While chestnuts roast on an open fire, and Jack Frost nips at your nose…
We thought you might be in the market for some festive reading in the spirit of good wine and conversation starters around the Christmas table. Our findings should be good for at least half an hour of small talk, though WITH the actual wine, you might be set for the night. Our trusty MW Guide, Greg Sherwood, has been hard at work foraging through our stocks and has found a few stand-out wines, as is his custom, in the categories of Investable, Mid-Week, and Eclectic.
We suggest you taste.
(We’ll be open on Christmas Eve until 4 pm for any last-minute libations.)
#AMerryInformedOpinion
An Investable Wine
These are showstopper wines worthy of their price tag, and something to invest in.
96 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“Any premium Chardonnay on the market at the moment is a thing to be cherished as stocks of French Burgundy evaporate in the panic buying ahead of the non-existent 2021 vintage release. I have always been an avid follower of South Africa’s greatest Chardonnay examples and tasting this spectacular 2017 Estate Chardonnay from Uva Mira reminds me that a handful of producers are indeed breaking the glass ceiling of quality and producing eye-wateringly good wines. Combine a top vintage like 2017 with their finest fruit from a predominantly Single Vineyard site that defines the Uva Mira Estate on a meagre 0.2 hectares of ocean facing Chardonnay vineyards, selected from nine separate blending components which are then combined to create this ultimate expression of terroir. The aromatics are plush and complex with lush ample layers of sweet Granny Smith apples, pineapple, lemon preserve, pear puree and wet river stones all kissed with the most seductive premium hint of vanilla oak spice. On the palate there is incredible balance, intensity and poise with the medium-bodied, tangerine-laden fruit energising the wine with its vibrant grapefruit citrus acidity. But like all fine wines that stand head and shoulders above many of their peers, this Chardonnay offers an extra special deft touch with harmony, focus and vigour, all assembled with the utmost precision, delivering mouth-watering intensity with subtlety and seamless brilliance. At almost five years old, it’s satisfying to see a Chardonnay wine that is still so youthful and audacious! I am truly bowled over by this beauty. Drink now and over the next 10+ years.” – Greg Sherwood MW.
A Mid-Week Wine
A wine to elevate any random Tuesday without breaking the bank.
94 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“This is another beautifully expressive Chenin Blanc from warm granitic mountain slopes in the Swartland region. Jasper and Franziska Wickens own and farm some truly profound vineyards in the Paardeberg area and this Chenin Blanc is a classically styled steely white shaped by its decomposed granitic terroir. The aromatics are cool and supremely mineral with layers of crushed gravel, dried green herbs, oatmeal biscuits, lemon rind, yellow orchard fruits and sweet wet hay nuances. The palate reveals lovely textural tension and fruit / acid intensity without losing any elegance and precision, showing plenty of pineapple pastille, bruised yellow orchard fruits, wet river pebble minerality and a pithy, leesy finish. This is a wine that speaks volumes of its origin, expresses its unique terroir and seduces the drinker in doing so. There are many far more expensive Swartland Chenin Blancs on the market but few which reach this level of complexity and palate-appeal for a similar price. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8 years.” – Greg Sherwood MW.
An Eclectic Wine
A story wine worthy of its salt, and your cellar.
93 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“I have always loved the healthy competitive antagonism South Africa’s greatest Shiraz-based blends have caused in Australia. Ever since the 1998 Diners Club Cape Blend Category trophy was won by a Stellenbosch Shiraz / Cabernet blend, the wine world of the Cape has never quite spun on the same smooth axis. This beautiful 2017 red blend is an enchanting selection of Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot from some of the Franschhoek Ward’s finest vineyards. Made in an uncomplicated fruit-forward style, this delicious red is generous, accessible and eminently attractive revealing a complex nose of stewed raspberries, burnt wood embers, sweet sandalwood and a meaty, savoury bramble berry fruit core. The palate shows the true 2017 characteristic weightless intensity with a medium bodied depth of stewed strawberry compote, blue berries, red cherries and a gentle, silky feel on the plush finish. But it must be the delicious high-toned notes of cherry kirsch liquor and crème de cassis that make this wine such a delectable riveting offering. Drink this red over two days and experience the wine’s true inner enchantment.” – Greg Sherwood MW.
