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
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Vinous (90)
From vines planted in 2010, the 2017 Hemelrand Vine Garden was matured in old neutral barrels and cement egg. It has a clean, pure bouquet of lemon curd, albumen and light yellow flowers. The palate is well balanced, with a taut line of acidity, and quite saline in the mouth. The sharp, slightly flinty finish oddly reminds me of a mature Chablis. Very fine.Inc. GSTSG$504.08 -
Vinous (93)
The 2018 Hemelrand Vine Garden is whole-cluster-pressed and matured in oak and foudres. It has a very seductive bouquet of honeysuckle, passion fruit and hints of beeswax that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a saline opening, plus a fine bead of acidity. There is a light saline lick toward the finish that becomes nuttier with aeration, although this does not quite deliver the complexity of Alheit’s best Chenin Blancs. Still, it is a lovely white blend that should age with style.Inc. GSTSG$290.44 -
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Hemelrand Vine Garden was picked early in the morning and fermented over two months (nine for the Roussanne). It has a very well-defined bouquet of red apple, fresh pear, yellow flower and strawberry scents, plus hints of chamomile in the background. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and wonderful _mineralité_ on the finish; there’s something Alsace-like about this cuvée. One of Alheit’s more cerebral wines of the vintage.Inc. GSTSG$498.61 -
James Suckling (93)
A well-crafted sauvignon blanc with notes of green apples, lime and some tropical fruits. Juicy and medium-bodied with lovely harmonious texture. Velvety with volume and precision. Lovely with a focused and well-rounded finish. Drink now.Inc. GSTSG$492.36 -
Vinous (95)
Deep, full orange-gold. Knockout nose offers orange, apricot, cherry, raspberry, mace, nutmeg, honey and flowers. Thick, very sweet and hugely concentrated; like liquid velvet in the mouth but with outstanding energy to its palate-staining orange and apricot fruit. Utterly seamless wine with a palate-staining, lightly saline aftertaste hinting at red berries.Inc. GSTSG$1,015.14 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
South Africa's Sweet Wine of the Year 2017.Inc. GSTSG$679.03 -
Decanter (98)
An historical wine, Vin de Constance has been re-established in the last few years as one of the world’s finest sweet wines. Dried Muscat grapes are aged for three years before bottling, in French and Hungarian casks with a touch of acacia wood. Citrus, orange zest, rosewater and spice notes leap out of the glass. The palate has a laser-like focus with massive sweetness perfectly balanced by acidity and a mineral finish. As impressive as Château d’Yquem (and considerably better value).Inc. GSTSG$596.19 -
Tim Atkin MW (98)
Increasingly celebrated as one of the great sweet wines of the world, not just the Cape, Vin de Constance is a delight to taste and review. Slightly drier than the 205 release at 165 grams of sugar, it has more in common with the Loire or Tokaji than it does with Sauternes in terms of freshness and structure.Inc. GSTSG$619.08 -
Tim Atkin MW (98)
"Lighter and lighter" is the motto at Klein Constantia these days, according to Matt Day. The latest, world-class release of Vin de Constance certainly doesn’t lack sweetness at 165 grams or even concentration, but it has a freshness that's reminiscent of Vouvray or Barsac. Subtly wooded in 50% new barrels, it unfurls layers of citrus, toast and tarte tatin, with a drizzle of honey and vivid acidity and palate length. Bravo!Inc. GSTSG$634.34 -
Matthew Jukes (19.5++)
I am informed by the top man at Klein Constantia that the price will be the same as last year’s superb 2017 and all of the likely candidates in the UK are likely to hold stock. It will require a little effort on Google and you will see that a large number of wine merchants will list 2018 Vin de Constance and while the prices swing around like no other wine I know, at £60 or so, for a half litre, it certainly makes sense to me and when you consider the sheer quality of this vintage, it is a bargain for this celestial experience. Stock is likely to arrive in September 2021, but do feel free to register your interest with your preferred wine merchant now. Vintage reports suggest that the build-up to the 2018 harvest brought the highest summer rainfall of the last six years and, combined with some of the coldest night-time temperatures on record, the vines were granted a very long and very slow growing season. These conditions have imbued extreme delicacy of perfume and flavour and also staggering concentration and length in this wine. It also means that the 2018 vintage has otherworldly characteristics and I cannot remember a young vintage tasting so refined and demure. Light bunches and tiny Muscat de Frontignan berries underline just how unusual this vintage was and with a harvest that was a fortnight later than average and crops down by about 15% all of these facts make sense when you taste this ethereal wine. Aged for three years in a combination of 50% new French oak barrels, a small number of acacia barrels, as well as large format foudres, this is both a sensual and also sensitive wine. For a start, the colour is incredibly pale – think a young Sancerre! But the viscosity is amazing when you pour a glass because the liquid moves ever so slightly slower and more deliberately into the glass. The lights come on and the brain fires up immediately and it takes you by surprise just how quickly your olfactory system senses that you are in the presence of greatness. I was in a state of heightened anticipation, long before I raised the glass to my lips and the reward is exquisite. The perfume and palate combine in an astral haze of delight with orange blossom, fig, lemon verbena, wild honey and acacia notes caressing your senses. The texture is super-smooth, incredibly long and unnervingly gentle. It certainly possesses the longest finish I can remember on a Vin de Constance and I have, very fortunately, a tasted huge number of vintages of this wine. If you have never tasted this wine before, please start with this vintage – it will blow your mind. If you have and you are a fan, this is a critical purchase for your collection. I cannot wait to add this wine to my cellar later in the year.Inc. GSTSG$530.79 -
Decanter (98)
Butterscotch, lemon patisserie and peach aromas. Pristine quality to the texture, lively and thrilling, this is a serious, opulent and powerful wine, more on the spiced, nuanced side with aspects of dried herbs, wood scents and bitter lemon and orange with a touch of honeyed lychee. It feels supremely complex and characterful. Sophisticated, layered and balanced with some minerality, a slight graphite edge all of which adds to the whole. It's still extremely youthful but there is real sculpting here, a sense of precision, style and freshness. Well crafted with an extremely long life ahead. A wonder, and one of the best from the estate!Inc. GSTSG$515.53 -
Vinous (92)
The 2016 Ridge Pinot Noir comes from vines located at 325 meters, the highest that Hannes Storm farms, east-facing with a prevailing southeasterly wind that creates a cooler site and longer hangtime. It was matured in 25% new oak for 11 months. It is more youthful in appearance compared to the Ignis, the nose very cohesive with black cherry, raspberry preserve, crushed stone and light wilted rose petal aromas. The fresh, poised palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and perhaps the edgiest tannins of Storm’s 2016s. Long with a touch of spice on the finish, this is an excellent Pinot Noir. It’s a shame only 250 cases were produced.Inc. GSTSG$426.69 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Block 1 at La Vierge is the source of this Ridge Pinot Noir, planted in 2010 with clones 113 and 115. It’s the lightest, tautest and most aromatic of Hannes’ Storm’s enviable range, with herbal, scented, wild strawberry fruit and a dusting of whole bunch spices.Inc. GSTSG$355.84 -
Inc. GSTSG$659.95
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Tim Atkin MW (94)
Hannes Storm's whites have shifted up a gear in 2022 and are fast approaching the same level as his lauded Pinot Noirs. This stylish Chardonnay showcases grapes from a south-east facing parcel at 330 metres on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Fermented in a combination of 32% new barrels and 10% clay amphoras, it's a chiselled, pithy, focused white with lots of zip, lemongrass and orange zest flavours and subtle aromatic spices.Inc. GSTSG$425.62 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
As its name suggests, this hails from a cool shale site on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, planted as recently as 2009. It combines the density of Vrede with the perfume of Ignis, making it Hannes Storm’s most complete Pinot, with floral scents, red cherry and raspberry fruit, savoury tannins and focused acidity.Inc. GSTSG$529.09 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
Ridge is often the most backward of Hannes Storm's trio of remarkable single vineyard Pinot Noirs, sourced from an east-facing, high-density planting at 330 metres at La Vierge on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Plum, black cherry and a hint of graphite are underpinned by plenty of grip, backbone and intensity. One to tuck away for a while.Inc. GSTSG$571.66
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Vinous (90)
From vines planted in 2010, the 2017 Hemelrand Vine Garden was matured in old neutral barrels and cement egg. It has a clean, pure bouquet of lemon curd, albumen and light yellow flowers. The palate is well balanced, with a taut line of acidity, and quite saline in the mouth. The sharp, slightly flinty finish oddly reminds me of a mature Chablis. Very fine.In BondSG$409.00 -
Vinous (93)
The 2018 Hemelrand Vine Garden is whole-cluster-pressed and matured in oak and foudres. It has a very seductive bouquet of honeysuckle, passion fruit and hints of beeswax that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is well balanced with a saline opening, plus a fine bead of acidity. There is a light saline lick toward the finish that becomes nuttier with aeration, although this does not quite deliver the complexity of Alheit’s best Chenin Blancs. Still, it is a lovely white blend that should age with style.In BondSG$213.00 -
Vinous (94)
The 2019 Hemelrand Vine Garden was picked early in the morning and fermented over two months (nine for the Roussanne). It has a very well-defined bouquet of red apple, fresh pear, yellow flower and strawberry scents, plus hints of chamomile in the background. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and wonderful _mineralité_ on the finish; there’s something Alsace-like about this cuvée. One of Alheit’s more cerebral wines of the vintage.In BondSG$402.00 -
James Suckling (93)
A well-crafted sauvignon blanc with notes of green apples, lime and some tropical fruits. Juicy and medium-bodied with lovely harmonious texture. Velvety with volume and precision. Lovely with a focused and well-rounded finish. Drink now.Inc. GSTSG$430.26 -
Vinous (95)
Deep, full orange-gold. Knockout nose offers orange, apricot, cherry, raspberry, mace, nutmeg, honey and flowers. Thick, very sweet and hugely concentrated; like liquid velvet in the mouth but with outstanding energy to its palate-staining orange and apricot fruit. Utterly seamless wine with a palate-staining, lightly saline aftertaste hinting at red berries.In BondSG$897.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
South Africa's Sweet Wine of the Year 2017.In BondSG$586.00 -
Decanter (98)
An historical wine, Vin de Constance has been re-established in the last few years as one of the world’s finest sweet wines. Dried Muscat grapes are aged for three years before bottling, in French and Hungarian casks with a touch of acacia wood. Citrus, orange zest, rosewater and spice notes leap out of the glass. The palate has a laser-like focus with massive sweetness perfectly balanced by acidity and a mineral finish. As impressive as Château d’Yquem (and considerably better value).In BondSG$510.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (98)
Increasingly celebrated as one of the great sweet wines of the world, not just the Cape, Vin de Constance is a delight to taste and review. Slightly drier than the 205 release at 165 grams of sugar, it has more in common with the Loire or Tokaji than it does with Sauternes in terms of freshness and structure.In BondSG$531.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (98)
"Lighter and lighter" is the motto at Klein Constantia these days, according to Matt Day. The latest, world-class release of Vin de Constance certainly doesn’t lack sweetness at 165 grams or even concentration, but it has a freshness that's reminiscent of Vouvray or Barsac. Subtly wooded in 50% new barrels, it unfurls layers of citrus, toast and tarte tatin, with a drizzle of honey and vivid acidity and palate length. Bravo!In BondSG$545.00 -
Matthew Jukes (19.5++)
I am informed by the top man at Klein Constantia that the price will be the same as last year’s superb 2017 and all of the likely candidates in the UK are likely to hold stock. It will require a little effort on Google and you will see that a large number of wine merchants will list 2018 Vin de Constance and while the prices swing around like no other wine I know, at £60 or so, for a half litre, it certainly makes sense to me and when you consider the sheer quality of this vintage, it is a bargain for this celestial experience. Stock is likely to arrive in September 2021, but do feel free to register your interest with your preferred wine merchant now. Vintage reports suggest that the build-up to the 2018 harvest brought the highest summer rainfall of the last six years and, combined with some of the coldest night-time temperatures on record, the vines were granted a very long and very slow growing season. These conditions have imbued extreme delicacy of perfume and flavour and also staggering concentration and length in this wine. It also means that the 2018 vintage has otherworldly characteristics and I cannot remember a young vintage tasting so refined and demure. Light bunches and tiny Muscat de Frontignan berries underline just how unusual this vintage was and with a harvest that was a fortnight later than average and crops down by about 15% all of these facts make sense when you taste this ethereal wine. Aged for three years in a combination of 50% new French oak barrels, a small number of acacia barrels, as well as large format foudres, this is both a sensual and also sensitive wine. For a start, the colour is incredibly pale – think a young Sancerre! But the viscosity is amazing when you pour a glass because the liquid moves ever so slightly slower and more deliberately into the glass. The lights come on and the brain fires up immediately and it takes you by surprise just how quickly your olfactory system senses that you are in the presence of greatness. I was in a state of heightened anticipation, long before I raised the glass to my lips and the reward is exquisite. The perfume and palate combine in an astral haze of delight with orange blossom, fig, lemon verbena, wild honey and acacia notes caressing your senses. The texture is super-smooth, incredibly long and unnervingly gentle. It certainly possesses the longest finish I can remember on a Vin de Constance and I have, very fortunately, a tasted huge number of vintages of this wine. If you have never tasted this wine before, please start with this vintage – it will blow your mind. If you have and you are a fan, this is a critical purchase for your collection. I cannot wait to add this wine to my cellar later in the year.In BondSG$450.00 -
Decanter (98)
Butterscotch, lemon patisserie and peach aromas. Pristine quality to the texture, lively and thrilling, this is a serious, opulent and powerful wine, more on the spiced, nuanced side with aspects of dried herbs, wood scents and bitter lemon and orange with a touch of honeyed lychee. It feels supremely complex and characterful. Sophisticated, layered and balanced with some minerality, a slight graphite edge all of which adds to the whole. It's still extremely youthful but there is real sculpting here, a sense of precision, style and freshness. Well crafted with an extremely long life ahead. A wonder, and one of the best from the estate!In BondSG$436.00 -
Vinous (92)
The 2016 Ridge Pinot Noir comes from vines located at 325 meters, the highest that Hannes Storm farms, east-facing with a prevailing southeasterly wind that creates a cooler site and longer hangtime. It was matured in 25% new oak for 11 months. It is more youthful in appearance compared to the Ignis, the nose very cohesive with black cherry, raspberry preserve, crushed stone and light wilted rose petal aromas. The fresh, poised palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and perhaps the edgiest tannins of Storm’s 2016s. Long with a touch of spice on the finish, this is an excellent Pinot Noir. It’s a shame only 250 cases were produced.In BondSG$338.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Block 1 at La Vierge is the source of this Ridge Pinot Noir, planted in 2010 with clones 113 and 115. It’s the lightest, tautest and most aromatic of Hannes’ Storm’s enviable range, with herbal, scented, wild strawberry fruit and a dusting of whole bunch spices.In BondSG$273.00 -
In BondSG$552.00
-
Tim Atkin MW (94)
Hannes Storm's whites have shifted up a gear in 2022 and are fast approaching the same level as his lauded Pinot Noirs. This stylish Chardonnay showcases grapes from a south-east facing parcel at 330 metres on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Fermented in a combination of 32% new barrels and 10% clay amphoras, it's a chiselled, pithy, focused white with lots of zip, lemongrass and orange zest flavours and subtle aromatic spices.In BondSG$339.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (95)
As its name suggests, this hails from a cool shale site on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, planted as recently as 2009. It combines the density of Vrede with the perfume of Ignis, making it Hannes Storm’s most complete Pinot, with floral scents, red cherry and raspberry fruit, savoury tannins and focused acidity.In BondSG$426.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
Ridge is often the most backward of Hannes Storm's trio of remarkable single vineyard Pinot Noirs, sourced from an east-facing, high-density planting at 330 metres at La Vierge on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Plum, black cherry and a hint of graphite are underpinned by plenty of grip, backbone and intensity. One to tuck away for a while.In BondSG$471.00