UK WineclubSouth Africa
| South Africa | ||||
| Wine | Tasted | Source | Notes | Mark |
| Allee Bleue Pinotage 2005 (Western Cape) 15% | CLWS 30.5.07 | not available in UK | Good colour, complex nose. Ripe fruit with good texture and structure; good finish, just starting to show some cinnamon | 6 |
| Allee Bleue Starlette 2006 13% | IWD 19.1.08 | Oddbins £7 | Sauvignon Blanc blend. Very pale. Gooseberry fruit. Good balance and finish | 5 |
| Almond Grove Late Harvest Riesling 2006 (Robertson) 10.5% | IWD 19.1.08 | Majestic £6 HB | Pale straw colour. Ripe fruit and oily hints. Sweet, and rather lacking structure and development. | 4+ |
| Almond Grove Late Harvest Riesling 2007 (Robertson) 12.5% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Majestic £7 HB | Bright gold. Lots of botrytis on nose. Medium sweet palate with sour orange: fair length. Much better than previous vintage | 6 |
| Ataraxia Chardonnay 2006 (Fruit sourced from several areas) 13.5% | CLWS 12.9.07 | Jeroboams £15 | Quite dark yellow. Lots of oak and lemon. Sweet tropical fruit, lots of oak on palate. Long but unresolved finish with a sherbert end. | 4+ |
| Graham Beck Anthony's Yard 2006 14.5% | IWD 18.05.08 | Majestic £7.50 | Bordeaux blend. Slight brown red. Unusual smokey nose. Balanced fruit and acidity, with typical South African dusty finish | 5- |
| Graham Beck Ridge Syrah 2002 (Robertson) | Tes 30.9.07 | Tesco £14.99 | Big wine, rather over-extracted and tight at present: signs of development. | 5 |
| - ditto - | IWD 28.06.08 | Now opening out, with well balanced fruit and some development, including dusty tones | 5+ | |
| Beyerskloof Field Blend 2001 (Stellenbosch) 14% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Waitrose £19 | CS 72%, Merlor 28%. Still very dark with a narrow pale fringe. Ripe black fruit with some development. Ripe, well balanced palate: very long finish with some development. Still improving. | 6 |
| Beyerskloof Pinotage 2006 (Stellenbosch) 14% | CLWS 30.5.07 | Supermarkets £6 | Inky nose. Rather jammy fruit, tough, stalky tannins; lacks finesse or finish. | 3 |
| Beyerskloof Reserve Pinotage 2006 (Western Cape) 14% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Waitrose £8 | Cherry red, amber edge. Restrained nose with some spice. Ripe fruit and lots of structure, just beginning to integrate in mouth> Long but5 undeveloped, rather hot on end | 5 |
| Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Block 2005 (Western Cape) | CLWS 28.2.07 | about £16 | Syrah + Grenache, CS, Cinsault etc. Good colour. Strongly Syrah nose. Rich, round fruit with balancing acidity and fine tannins: very good length, some pepper developing. | 5+ |
| Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Collection 2004 (Western Cape) | CLWS 28.2.07 | about £12 | Viognier and Grenache Blanc. Mid yellow. Not much nose. Off-dry with some acidity: earthy at end | 4 |
| Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Collection 2007 (Western Cape) 14% | CLWS 11.2.09 | Oddbins £8 | Pale green. Oaky nose. Lots of oak on palate, covering warm abricot fruit: reasonable length and generosity | 5 |
| Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2004 (Franschoek) 13% | CLWS 12.9.07 | Jeroboams £17 | Very oaky, with lanolin and burnt earth edge to nose. Some honey and oil, but a little thin in mid palate. Fair length but rather astringent. | 4+ |
| Bon Cap Syrah 2005 (Eilanda) 14.5% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Wine Society £11 | Black-red. Some violets on nose. Well balanced, slightly hot and tarry on end | 5 |
| Buiterwachting Christine 2004 (Constancia) 14% | IWD 19.1.08 | Handford £20 | CS/Merlot blend. Good colour. Earthy blackcurrant nose. Prominent tannins and rather earthy fruit, not yet in balance: quite long but rather unpleasant finish | 4+ |
| Jean Daneel Initial White 2008 (Western Cape) 13% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Huntsworth £9 | Quite pleasant, but lacks character | 4 |
| Jean Daneel Signature Chenin Blanc 2005 15% | CLWS 11.4.07 | Milroys £19 | Rather oxidised colour. Intense nose with lanolin, but not entirely pleasant. Alcohol and acidity rather prominent. Faulty? | 4- |
| Jean Daneel Signature Chenin Blanc 2006 14% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Huntsworth £16 | Pale gold. Lemon, oak and lanolin on nose. Slightly acidic palate. Not very interesting | 5 |
| Delheim Rose Pinotage 2008 (Stellenbosch) 12.5% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Wine Society £6.25 | Pale pink. Some grape and red fruits on nose. Off-dry, fruity but possibly lacking acidity: soft moderate length finish | 4+ |
| Delheim Office Vineyard Edelspatz Noble Late Harvest Riesling 2006 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch) 11.5% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Grapeland (St Albans) £10 HB | Golden yellow. Oil and botrytis hints. Sweet, good acidity with a marmalade (botrytis) tang: good length and complexity | 6 |
| Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 | Tes 30.9.07 | Tesco £11.99 | Distincty oaky South African nose. Good fruit but a rather bitter, earthy finish | 4 |
| Neil Ellis Groenekloof Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Darling) 13.5% | CLWS 1.10.08 | Majestic £9 | Pale yellow. Light gooseberry nose. Tropical fruit and citric acidity on palate: hoit lemony finish | 4+ |
| Farquharson Shiraz 2006 (Coastal) 14% | IWD 28.06.08 | Tesco £8.19 | Reasonable colour with broad pink fringing. Tea and smoke on nose. Rather astringent and ungenenerous, with a dusty finish | 5- |
| Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2007 (Stellenbosch) 14% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Waitrose £8 | Pale yellow. Hints of tropical fruit on nose. Rounded apple fruit, balanced initially, but rather acidic on end | 4+ |
| Forrester's Back Chenin Blanc 2007 (Western Cape) 13.5% | CLWS 23.7.08 | Oddbins £7 | Pale green. Light tropical fruit nose. Fruit hints, green acidity, lanolin: some length but astringent | 4+ |
| Glen Carlou Pinot Noir 2007 (Paarl) 14% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Waitrose £9 | Very good colour. Some cherry fruit. Rather hard palate, with acidity prominent and alcohol on end | 4 |
| Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2006 (Walker Bay) 13% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Wine Society £24 | Yellow colour. Rich, honeyed nose with oak and oil. Good fruit, oil and acidity, with minerals on end. Not yet balanced: long but undeveloped | 5 |
| Jordon Cobbler’s Hill 2003 (Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 12.9.07 | Jeroboams £18.50 | CS with Merlot & CF. Very dark. Plummy nose without much depth. Tannic palate, with rather high toned fruit and prominent acidity. Some length. | 5+ |
| Kanonkop Paul Sauer (Stellenbosch) 13.5% | MENSA 12.8.07 | Tesco £17.99 | CS + Merlot, CF. Deep colour. Vanilla and tobacco on nose. Cabernet franc character, with lots of fine tannins. Very long finish with some earthy hints. | 6- |
| Kings River Viognier 2007 (Robertson) 14% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Majestic £5 | Bright pale green. Apricots on nose. Good acidity and fruit with some finish | 4 |
| Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2001 (Constantia) 14.5% | CLWS 14.3.07 | Majestic £25 | Muscat. Gold colour. Botrytised marmalade and grape nose. Quite sweet, with intense acidity and good length | 6 |
| Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2002 (Constantia) 13% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Gold colour. Honey muscat nose. Very sweet and slightly cloying - slightly lacking acidity: good length, some spice on end. Old enough. | 6- | |
| Klein Zalze Chenin Blanc 2008 (Western Cape) 14% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Waitrose £6 | Pale with a flowery nose. Tropical fruit on palate with fair length | 4+ |
| Kumala Colombard/Chardonnay 2006 (Merchant Wine) 13.5% | CLWS 12.9.07 | Tesco £3.99 | Modest colour. Some flower aroma. No fruit on palate – oily, prominent acidity, especially on end. | 3 |
| Lammershoek Winery Roulette 2004 (Swartland) 14.5% | CLWS 30.5.07 | Booths (W) £9.50 | Shiraz 74%, Carignan 14%, Grenache 10%. Dark colour. Nose has some Shiraz notes. Sawdust tannins with fruit under: OK length, not much development and a rather hot end. | 4 |
| L'Avenir Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 29.4.09 | about £12 | Balck-red. Blackcurrent fruit, maturity hints. Ripe fruit, well balanced: concentrated but slightly astringent finish | 6- |
| Luddite Wines Shiraz 2003 (Western Cape) 14% | CLWS 30.5.07 | Averys £19.50 | Very deep colour. Pepper and flowers on nose. Good fruit, with balanced structure – long finish and some development, but alcohol far too prominent | 5 |
| Meerlust Pinot Noir 2001 | Jas 19.10.07 | Jascots £14 | Very mature colour and nose. Big over-ripe fruit, lots of development. Definitely new world style. | 5- |
| Meerlust Red 2004 (Stellenbosch) 14% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Wine Society £9 | Declassified Rubicon. Deep red with a pale edge. Black fruit nose with resin. Good fruit, fine tannins, rather stalky acidity: rather structured and old fashioned, but quite long | 5 |
| M'Hudi Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Western Cape) 13% | CLWS 29.4.09 | Marks & Spencer £8 | Pale green, light Sauvignon nose and some grass. Moderate fruit and acidity: some length but unexciting | 4 |
| Napier Winery Greenstone Chenin Blanc 2005 (Wellington) 12.5% | CLWS 30.5.07 | about £6 | Thin and rather ordinary on palate – some development on finish | 3+ |
| Nederburg Wines Noble Late Harvest 2003 (Western Cape) | CLWS 30.5.07 | Morrisons £4.08 HB | Chenin Blanc 90%. Lanolin nose with some botrytis. Quite sweet, balancing acidity. Not much development. | 5- |
| Phileo Shiraz 2002 (Fruit sourced from Wellington, Heldenberg etc) 15% | CLWS 12.9.07 | Jeroboams £25 | Dark, young colour. Medicinal nose. Rather jammy and astringent, hot, dusty, tannic and burnt on end. Needs time? Contains about 4% Viognier. | 5- |
| Raka Biography Shiraz 2004 (Walker Bay) 14.5% | CLWS 1.10.08 | House of Fraser £12.50 | Very dark with a pink edge. Leather and flowers. Lots of ripe fruit and tannin: long finish with leather and spice. Still integrating and developing. | 5+ |
| Reyneke Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Stellenbosch) 13% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Waitrose £10 | Very pale. Light gooseberry nose. Spritzig palate, some gooseberry fruit, ripe acidity: clean, moderate length finish. | 4+ |
| Robertson Winery Retreat Sauvignon Blanc (Robertson) 2006 | HASS 16.8.07 | Oddbins £7.99 | Intense gooseberry fruit, but rather metallic acidity. Modest length. | 4 |
| Rustenberg John X Merriman 2005 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Waitrose £11 | 54% Merlot, 33% CS plus other Bordeaux grapes. Black red. Warm backward nose with some fig aromas. Fully ripe, with rather coarse tannins and green acidity: long, astringent finish, lacking development and generousity | 5 |
| Rustenberg John X Merriman 2006 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Majestic £12,50 | Young black-red colour. Not much nose. Young palate, sour and unready | 5 |
| Ses'fikele Folklore Chenin Blanc 2007 (Western Cape) 14% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Marks & Spencer £8 | Very pale. Flower and oil aromas. Apple fruit, intense acidity and rather hot on end | 4- |
| Spier Private Collection Pinotage 2003 (Stellenbosch) 14% | CLWS 7.3.07 | ASDA £11.99 | Mineral nose. Littlke fruit on palate, dry, harsh structure:some length but rather unpleasant | 4- |
| Springfield Estate Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Robertson) 12.5% | CLWS 30.5.07 | Wine Society £9 | Soft, warm, slightly spicy fruit, with some astringency and earthy tones on end | 5- |
| Springfield Estate Special Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Robertson) 12.5% | CLWS 30.5.07 | Waitrose £9 | Grass/gooseberry nose. Fruit on palate developing through a stony acidic structure: quite a long finish but young and straightforward. | 5 |
| Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2006 (Constantia) 14.5% | CLWS 1.10.08 | Noel Young £11 | Pale yellow. Very vegetal nose, some fruit under. Ripe palate with good acidity: quite long but young and earthy | 5 |
| Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Stellenbosch) 13.5% | CLWS 13.08.08 | Majestic £22 | Deep red. Blackcurrant, pepper & mint on nose. Good fruit and balance, length and development | 6 |
| Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards Syrah 2006 (Swartland) 14% | CLWS 24.9.08 | Waitrose £13 | Moderate colour. Ripe fruit with leather aromas under. Quite ripe, some tannin and acidity - not yet in balance. Finish is quite long, with spicy notes but a hint of rubber. | 5- |
| Uva Mira Cellar Selection 2004 (Western Cape) 14.5% | CLWS 10.1.07 | South Africa Wines £9 | Merlot 74%, CS 26%. Very young, dark colour. Blackcurrant fruit and some oak on nose. Oak tannins dominate fruit and acidity: hint of earth on end | 5- |
| Uva Mira Cellar Selection Estate Blend 2004 (Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 10.1.07 | South Africa Wines £20 | CS 72%, Merlot 28%. Dark colour. Rather hot, over-extracted nose. Dumb palate, little length showing. Far too young? | 5- |
| Vergelegen Mill Race Cabernet Merlot 2005 (Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Majestic £9 | Fair colour. Plum nose. Slightly acidic. Not much interest | 4 |
| Vilojeans Oubenheim (Olifants River) Merlot 2003 | HASS 16.8.07 | Wine Discoveries £10 | Rather old-fashioned stewed fruit nose with little varietal character. Palate has prominent acidity and a burnt finish | 4 |
| Warwick Estate Pinotage Old Bush Vines 2006 (Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 17.6.09 | Flagship Wines £13 | Black-red. Some black fruit. Rich and round but still some exposed tannins: long but very young. | 5- |
| Warwick Estate Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (Stellenbosch) 14% | CLWS 7.3.07 | Flagship Wines £11.50 | Moderate yellow-green. Backward fruit, some grass and flowers on nose. Gooseberry on palate, with a hot, acidic structure: quite powerful but lacks character | 4 |
| Warwick Estate Trilogy 2004 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch) 14.5% | CLWS 30.5.07 | Wine Society £12 | CS 56%, CF 34%, Merlot 10%. Backward nose with hints of blackcurrant fruit which comes through on palate – structure has firm tannins and acidity: fair length, not much development. Needs time | 5 |