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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Coastal Region | 1 | 95 (DC) | HK$1,745.00 | |||||
Decanter (95)An utterly delicious Cinsault from Swartland pioneer and champion of the Cinsault revival in South Africa, Andre Adrian (Adi) Badenhorst. The Ramnasgras comes from a small vineyard on the estate, planted in the mid 50’s, and is the product of meticulous hand selection, fermentation in ‘dodgy old wooden vats’ and maturation in ‘less dodgy foudre for 12 months’. Such is Adi’s way, the wine is made with minimal intervention in the vineyard and winery and is a true reflection of the vintage conditions and Swartland terroir. This is full of red berries and perfumed floral notes with a mineral edge. A small production of 3,500 bottles, so worth seeking out and stocking-up if you can. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 95 (JS) | HK$2,199.00 | |||||
James Suckling (95)This is really a phenomenal South African wine for the money showing such delicacy yet also power. The nose boasts plenty of iodine, crushed stones, balsam, violets and hints of sweet herbs. The palate's full and exuberant with mouth-coating tannins and a long finish. 64% shiraz, 29% cabernet and 7% petit verdot. Best in 2020. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 96 (GS) | HK$1,580.00 | |||||
Greg Sherwood MW (96)A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Syrah and 7% Petit Verdot which was aged for 19 months in French oak, 50% new 400 litre barrels and 50% second fill. A seductively perfumed vintage, the aromatics show alluring notes of violets, potpourri and hits of lily over dark bramble berry fruits with hints of mocha espresso notes that combine with subtle buttered brown toast nuances. The palate shows fabulous elegance and finesse with a soft touch concentration of black currant, Christmas pudding, savoury plum compote and black cherry. The tannins are powdery and fine grained but also structured and drying, combining well with a fresh glossy acidity that keeps the finish focused, vibrant and bright. An impressive wine that not only shows off another great vintage in the Cape but also what is increasingly possible with the superb Anwilka Stellenbosch terroir. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 95 (JS) | HK$2,145.00 | |||||
James Suckling (95)Aromas of red and black currants, black licorice and fresh garden herbs. Full-bodied with fine, decadent tannins that run the length of the wine. Widescreen on the palate with lovely openness, but still retains some exciting tension. Very different mouth-feel than previous vintages. Textural at the finish. Very nicely structured. Best after 2025. |
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Western Cape | 1 | 95 (TA) | HK$5,185.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)Using vineyards that go up to 399 metres - some of the highest in the Hemelen-Aarde Valley - this estate Chardonnay is consistently excellent. Made without malolactic because of the heat of the vintage, it’s bready, leesy and refreshing, with Puligny-Montrachet-like elegance and beautifully weighted oak |
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Cape South Coast | 2 | 95 (TA) | HK$1,535.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)You know class when you taste it, and this is certainly that. Deservedly established as one of South Africa's most consistently outstanding Chardonnays, this has the structure and concentration to age, with no malolactic at all, 22% new wood and complex, nuanced, stony flavours of lemon zest, oatmeal and stone fruit – Drinking to 2028 |
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Coastal Region | 3 | 95 (TA) | HK$2,375.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)Dassiekop was the first single vineyard Chenin Blanc from Adi Badenhorst, taking its first bow in 2011. Located at 350 metres and surrounded by aromatic fynbos, this is a classic expression of granite soils: concentrated, dense and focused, all pear, wax and lanolin with mouth-watering freshness and length. 2022-27 |
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Coastal Region | 3 | 19+ (MJ) | HK$3,695.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (19+)The nose on this outstanding wine reminds me of an elite Cabernet from another part of the world – Frankland River in Western Australia. There is more than a hint of ‘Houghton Jack Mann’ on the perfume and palate of this wine’s sensational 25th-anniversary release. Underpinning the profoundly deep black fruit notes is a sense of earthiness and energy that allows the blackberry and blackcurrant flavours to soar. With 70% new French oak on board, which has been folded away perfectly into the heart of this mighty wine, there is an extra dimension of flavour here thanks to the addition of a soupcon of Cabernet Franc. Only a handful of South African wines manage to capture this noble grape’s true essence while maintaining a compelling sense of stylishness. 2020 CSF does this in spades and it will continue to do so for two decades. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 19+ (MJ) | HK$1,800.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (19+)The nose on this outstanding wine reminds me of an elite Cabernet from another part of the world – Frankland River in Western Australia. There is more than a hint of ‘Houghton Jack Mann’ on the perfume and palate of this wine’s sensational 25th-anniversary release. Underpinning the profoundly deep black fruit notes is a sense of earthiness and energy that allows the blackberry and blackcurrant flavours to soar. With 70% new French oak on board, which has been folded away perfectly into the heart of this mighty wine, there is an extra dimension of flavour here thanks to the addition of a soupcon of Cabernet Franc. Only a handful of South African wines manage to capture this noble grape’s true essence while maintaining a compelling sense of stylishness. 2020 CSF does this in spades and it will continue to do so for two decades. |
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Coastal Region | 18 | 96 (TA) | HK$1,870.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (96)Boekenhoutskloof's Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon is picked two weeks later than its Stellenbosch stable mate and is a fresher, more refined wine. Benefitting from the inclusion of 12% Cabernet Franc from the vines around the winery, it has aromas of graphite, violet and eucalyptus, palate-caressing, granular tannins and red berry and blackcurrant leaf flavours. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 99 (TA) | HK$2,085.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (99)Boekenhoutskloof has always made impressive, age-worthy Semillons, but Gottfried Mocke has taken the 2020 to another level of complexity. Using grapes from three old parcels, planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942, with the largest component from the legendary La Colline vineyard, this includes 2% Muscat d'Alexandrie and some field blended Semillon Gris. Fermented in two thirds new wood, with the rest seeing concrete eggs and amphoras, it's one of the greatest ever Cape whites. Stony, flinty and layered, with wax, lemongrass and nutmeg flavours and subtle struck match reduction. Wow! |
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Coastal Region | 8 | 96 (TA) | HK$1,870.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (96)Boekenhoutskloof's world-class Semillon uses grapes from three distinct blocks in Franschhoek, planted in 1902, 1936 and 1942, combining these with 3% Muscat d'Alexandrie. Showing more acidity and restraint than the stunning 2020, and less of the struck match character, it has notes of lemongrass, custard and beeswax and a core of chiselled acidity. Needs more time. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 18.5+ (MJ) | HK$2,055.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (18.5+)Plush and packed with cassis, this is a tremendously flashy wine with deep wells of liqueur-like fruit coupled with strident oak and a lovely bright, dry finish. Yearning to be set free, BCSS is like a prize-fighter itching for the bell so it can launch itself at its opponent. This is an amazing Cabernet and while it has the stuffing to go deep into the later rounds, I love its toned flanks and glistening musculature right now. |
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Coastal Region | 2 | 97 (PG) | HK$2,245.00 | |||||
Platter's South African Wine Guide (97)(Cabernet Sauvignon of the Year) Power & precision combine in stellar 2019. Ripe black cherry fruit with lifted perfume notes (dab of cab franc, as Franschhoek sibling), fine integrated tannins & fresh, lithe appeal. 75% new French oak adds to muscular richness completing a very fine wine. 5 parcels in Helderberg, Polkadraai & Faure. |
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Coastal Region | 3 | 18.5 (MJ) | HK$3,695.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (18.5)Overall a little larger and more imposing than the Franschhoek cuvée, this Helderberg-sourced Cabernet is a glossy, succulent, more expressive wine than its stablemate, and it is also more forward and approachable. Built with unerring precision, the amazing brightness of fruit and 60% new oak embellishment have resulted in a Super-Tuscan-shaped wine with obvious allure and a more approachable temperament. Having said this, it has more than enough stuffing to last a decade with ease and in terms of value for money this is a small price to pay for a wine of this integrity. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 18.5 (MJ) | HK$1,955.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (18.5)Overall a little larger and more imposing than the Franschhoek cuvée, this Helderberg-sourced Cabernet is a glossy, succulent, more expressive wine than its stablemate, and it is also more forward and approachable. Built with unerring precision, the amazing brightness of fruit and 60% new oak embellishment have resulted in a Super-Tuscan-shaped wine with obvious allure and a more approachable temperament. Having said this, it has more than enough stuffing to last a decade with ease and in terms of value for money this is a small price to pay for a wine of this integrity. |
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Coastal Region | 18 | 95 (TA) | HK$1,870.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)Gottfried Mocke sources this Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon from two growers - one on the Helderberg, the other in Stellenbosch Kloof - to produce what is always the denser than its companion Franschhoek bottling. Inky and grippy, with top notes of menthol, mocha and dried herbs, lots of energy and vibrancy and a core of plum, blueberry and cassis. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 19+ (MJ) | HK$1,580.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (19+)I have never forgotten the 2000 vintage of this wine, which I wrote up in one of my books many moons ago. In the blink of an eye, the perfume on this 2018 vintage took me back to that great wine and while this label has been known to wander off into the forest in certain vintages, it is back with a brooding bang and loaded with Hermitage-like malevolence in 2018. With a melange of both red and black fruit tones and considerable aromatic lift on the nose, this is a Syrah with its feet firmly planted in the earth while its head is in the clouds such is the scale and majesty of its posture. Like the other reds in this vintage, the oak integration is near perfect and this allows the fruit to sing. If there is one wine to drink before the other reds, then this is it, and while it might be a criminal offence to drink this wine so young, I am sure you will break the law for a flavour as enthralling and all-encompassing as this one. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 97 (TA) | HK$3,210.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (97)The wine that launched the modern Syrah revolution in South Africa, even if it's sourced from two sites in the Swartland these days, rather than Somerset West. Almost indecently perfumed and alluring, this is a very immediate wine that will also reward cellaring. Sweet spices, red berry fruit, fine, savoury tannins and just a hint of oak with energetic acidity. 2023-31 |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 97 (TA) | HK$1,680.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (97)The wine that launched the modern Syrah revolution in South Africa, even if it's sourced from two sites in the Swartland these days, rather than Somerset West. Almost indecently perfumed and alluring, this is a very immediate wine that will also reward cellaring. Sweet spices, red berry fruit, fine, savoury tannins and just a hint of oak with energetic acidity. 2023-31 |
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Coastal Region | 3 | 19+ (MJ) | HK$3,695.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (19+)With 90% of the fruit coming from Porseleinberg and 10% from Goldmine, both in Swartland, this is a wondrous wine with more detail and finesse than any preceding vintage. Utilising only large foudre, the spice and fruit aromatics are as pure and evocative as I have encountered in a Cape Syrah. While the flavour palette is more deep purple than black-fruited, there is no obvious oak intervention and this allows the fruit to soar. Sanguineous and sappy on the finish, this is a glorious red wine with elemental animal notes interwoven with silky ribbons of beautifully ripe blackcurrant, mulberry and plum flavours. With the same texture and volume of fruit as a Vosne-Romanée, this is a regal creation that distances itself from the meat and muscle often found in sun-loving Syrahs! |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 19+ (MJ) | HK$1,570.00 | |||||
Matthew Jukes (19+)With 90% of the fruit coming from Porseleinberg and 10% from Goldmine, both in Swartland, this is a wondrous wine with more detail and finesse than any preceding vintage. Utilising only large foudre, the spice and fruit aromatics are as pure and evocative as I have encountered in a Cape Syrah. While the flavour palette is more deep purple than black-fruited, there is no obvious oak intervention and this allows the fruit to soar. Sanguineous and sappy on the finish, this is a glorious red wine with elemental animal notes interwoven with silky ribbons of beautifully ripe blackcurrant, mulberry and plum flavours. With the same texture and volume of fruit as a Vosne-Romanée, this is a regal creation that distances itself from the meat and muscle often found in sun-loving Syrahs! |
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Coastal Region | 32 | 97 (TA) | HK$1,870.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (97)Given that 90% of its raw material comes from Porseleinberg - the other 10% comes from Boekenhoutskloof's Roundstone property - it's no surprise that this is such an impressive Syrah. Fermented with 65% whole bunches, it combines fynbos, lavender and Asian spice aromas with a palate of white pepper, barbecued meat, oregano and blackberry framed by sappy, granular tannins. World class. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 98 (TA) | HK$3,605.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (98)I’m making this for Syrah fanatics”, says Reenen Borman. Lucky them is all I can say, because this is another stunning release from a brilliant young winemaker. Intense, granitic and spicy, with lovely lavender and garrigue aromas, layers of dark, inky fruit, stylish oak and amazing length. What more do you want from a Syrah? 2020-30 |
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Cape South Coast | 4 | 97 (IWSC) | HK$1,800.00 | |||||
IWSC (97)Very classy wine with nicely judged oak that adds vanilla spice to the tropical fruit and toffee apple flavours. Perfectly poised with crisp acidity and an elegant, long finish. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 95 (VN) | HK$3,780.00 | |||||
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. |
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Coastal Region | 4 | 96 (TA) | HK$3,220.00 | |||||
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 |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 96 (TA) | HK$3,140.00 | |||||
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. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 98 (TA) | HK$3,720.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (98)David & Nadia Sadie are now part of an elite group of South African Chenin Blanc producers, making world-class wines on a consistent basis. This is my favourite of their trio of single vineyard wines in 2019, sourced from a 3.9-hectare site on granite soils on the Paardeberg. Tight, taut and floral, with comparatively low alcohol, mouth-watering freshness, precision and acidity, notes of fennel, apple and gunflint and a lingering finish. A Cape Grand Cru. 2021-32 |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 98 (TA) | HK$2,915.00 | |||||
Tim Atkin MW (98)One of the great whites of the southern hemisphere, not just of South Africa, this is the Montrachet of Chenin Blanc. Made with three different pickings from the top part of the Paardebosch farm, it has the concentration of its 40-year-old vines, mouth-watering acidity and pH, chiselled freshness and layers of rock salt, aromatic spices, pear and lemongrass. |
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