Atkin’s pick: 10 to try from Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch
1 Reyneke, Reserve White 2021 95
£30-£36 Carruthers & Kent, Cru, Harrogate Wines, Hedonism, The Fine Wine Co, The Wine Reserve
A pair of biodynamically farmed, warmer south-facing parcels are the source of this brilliant Sauvignon Blanc. Fermented predominantly in deftly handled 85% new wood, showing prominent quince and passion fruit flavours and top notes of wild flowers. Complex, nuanced and layered stuff. Drink 2024-2029 Alcohol 13%
2 Carinus, Heuwels Chenin Blanc 2021 94
£21.95-£30.60 Hedonism, Master of Malt, WoodWinters
Fermented and aged in a 75/25 mix of concrete eggs and old oak, this comes from Danie Carinus’ long-established family farm and is made by Chenin Blanc superstar Chris Alheit. Leesy and textured, with jasmine aromas, a sappy, saline palate and flavours of camomile, green tea and waxed lemon. Drink 2024-2028 Alc 13%
Angus Paul, On a Flight of Furious Fancies 2022 91
£24.95-£29.25 Chanctonbury Wines,
Perfect Cellar, NY Wines
Part of an increasingly exciting range from Angus Paul, this is a Chenin Blanc that showcases the classic decomposed granite soils of the Polkadraai Hills. Taut, tight, chiselled and yeasty, it’s a wine that won’t be hurried in bottle, all wet stone, oatmeal, pear and citrus flavours, savoury grip and stony precision. Drink 2024-2027 Alc 12.5%
3 Lukas van Loggerenberg, Graft Syrah 2021 97
£34-£51.20 Barrique Fine Wines, Berry Bros & Rudd, Cambridge Wine Merchants, Carruthers & Kent, Noble Grape, Sugarbird Wines, The Good Wine Shop, Vin Cognito, WoodWinters
Stunning world-class Syrah from the Karibib vineyard. Focused, spicy and hauntingly perfumed, with clove and rosemary aromas, tapenade and blackberry fruit, fine tannins and the focus and freshness that are features of Lukas Van Loggerenberg’s style. Drink 2024-2033 Alc 13.5%
4 De Toren, Fusion V 2019 95
£42-£51 Hard to Find Wines, Museum Wines, Perfect Cellar, Rakq, Vino Fandango, The Oxford Wine Co, The Wine Reserve, The Wine Treasury Cabernet Sauvignon with 43% Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Fresher and less oaky than it used to be, with just 50% new wood, this has red cherry and blackcurrant leaf, succulent tannins, understated power and a whiff of granite. Superb. Organic. Drink 2024-2031 Alc 14.5%
5 Saga Vineyards, Sons of Sugarland Syrah 2022 95
£31.50 The Good Wine Shop
Sons of Sugarland showcases the superb grapes from Jozua Joubert’s Karibib farm. Whole bunch-fermented in concrete, it’s a wine that ‘screams granite’, says Reenen Borman. Lavender, thyme and white pepper perfume, sappy bramble fruit and a serious, layered finish. Drink 2025-2032 Alc 13.5%
Raats, Family Cabernet Franc 2020 94
£23.50-£35.50 Carruthers & Kent, The Fine Wine Co, The Wine Society, Uncorked, Vegan Tipples, Vinvm, Winoship
Gloriously perfumed and intense, this textbook Cabernet Franc is a delightful expression of the Polkadraai Hills. Smartly wooded in 25% new oak, with 35% whole bunches adding a layer of complexity, it’s grassy, glossy and intense with a racy minerality. Drink 2024-2030 Alc 14%
Craven, Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 93
£23.75 (2020) Uncharted Wines
Mick and Jeanine Craven picked early to preserve the freshness and low alcohol that are features of all their wines. Flirting with greenness, it’s a pithy, minty, very lightly wooded Cabernet with notes of cranberry and blackcurrant leaf and a mineral core. Drink 2025-2030 Alc 12.5%
Illimis, Pinotage 2022 93
£19.20 Gorey Wine Cellar
Delicate and hauntingly perfumed, Lucinda Heyns’ Pinotage is a wine for lovers of fine Pinot Noir on a budget. 100% whole-bunch, it’s a bright, focused, low-intervention style that only sees older oak, with pomegranate and goji berry flavours and a top note of clove spice. Drink 2024-2029 Alc 12%
B Vintners, Red Blend 2021 92
£13 Alliance Wine, The Fine Wine Co, Tipsea Wines
Bruwer Raats calls this first release his ‘South African Rhône blend’: Grenache with 36% Syrah and 27% Pinotage. It’s juicy, fresh and stony with fynbos and garrigue aromas, pepper, clove, bramble and red cherry flavours and layered, understated tannins. Drink 2024-2029 Alc 13%