Wine Advocate (92-95)

The 2011 Croft is initially taciturn on the nose, even after allowing it 20 minutes in my glass. A light swirling immediately awakens the aromatics to offer blackberry, Seville orange marmalade, blueberries and dried fig – complex and quite compelling. There is real mineralite within this bouquet that, returning after 30 minutes, offers alluring ocean spray scents rolling in off the ocean. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety-smooth opening that belies the fine, structured tannins underneath. It clams up a little towards the finish, shuts the lid tight and consequently there is the sensation of less persistency here compared to the Taylor’s or Fonseca. But Croft has a knack of filling out with bottle age and becomes both gentle and generous with the passing years. Tasted May 2013.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend originally seen about a week before bottling. It comes in with 104 grams of residual sugar. Not a lot has changed except that it seems even more approachable and much better balanced now. It also seems drier than its statistics would suggest. Tight and intense on first taste, this comes around relatively well with a couple of hours of air on the first day tasted, but it isn't expressive until a couple of days later. The initial firmness moderates to some extent, showcasing a relatively approachable young Port. (That doesn't mean it is ready or close to it.) The concentration seems good enough now, so that the hints of alcohol that I saw in June—and again this time around when this was in its first 90 minutes of aeration—seem under much better control. The balance is just more appealing. It shows beautifully with a couple of days of air. As with all Ports of any quality, this could use some time. This is gripping, but it won't sear your mouth with tannins. You are going to have to cellar it awhile to allow it to acquire more complexity and more harmony, though. This is showing more promise than ever.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Clay Shales is made with fruit purchased from a vineyard in the central part of the Hemelen-Aarde Ridge. Fermented with native yeasts in older wood, it's a nicely worked style with lots of layers and understated power, mixing flavours of oatmeal, toffee fudge and fresh citrus zing. Structured and intense.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Cuvée Cinéma is sourced from the top end of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley from a clay- shales vineyard planted in 2009. The stems were unusually mature in 2019, so Peter-Allan Finlayson added 70% whole bunches. The result is sappy, spicy and quite dense, with effortless concentration, black cherry and plum fruit, sinewy tannins and good ageing potential. 2022-29

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Part of a brilliant line up of Pinot Noirs from Crystallum in 2020, this is a wine with evident tannin and extraction - more Nuits-St-Georges than Chambolle-Musigny perhaps - with plenty of grip, dark cherry and raspberry fruit, subtle 20% new wood and added complexity from 40% whole bunches.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Jacob's Vineyard on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge - also the source of Crystallum's Clay Shales Chardonnay - supplies the grapes for Cuvée Cinéma, which sits mid-way between Bona Fide and Mabalel in style. Perfumed, intense and grippy, with orange zest, cranberry and forest floor notes and well-handled 20% new oak.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Bona Fide comes from the Vrede vineyard, which also supplies fruit for Hannes Storm's top Pinot Noir. There was no 2019 release, but this is a roaring return to form: a medium-weight red with a haunting combination of perfume and structure. Complete, layered and nuanced with 50% whole bunch spices and layers of plum and summer berry fruit, 2023-28

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Bona Fide comes from the lower, clay-rich part of the Vrede Vineyard in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a site that produces two of the Cape's best Pinot Noirs. Brooding, herbal and earthy, with notes of tobacco leaf and forest floor, dense plum and dark cherry fruit and some clove spice from 70% whole bunches.

A slightly more savoury and distinctly Burgundian expression featuring enhanced earthiness from cloves and tree bark. The red fruits are here in abundance, most notably wild strawberries and rhubarb, while there is a red apple skin quality to the tannins. The finish is all crushed mulberries and salted cherries, adding a moreish finish, which makes the wine dangerously drinkable in spite of its ageing potential.

Savour the elegance of the Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2014, an epitome of grandeur in Pinot Noir. Crafted with creativity in the slate-rich vineyards of Mosel, Germany, its luxurious character is deeply rooted in the unique minerality of its terroir. Vinified with utmost precision, care, and minimal intervention by the avant-garde winemaker himself, Daniel Twardowski, this wine embodies old-world finesse with a contemporary spin.

The grapes are hand-selected and processed to retain purity. The result? An elixir that exhibits captivating depth, vibrant acidity and sumptuous berry flavours. Its velvety texture and the pleasing finish is a testament to its ultra-long fermentation period. The Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2014 gracefully unfolds on the palate, promising an immersive tasting experience.

Store it correctly, and its beauty enhances over time, mirroring the master vineyard's passion for perfection. Choose this exquisite wine for an absolute fine-dining indulgence.

Distinguished and fragrant, the Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2018 is produced from the revered slopes of the renowned German winemaker's vineyards. Born from meticulous precision and passion, the hand-harvested Pinot Noir grapes deliver a nobility that reflects the terroir with a clear varietal expression. Its extraordinary aging potential makes it an esteemed collector's choice.

Fermented in French oak barrels, this limited-production wine captures a remarkable freshness layered with mature depth. The balanced acidity and body are gracefully enveloped in textural complexity, with a minerally balance exuding from its slate-imbued backdrop.

Daniel Twardowski, a vintner with an unquenchable thirst for creating perfection, combines traditional wine-making techniques with innovative, sensitive cultivation. Every bottle that leaves his estate encapsulates a world of excellence, offering charm and vivacity reflected in every glass of Daniel Twardowski Pinot Noix Ardoise 2018.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2019 Kröver Steffensberg Riesling Auslese (Gold Capsule) is clear, piquant and spicy on the coolish, earthy and darker-toned nose compared to both Goldgrube Auslesen. Cumquat and orange notes emerge after a while in the glass, indicating a certain percentage of perfect botrytis. The palate is round and intense yet weightless and very elegant, with a crystalline, beautifully seamless texture and salty-piquant and nervy mineral acidity. In fact, this is a great synthesis between the two sweet Goldgrube selections since it paints the finesse of the regular Wolfgrube with the intensity and richness of the gold-capsuled Auslese. 8.5% alcohol. Tasted from AP 06/20 in June 2020.

Vinous (92)

The 2017 Aristargos is a blend of several white varieties from 14 different vineyards that includes Marsanne for the first time. It is whole-bunch-pressed, with the Sémillon kept on its skins for a few days and then matured in 300-liter used barrels for 12 months. It has a vivacious bouquet of yellow plum, mirabelle and jasmine aromas, all wonderfully defined. The palate is well balanced with a waxy texture and notes of stone fruit, sesame, walnut and orange peel . A very subtle flor-like element lends tension on finish. Superb.

Vinous (91)

The 2018 Aristargos is a blend of 53% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette, 13% Sémillon with some skin contact, 10% Roussanne, 2% Marsanne and 9% Viognier, from a mixture of old and younger vines from across 14 vineyards, matured in neutral oak for 11 months. It has a complex bouquet of nectarine, desiccated orange peel, grilled hazelnuts and a touch of almond. The palate is fresh on the entry with a fine bead of acidity and quite neutral in style, offering subtle, fleeting glimpses of orange zest and a tang of sea salt, though I would like just a little more weight on the finish. Give this a couple of years in bottle.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

I did a double take when I realised this was the tenth vintage of Aristargos - 2010 seems like yesterday - but what a great and reliable wine it has become. Chenin-based with 50% Clairette, Semillon, Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc and Verdelho, it's wonderfully complex and layered, with pear, citrus and herbal notes, a hint of peach and a long, stony finish. 2021-27

Tim Atkin MW (93)

Seventeen vineyards, 25 pickings and no co-fermentation" says David Sadie of this tasty, complex cuvée of Chenin Blanc with 51% Roussanne, Semillon, Marsanne, Clairette, Viognier, Verdelho, Grenache Blanc and Colombard. Perfumed, focused and textured for a white with just 12.5% alcohol, it's waxy, subtle and nuanced, with citrus, apple and nectarine flavours and very little oak. 2021-26

Wine Advocate (93+)

Starting with a broad and waxy nose of elegant yellow apples, sweet citrus and plum blossom, the 2021 Aristargos is delightful and intricate in the glass. Medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is enticing with the flavors of Meyer lemon and spiced white tea, while displaying a dusty mineral tension that evolves over the long, spicy and complex finish. It’s a brilliantly layered wine that will remain food-friendly for years to come.

Vinous (92+)

The 2016 Elpidios is a blend of red Rhône varieties, although with new vineyard plantings there is more Carignan. It includes 30% to 50% whole bunches and was matured in used French oak for 12 months, and another 12 months in bottle. It has a backward bouquet at first that opens with time, but it is very well defined, featuring blackberry, clove, bay leaf and white pepper, very understated in style but gaining clarity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin, quite insistent in terms of grip, and possesses fine backbone courtesy of the Carignan on the slightly ferrous finish. Excellent.

Vinous (93)

The 2017 Elpidios spends an extra year in bottle compared to Sadie’s other wines. For the first year, the blend is based on Grenache (31%), plus 30% Syrah, 19% Carignan, 10% Cinsault and 10% Pinotage, with around 50% whole bunch across the range, matured in 500-liter barrels and foudres. It offers cranberry and pomegranate scents on the deep, broody nose; tertiary/undergrowth notes originate from the whole-bunch addition. The palate is medium-bodied with dark cherry, hoisin and light black pepper notes from the Carignan. This is fresh and vibrant, not powerful or deep, yet perfectly proportioned toward the finish. Very fine, and it should drink with about a year in bottle.

Tim Atkin MW (94)

Made in the last of the so-called drought vintages, this stylish red assemblage has been Grenache-led since 2017, with 62% Syrah, Pinotage, Carignan and Cinsault completing the picture. Grippy, firm and stony, with 50% whole bunch spices, a waft of rose petal and tangy red cherry, plum and redcurrant fruit. 2022-28

Wine Advocate (93+)

Composed of 38% Grenache, 36% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 9% Carignan and 7% Pinotage, the 2020 Elpidios comes from 12 different vineyards and was made from 50% whole-cluster fruit. On the nose, the wine offers soft herbal hints of mint and menthol with a delightful undertone of wild brush before swaying with a red-fruited nature and delicate dusty essence. Medium-bodied and with 13.5% alcohol, the wine is juicy and mineral on the palate and offers delightful herbal essences across the structured mid-palate. The wine glides to a delightfully minty finish that will remain food-friendly for over a decade. Give it at least one more year in the bottle, and decant for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.

Vinous (95)

The 2018 Hoë-Steen is predominantly Chenin Blanc, planted toward Darling on deep iron-clay soils and usually picked after the reds. The vines were planted in 1968. This has a more stony bouquet than the Skaliekop, a very slight nutty/smoky note emanating from a few Palomino vines. The palate is just superb. It is supremely well defined with a lovely lock of salinity that runs from start to finish. There is tangible energy to this wine, which displays a hint of tangerine and even menthol toward the finish. Superb.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

One of a trio of world-class single site Chenin Blancs from David and Nadie Sadie (no relation to Eben, by the way), this hails from a two-hectare vineyard that was planted in 1968 and is often picked late. Completing full malolactic - such is the acidity in the grapes - this is leesy, focused and taut, with some ferrous grip and a textured palate. 2021-29

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Hoë-Steen comes from a 1968 vineyard to the west of Malmesbury on deep red iron and clay-rich soils. Broader and richer than the other single site Chenins from the Sadies, with some ferrous grip, fine oak integration, pear, cream and stone fruit flavours and a taut finish.