Tim Atkin MW (97)

My pick of the three top Mullineux Syrahs in 2018, this world-class red is the most perfumed and alluring of the trio right now. Combining fruit from the Kasteelberg and Roundstone, this has violet and lavender aromas, some sap and grip from 100% whole bunches, incredible focus and grip and a plush, seductive mid palate.

Tim Atkin MW (93)

One of my "go to" wines when I see it on a restaurant wine list, this intensely perfumed Syrah comes from seven vineyards, mostly on schist soils. Made with 90% whole bunches, it has more tannin than you think at first, layers of spice, violet and blackberry fruit and a refreshing tang.

Wine Advocate (89)

The 1991 Vintage Port is flattering and precocious for its vintage. It offers generous levels of sweet black fruits, full body, a velvety, supple texture, and a fine finish. Drink it over the next 20 years.

Wine Spectator (90)

This builds on your palate into super, well-constructed, balanced Port. Wonderful floral and fruit aromas, like walking into a lovely florist shop. Full in body, medium-sweet, loads of tannins and long, peppery, fruity finish. Give it time. Best after 2002. -JS

Greg Sherwood MW (97-99)

This lovely signature Niepoort 2019 vintage Port apparently has higher tannins than the famed 2017, but at this youthful stage, it is hard to comprehend this with its rich, accessible, voluptuous layers of silky, juicy soft black fruits. Benchmark certainly, a notable success – absolutely. The aromatics are so much more important than the palate flavours at this early blending phase (according to Dirk) and this enticing 2019 shows attractive notes of sweet sun ripened black berry fruits, hints of creamy molasses, savoury black stewed winter orchard fruits and a dusty, stony, smoked cigars complexity. Beautifully silky, supple and textured, there is also a fine, stony, grippy mineral tannin mouthfeel that lends a wonderful frame for the juicy blue and black berry fruit finery to be displayed. Fabulously drinkable, deliciously fresh and vibrant, but eminently bold and characterful, this is certainly another very accomplished wine from the House of Niepoort. (Residual Sugar: 88 g/l RS)

Wine Advocate (98)

I was blown away by the elegance and subtleness of the 2021 Charme, I wine I know quite well and have followed from the first vintage (I think even a non-commercial release in the beginning). It's a red wine produced in Vale Mendiz where they make the Port, a mixture of vineyards from the village. It had a very short maceration of the full clusters in lagar, was pressed to barrels where it finished fermenting and was put through malolactic, was kept in barrel for nine months and then was transferred to the cellar in Quinta de Napoles. It has a very elegant and perfumed style, with no oak whatsoever. It's floral, with notes of red berries and herbs and a medium-bodied palate with refined, elegant tannins and a long and supple finish with a spicy twist (from the barrels? some 15% to 20% new). This wine has been changing through the years, and this has to be the most elegant version of it, following the path of the 2018. It has a moderate 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.56 and 5.7 grams of acidity. 9,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2023. Superb!

Wine Advocate (98)

The 2021 Coche has to be one of the finest white wines from Portugal that I've tasted. It was produced with grapes grown at 600 meters in altitude, from very old vineyards with the right field blend with a majority of Rabigato but also other local varieties. It has a fine and elegant reductive character with flinty notes, hints of smoke and dry herbs. This is sharp and super tasty, with an almost salty twist in the finish. It fermented and matured in French oak barrels (mostly 228-liter ones) for one year. It's serious, nuanced, a little austere and vertical, with a dry finish, a chalky sensation and very good persistence. It has 11.8% alcohol, a pH of 3.26 and 5.8 grams of acidity. I've drunk all the vintages of Coche since the first year (2010), and this is the finest to date. Bravo. 9,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2023.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

The latest in an impressive run of outstanding Chardonnays from this top Elgin estate - no mean feat in a vintage where some producers struggled with fructose levels - this is bigger and bolder than the 2017 release. More Meursault than Puligny-Montrachet perhaps, with some cream and cashew notes on the palate underpinned by racy acidity

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Arguably the most Burgundian of Cape Pinot Noirs, guided by the gentle hand of consultant Martin Prieur, this scented, refined red comesfrom three sites and is made with clones 113, 115 and 777. Savoury red fruit, bright acidity, filigree tannins and deftly integrated wood.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

Has any brand in South Africa achieved quite so much as Porseleinberg in less than a decade? This is the best vintage yet from this steep, brutal, extreme schist-rich site and that's saying a good deal. Big, bold and intense, with incredible, almost feral intensity, incense, tar and black pepper aromas and layers of inky dark fruit. A stunning wine from a stunning site, made by a gem of a winemaker.

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. 2023-35

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.

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. 2024-32

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2018 Touriga Nacional was aged for 16 to 18 months, depending on which of two plots, in 90% new oak. It comes in at just 14.6% alcohol. More flavorful and aromatic than its sibling, the Touriga Franca, this is otherwise along the same lines. This Touriga Nacional maintains the Franca's mid-palate finesse, as well as the feeling it projects that it is the crushed essence of the grape. There's a little oak present, but not as much as you might think. This, too, will absorb the oak even better with a couple of years in the cellar, but the wood is very well handled. It is not really intrusive even now, and there is no "drenched in vanilla" demeanor at all. The tannins are very ripe, but with aeration this becomes much firmer on the finish, proving that it has the structure to age. Of all of Crasto's upper-level wines this report, it is probably this that most leans to hedonism, thanks to the aromatics and flavor, yet it is still very elegant and carefully crafted. It is never a sloppy fruit bomb. This succulent and enticing Touriga Nacional is impossible to resist, even today, but you will definitely be rewarded if you give it a few years of age to become more expressive. There were just 9,113 bottles produced, plus some larger format bottles.

Vinous (97)

The 2017 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was picked from August 21 to September 28 under perfect conditions. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires a lot of aeration. Eventually it reveals fabulous, detailed aromas of cassis, bilberry jam, crushed stone and pressed violets, later hints of orange blossom and quince. The palate is pure class. Saturated tannins, wonderful structure but the headline is the intensity of fruit. I cannot remember a Noval with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses as layers of effervescent black plum and cassis fruit segue into a spicy finish that fans out like there is no tomorrow. Is this the best Quinta do Noval ever?

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2017 Vintage Port Nacional is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in at 99 grams of residual sugar and was bottled about a month before this tasting after 18 months in wooden vats. In 2016, I might've made an argument that the regular Noval was better. In this vintage, this seems to be a clear choice, granting that Ports change constantly in their youth. Its siblings at all levels in the last few vintages are very fine, but this is an indisputable benchmark that seems to better them all. Rich and vibrant, this has plenty of stuffing and flavor, more than the regular Noval. Then, it adds layer after layer of power. A couple of hours of air makes both the flavors and tannins more intense. It is simply gripping—yet also remarkably fresh. It's a great Noval, and one of the shortlist candidates for Wine of the Vintage. There were 200 cases produced.

Decanter (96)

Made only in top years from the best lots, like all Noval's reds this is fermented in stainless steel then aged in French oak - in this case for 10 months in 35% new oak. Signature orange blossom riffs make for a delicate interplay of fruit and flower. A plume of fine, schistous tannins and bright acidity gently but persuasively anchor and extend its inky, perfumed black berry and plum fruits, with hints of bergamot, milk chocolate, clove, cedar and cinnamon. Very fine and such a great example of the variety, and nearly half the price of the Reserva!

Imbued with the sophistication of the Douro region, the Quinta Do Vale Meao Port 2011 is a treasure within the world of fine wines, revered by connoisseurs. This remarkable Port, a product of a stellar vintage, is the work of the 5th generation of the esteemed vintners, the Olazabal family. They lovingly cultivated the Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional grape varieties, in their vinification warehouse.

The Quinta Do Vale Meao Port 2011 exemplifies meticulous winemaking. Hand-harvested grapes undergo a foot treading process in granite ‘lagares’, followed by aging in French oak for 20 months. This process imbues the ruby-hued Port with an opulent palate. The tasting notes reveal an intricate structure with fruit-driven complexity, and a finishing touch of dark chocolate and spice.

Each sip of Quinta Do Vale Meao Port 2011 is an indulgent adventure, transporting you to the sun-drenched terraces of the esteemed Douro Valley, Portugal’s most distinguished wine region.

Mark Squires (99)

This old wine was acquired by Quinta do Vallado and said to be an 1866 Colheita (although Francisco Spratley Ferreira of the winery tells me he can't honestly say for sure if it is a true single-vintage Colheita, which is why it is marketed just as "Tributa"), pre-phylloxera vines. It was bottled for Antonia Adelaide Ferreira's 200th anniversary--a woman who built a lot of Douro and was the ancestor of Vallado's owners. Francisco told me (with some typos corrected) that "we think it is a true colheita, but it's impossible to be sure... We bought this wine and the owner said to me that [he] never touched ... this wine last 50 years! We believe that with this concentration and baume (13,5), this is really very old and wasn't "refrescado" (add young wines to fill the barrel).... At same time it' s amazing the acidity, especially thinking in this baume! The wine only was bottled last weeks!" I've run into my share of really old Ports recently--1863 Niepoort, Sequeira, the NV Wine and Soul "5G"--all were exceptional and all were very different. This would be my winner of that group. If you are really loaded, keep reading. Very dark in color and far thicker than the 5g (although not, perhaps, as vibrant), this is remarkably thick and viscous--there seems to be no question that it is old and concentrated. It is very complex, too. Laced with molasses and dark chocolate, and a touch of charcoal, it is enlivened by a big hit of acidity. The texture is quite caressing and sexy. Its age shows mostly in its thick demeanor. It reminds me of some century old Moscatels I've had in Southern Portugal. It is remarkably sweet and fresh in most other respects. It is a wonderful experience. There is bad news. You could predict this, huh? There were 1,300 bottles produced--and they are coming in special decanters running around $3,000 per 750ml bottle. (No, I didn't get one of those bottles, but I did get a sample taste!)

Richard Mayson (19)

A blend of 54% Touriga Nacional, 40% Touriga Franca / Alicante Bouschet (co fermented) and 6% Sousão (for freshness), predominantly from cooler north / north west facing vineyards: Beautifully lifted, scented floral aromas (rose petals), vinous and overt; sweet and suave initially, ripe but gentle blackberry fruit backed by velvety tannins leading to a finish that is both powerful and elegant at the same time. Wonderful freshness and vitality. A magnificent wine for drinking over the medium to long term. Just 965 cases produced representing 3% of the quinta’s total production

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.

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.

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+.

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!!

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.

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. 2022-26

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. 2022-27

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. 2021-25