Catching a New Wave in South Africa
Are you, like me, one of those people who doesn’t really get South African wine? I see from the restaurants that I consult for that South African wine sales, at the upper end (because these are the sort of places that I work for), just don’t really figure alongside Australia or New Zealand. There seem to be very few top end South African wines on wine merchants’ shelves, too, by comparison to the space given over to other country’s great labels. Have you been slightly put off by the legions of underwhelming supermarket cheapies, the three-for-a-tenner deals and the dodgy, rubbery, stinky reds? Well, it is time to think again because this mindset is completely and utterly outdated.
I have been travelling down to the Cape Winelands for a decade now and I have seen enormous changes happening. Granted the South Africans haven’t managed to bring about the seismic effect on fine dining that the Antipodeans now enjoy, but South Africa is well on its way to shedding the grubby image of times gone by. You can now drink very clean, professional wines around the six pound mark if you wish, but this is not the area which I have been focussing on for the past few years. I have been looking to the top end, to see if this small country can really compete on the global stage. My opinion, thanks to an epiphanic trip in June, has completely changed. Like Spain, it seems that the South Africans keep many of their finest wines for themselves (the sneaky blighters)! I arranged meetings with a few notable superstars and then asked for hundreds of samples to be delivered to a neutral venue for me to work through. The results were fascinating.
This drove me to arrange a meeting at the University of Stellenbosch to see Professor Bauer – the man behind the analysis into finding out and hopefully eliminating the smoky / rubbery scent in many red wines. I also dined with J-P Rossouw, the man behind the best-selling restaurant guide (Rossouw’s Restaurants) in order to ask him what was happening in the all important on-trade scene, too.
By the time that I had boarded the plane on my way back home, after only a week away, I was convinced that South Africa has done the hard, ugly yards and that it was now time to showcase its finest wines to the world.
So, how has this happened? There is a very strong identity building in South Africa right now surrounding what other countries term ‘Young Guns’. This movement happened in New Zealand a decade ago and Australia has already revelled in several generations of this phenomenon. Young Guns are, by way of explanation, not necessarily young people, but they have a fresh, international view, and often a wide skill-set, which is rare in the wine business. They also happen to be the people with their names or brands on the label. They usually operate out of smaller wineries, often having quit large corporate wine companies, and they almost always enjoy instant, mini-cult status on release of their own wines, assuming that they stack up. South Africa hasn’t had many YGs until recently. One might argue that familiar rock stars such as Kevin Arnold (at Waterford), Ken Forrester, Bruce Jack (at Flagstone), Anthony Hamilton Russell, Marc Kent (at Boekenhoutskloof), Bruwer Raats and Eben Sadie have enough character to fill anyone’s cellar with wine, but this small group of existing heroes, and a few others that I have inadvertently missed off, are in the minority when it comes to the new rash of winemakers ploughing their own furrow today. Adi Badenhorst’s departure from Rustenberg signalled a spiritual downsizing for ambitious dudes to do their own thing. This is happening in droves and I would venture to say that this movement is very close to becoming the single most important defining factor when it comes to South Africa’s vinous image abroad. This is not necessarily a regional movement though. Many first timers would be hard pushed to finance a brand new operation in Stellenbosch, because land is expensive, so they tend towards the satellite regions, but it is the person and not the place which is the key to unlocking the Cape’s new treasures. That they all happen to look like surf dudes and are eminently photogenic will not harm South Africa’s chances to place these wines into ever more far-reaching markets, too.
This knowledge-sharing is the new vogue. Nowadays groups of pals regularly get together to chew the cud and deliberate about their respective wine styles – this is incredibly beneficial to the nation’s street cred. The Swartland boys are the most famous group, led by Adi and Eben Sadie and when you add Chris Mullineux, Paul and Anna Kretzel at Lammershoek, the Annex Kloof pack, Stephan Basson at Babylon’s Peak and so on, you can see that this is a brains trust worth listening into. Across the country this convivial and fair discussion series enables these keen, young companies to move fast and make finer wines in fewer vintages. Imagine, that even tiny little Bot Rover has its own new group of musketeers led by Niels Verberg at Luddite, including Sebastian Beaumont, Kobie Viljoen at Gabriëlskloof and a handful of other very small, new producers learning collectively as they go. This mass pooling of ideas and energy is paying off. The wines look better than ever. Visiting Rudiger Gretschel at the biodynamic farm at Reyneke was incredible. He senses that it is all about ‘kick off’ in South Africa. His interpretation of how and why this is happening is that experience is paying off coupled with an innate understanding of the various plots of land which each winery farms. Also, he insists that it is crucial to remain relaxed and make wines that the soils dictate rather than urgently endeavouring to follow global trends. This certainly seems to me to have led to a new wave of finer, more balanced wines each with a true sense of place.
The thorny issue of rubbery notes in reds seems to be a back story now, too. Once the bane of South Africa’s wine life, Prof. Bauer explained to me that it wasn’t one single factor that was identified as being responsible for this, but a series of linked issues which snowballed into the so-called burnt rubber aromas and flavours. By investigating this phenomenon and conducting massive tasting trials and field studies, it appeared that high pH soils, lack of control at fermentation, over-cropping and various lesser components all seemed to add up to this unwanted scent. The problem is pointing the finger and trying to pin down exactly what is responsible and this, it seems, is nigh on impossible. By shining the light on the problem though the incidence of this feral aroma seems to have been drastically reduced, so sloppy winemaking and random viticulture may well have been the cause and we all know that there is no place for that in quality winemaking anyway. In the end the burnt rubber problem shows every sign of blowing away on its own.
Lastly, the restaurant scene in South Africa is becoming a very cultured environment indeed. J-P Rossouw explained that instead of importing smart wines from Europe and beyond there was a subconscious desire to make them in the Cape. The Young Guns are a widely travelled bunch and so over the last ten years they have gathered style notes from all corners of the earth and finessed them in their own country for their top flight restaurants and it has worked. Forgive me for rattling off a few estates to add to my chosen wines below, but this is a pretty long hit list of YG names and established gurus to look out for and I couldn’t have done this even five years ago.
Styles –
Loire – Reyneke, Ataraxia, Chamonix Flagstone, Klein Constantia, Shannon, Steenberg, Strandveld Bartinney, Springfield, Iona, De Grendel, Cape Point, Jean Daneel, Raats
Chardonnay – Chamonix, Ataraxia, Crystallum, Glen Carlou, Julian Schaal, Rustenberg, Oak Valley, Jordan, Journey’s End, Newton Johnson
White blends – Mullineux, Rall, Sadie Family, Vuurberg
Pinot Noir – Chamonix, Crystallum
Rhône – Boekenhoutskloof, Julian Schaal, Keermont, Mullineux, Rall, Sadie Family, Schalk Burger, Eagles’ Nest, Scali, Luddite
Bordeaux Style – De Toren, Flagstone, Glen Carlou, Boekenhoutskloof, Kanonkop, Raats, Rustenberg, Rust en Vrede, Shannon, Vilafonté, Gabriëlskloof
Red blends – Jean Daneel, Reyneke, Waterford, Kaapzicht, Bosman, Ernie Els
Pinotage – Flagstone, Kanonkop, Schalk Burger, Vriesenhof
Sweeties – Paul Cluver, Beaumont
Fourteen Wines
Columella, Sadie Family Wines, Swartland 19/20 5 star 14%
Columella is a Shiraz-based wine and its flavours are Zen-like, elemental and all-consuming. Your olfactory system converts to a mini-Hadron Collider and your brain does it best to configure the ever-changing aromatic particles as they loop around your being – sometimes confusing, but always life-changing. Drink 2012 – 2020 £40 Unc, Rbs
Luddite, Bot River, 2007 18.5/20 5 star 14%
Niels Verburg’s wine belies his massive form and in turn captures more elegance and intricacy than one might imagine in this wine. The initial impact is calm and then the malevolence grows. It is such fun being pillaged in this way and you are left in a heap being dusted down by chirpy, well-meaning, crunchy acidity. Drink now – 2018 £20.00 WDi
Reyneke, Reserve White, Stellenbosch, 2009 18.5/20 5 star 13.5%
Winemaker Rudiger Gretschel is a rare talent and this sumptuous, biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc uses 80% new, top flight, Vosges and Allier, light toast barrels and yet you cannot detect the merest whiff of ‘carpentry’ on its person. It is one of the most profound and opinion altering wines that I have ever tasted. Drink now – 2014 £21.50 HgD, Wmb, BoA, SAO
Crystallum, Cuvée Cinéma Pinot Noir, Hermanus, 2009 18.5/20 5 stars 14%
This is the highest scoring wine from this grape variety that I have ever tasted in South Africa. Peter-Allan Finlayson, son of Peter Finlayson of Bouchard Finlayson fame, is clearly more than just a chip off the old block. This is a future cult wine in the making. Drink 2012 – 2017£35.00 Han
Shannon, Mount Bullet Merlot, Elgin, 2008 18.5/20 5 stars 14%
South Africa’s assault on the purist Merlot Holy Grail is more Super-Tuscan in shape than Pomerol-like and it is equally dramatic and passionate. Watch this space – this wine is going to blow everyone’s mind as it starts to mature. Drink 2013 – 2020 £25 SAO
Ataraxia, Chardonnay, Hermanus, 2009 18/20 4 stars 14%
Made with drama and poise in mind, Kevin Grant’s wines are sublime, with gripping minerality in perfect harmony with the lush, near-tropical notes. The oak is perfectly judged, too. These are mesmerising, calm wines with true soul. Drink now – 2014 £16.95 Jer
Cape Chamonix, Chardonnay, Franschhoek, 2009 18/20 4 stars 13%
Gottfried Mocke is one of the most perceptive individuals in the Cape as this energetic and yet totally centred Chardonnay shows. Sensationally rewarding wine and minutes long, this is a profound wine. Drink 2012 – 2015 £14.50 BBR
Rall, Red, Stellenbosch, 2009 18/20 4 stars 14%
Made in minuscule quantities from a Rhône cocktail of varieties, the red is a relaxed, spicy, hedgerow fruit-imbued wine with instant class and appeal. Drinking curiously well already it is a joyous celebration of all things swarthy and swash-buckling. Drink now – 2017, £29.95 WDi
Strandveld Vineyards, Adamastor, Elim, 2008 18/20 4 stars 13.5%
Cool herbal complexity punctuates a slithering grapefruit and mojito-tinged palate and it makes you salivate for more. This Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon blend is a highly-tuned offering. Drink now – 2013 £13.50 SAO
Cape Point Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, Noordhoek, 2010 18/20 4 stars 13.5%
Using a touch of lees stirring and a whisper of oak to provide nougat-texture and limpidity, this is a frightening self-assured creation which hints at global greatness. Caressing the senses, the elegant layers of citrus fruit and stony minerality bathe your taste buds in pure unadulterated bliss. Drink now – 2014 £24.00 Swg
Kloovenburg Vineyards, Cabernet Sauvignon, Swartland, 2009 18/20 4 stars 15%
Unapologetically ripe, oaky and broad, this is a youthful, cassis-imbued stunner with masses of heart and huge amounts of energy. What it lacks in complexity it makes up for in bravado and I know that a massive sector of the wine-loving public will fall at its feet. Drink 2010 – 2017 £12 Bib
AA Badenhorst, Secateurs White, Swartland, 2010 17/20 4 stars 13.5%
One of a trio of marvellous entry level wines, Adi’s white is a wickedly priced and spankingly attractive wine. With Chenin Blanc core it loads more complexity than any other rival at this price. Watch out for a 2010 red and 2011 rosé coming soon. Drink now – 2012 £9.95 Swg
Mullineux, Syrah, Swartland, 2008 18/20 4 star 14.5%
Chris Mullineux is a talented chap. This Syrah was one of the finest examples of this variety I have seen from SA with its cultured, complex gaminess and entrancing finish. Only 10% new wood was used, too, so this is a wine with massive integrity and heart. Drink 2012 – 2017 £18 BBR
Ernie Els, Proprietor’s Blend, Stellenbosch, 2008 18/20 4 star 14.5%
Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot have all turned up to play a part in this staggeringly impressive wine. Admittedly it’s still a baby, but there are undoubted rewards to be had down the line. Only buy some if you have a cellar and considerable levels of patience! Drink 2014-2025 £22.50 SAO
Young Gun Quotes
‘I think that many of us are settling into a sense of confidence that we can produce truly world class wines from the right varieties planted in specific sites. We’ve also realised that bigger is not always better, and what South Africa does best is combine new world charm with old world class. The future is what is most exciting – there is a group of young guns keeping us on our toes, and ensuring we are always fine tuning and innovating.’ Chris Mullineux, Mullineux Family Wines
‘I still believe that the future for us lies in focussing on our home grown fruit. We need to learn and understand our sites even better, while improving our farming methods and philosophy as this is the key for quality grapes. We need to achieve more site specific wines with its own personality. I think the day I became less of a winemaker and more of a farmer the changes showed in our wines.’ Gottfried Mocke, Chamonix
‘I believe that this trend of quality wines is set to continue if winemakers shed their rock-star appearance and attitudes and start becoming winegrowers.’ Rudiger Gretschel, Reyneke
‘There is a small part of the industry that is pushing a bigger movement and it has been building up over the years. The key is self-belief and confidence (but not arrogance). We are in South Africa and we must make South African wine. The Swartland revolution is the most obvious marketing example of this.’ Sebastian Beaumont, Beaumont
