South Africa

This comes off very much like a Loire Sauvignon Blanc.  Silvery gold in color.  The nose has cat pee/alfalfa/grassiness or whatever you want to call that quality.  Also some lemon candied notes.  On the palate, there is moderate acidity but a nice texture.  Grassy with lemons.  Shorter finish.  Easy drinking this will work better with food.  Crab or Tuna salad would be a good accompaniment.  Drink now.  

This is the second wine from the Mullineux Family of wines, one of South Africa's best producers.  This is a very nice value and finished as the group's favorite in a recent tasting.  Yellow gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemon candy, peach and spice.  On the palate, lemons and peach with moderate acidity.  Medium finish.  This drinks easy and well on its own and will work well with seafood dishes.  Drink over the next year or two.  

Made from Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier, this is a very nice value in white wines.  It retails around $10 and did very well in our tasting of South African White wines.  Yellow/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has apples and some wax.  On the palate, this has a soft but plush texture.  Apples and some pink grapefruit.  Refreshing.  Moderate finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with curries.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

Golden in color with a touch of green.  The nose has a bit of honey and a slight floral (peach blossoms?) note.  Light bodied.  Tart on the palate.  Peaches.  A bit of apple cider on the end suggesting this may be heading south.  Still providing some enjoyment.  Drink now.  Nice on its own, this will work with salads and even lighter spicy foods.  

Nice showing despite this being a few vintages old.  Salmon pink in color.  The nose has strawberries and cherries.  Light to medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, notes of cherries and some oranges.  Nice texture.  This was probably better a year or two ago as it lacked the freshness these wines can have.  That said, it is still very enjoyable.  Drink now.  This would work with a wide variety of foods from chicken salad to a burger.  

I don't drink a lot of wines from South Africa, but that is not for any particular reason.  When I drink ones, such as this, it raises the issue as this is a delightful Syrah that is prices fairly.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with boysenberries, slight mint and roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Nice depth.  Delicious.  On the palate, boysenberries over a char base.  Clean.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own and would be a nice match with Indian cuisine.  Drink over the next 15 years.  

This is an outstanding white from South Africa.  It is a blend of 80% Chenin Blanc, 13% Clairette and 7% Viognier.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is enticing with orange peel, lemon, wax, honey and minerals.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, it feels like it will be sweet but is not.  Dry.  Lots of layers with lemon and orange over minerals.  Complex.  It is one of those wines that forces on to pay attention.  Long finish.  At age seven, this is young, vibrant with plenty of energy.  There is some development but more is coming.  There is some mint on the long finish.  This sho

Graham Beck makes some great values in sparkling wines in South Africa.  This was the best one yet I have tasted.  It is a blend of 77% Pinot Noir and 23% Chardonnay.  The zero refers to the fact that no sugar is added to the wine to help a secondary fermentation.  Copper/gold in color.  The nose has some toast, and citrus/lemons.  On the palate, this is very clean.  Nice acidity.  Lemony with underlying minerality.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for another seven to ten years.  It will go with just about any foods.  And, it is a great value.  

This winery has recently been sold to new owners.  They are one of the largest producers in South Africa having opened in 1989.  Mostly known for their Chenin Blanc, this red is affordable and a great value too.  It is a blend of 32% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 7% Malbec.  The new label is plain and classy, but I always liked the old one with a picture of a dog.  A note for the 2013 is on this site and features that label.  The wine itself is drinking very well.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cassis, plums, baking spice and slight tobacco not

This is a Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc blend from South Africa.  Purple, ruby at the rim.  The nose is interesting.  Red fruits with some bell pepper notes.  A bit of tobacco as well.  On the palate, this seems a bit better.  Cherries and some cassis.  Underlying earthiness.  Good finish.  Drinks like a nice Bordeaux with a bit of age on it.  The bell pepper on the nose will be welcome to some and a problem for others.  Seems to be at peak right now.  Drink sooner than later.