Wine Region: Paarl

(2021) This is a Cabernet in a depp-set, ripe and opulent black fruit style. There's a fruit-skin savouriness and depth as well as espresso grounds and cocoa. Super sweet, mouth-coating blackcurrant fruit, plenty of tang of black plum and cherry skins and fresh, biting tannins. Acidity is good, adding extra freshness and there is something just a touch herby in the background which adds some light to the shade of the sonorous black fruit. Big, powerful stuff.

(2019) Sourced from old vines in Paardeberg, Paarl, close to the Swartland border, this is organic Shiraz, 80% whole bunch-pressed. This has juiciness and jammy ripe fruit character to loads of chocolate richness and ripeness. So bold and full flavoured, smooth tannins and acidity, and another cracking wine.

(2019) From vneyards in Paardeberg. Bright cherry lips and candy floss, backed up with Grenache dry nuttiness, complex, the oak toasty beneath and a touch of meat. The racy acidity is glorious on the palate, savoury orange, Aperol orangey bitters, peppery spice then excellent red fruit. Lovely freshness and cherry brightness.

(2019) From Paarl vineyards on the Swartland border. A more creamy, slightly more plush character, though that is from the vineyard and lees, as there’s no oak influence here. There is such lovely sweet sweet, ripe apple and pear, but like the Chenin/Verdelho, there is such freshness, running mountain stream clarity to the acid and mouthfeel. Plenty of spice, herby characters and a touch of tensioning tannin.

(2019) From bush vines planted in 1956, this was whole bunch pressed, only the free run juice was used for natural fermentation in 3rd-fill French oak barrels. Natural style, with that hint of funk and light earthiness, lightly nutty. Lots of sour and juicy apple. Very nice fruit that becomes sweet like Mandarin and even nectarine, fully ripe, but that dry savoury acidity punches through and balances beautifully.

(2016) From Paarl based Tim Martin Wines, a new name for the UK, this ramps up the solid and sweet fruit intensity over their 'Chad' Chenin Blanc bottling, a satiny white with great freshness and lusciousness, more texture and roundness than the Chad, but pin sharp with focused acidity in the finish.

(2013) Lovely, gently minty and nutty oak, a touch of toffee suggesting very ripe fruit. The palate has delicious fruit: floral and nectarine quality, with dry apple at the core. Very nice acidity and a clean, mint-touched finish.

(2013) 65% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot. Lovely meat-stock touched black fruit, with some smokiness and though solid and foursquare, seems quite cedary and refined. Very nice sweet fruit, lots of depth, lots of silky texture and weight, with rich chocolaty tannins and a fine acidity keeping it crisp.

(2013) Rounded, lots of violetty, bright fruit and a touch of kirsch as well as a touch of tobacco, but lovely sweetness of fruit comes through. The palate has very nice, sweet and bountiful fruit, lots of power and concentration, lovely long finish with lots of density and power here, a big wine and plum-rich and sweet, but the coffee and big structure is there.

(2013) Seems to be a quite a lot of chocolate and char on this, as guessed and confirmed, more American oak used, a big creamy nose of dark, ripe black fruit. Quite creamy and chunky, with plenty of fruit depth, loads of spice and mocha, but it does have plummy sweet fruit and juiciness, the tang of the finish is good. Quite long, the oak is prominent.