SOUTH AFRICA

Adi Badenhorst is the charismatic winemaker who alongside Eben Sadie has put Swartland on the map. Outspoken, opinionated and talented, his charisma rubs off upon the wines he creates. Moreover, they are available at extremely affordable prices and serve as a perfect introduction to the delights of Adi’s and Swartland’s wines.

WINE ADVOCATE - "The 2015 Secateurs Chenin Blanc has a slightly waxy, toffee apple-scented bouquet that perhaps lacks the complexity of some of the other vintages that I have tasted in the past. The palate is nicely balanced, quite primal in the mouth at first but settling down later on with lime cordial and peachy notes that deliver plenty of flavor. Drink this entry Chenin Blanc over the next 3-4 years."

Cartology is a cuvee that is composed of rare and extraordinary parcels of mature dryland bush vines. The wine is alive and vibrant. Obviously it's just a baby, but so far has a nose of lime, fennel and quince. The palate is taught, very fine and balanced, with excellent structure and a persistent finish.

TIM ATKIN MW SOUTH AFRICA REPORT 2015; 95 POINTS - "In a matter of only three years, Cartology has established itself as one of the South Africa’s best white blends, combining Chenin and Semillon from various sources to brilliant effect. Waxy, spicy, toasty and herbal, this wine is all about balance and transparency. A Cape classic in the making. Drink: 2015-20"

This is gorgeous, with light cinnamon, black tea and powdered star anise notes inlaid into a streamlined and silky core of crushed cherry and raspberry fruit. The long, perfumy finish weaves like incense smoke in the air as a subtle minerality plays out. Drink now through 2021. 250 cases imported.

Winemaker's Notes: "It has an intense ruby red color, with plum cake, red fruit, and dark chocolate aromas, offering savory finish on the palate. The first sorting was done in the vineyards. The perfect bunches were transported in bins to the winery, destemned, sorted and fermented in 5 ton open fermentors. The cap was punched every 2 hours for 60 hours until the right extraction was achieved. After pressing, malolactic fermentation was done in 15 French oak, and 300 liter American oak barrels. The wine matured for 19 months in the barrels."

A blend of 73% Syrah, 12% Grenache, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cinsault and 1% Viognier, this is a superbly fruity, chocolatey, generally yummy South African red wine. Pour yourself a glass on a mid-summer evening and enjoy.

The inspiration for the name of the wine and design of the labels was a trip to the Yale Center for British Art. An exhibit of Mary Delany’s work, a remarkable series of botanical collages that are beautifully crafted with hundreds of tiny pieces of cut paper was breathtaking. I am fortunate to have licensed a few of her collages and created these beautiful labels with her art as the primary focal point. Mary was 72 when she created these pieces in the late 1700’s.

Seductive 2014 as complex & enigmatic as previous. Grapefruit & citrus rind, honeyed richness tempered by leesy minerality, spiced by careful partial oaking (none new). Silk textured & generous

WINE SPECTATOR 92 POINTS - "This is refined, with a steely spine that lets gooseberry, verbena and white peach flavors streak through. A hint of shortbread adds range and mouthfeel along the edges. The long finish has lovely cut. Drink now through 2019."

Long referred to as "Bayten" by locals, Buitenverwachting (meaning beyond expectations) is located on the east-facing slopes of the Constantiaberg on the Cape of Good Hope. Ocean breezes make this area one of South Africa's coolest winegrowing areas, allowing for slow ripening, resulting in grapes that achieve full ripeness while retaining fresh acidity. This wine was aged on the lees for three months prior to bottling. Bayten offers a melange of citrus and stone fruits with honeysuckle, jasmine and green notes on the nose. The palate reveals peaches, apricots, lemon rind and lemongrass with a nice balance of richness and refreshing crispness on the finish.

During a recent tasting of South African wines, the wines from Chamonix clearly stood out. Situated high above the fertile Franschhoek valley in the heart of the Cape winelands, lies a wine farm like no other. The wines from Chamonix are fantastic including the Reserve Pinot Noir which shows great purity of fruit and incredible balance. It is just what we look for in a premium Pinot Noir and we instantly knew it was worthy of being one of our top wines of the year. So complex, so delicious and so harmonious, we had to bring it into the store to share it with you. We are thrilled to be one of the few retailers in the United States to offer this fantastic pinot Noir. Enjoy!

TIM ATKIN MW SOUTH AFRICA REPORT 2015 94 POINTS - "Chamonix’s best Pinot Noir vineyards are all located above 490 metres, which partly explains why they are the best in Franschhoek. Aromatic and hauntingly perfumed, this is a quintessence of fine Pinot Noir: bright and spicy and very elegant with succulent red berries and vivid supporting acidity. Drink: 2015-20"

A complex offering with upfront aromas of fully ripe black cherries and berries with slight hints of spice and plums in the background. The nose is forthcoming with expressive red berry perfume. The beautiful dark fruit flavours show the underpinnings of the three archetypal Bordeaux varieties.
The dark fruit flavours follow seamlessly onto a mouth-filling palate with incredible texture from ripe, velvety tannins. The wine has a very good structure as a result of fine-grain tannins and the natural freshness from the acidity gives the wine vibrancy. Full-bodied with a juicy texture and spicy complexity, this wine has a long, soft finish making it approachable in its youth and yet it has ample structure to age beautifully for 8 to 10 years.

A lovely, lifted earthy perfume combines with sweet cherry, grapefruit and strawberry notes delivering a complex and alluring nose. The palate is textured and layered with a succulent core and crisp acidity owing to a cool, fresh vintage. This wine will improve over the next 5-8 years.

"The iconic Left Bank-based blend from De Toren, Fusion V is meticulously crafted from Bordeaux’s ‘Noble Five’ varietals and, with its complex flavours of liquorice, black cherry, cedar and dark berries, it offers a stylish departure for sophisticated oenophilic tastes.Soft as spun silk, with a lingering hint of sweet fruit on the back palate, this is a wine that will only improve with age." -Winemaker’s Notes

Winemaker's Notes - " Rich aromas of cassis and spice with intense liquorice andblackberry flavors on the palate and fine, lingering tannins.Optimal aging potential of 5 – 8 years.
Blend: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc"

WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS - "The 2014 Reserve Chenin Blanc, which is matured in 25% new oak, has a crisp, reserved, stone rather than fruit-driven bouquet with a brush of jasmine and honeysuckle. The palate is fresh and vibrant on the entry, very smooth and lightly honeyed, building to a focused and satisfying finish - orange zest, dried apricot and shaved ginger all making an entrance and partying likes it's "1999" (or in this case, 2014). This is a superb Chenin Blanc, one of the finest that the Cape produced in 2014."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "The 2013 Palladius comes in at 13.7% alcohol, one of the lowest for this label. It has a refined bouquet of dried honey, fern, smoked walnut and damp earth all very well defined. The palate is very well balanced with wonderful poise, a strong marine influence with a dash of white pepper and nutmeg towards the long and sustained finish. Another superb Palladius."

WINE ADVOCATE 93 POINTS - "From 48-year-old vine Cinsault grown on slate soils, the 2014 Old Vine Series Pofadder has an extremely pure bouquet, less tertiary than the 2014 Soldaat (grown on decomposed sandstone), with touches of pressed flowers infusing the fresh strawberry and redcurrant fruit. With aeration, there is an intriguing incense/potpourri note. The palate is taut and crisp, brimming over with tension and extremely focused with slightly more brittle tannins than the Soldaat -- lending the chalky-textured finish fine symmetry, albeit without quite the same sustain. It might sound odd, but it tastes fabulous."

In the late 19th century, and much of the 20th, Cinsaut was the workhorse red variety that played an undeclared role in some great red blends. It was an obvious candidate for inclusion in the Old Vine Series, although it poses many quality problems in the vineyard as well as the cellar, including the difficulty of keeping yields down and attaining perfect ripeness, plus its very oxidative character. There were five vineyards considered—but it became clear that the block on the Riebeek Mountain in the Swartland was far above the rest in quality (the snakelike form of the mountain gave the wine its name). After picking, careful sorting is vital to get rid of both under-ripe and over-ripe berries. The whole clusters are then placed in an old wooden open-top fermenter, with one or two punch-downs by foot each day to slowly release juice for fermentation. After a month on the skins the grapes are transferred by hand into a tiny basket press and pressed directly to an old wooden cask. The wine is bottled after a year or so, to retain the fruit and elegance of the wine and avoid any premature oxidation character.

WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2014 Old Vine Series Soldaat...swear to God...if I was served this blind I would claim it to be a Burgundy Pinot Noir. It has a wonderful definition and transparency, and is extraordinarily pure with an enthralling sous-bois undertow. The palate is taut and linear, very focused, nimble and poised with fine but strict tannin; it is tightly wound with tertiary red berry fruit that segue into a poised finish. This is a serious Grenache from Eben Sadie, one that deserves to be cellared for as long as you can withstand. (Eben thinks it will go into a slumber after a couple of years, so bear that in mind.)"

Edgebaston’s GS Cabernet Sauvignon is dedicated to the late George Spies, former winemaker at Monis of Paarl and Stellenbosch Farmers Winery. Spies’ 1966 and 1968 GS Cabernets have been heralded as two of the most extraordinary Cabernets ever made in South Africa and they have been compared to the legendary California Cabernets of André Tchelistcheff from that same era.

80% Syrah, 11% Tannat, 6% Mourvedre, 3% Grenache
Wine Makers Notes: A spicy blend of flavours on the nose and palate. White Pepper, Cloves and bramble fruit with a hint of vanilla carry from the first sniff to the last swallow. Ripe red fruits including raspberry, ripe plum and cranberry confit remain on the aftertaste for a long period.

A wine that bears testimony to the unique terroir of the vineyards. It reflects both the quality and diversity of the property as a whole. Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Shiraz (20%), Merlot(5%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Malbec (5%) and Petit Verdot (5%) are micro-vinified and then blended after 15 months barrel maturation.

Cabernet Sauvignon based, all five Bordeaux varieties contribute to its superior complexity, class and character. The black core with purple rim shows its huge concentration, with time needed in the glass to coerce its depth of flavours. Ripe mulberry, strawberries laced with balsamic, graphite and a hint of chocolate all follow through to the luxuriously textured palate.

The Big Easy epitomizes and reflects Ernie’s manner; big in stature, gentle in character. A full-bodied yet accessible, Mediterranean-style blend that is built around the bold structure of Shiraz (55%)and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%). Complimented by an easy follow through from the Grenache (10%), Mourvedre (10%) and Viognier (5%).

The nose starts with smokiness and charcuterie quickly joined by dark berry and cassis scents. In the mouth, rich, lush fruit (berries and cherries) play off violet florals, cooking spices and supple tannins. This is easy-drinking, tasty wine ideal for lazy Saturdays, fall barbecues or sporting events (tailgate or tube).

Top-notch Cabernet for $6.99? You bet! The wine proffers gobs of gorgeous, up-front fruit capturing lush vectors of ripe plum, black cherry, boysenberry and black currant fruit deftly accented with sundry hints of spice, carob and espresso. The wine's bright fruit is clearly the star of the show. And while Excelsior's finish showcases just a bit of this wine nation's unique volcanic soil, we think you'll agree that Excelsior could easily have emanated from such familiar locales as Napa or Bordeaux. The beauty of the bottle is the price as we don't often see wines of this quality from either of these renowned regions coming in at the sub-$10 niveau.

Bright lime green hue. Hints of peach, marmalade and orange blossom on the nose. Green apple fruit flavours on a full creamy palate. Calling Card: Only very lightly oaked for everyday drinking. This wine is perfect with grilled seafood, or lightly spiced Thai chicken.