South Africa
At the bottom of its great continent, South Africa is a country of unlimited natural advantages. With the confluence of two oceans at the Cape, the sheltering effect of inland mountain chains and some of the most dynamic soils in the world, every piece is in place for the production of fine wine. The most well-known region has historically been Stellenbosch, but it is the wines of Swartland that have really turned South African wine on its head in recent years.
The wine industry is in the midst of a renaissance with classically styled wines making full advantage of remarkable terroir and an adventurous spirit. As a result, South Africa is producing some truly exceptional wines of great character and value. Striking blockbuster Syrahs and Bordeaux blends to full bodied Chardonnay and crisp Sauvignon Blanc are some of this great nation’s offerings. South Africa’s own grape, Pinotage, leaves critics divided yet can produce excellent single-variety offerings as well as distinguished Cape blends.
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South Africa
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Tim Atkin MW (100)
In the right hands, great sites produce great wines. Since its inception in 2010, Porseleinberg has been one of the Cape's most exciting reds, but nothing quite prepared me for the transcendent brilliance of this wine. In uenced by some time spent at Domaine Jamet in Côte Rôtie - particularly their use of a submerged cap during fermentation - Callie Louw has made a stunning Syrah, proving his skills as both a farmer and a winemaker. In 2018, the style has shifted, away from power and grip to something more scented and re ned. Focused, nuanced and very delicately oaked, with raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, clove and white pepper spice and textured tannins. Simply world class. 2023-35Inc. VAT£122.66 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
This remarkable site has established itself as one of the world's great Syrah vineyards in less than a decade. Sourced from four blocks totally 4.5 hectares, Callie Louw's stunning red is just short of perfection this year, but is still brilliant, confirming the evolution in style of the Jamet-inspired 2018. Leafy, spicy, rose petal aromas are supported by pure red berry fruit, detailed tannins and the faintest hint of oak.Inc. VAT£782.64 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
This remarkable site has established itself as one of the world's great Syrah vineyards in less than a decade. Sourced from four blocks totally 4.5 hectares, Callie Louw's stunning red is just short of perfection this year, but is still brilliant, confirming the evolution in style of the Jamet-inspired 2018. Leafy, spicy, rose petal aromas are supported by pure red berry fruit, detailed tannins and the faintest hint of oak.Inc. VAT£113.60 -
Tim Atkin MW (98)
"We pick the vintage," says Callie Louw, whose 2020 Porseleinberg is the second lightest in alcohol he's ever made at 13.6%. Fermented with 100% whole bunches using the submerged cap technique that transformed the wine in 2018, this is another scented, seamless stunner from Callie Louw. Aged in large foudres and 5% concrete eggs, it's a spicy, sappy, hauntingly elegant Syrah from a brutal site, with kelp, rose petal and fynbos aromas, juicy bramble and red berry fruit, fine tannins and a wonderful sense of energy. 2024-32Inc. VAT£586.30 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
Produced in the teeth of what Callie Louw calls a "crazy year", with lots of winter rain and one of the hottest Januaries ever, this is the latest in a series of world-class Syrahs from the brilliant Callie Louw. Fermented and aged in foudres and 15% concrete, using the submerged cap technique that has transformed the style here, this has 95% whole bunches, fynbos and Mediterranean herb aromas, sculpted, detailed tannins and layers of plum, blackberry and raspberry and impressive freshness for a wine with a pH of 4.1. A refined wine from a brutal site.Inc. VAT£719.04 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
Produced in the teeth of what Callie Louw calls a "crazy year", with lots of winter rain and one of the hottest Januaries ever, this is the latest in a series of world-class Syrahs from the brilliant Callie Louw. Fermented and aged in foudres and 15% concrete, using the submerged cap technique that has transformed the style here, this has 95% whole bunches, fynbos and Mediterranean herb aromas, sculpted, detailed tannins and layers of plum, blackberry and raspberry and impressive freshness for a wine with a pH of 4.1. A refined wine from a brutal site.Inc. VAT£109.32 -
Vinous (95)
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Dolomite has an energetic, tensile nose of wonderfully defined red and black fruit, sage, bell pepper and clove aromas; hints of dried blood emerge with time. The palate is very well balanced, taut and fresh, with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, a harmonious, sophisticated finish, and suggestions of black pepper on the aftertaste. This is a brilliant Cabernet Franc from Raats that will age gloriously.Inc. VAT£161.15 -
Greg Sherwood MW (98)
The Eden 2022 is another ultra confident showstopper from Bruwer Raats’ tiny 0.2-hectare vineyard. This pristine Eden Cabernet Franc displays the most tantalising intensity and florality on the nose with a notable depth, seductive power and a piercing perfume focus. High toned, lifted and utterly beguiling, the aromatics display an exotic fanned peacock’s tail of pressed violets, cherry blossom and dried lavender over notes of oregano, dried thyme, sweet cherry compote, saline crème de cassis, oystershell, pencil shavings and delicate blueberry rock candy nuances. The palate is always underpinned by incredibly fine tannins but with this 2022, the vivacity, concentration and freshness of the accompanying acids bring immeasurable joy to the palate, seamlessly counterbalancing the complex red and black berry fruit intensity. This wine is all about purity, precision, and persistence, with a mouthfeel texture of silk and the most polished fine-grained granitic mineral tannins imaginable. This is surely as close as you are going to get to perfection with a young, energetic, premium Cabernet Franc in South Africa? Drink on release an over the next 10 to 15+ years. (598 bottles produced.)Inc. VAT£736.32 -
Vinous (95)
The 2022 Chenin Blanc Eden High Density Single Vineyard comes from the tiny plot around Bruwer Raats's home, vines from the Montpellier clone planted on their own stakes (echelas) at 8,000 per hectare. Whole bunch pressed and aged for 11 months in French oak (30% new), this pure and refined bouquet brings scents of yellow plum, beeswax, dried honey and lanolin. The palate is smooth and sensual right from the start, not plush, but there is a rondeur to this Chenin Blanc, lightly spiced with a little more viscosity on the finish compared to Raats's other Chenins this vintage. Very sustained on the finish, this will be utterly seductive. Just 2,300 bottles were produced, alas.Inc. VAT£441.49 -
Vinous (97)
The 2018 MR de Compostella is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It presents a compelling bouquet of blackberry, charcoal, cedar and tobacco, all showing wonderful delineation and focus. But it is not the most flamboyant on the nose compared to other vintages; this takes its time to open at a stately pace. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfectly judged acidity, a silky-smooth texture and an utterly harmonious, complex finish. Residues of allspice and clove linger on the long aftertaste. Brilliant.Inc. VAT£365.98 -
Greg Sherwood MW (98)
Never made with exactly the same blend in any two vintages, the 2020 is a classic Cape Bordeaux assemblage of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot with a total production of only 1,000 x 6. The wine displays a real intensity in the glass with a ruby red rim and a red / black plum heart. The aromatics are vibrant and fabulously perfumed, bursting from the glass with expressive notes of red and black berry fruits, black currant, raspberry, red and black cherry, before notes of earthy blueberry emerge with suggestions of pressed violets, lavender, sweet sandalwood, star anise and graphite spice. On the palate, the vintage’s regal elegance emerges with exhilarating acids framing the plush opulent red and back berry fruits, saline cassis, tart red cherry and a blueberry confectionary generosity. Tasting the wine with Bruwer Raats, inevitable comparisons were made to the iconic 2017 MR, with both wines sharing a beautifully bright acid freshness and a weightless concentration of pure berry fruits with only the slightest suggestion of vanilla oak spice. This really is a wine with a mixed palette of colours, flavours and fruits and the most seamlessly elegant, finessed velvety tannins. Following on from the 2018 blockbuster, with no 2019 MR produced, this 2020 is a bold, enchanting, characterful wine full of precision that trumpets the return of this incredible benchmark Cape classic. A breathtaking wine on so many levels. Drink from 2024 to 2045+.Inc. VAT£97.60 -
Greg Sherwood MW (98)
Never made with exactly the same blend in any two vintages, the 2020 is a classic Cape Bordeaux assemblage of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot with a total production of only 1,000 x 6. The wine displays a real intensity in the glass with a ruby red rim and a red / black plum heart. The aromatics are vibrant and fabulously perfumed, bursting from the glass with expressive notes of red and black berry fruits, black currant, raspberry, red and black cherry, before notes of earthy blueberry emerge with suggestions of pressed violets, lavender, sweet sandalwood, star anise and graphite spice. On the palate, the vintage’s regal elegance emerges with exhilarating acids framing the plush opulent red and back berry fruits, saline cassis, tart red cherry and a blueberry confectionary generosity. Tasting the wine with Bruwer Raats, inevitable comparisons were made to the iconic 2017 MR, with both wines sharing a beautifully bright acid freshness and a weightless concentration of pure berry fruits with only the slightest suggestion of vanilla oak spice. This really is a wine with a mixed palette of colours, flavours and fruits and the most seamlessly elegant, finessed velvety tannins. Following on from the 2018 blockbuster, with no 2019 MR produced, this 2020 is a bold, enchanting, characterful wine full of precision that trumpets the return of this incredible benchmark Cape classic. A breathtaking wine on so many levels. Drink from 2024 to 2045+.Inc. VAT£365.98 -
Greg Sherwood MW (99)
The MR de Compostella from Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve possesses one of the most successful critical track records out of almost any red wine produced in South Africa let alone just in the Cape Bordeaux Blend category. The newest 2021 release astonishingly takes this wine to yet another higher niveau of quality with a blend of 26% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Made from vines aged between 9 and 22 years old, all grown on deep decomposed dolomitic granite soils with table mountain sandstone, the aromatics are wonderfully bold and exuberant displaying seductive notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, violets, sweet cherry tobacco, black cherries and tart black plum. The lifted perfumed intensity is incredibly pure and piercing with salty liquorice, cedar spice and beautifully detailed maritime oyster shell nuances. In the mouth, the concentration and focused steely intensity is astounding – tart, bright and architecturally soaring, shaping this wine into a powerful, linear, multi-dimensional masterpiece. Packed full of salty cassis, tart plum and black currant, the tightly wound core of power, refined extraction and polished marble tannins leave you in no doubt that this harmonious, vibrant beauty is a spellbinding, timeless classic in the making. If you wanted just one wine to convince an international fine wine connoisseur of the true greatness of South Africa’s finest terroirs and winemaking, you have found your candidate! Simply an incredible wine. Drink this beauty from 2024 and savour over the next 30+ years. But you might need more than just one or two cases in your cellar!!Inc. VAT£443.98 -
Inc. VAT£341.60 -
(6x75cl) 2023Wine Advocate (95)
This wine explores the spirit of schist soils with vines planted in 1986. The Rall 2023 Swartland Chenin Blanc Ava reveals aromas of aniseed, licorice and fennel root at the back of orchard fruit and unripe peach. With the Noa, vintner Donovan Rall limits oxygen, but with this wine, he seeks more of it. He works with three vineyards with schist soil, and this is the only one he can bottle on its own because it achieves the balance he seeks. The wine ferments in 400-liter barrel for six months until almost dry. There is a touch of residual sugar at 2.5 grams per liter. The wine is creamy and fleshed out in terms of texture, but its aging potential remains intact. The personality of this wine is certainly more soothing and richer overall. Donovan Rall seeks to express two sides of Chenin Blanc, one on granite (the Noa) and one on schist (the Ava).Inc. VAT£254.66 -
Vinous (94)
The 2018 Ava Syrah is whole-bunch-fermented and matured in used 225- and 500-liter French oak. It has a very pure and seductive bouquet, a mélange of blueberry, cassis and raspberry coulis, all beautifully controlled. The medium-bodied palate reveals a slightly honeyed texture. There is impressive intensity here, with hints of dark chocolate and black plum fruit, and suggestions of sea salt and licorice toward the persistent finish. It errs on the side of hedonism but maintains outstanding focus all the way through. Brilliant.Inc. VAT£353.60 -
Vinous (97)
The 2021 Syrah Ava comes from two schist vineyards, the main component from the parcel that forms the Rall Syrah, in a corner where the clusters are very small. It has a compelling bouquet with dark berry fruit, slate-like scents, hints of broom and Provençal herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with a dense yet paradoxically elegant frame of tannins, precise peppery black fruit with a persistent, beautifully proportioned finish. All this at just 11.9% alcohol. Brilliant.Inc. VAT£354.80 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Donovan Rall's 2023 Swartland Syrah Ava represents a selection of fruit from two vineyards with schistic soils. Production is limited to 2,000 bottles. This wine has a core of dark fruit and shows the proverbial "Swartland darkness" that you often find in the best wines from this remote region. There is stony mineral and lead pencil; however, you also get dark cherry, blackberry and plum. The alcohol is very contained at 11.8%, although the label says 12%. You can count on this bottle for jovial brightness, fruit buoyancy and elegantly chalky tannins.Inc. VAT£109.73 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
A wine doesn't have to be big to be complex," says Donovan Rall of this refined, ageworthy Cinsault, which combines fruit from Darling and the Swartland. Textured, refreshing yet with quite a bit of tannin for the variety, this is crunchy, complex and elegant with layers of summer berry and black cherry fruit. 2022-26Inc. VAT£157.84 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Sold as a Coastal red because it includes fruit from the Swartland as well as Darling - the vineyards are only two kilometres apart - this is a delicate, yet focused red with some whole bunch spices and sap, black cherry and raspberry fruit, nuanced tannins and a floral, tapering finish. 2022-27Inc. VAT£141.86 -
Tim Atkin MW (92)
Now into its third vintage - and showing its highest alcohol yet at a towering 11% alcohol - this very rare Cinsault Blanc is sourced from a 0.2-hectare parcel on granite in Wellington. Naturally fermented in clay amphorae, it's salty and very fresh, with lemongrass and citrus peel flavours. 2021-25Inc. VAT£148.40 -
Tim Atkin MW (93)
Donovan Rall has moved to two picks for this wine to give it more nuances. The same is true of the shift away from oak to separate fermentations in stainless steel, concrete and a solitary amphora. Complex, fresh and very pure, this has the variety's characteristic brightness and acidity, with some creamy lees and a long, focused nish. 2021-26Inc. VAT£168.80 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
"Massive acidities" is how Donovan Rall describes the 2019 white wines, and he's not exaggerating. This concrete egg-fermented Grenache Blanc comes from a single vineyard at 620 metres in Piekenierskloof and is a case in point. Peachy, pithy and linear with bready undertones and a tangy, textural finish. 2021-25Inc. VAT£168.80 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
Donovan Rall only used the first pick for this stunning Piekenierskloof Grenache Blanc in 2020, fermenting and ageing it in a combination of concrete eggs and amphoras. It's a salty, complex, dialled back white with notes of gunflint, wild herbs and greengage and high-altitude minerality and precision.Inc. VAT£167.06 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
'White Wine Discovery of the Year' - Donovan Rall has made a habit of winning one or more or my discovery of the year categories and he's done it again with this Chenin Blanc from a Paardeberg vineyard planted in the 1960s. Picked in four stages, it’s a stunning expression of the site, with saline grip, lots of extract and concentration, hay, pear and lime flavours and wonderful energy.Inc. VAT£276.80 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
Sailing majestically into its third vintage, this comes from a vineyard planted on the Paardeberg in 1969 that's called La Rhine. Entirely fermented in a concrete egg, it has mouth-watering freshness and focus, layers of aniseed, lime and lemon juice, salty minerality and a tapering finish that lingers on the tongue.Inc. VAT£289.46 -
Vinous (94)
The 2016 Red contains Carignan for the first time, though Syrah still comprises 80% of the blend, along with Cinsault and Grenache. It has a very detailed bouquet with scents of black plum, blackberry, a touch of gravel and the 100% whole bunch lending a slightly earthy tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite firm in the mouth and maybe more masculine compared to other Syrah-dominated Rhône blends, yet there is wonderful freshness and delineation here. It exerts a gentle grip on the midpalate and those schistous soils impart a wonderful mineralité on the finish. Outstanding.Inc. VAT£191.98 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Rall Red is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault that is matured in 225- and 500-liter French oak. It has a perfumed, quite sensual bouquet of pressed violet and potpourri aromas entwined with black cherries and blueberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate displays very fine tannins that frame exceedingly pure black and blueberry fruit laced with truffle, Provençal herbs and white pepper. It feels very persistent as it fans out on the finish, completing an outstanding Rall Red, one of the best that Donovan Rall has produced thus far.Inc. VAT£181.18 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
"The most southern Rhône-like red I've made" is how Donovan Rall describes this 50% whole bunch-fermented cuvée of Syrah with 30% Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault. Broad and spicy, with Mediterranean garrigue aromas, a tannic backdrop and meaty, bloody intensity. 2021-28Inc. VAT£172.78 -
Christian Eedes (94)
65% Syrah, 13% Grenache, 13% Cinsault and 9% Carignan. The nose is particularly expressive with notes of red and black berries, cured meat, lavender, herbs and pepper while the palate is rich and flavourful but equally not short of freshness – a bit less foursquare than preceding vintages have tended to be. Complex and satisfying.Inc. VAT£166.32
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Tim Atkin MW (100)
In the right hands, great sites produce great wines. Since its inception in 2010, Porseleinberg has been one of the Cape's most exciting reds, but nothing quite prepared me for the transcendent brilliance of this wine. In uenced by some time spent at Domaine Jamet in Côte Rôtie - particularly their use of a submerged cap during fermentation - Callie Louw has made a stunning Syrah, proving his skills as both a farmer and a winemaker. In 2018, the style has shifted, away from power and grip to something more scented and re ned. Focused, nuanced and very delicately oaked, with raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, clove and white pepper spice and textured tannins. Simply world class. 2023-35In Bond£99.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
This remarkable site has established itself as one of the world's great Syrah vineyards in less than a decade. Sourced from four blocks totally 4.5 hectares, Callie Louw's stunning red is just short of perfection this year, but is still brilliant, confirming the evolution in style of the Jamet-inspired 2018. Leafy, spicy, rose petal aromas are supported by pure red berry fruit, detailed tannins and the faintest hint of oak.In Bond£615.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
This remarkable site has established itself as one of the world's great Syrah vineyards in less than a decade. Sourced from four blocks totally 4.5 hectares, Callie Louw's stunning red is just short of perfection this year, but is still brilliant, confirming the evolution in style of the Jamet-inspired 2018. Leafy, spicy, rose petal aromas are supported by pure red berry fruit, detailed tannins and the faintest hint of oak.In Bond£92.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (98)
"We pick the vintage," says Callie Louw, whose 2020 Porseleinberg is the second lightest in alcohol he's ever made at 13.6%. Fermented with 100% whole bunches using the submerged cap technique that transformed the wine in 2018, this is another scented, seamless stunner from Callie Louw. Aged in large foudres and 5% concrete eggs, it's a spicy, sappy, hauntingly elegant Syrah from a brutal site, with kelp, rose petal and fynbos aromas, juicy bramble and red berry fruit, fine tannins and a wonderful sense of energy. 2024-32In Bond£450.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
Produced in the teeth of what Callie Louw calls a "crazy year", with lots of winter rain and one of the hottest Januaries ever, this is the latest in a series of world-class Syrahs from the brilliant Callie Louw. Fermented and aged in foudres and 15% concrete, using the submerged cap technique that has transformed the style here, this has 95% whole bunches, fynbos and Mediterranean herb aromas, sculpted, detailed tannins and layers of plum, blackberry and raspberry and impressive freshness for a wine with a pH of 4.1. A refined wine from a brutal site.In Bond£562.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (99)
Produced in the teeth of what Callie Louw calls a "crazy year", with lots of winter rain and one of the hottest Januaries ever, this is the latest in a series of world-class Syrahs from the brilliant Callie Louw. Fermented and aged in foudres and 15% concrete, using the submerged cap technique that has transformed the style here, this has 95% whole bunches, fynbos and Mediterranean herb aromas, sculpted, detailed tannins and layers of plum, blackberry and raspberry and impressive freshness for a wine with a pH of 4.1. A refined wine from a brutal site.In Bond£88.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2019 Cabernet Franc Dolomite has an energetic, tensile nose of wonderfully defined red and black fruit, sage, bell pepper and clove aromas; hints of dried blood emerge with time. The palate is very well balanced, taut and fresh, with supple tannins, a fine bead of acidity, a harmonious, sophisticated finish, and suggestions of black pepper on the aftertaste. This is a brilliant Cabernet Franc from Raats that will age gloriously.In Bond£115.00 -
Greg Sherwood MW (98)
The Eden 2022 is another ultra confident showstopper from Bruwer Raats’ tiny 0.2-hectare vineyard. This pristine Eden Cabernet Franc displays the most tantalising intensity and florality on the nose with a notable depth, seductive power and a piercing perfume focus. High toned, lifted and utterly beguiling, the aromatics display an exotic fanned peacock’s tail of pressed violets, cherry blossom and dried lavender over notes of oregano, dried thyme, sweet cherry compote, saline crème de cassis, oystershell, pencil shavings and delicate blueberry rock candy nuances. The palate is always underpinned by incredibly fine tannins but with this 2022, the vivacity, concentration and freshness of the accompanying acids bring immeasurable joy to the palate, seamlessly counterbalancing the complex red and black berry fruit intensity. This wine is all about purity, precision, and persistence, with a mouthfeel texture of silk and the most polished fine-grained granitic mineral tannins imaginable. This is surely as close as you are going to get to perfection with a young, energetic, premium Cabernet Franc in South Africa? Drink on release an over the next 10 to 15+ years. (598 bottles produced.)In Bond£595.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2022 Chenin Blanc Eden High Density Single Vineyard comes from the tiny plot around Bruwer Raats's home, vines from the Montpellier clone planted on their own stakes (echelas) at 8,000 per hectare. Whole bunch pressed and aged for 11 months in French oak (30% new), this pure and refined bouquet brings scents of yellow plum, beeswax, dried honey and lanolin. The palate is smooth and sensual right from the start, not plush, but there is a rondeur to this Chenin Blanc, lightly spiced with a little more viscosity on the finish compared to Raats's other Chenins this vintage. Very sustained on the finish, this will be utterly seductive. Just 2,300 bottles were produced, alas.In Bond£350.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2018 MR de Compostella is a blend of 54% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. It presents a compelling bouquet of blackberry, charcoal, cedar and tobacco, all showing wonderful delineation and focus. But it is not the most flamboyant on the nose compared to other vintages; this takes its time to open at a stately pace. The palate is medium-bodied with saturated tannins, perfectly judged acidity, a silky-smooth texture and an utterly harmonious, complex finish. Residues of allspice and clove linger on the long aftertaste. Brilliant.In Bond£285.00 -
Greg Sherwood MW (98)
Never made with exactly the same blend in any two vintages, the 2020 is a classic Cape Bordeaux assemblage of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot with a total production of only 1,000 x 6. The wine displays a real intensity in the glass with a ruby red rim and a red / black plum heart. The aromatics are vibrant and fabulously perfumed, bursting from the glass with expressive notes of red and black berry fruits, black currant, raspberry, red and black cherry, before notes of earthy blueberry emerge with suggestions of pressed violets, lavender, sweet sandalwood, star anise and graphite spice. On the palate, the vintage’s regal elegance emerges with exhilarating acids framing the plush opulent red and back berry fruits, saline cassis, tart red cherry and a blueberry confectionary generosity. Tasting the wine with Bruwer Raats, inevitable comparisons were made to the iconic 2017 MR, with both wines sharing a beautifully bright acid freshness and a weightless concentration of pure berry fruits with only the slightest suggestion of vanilla oak spice. This really is a wine with a mixed palette of colours, flavours and fruits and the most seamlessly elegant, finessed velvety tannins. Following on from the 2018 blockbuster, with no 2019 MR produced, this 2020 is a bold, enchanting, characterful wine full of precision that trumpets the return of this incredible benchmark Cape classic. A breathtaking wine on so many levels. Drink from 2024 to 2045+.In Bond£78.00 -
Greg Sherwood MW (98)
Never made with exactly the same blend in any two vintages, the 2020 is a classic Cape Bordeaux assemblage of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot with a total production of only 1,000 x 6. The wine displays a real intensity in the glass with a ruby red rim and a red / black plum heart. The aromatics are vibrant and fabulously perfumed, bursting from the glass with expressive notes of red and black berry fruits, black currant, raspberry, red and black cherry, before notes of earthy blueberry emerge with suggestions of pressed violets, lavender, sweet sandalwood, star anise and graphite spice. On the palate, the vintage’s regal elegance emerges with exhilarating acids framing the plush opulent red and back berry fruits, saline cassis, tart red cherry and a blueberry confectionary generosity. Tasting the wine with Bruwer Raats, inevitable comparisons were made to the iconic 2017 MR, with both wines sharing a beautifully bright acid freshness and a weightless concentration of pure berry fruits with only the slightest suggestion of vanilla oak spice. This really is a wine with a mixed palette of colours, flavours and fruits and the most seamlessly elegant, finessed velvety tannins. Following on from the 2018 blockbuster, with no 2019 MR produced, this 2020 is a bold, enchanting, characterful wine full of precision that trumpets the return of this incredible benchmark Cape classic. A breathtaking wine on so many levels. Drink from 2024 to 2045+.In Bond£285.00 -
Greg Sherwood MW (99)
The MR de Compostella from Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve possesses one of the most successful critical track records out of almost any red wine produced in South Africa let alone just in the Cape Bordeaux Blend category. The newest 2021 release astonishingly takes this wine to yet another higher niveau of quality with a blend of 26% Cabernet Franc, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 20% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. Made from vines aged between 9 and 22 years old, all grown on deep decomposed dolomitic granite soils with table mountain sandstone, the aromatics are wonderfully bold and exuberant displaying seductive notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, violets, sweet cherry tobacco, black cherries and tart black plum. The lifted perfumed intensity is incredibly pure and piercing with salty liquorice, cedar spice and beautifully detailed maritime oyster shell nuances. In the mouth, the concentration and focused steely intensity is astounding – tart, bright and architecturally soaring, shaping this wine into a powerful, linear, multi-dimensional masterpiece. Packed full of salty cassis, tart plum and black currant, the tightly wound core of power, refined extraction and polished marble tannins leave you in no doubt that this harmonious, vibrant beauty is a spellbinding, timeless classic in the making. If you wanted just one wine to convince an international fine wine connoisseur of the true greatness of South Africa’s finest terroirs and winemaking, you have found your candidate! Simply an incredible wine. Drink this beauty from 2024 and savour over the next 30+ years. But you might need more than just one or two cases in your cellar!!In Bond£350.00 -
In Bond£264.00
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(6x75cl) 2023
Wine Advocate (95)
This wine explores the spirit of schist soils with vines planted in 1986. The Rall 2023 Swartland Chenin Blanc Ava reveals aromas of aniseed, licorice and fennel root at the back of orchard fruit and unripe peach. With the Noa, vintner Donovan Rall limits oxygen, but with this wine, he seeks more of it. He works with three vineyards with schist soil, and this is the only one he can bottle on its own because it achieves the balance he seeks. The wine ferments in 400-liter barrel for six months until almost dry. There is a touch of residual sugar at 2.5 grams per liter. The wine is creamy and fleshed out in terms of texture, but its aging potential remains intact. The personality of this wine is certainly more soothing and richer overall. Donovan Rall seeks to express two sides of Chenin Blanc, one on granite (the Noa) and one on schist (the Ava).In Bond£195.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2018 Ava Syrah is whole-bunch-fermented and matured in used 225- and 500-liter French oak. It has a very pure and seductive bouquet, a mélange of blueberry, cassis and raspberry coulis, all beautifully controlled. The medium-bodied palate reveals a slightly honeyed texture. There is impressive intensity here, with hints of dark chocolate and black plum fruit, and suggestions of sea salt and licorice toward the persistent finish. It errs on the side of hedonism but maintains outstanding focus all the way through. Brilliant.In Bond£274.00 -
Vinous (97)
The 2021 Syrah Ava comes from two schist vineyards, the main component from the parcel that forms the Rall Syrah, in a corner where the clusters are very small. It has a compelling bouquet with dark berry fruit, slate-like scents, hints of broom and Provençal herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with a dense yet paradoxically elegant frame of tannins, precise peppery black fruit with a persistent, beautifully proportioned finish. All this at just 11.9% alcohol. Brilliant.In Bond£275.00 -
Wine Advocate (95)
Donovan Rall's 2023 Swartland Syrah Ava represents a selection of fruit from two vineyards with schistic soils. Production is limited to 2,000 bottles. This wine has a core of dark fruit and shows the proverbial "Swartland darkness" that you often find in the best wines from this remote region. There is stony mineral and lead pencil; however, you also get dark cherry, blackberry and plum. The alcohol is very contained at 11.8%, although the label says 12%. You can count on this bottle for jovial brightness, fruit buoyancy and elegantly chalky tannins.In Bond£88.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
A wine doesn't have to be big to be complex," says Donovan Rall of this refined, ageworthy Cinsault, which combines fruit from Darling and the Swartland. Textured, refreshing yet with quite a bit of tannin for the variety, this is crunchy, complex and elegant with layers of summer berry and black cherry fruit. 2022-26In Bond£115.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Sold as a Coastal red because it includes fruit from the Swartland as well as Darling - the vineyards are only two kilometres apart - this is a delicate, yet focused red with some whole bunch spices and sap, black cherry and raspberry fruit, nuanced tannins and a floral, tapering finish. 2022-27In Bond£101.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (92)
Now into its third vintage - and showing its highest alcohol yet at a towering 11% alcohol - this very rare Cinsault Blanc is sourced from a 0.2-hectare parcel on granite in Wellington. Naturally fermented in clay amphorae, it's salty and very fresh, with lemongrass and citrus peel flavours. 2021-25In Bond£103.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (93)
Donovan Rall has moved to two picks for this wine to give it more nuances. The same is true of the shift away from oak to separate fermentations in stainless steel, concrete and a solitary amphora. Complex, fresh and very pure, this has the variety's characteristic brightness and acidity, with some creamy lees and a long, focused nish. 2021-26In Bond£120.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
"Massive acidities" is how Donovan Rall describes the 2019 white wines, and he's not exaggerating. This concrete egg-fermented Grenache Blanc comes from a single vineyard at 620 metres in Piekenierskloof and is a case in point. Peachy, pithy and linear with bready undertones and a tangy, textural finish. 2021-25In Bond£120.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
Donovan Rall only used the first pick for this stunning Piekenierskloof Grenache Blanc in 2020, fermenting and ageing it in a combination of concrete eggs and amphoras. It's a salty, complex, dialled back white with notes of gunflint, wild herbs and greengage and high-altitude minerality and precision.In Bond£122.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
'White Wine Discovery of the Year' - Donovan Rall has made a habit of winning one or more or my discovery of the year categories and he's done it again with this Chenin Blanc from a Paardeberg vineyard planted in the 1960s. Picked in four stages, it’s a stunning expression of the site, with saline grip, lots of extract and concentration, hay, pear and lime flavours and wonderful energy.In Bond£210.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (97)
Sailing majestically into its third vintage, this comes from a vineyard planted on the Paardeberg in 1969 that's called La Rhine. Entirely fermented in a concrete egg, it has mouth-watering freshness and focus, layers of aniseed, lime and lemon juice, salty minerality and a tapering finish that lingers on the tongue.In Bond£224.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2016 Red contains Carignan for the first time, though Syrah still comprises 80% of the blend, along with Cinsault and Grenache. It has a very detailed bouquet with scents of black plum, blackberry, a touch of gravel and the 100% whole bunch lending a slightly earthy tincture. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, quite firm in the mouth and maybe more masculine compared to other Syrah-dominated Rhône blends, yet there is wonderful freshness and delineation here. It exerts a gentle grip on the midpalate and those schistous soils impart a wonderful mineralité on the finish. Outstanding.In Bond£140.00 -
Vinous (95)
The 2017 Rall Red is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault that is matured in 225- and 500-liter French oak. It has a perfumed, quite sensual bouquet of pressed violet and potpourri aromas entwined with black cherries and blueberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate displays very fine tannins that frame exceedingly pure black and blueberry fruit laced with truffle, Provençal herbs and white pepper. It feels very persistent as it fans out on the finish, completing an outstanding Rall Red, one of the best that Donovan Rall has produced thus far.In Bond£131.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
"The most southern Rhône-like red I've made" is how Donovan Rall describes this 50% whole bunch-fermented cuvée of Syrah with 30% Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault. Broad and spicy, with Mediterranean garrigue aromas, a tannic backdrop and meaty, bloody intensity. 2021-28In Bond£124.00 -
Christian Eedes (94)
65% Syrah, 13% Grenache, 13% Cinsault and 9% Carignan. The nose is particularly expressive with notes of red and black berries, cured meat, lavender, herbs and pepper while the palate is rich and flavourful but equally not short of freshness – a bit less foursquare than preceding vintages have tended to be. Complex and satisfying.In Bond£120.00
