THERE ISN’T much of South Africa’s 2024 Cab Franc Challenge winner, and at the time of writing – after the results went public, a week after the awards presentation – the bottles had yet to be labelled, let alone released onto the market! Hopefully the 2021 vintage of Mitre’s Edge Cabernet Franc WO Simonsberg-Paarl will be available in time for
Read moreCABERNET FRANC is top of mind for many wine lovers, particularly at Carnival time in the Cape winelands. No longer are South Africa’s leading examples confined to Stellenbosch. See below for the current champions, and for the complete picture when it comes to the panels’ favourites, click on the links. TOP RATINGS – 12 MONTHS TO DATE Anthology Cabernet
Read moreTHERE WERE only 20 cases of the single-block, single-barrel Cab Franc Challenge winner made available for purchase after results of the 2023 edition of the competition were announced in Stellenbosch. As for the rest of the Anthology, 2020 vintage, “we’ll be drinking to celebrate,” said the producers. “Lucky us.” Convenor Bjorn van Oort let on that “just 0.33 points” separated
Read moreTHE STATUS of Morgenster as one of South Africa’s top cellars hinges largely on the reputation of the Estate Reserve, a top class Bordeaux-style combo and one of the Top 10 red blends overall in the SA Wine Classification. Hall of Fame. R490 a bottle for the 2013 vintage. Of late, however, the Somerset West property’s single varietals have been
Read moreGIULIO BERTRAND’S spread in Somerset West is a fine place to visit. The restaurant 95 at Morgenster serves superb, authentic fare with an Italian slant (e.g. great lamb ravioli!) to complement the good wines, a number of which are made from Italian varieties. It’s with French cultivars, however, that Morgenster has had most success on the world stage: the Bordeaux-style
Read moreJACOLINE Haasbroek has the smallest cellar in Franschhoek, off the beaten track at the end of a long and winding road that could do with some improvement – although that would mean more visitors, and half the appeal is the discovery of a place few have been to, particularly as the sign at the bottom of the ‘driveway’ often tells you
Read moreRAATS and Warwick continue to impress in South Africa’s Cab Franc class but the competition is mounting. There’s a lot more to the choice of good SA Semillon and interesting Viognier these days. And if there’s one South African brand that has stood out for good reviews in more categories than any other range in 2013, it’s The Mentors from
Read moreRAATS: home of the most successful SA Cab Franc and the man who’s done most to create a market for Cape versions of the variety MORE PLEASE! Red Jasper has got many of the delicious things you might dream about in a good Bordeaux-style blend. While perhaps a little too forward for some, it’s a fine example of the many lovely red
Read moreTHE STAND-OUT Cabernet Franc wines from South Africa, the best reviews of the year: so consistent are Raats and Warwick of Stellenbosch; from Paarl cellars, the rise of KWV’s Mentors range has been meteoric, and interesting to see Nelson back on the radar again; whereas Von Ortloff’s beauty from Franschhoek is already pretty much sold out; Oldenburg’s popularity in the Banghoek
Read more
