Our fabled Spectator Winemaker Lunches are heavily oversubscribed and little wonder. We have the finest producers and merchants clamouring to visit and we’ve never yet managed to knock back less than a bottle a head. Our readers take their studies seriously.
One of the most popular of recent lunches was hosted by Sebastian Rezek, founder of RAKQ, an importer/distributor focused on giving the premium wines of South Africa the recognition in the UK they deserve. The bottles were indeed so fine that they just had to be offered to the wider Speccie readership (along with a very tasty introductory discount of 15 per cent).
Blueberries on the nose – plus wisps of eucalyptus, tobacco, cassis and pepper
We start with the 2021 Paul Wallace Little Flirt Sauvignon Blanc (1) from Elgin, one of South Africa’s most exciting cool-climate wine regions. Paul and his wife Nicky planted 12.5 hectares of vines here 20 years ago, and their son Bobby has since joined them as winemaker. The critics love what they do and this very wine – deliciously fresh, grassy and nervy with hints of ripe pears and restrained tropical fruit – won a double gold medal at the 2022 National Wine Challenge/Top 100 SA Wines. £13.18 down from £15.50.
The 2019 Eikendal Chardonnay (2) is a strikingly fine blend from six different vineyards in Stellenbosch and Elgin. With fermentation in steel and oak (some barrels old and some new; some toasted, some not), the wine is deliciously complex with hints of honey and apple, buttered peach, orange peel, brioche, vanilla and caramel enlivened by fine acidity and a long finish. £19.38 down from £22.80.
The 2018 Stellenbosch Vineyards ‘Credo’ Chenin Blanc (3) is a cracking example of this wonderful grape variety that does so well in South Africa. From vineyards in Stellenbosch’s Devon Valley, the wine is fermented and aged in oak and has exotic notes of ripe oranges, kumquats, limes, peaches, nuts, nougat and a hint of spice. It’s full, rich and creamy and decadently inviting. £16.40 down from £19.30.
The 2017 The High Road Classique (4), also from Stellenbosch, is a pitch-perfect blend of Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc and Malbec which spends a year in oak. With low tannin and high acidity, the wine is soft and smooth with roasted red peppers and redcurrants and hints of chocolate on the finish. It says much about High Road’s ambition that they’ve signed up Miles Mossop – who famously made his name at Tokara – as consultant winemaker. £15.72 down from £18.50.
The De Toren Délicate NV (5) is non-vintage, a blend of the exact same varieties as above, albeit in very different proportions, with Malbec the most prominent. Part of the blend is oak-aged for depth of flavour, and part is steel vat-aged for freshness. The result is a soft, mellow red of real charm with low tannins and plenty of vibrant, juicy red fruit. It’s not a wine to age, but one to knock back with pleasure, served lightly chilled. £16.57 down from £19.50.
The 2018 Plaisir de Merle Cabernet Sauvignon (6), harvested from two vineyards in Paarl, is big, bold and brooding. With plenty of blueberries on the nose – plus wisps of eucalyptus, tobacco, cassis and pepper – and fresh strawberries on the palate, it’s full-flavoured, rich and succulent. Although ready, it will last for ages and is a more than worthy winner of a five-star rating in 2022 Platter’s South African Wine Guide – the leading authority on the country’s wines. £19.38 down from £22.80.
Finally, a delightfully effervescent add-on: the 2018 De Grendel Méthode Cap Classique (7), one of South Africa’s finest fizzes, made in the champagne method. A blend of 80 per cent Chardonnay and 20 per cent Pinot Noir, it’s fresh, fruity and biscuity with a suggestion of both crunchy green and luscious baked apple. Spot on! £19.50 down from £22.95. The wines are offered in six-bottle boxes (minimum order 12 bottles) except for the mixed dozen which has two bottles each of wines 1-6. Delivery, as ever, is free.
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