At the very end of the Hemel-en-Aarde road, where the wildflowers meet the wheat fields and the Orothamnus zeyheri marsh rose blooms only once a year, lies Thamnus Wines—a regenerative Cape South Coast farm producing two of South Africa’s most exciting new wines.
Crafted by PJ Geyer, ex-flying winemaker for Bordeaux’s legendary Moueix family (Château Petrus), Thamnus Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 2022 are the second official releases from this visionary project—and they’ve just landed in the UK.
With only 5,000 bottles made of each, these small-batch, single-site wines are already the stuff of legend: grown on shale and sandstone soils, ripened slowly at altitude, and handled with the experience of a man who’s completed 40 harvests and still insists on doing it all himself—farming the vines, raising the sheep, and bottling with integrity.
Secure your allocation.
#ThamnusArrived
95 Points – Tim Atkin MW | 95 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“Aged in a mix of old and new French oak with fruit from a warmer year. The 2022 is more reserved and mineral, classical and restrained, showing hints of spicy lemon, white pepper, pithy lime peel and yellow grapefruit. Incredibly sleek and refined, mineral laden, pure and compact. Currently showing lovely youthful wound spring tension but also great cellaring potential. Ironically, I d probably pick this wine as a 2021 if tasted blind.” – Greg Sherwood MW.
94 Points – Greg Sherwood MW
“The 2022 Pinot Noir is at first quite smoky and stony with hints of graphite, struck match and charcoal embers over sour red plum, black berry, curry leaf and bruised ripe strawberry fruits. There is a fullness and ripeness on the palate with a feel of density and extract from the sunshine while remaining stony, flinty and attractively smoky. While there are suggestions of exoticism on the palate, the wine remains unwaveringly elegant, light touch and beautifully focused.” – Greg Sherwood MW.