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.
South Africa
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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|
Cape South Coast | 2 | 95 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$348.21 |
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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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|
Cape South Coast | 7 | 95 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$453.96 |
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Tim Atkin MW (95)Even better than the regular Chardonnay - and that's high praise - this organically farmed white hails from a 0.9-hectare parcel on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Fermented in 15% new barrels, with no malolactic or lees stirring, it's a rich, concentrated yet beautifully balanced style, all white flowers, oatmeal and lemon butter with a dusting of patisserie spices. |
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|
Coastal Region | 1 | 95 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$316.60 |
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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 | 1 | 19+ (MJ) |
Inc. GST
SG$360.18 |
|||||
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 | 2 | 97 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$388.52 |
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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 | 19+ (MJ) |
Inc. GST
SG$375.44 |
|||||
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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|
Cape South Coast | 4 | 97 (IWSC) |
Inc. GST
SG$398.35 |
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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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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 96 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$873.61 |
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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. |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | - |
Inc. GST
SG$362.32 |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 95 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$657.77 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 95 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$545.50 |
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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. |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | - |
Inc. GST
SG$466.96 |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 96 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$630.46 |
|||||
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 |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 96 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$882.25 |
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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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 5 | 92 (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$301.28 |
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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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 3 | 91 (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$301.28 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 11 | 94 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$277.38 |
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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 |
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|
Coastal Region | 1 | 93 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$241.44 |
|||||
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 |
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|
Coastal Region | 3 | - |
Inc. GST
SG$515.35 |
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|
Coastal Region | 5 | - |
Inc. GST
SG$301.28 |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 92+ (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$292.64 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 93 (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$301.28 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 94 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$281.70 |
|||||
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 |
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|
Coastal Region | 1 | 93+ (WA) |
Inc. GST
SG$337.31 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 96 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$668.67 |
|||||
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) |
Inc. GST
SG$644.71 |
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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 | 3 | 94 (VN) |
Inc. GST
SG$732.92 |
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Vinous (94)The name of the maiden 2018 Plat’bos (“low bush”) indicates the kind of vines it comes from, lying in a vineyard adjacent to the Skaliekop on pure granite soils. It has a unapologetically silty, stony bouquet, very reserved and austere yet with an enthralling intensity that seems almost paradoxical. The palate is very well balanced. Perhaps one of the most concentrated of David and Nadia Sadie’s wines, it reveals a crescendo of flavors, with tangerine, citrus peel, stem ginger and a touch of rhubarb toward the persistent finish. This is another impressive Chenin from this producer. |
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|
Coastal Region | 1 | 98 (TA) |
Inc. GST
SG$751.56 |
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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) |
Inc. GST
SG$651.30 |
|||||
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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|
Coastal Region | 2 | 96 (CE) |
Inc. GST
SG$984.82 |
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Christian Eedes (96)Grapes from a 1984 vineyard on iron-rich gravel situated in one of the more arid parts of the Swartland. 40% matured in concrete egg. A hint of reduction precedes dried herbs, white peach, citrus and melon while the palate has great purity, bright acidity and a pithy finish. Not without weight and texture despite an alcohol of just 12.5%. |
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Cape South Coast | 2 | 95 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$266.00 |
|||||
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 |
|||||||||
|
Cape South Coast | 7 | 95 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$365.00 |
|||||
Tim Atkin MW (95)Even better than the regular Chardonnay - and that's high praise - this organically farmed white hails from a 0.9-hectare parcel on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Fermented in 15% new barrels, with no malolactic or lees stirring, it's a rich, concentrated yet beautifully balanced style, all white flowers, oatmeal and lemon butter with a dusting of patisserie spices. |
|||||||||
|
Coastal Region | 1 | 95 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$237.00 |
|||||
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 |
|||||||||
|
Coastal Region | 1 | 19+ (MJ) |
In Bond
SG$275.00 |
|||||
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 | 2 | 97 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$301.00 |
|||||
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 | 19+ (MJ) |
In Bond
SG$289.00 |
|||||
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! |
|||||||||
|
Cape South Coast | 4 | 97 (IWSC) |
In Bond
SG$312.00 |
|||||
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. |
|||||||||
|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 96 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$750.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | - |
In Bond
SG$273.00 |
|||||
|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 95 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$550.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 95 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$447.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Cape South Coast | 1 | - |
In Bond
SG$369.00 |
|||||
|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 96 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$519.00 |
|||||
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 |
|||||||||
|
Cape South Coast | 1 | 96 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$750.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 5 | 92 (VN) |
In Bond
SG$217.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 3 | 91 (VN) |
In Bond
SG$217.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 11 | 94 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$203.00 |
|||||
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 |
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|
Coastal Region | 1 | 93 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$172.00 |
|||||
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 |
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|
Coastal Region | 3 | - |
In Bond
SG$354.00 |
|||||
|
Coastal Region | 5 | - |
In Bond
SG$217.00 |
|||||
|
Coastal Region | 4 | 92+ (VN) |
In Bond
SG$217.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 93 (VN) |
In Bond
SG$217.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 94 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$203.00 |
|||||
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 |
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|
Coastal Region | 1 | 93+ (WA) |
In Bond
SG$256.00 |
|||||
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. |
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|
Coastal Region | 4 | 96 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$560.00 |
|||||
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) |
In Bond
SG$540.00 |
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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 | 3 | 94 (VN) |
In Bond
SG$613.00 |
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Vinous (94)The name of the maiden 2018 Plat’bos (“low bush”) indicates the kind of vines it comes from, lying in a vineyard adjacent to the Skaliekop on pure granite soils. It has a unapologetically silty, stony bouquet, very reserved and austere yet with an enthralling intensity that seems almost paradoxical. The palate is very well balanced. Perhaps one of the most concentrated of David and Nadia Sadie’s wines, it reveals a crescendo of flavors, with tangerine, citrus peel, stem ginger and a touch of rhubarb toward the persistent finish. This is another impressive Chenin from this producer. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 98 (TA) |
In Bond
SG$640.00 |
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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) |
In Bond
SG$550.00 |
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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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Coastal Region | 2 | 96 (CE) |
In Bond
SG$854.00 |
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Christian Eedes (96)Grapes from a 1984 vineyard on iron-rich gravel situated in one of the more arid parts of the Swartland. 40% matured in concrete egg. A hint of reduction precedes dried herbs, white peach, citrus and melon while the palate has great purity, bright acidity and a pithy finish. Not without weight and texture despite an alcohol of just 12.5%. |