best vintages. The wine spends at least three years in oak barrels and 1 year in the bottle.

Elegant and complex nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. Hints of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

This viscous, mouth-filling wine offers notes of toast, red and green apples, caramel and almond.

Fermentation in new French barrels and 5 months battonage until bottling.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: Garnacha Blanco

ABV: 14%

The grand master of white Rioja, Abel Mendoza never fails to impress with his uniquely complex, old vine wines from small plots planted high up in the Alavesa. Tim Atkin MW often scores between 94-95 for this wine and past vintages received 95 points from Robert Parker. Sublime and a must for anyone serious about their wine.

Succulent black cherry aroma, bright but delicate and hints of forest floor, with underlying floral and spicy notes. On the palate, the wine is powerful, with silk-textured length.

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food match

Beef Bourginon with mushroom or braised lamb shanks.

In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.

After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The prospect of a suitable farm in Elgin intrigued Andrew and on driving through the valley, he became excited by the beauty of the area. Surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere and Forestry the property had no agricultural neighbours. The rolling hills and the drive up the mountain to where the farm was situated, 420 meters above sea level, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was love at first sight.

As he drove in and stopped in front of a rather run down Herbert Baker homestead, he felt, “this is where I would like to live”, and the view from the front of the house overlooking the Elgin Valley below, made up his mind.

Ruby red velvet with earthy colour notes. Elegant and complex nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. Absolutely scrumptious!

Polished and rounded, pleasant and easy to drink. Fleshy with both elegance and power. Touches of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Rioja

Grapes: 95% Tempranillo 5% Graciano

ABV:14.5%

Food Match: slow cooked lamb shanks, lamb chops, chorizo and potato stew, or any meat dish.

Tim Atkin Rioja Report 2023 92 Points
Like the bodega's Reserva, this Gran Reserva is a cuvée of Tempranillo and 5% Graciano, with maturation in mostly French and 30% American oak barrels. Using grapes from two parcels in Villabuena de Álava-Carraelciego and Carracastellano-this is savoury and sweet, with notes of red berry fruit, toast, tobacco leaf, leather and forest floor. 2024-30. 92 Points, TA, 2023.

Classic black fruit, with hint of vanilla on the nose. Forest fruit, leather cassis on the palate. silky smooth...

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13%

A good dash of Semillon into this Sauvignon Blanc gives additional layers of complexity. 

This traditional French blend has aromas and flavours of citrus fruit, passion-fruit and greengages, cut grass with a hint of dried herbs.  The low crop levels have particularly emphasised the Semillon component in the wine, filling out the palate and giving good concentration as well as structure.  It has a crisp, dry finish and a lingering after-taste on the palate.  

Country: New Zealand

Region: North Canterbury

ABV: 15%

Grapes: 70% Sauvignon, 30% Semillon

Food Match: We love this wine for its complexity of aromatics and concentration of flavours on the palate. White fish with fresh asparagus or Samphire is a great pairing.