An Informed Opinion… Number 17

These are showstopper wines worthy of their price tag, and something to invest in.

“Chris Alheit describes his Cartology White as… ‘a vinous exploration of Cape heritage. It’s intended to be a picture of the Cape seen through the lens of her old vineyards in any given vintage.’ The cuvée comprises rare and extraordinary parcels of mature dryland bush vine heritage grapes, namely Chenin Blanc and Sémillon, planted in the Cape for centuries. Cartology has also become the Alheit Family’s staple offering. It serves as a poster child for their more niche single vineyard white wine project while simultaneously becoming a flag bearer for premium Cape heritage wines in general. A truly impressive, age-worthy, and collectible wine that becomes more and more tightly allocated every year.”– Greg Sherwood MW. 

96 Points – Greg Sherwood MW  | 95 Points – Tim Atkin MW
“A blend of 90% Chenin Blanc and 10% Semillon from circa nine dryland grown bush vine parcels around the Cape with a minimum age of 35 years but with most averaging between 40 to 80 years old. The entry shows a massively intense, vibrant concentration of white citrus, peach, and tangerine with complexing notes of wet thatch, fynbos, and struck flint reduction. The palate is rich and textured, plush and fleshy, showing the true class and pedigree of the beautiful 2021 vintage. This must be among the finest Cartology releases produced to date. Do not miss it! Drink now and over the next 15+ years.”- Greg Sherwood MW.

A wine to elevate any random Tuesday without breaking the bank.

“For many years, Stellenbosch was instantly seen as the Kingdom of Cabernet and the Swartland as the heart of Syrah and Old Vine Chenin Blanc. While it took the Franschhoek Valley a little longer to establish its own specialist wine credentials, today you can buy an Old Vine Franschhoek Semillon or a premium Franschhoek Chardonnay with all the confidence and comfort of buying from a classical white region. As far as winemaker Clayton Reabow of Môreson is concerned, Chardonnay is undoubtedly up for consideration, with his valley floor property owning 15 hectares under vine, 98% of which is planted to Chardonnay, incorporating no less than 13 different clones to add to the wine’s potential complexity. Slightly more opulent and Californian in style than some of the skinnier, reductive expressions on the market, this mid-week drinker will certainly make you feel ‘to the manor born’ but without the corresponding noble price tag.”- Greg Sherwood MW. 

91 Points – Greg Sherwood MW 
“This complex Chardonnay expression shows all the class and character of this great 2021 vintage. The aromatics are savoury and smoky with leesy notes of oatmeal biscuits, lemon cordial, waxy lemon peel, green apples, and salted toffee apples over a dusty liquid minerality. Brimming with pithy white citrus and yellow orchard fruits, the palate shows lovely clarity and precision, sleek textural balance, crystalline acids, and a fine, focused, flavourful finish. Drink now or enjoy over the next 2 to 3+ years.”- Greg Sherwood MW.

A story wine worthy of its salt, and your cellar. 

“Swerwer, meaning ‘a wanderer’, is the name of Jasper Wickens’s wine brand and is meant to be evocative of the life of a young winemaker as they travel the world gaining work experience. But of course, it is also upon these diverse global travels that most winemakers, including Jasper, end up formulating their guiding philosophies that ultimately shape the final wine styles and quality entrusted to bottle. This 2020 Tiernes single vineyard Old Vine Chenin Blanc block planted in 1983 on deep, austere decomposed granitic soils has proved to be the perfect location for experimenting with skin contact Chenin Banc expressions that capture both the vintage character and the philosophical endeavours of the winemaker.”– Greg Sherwood MW. 

96 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
 “An impressive 40-year-old vineyard at the top of the Waterval farm with a high altitude west-facing exposure on deep, almost granular sugar-textured decomposed granite soils yields meagre quantities of Chenin Blanc fruit. Small, concentrated berries offer up intense aromatics of ripe peaches, honey on white toast, delicate leesy notes of lemon biscuits, almond skins, chamomile tea, fynbos, and beeswax. The extra skin contact adds a little more colour but, far more significantly, a deeper, broader, textural palate appeal with an unmistakable character of yellow orchard fruits, waxy incense, and lanolin, a mealy texture and a saline minerality akin to lightly salted oatmeal porridge. The wine continues to evolve in the glass showing attractive phenolics and complex nuances of grated orange peel, bergamot, peach puree, honey, and Japanese green tea ice cream with subtle threads of caramelised oak and vanilla pod spice. An incredibly individual wine that often evokes comparisons to aged Loire Chenin Blancs, traditional white Riojas, and some of the iconic skin contact whites of the Sud-Tirol and Trentino-Alto Adige in Northeast Italy. For me, though, it remains the perfect white accompaniment to a Springtime sushi blowout spread at home.” – Greg Sherwood MW.