This box contains the ever-growing delights coming out of South Africa. Well made wine in a variety of styles. Come and explore what South Africa can do!
Wines in the box:
Chasing Rabbits, 2022
Grapes come from a vineyard called Gesamelike Wei, which means communal
pasture – the site was originally used for grazing by nomadic trek farmers. The
current vineyard was established in 2016 and is fully organic. The fruit is hand harvested and destemmed to stainless-steel, where fermentation takes place with natural yeasts. After three days on skins the wine is gently pressed and aged in neutral vessels until bottling. The result is a juicy, floral delicious wine with a lively finish. Also a versatile food wine that packs more of a punch than it looks.
Lourens Family Wines, Howard John, 2021
Named after Franco Lourens’ father, whose image features on the label, this is a such a charming red blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, all sourced from dryfarmed bush vines in the Swartland. The grapes were all hand-picked and sorted before spontaneous fermentation took place. The Grenache was fermented with 25% stems, the Cinsault was 100% de-stemmed, and the Syrah was 100% with stems. After gentle plunging and foot stomping and 10-14 days on skins the lots were pressed to old French tonneau for ageing. It was bottled without fining and just a coarse filtration and a small sulphur addition.
Lourens Family Wines, Lindi Carien, 2021
The grapes were handpicked & prior to the Chenin & verdelho being whole-bunch pressed to old French barrels. The Grenache was whole-bunch pressed to a single clay pot & fermented on skins and stems for a week prior to being pressed to barrel. Each variety fermented on the gross lees separately without any additions. The wine was bottled without fining or filtering and with a small addition of sulphur. Leaning towards something a little oxidative this blend is nutty and complex with bags of energy.
Duncan Savage, Salt River, 2022
The 2022 Salt River combines fruit from a 32 year old bushvine vineyard in Stellenbosch and another coastal site in Walker Bay. Named for the trendy area of Cape Town that Savage Wines calls home. Elegant and fine Sauvignon that is an absolute steal at the price.
David & Nadia, Chenin Blanc, 2020
David and Nadia are a husband and wife team with a delicate approach to viticulture and winemaking in Swartland, South Africa. A blend of seven vineyards with very rich granite and clay soils, the duo’s Chenin Blanc is whole bunch pressed, naturally fermented and matured in French oak for 11 months. The wine exudes smooth notes of honey, apple, stone fruits and honeysuckle, as well as a hint of vanilla. Delicious when paired with fish dishes, salads, vegetable dishes and white meats.
AA Badenhorst, Secateurs Shiraz Cinsault, 2021
All grapes are hand-picked, chilled overnight and then crushed into open concrete tanks for natural primary fermentation which lasts around two weeks. The tanks are foot stomped, twice daily during this time. The finished wine is run off into old casks and concrete tanks The blended wine was left on its gross lees in casks, foudres and concrete tanks for 7 months before being bottled. Lightly filtered but not fined. Far from the confeceted and jammy Shiraz you might think, this is elegant and spicy and again cracking value for money.
