South African Wine

Winemaker Description 

Excelsior Sauvignon Blanc offers an enticing bouquet of passion fruit, lime and ripe fig leads to complex flavors of citrus, herbs and gooseberry on the palate. A bracing acidity and long fruity finish balance out this invigorating, vibrant Sauvignon Blanc.

Winemaker Description 

This crisp, mouthwatering bottling is a blend of Excelsior’s three best Chardonnay blocks. It displays lively flavors of green apple, citrus, and pineapple on a full, creamy palate. Traces of peach, orange blossom and delicate toasty notes combine with a mineral edge to round out this versatile everyday sipper, a consistent crowd pleaser. 

Expert Reviews 

Amy Wislocki of Decanter writes | South Africa's first female black winemaker (her first vintage was 2014), Ntsiki Biyela named her Aslina label after her grandmother. Biyela grew up in KwaZulu-Natal and spent a year as a domestic worker before being offered a scholarship to study winemaking in 1999. She has worked harvests in Bordeaux and Tuscany, and her winemaking philosophy draws on this experience. This accomplished Cabernet contains 15% Petit Verdot, and underwent fermentation in stainless steel before ageing in used oak barrels for 14 months. It's a charming, harmonious wine, with fresh, fragrant black fruits, well-integrated oak and a hint of menthol. Super enjoyable now but will also develop over the next five or so years.  —  Amy Wislocki

Jancis Robinson 16.5 Points | Made by South Africa’s first female Black winemaker, Ntsiki Biyela, who started her Aslina label, named after her inspirational grandmother, with the 2014 vintage. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot, harvested March 2020. Fermentation in stainless-steel tank and aged 14 months in used oak barrels. RS 3.5 g/l, TA 3.81 g/l, pH 3.6.

Julia Harding MW | Deep crimson. Pure, intense, minty, very slightly leafy, and blackcurrant. Benchmark South African Cabernet. Polished but true Cabernet tannins, deep but not heavy. Highly drinkable and finishes clean and fresh.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Ntsiki Biyela has an incredible history as the first female black winemaker in South Africa. Her new label, Aslina, is named in honor of her grandmother. The Chardonnay is a pale straw color and full of lush yellow fruit with minerality and brilliant acidity.

Winemaker Description 

A real crowd pleaser! Enticing citrus and tropical fruit aromas lead to fresh, zesty flavors of pineapple, lemon-lime, mango and green fig, supported by a spine of racy acidity. The mineral-tinged finish happily lingers

Sustainable. Socially conscious.

Drawn from the world’s oldest soils, Indaba wines are crafted by family farmers who have perfected their art over generations. These are real wines, made by real people.

This fresh and vibrant wine is a recipe for happiness. Sustainably made on South Africa’s sunshine coast, Indaba Wines offer hand-crafted quality for everyday enjoyment.

Stylistically fresh, juicy and approachable, these wines are food friendly and offer a bottling for every palate. Consistently garnering “Best Value” and “Best Buy” accolades, Indaba Wines present character and structure well beyond its price.

Zesty, Citrus, Mineral

A real crowd pleaser! Enticing citrus and tropical fruit aromas lead to fresh, zesty flavors of pineapple, lemon-lime, mango and green fig, supported by a spine of racy acidity. The mineral-tinged finish happily lingers.

Varietals: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Appellation: Western Cape

Vine Age: 5 to 30 years old

Soil: Decomposed granite, calcareous clay, shale

Farming: Sustainable

Fermentation: Stainless steel

Aging: On its lees in tank 3 months

Winemaker Description 

Aslina Sauvignon Blanc is a remarkable white wine crafted by the talented Ntsiki Biyela, a trailblazing winemaker from Zululand. Imbued with the essence of her Zulu heritage, this unique Sauvignon Blanc reflects Ntsiki's passion for creating captivating wines that leave a lasting impression. The eye-catching label showcases the calabash, a traditional clay vessel, adorned with grapes – a nod to both her cultural roots and innovative spirit. Experience the refreshing complexity of Aslina Sauvignon Blanc, a wine that's perfect for every occasion.

Aslina Sauvignon Blanc enchants the palate with an enticing fusion of bright fruit flavors, invigorating citrus notes, and a touch of lemon zest. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc boasts a complex profile, achieved through extended time on the lees, which imparts a silky, lingering finish. A wine that deftly balances refreshing crispness with surprising depth, Aslina Sauvignon Blanc is a delightful journey for the senses.

The versatility of Aslina Sauvignon Blanc makes it an ideal companion for a wide array of light meals. Its lively fruit and citrus character beautifully complements seafood dishes such as grilled shrimp or seared scallops, as well as fresh, zesty salads and tangy goat cheese. For a true culinary adventure, pair it with a delicate ceviche or a vibrant, herb-infused chicken dish. Best enjoyed chilled, Aslina Sauvignon Blanc will elevate your dining experience to new heights.

92 Points Natalie Maclean | From the Swartland wine region, Mullineux Great Heart 2021 Chenin Blanc is a dry, vibrant, flavoursome and beautifully balanced Chenin with white-fleshed stone fruit, citrus zest, creamy and leesy on the palate. The wine is named after The Great Heart Project, a staff empowerment project the results and profits of which are aimed at improving the circumstances of the winery's employees and families. 

Producer Description 

A modern style emphasizing the softer Pinot Noir-like characteristics of Pinotage. The wine is ruby-garnet red with a hint of purple. This Pinotage shows pleasing aromas of mocha and roasted coffee beans, followed by juicy flavors of red berries, nutmeg and vanilla spice on the palate.

The sweet fruit flavors of this medium-bodied Pinotage make it an ideal match for spicy food, pizza, smoked pork and flavorful venison dishes.

Blend: 91% Pinotage, 7% Grenache, 2% Cinsault

Winemaker Description

Chenin Blanc is South Africa’s most widely planted varietal and the Cape’s signature white. A crisp and easydrinking chenin blanc, this bottle is a refreshing essence vibrantly infused with flavors of honeyed pear, golden delicious apple, and luscious tropical fruit. 

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. From the raw, untamed beauty of the Western Cape, J. Folk wine fuses a modern South African soul with traditional winemaking methods expressed in the features of this wine. The result is a spirited selection resonating the people & places of its colorful origin. 

Hints of fresh yellow stone fruit and peach, complimented by a lingering citrus fruit.

Winemaker Description 

This wine boasts a multi-faceted aroma, revealing notes of quince, white peach, and yellow apple, with the added dimension of fenugreek spices complementing the wine's mineral intensity. The stone fruit qualities continue onto a perfectly balanced, delicately textured palate that embodies a peach-melba character, featuring exquisite length and refreshing vibrancy. The wine leaves a lasting impression, with traces of ripe nectarine and apricot, zesty lemon, and a subtle hint of wet chalk.

The wine offers a complex nose showing quince, white peach, yellow apple, acacia, nettles, white pepper and fenugreek spices and an intense minerality. The stone fruit character follows through onto an exceptionally balanced, very delicate, fine-textured limey palate showing a peach-melba character with an exquisite roundness and freshness. The wine lingers with hints of ripe nectarine and apricot, zesty lemon and wet chalk.

Winemaker Description

Intense blackberry, bramble, and lavender aromas with gentle nuances of potting soil and cured meat dominate a dark and brooding nose. The abundance of perfume and the earthy character of the nose follows through generously onto a powerful palate, with a lush compote of blueberries, ripe plums, black currants and cherries.

Cacao-powdery tannins are abundant, adding texture and complexity to an almost savory mid-palate, seamlessly complementing the vivid dark fruits, alcohol and acidity. This is a robust, structured wine, yet it is delicate, poised and elegant at the same time. Black fruits, cumin spice, white pepper, licorice and hints of garrigue persist on a velvety finish.

Expert Review

91 Points James Suckling | An inviting nose of pitted cherries, sliced plums, white pepper and tobacco leaf. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Juicy and savory with nicely ripened red and black fruit. Subtle spice and cocoa undertones. (2021).

Winemaker Description 

Illimis is a small project made by young winemaker, Lucinda Heynes. With roots as a viticulturist, she crafts honest, minimal intervention wines showcasing particular talent with Chenin Blanc and Cinsault. Her Transparency range expresses the wines’ origin with clarity, finesse and complexity. This red blend boasts expressive aromas of red fruit and floral perfume. Lively purity and acidity on the palette, chalky tannin followed by a long finish. Serve slightly chilled.

Winemaker Description 

The HER collection is the first branded label from Adama Wines, a company operated and majority-produced by women of color. HER wines are made from sustainably farmed grape varieties of the highest quality, sourced from the Cape Winelands. 

They don’t just have a female winemaker, every member of the team is female, a unique proposition. They see a great opportunity to bring like-minded people together to share knowledge, inspire each other, and extend their network across diverse communities in the South African Wine Industry. HER Wine resonates with being a South African wine brand owned by women that reflects insight and energy as ​​Cape wine producers.

Flavours of watermelon, raspberries & strawberries. Sourced from jaw droppingly beautiful vineyards in the Western Cape. The grapes for this juicy, fruity, lip-smacking Rosé are hand-picked and blended by Praisy Dlamini, one of the brightest stars in the wine industry.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Tim Atkin 93 Points | Drinking well now but can be enjoyed for another 7 years if cellared correctly.

Winemaker Description 

This is our humble (and modern) take on what a Wellington bush vine Cinsaut could look like. The vineyard is harvested in 3 components, picked only days apart. The grapes are hand sorted, de-stemmed and slightly crushed. Spontaneous fermentation is facilitated with daily punch downs and pump overs. A total of 10% of the wine fermented as a whole bunch component and 10% with stem contact to add freshness and complexity. The wine spent extended time on the skins after fermentation. Followed by a 12-month maturation period in 225L and 500L French oak barrels. The 2021 vintage saw 12% new oak. Gently filtered.

Deep plum centre with purple rim. Lovely fresh berry flavours with hints of tobacco, spice and savoury notes. 

VARIETAL: Cinsaut 100%.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2023

Tim Atkin MW, 92 Points | Twenty-nine different components from Benguela Cove, Stanford and the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley make up the blend of this stylishly packaged Sauvignon Blanc. Sidestepping tutti-frutti flavours in favour of something more profound, this has layers of wet stones, greengage and pink grapefruit, subtle oaking and a salty undertone. 2024-27

James Suckling 91 Points | Gentle chopped herb (think tarragon) and snow pea aromas on the nose with sliced fresh pears and grapefruit. Wonderfully fresh
and zesty, medium-bodied, with a clean and lightly salty finish. Drink now.

Winemaker Description 

Made in a way ensuring the personality of site and soil is not over-ridden by the forceful character of the variety, this wine exhibits the typical Southern Right balance of tight “Old World” minerality and length with hints of “New World” texture and body. The 2023 is a wine that favours origin expressive individuality, minerality and palate complexity ahead of simple, pungent varietal aroma.

A significant percentage of fruit from iron and clay-rich soil has added a textural and structural component and additional overall complexity to this wine. The sandstone soils have contributed their typical bright, tensile character and a marked, saline minerality. This is Sauvignon blanc as fine wine, not Sauvignon blanc as simply a varietal expression.

Certified Sustainable (Integrated Production of Wine, Biodiversity & Wine Initiative.

Winemaker Description 

A beautiful structured medium-bodied Shiraz with juicy ripe plum and dark berry flavours. Has fine textures of sweet spice, new leather and a hint of savoury, refreshed with a juicy, plummy finish.

Producer Description 

Tropical aromas and flavors include passionfruit and gooseberry. Round/clean mouthfeel with touches of melon, integrated acidity and a lemon/lime finish.

Winemaker Description

David & Nadia Topography Pinotage shows aromas of red fruits with flavors of fragrant cherry, black pepper, and notes of wood. Hints of raspberry and lead to lingering finish. 

Winemaker Description 

Notes of dried orange peel, marzipan, honey, and white flowers. It has a savory finish which marries well with complex food flavors such as dim sum, sticky pork or even slow roasted lamb and can be served slightly less chilled than a conventional white to allow the oak flavors a chance to express themselves.

Selling Point Organic, Skin-contact, Fair Trade, Black woman-winemaker. Producer Description.

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It is an ancient winemaking method that produces a really interesting, textural wine. This particular winemaking method dates back to about 6000 BC in present-day Georgia. The bunches of white grapes were crushed and then naturally fermented on the skins in large clay amphora (qvevri) which were sealed and buried underground to control the temperature. The fermentation on the skins gives the wine its colour, but also its texture and composite flavours.

Being an adventurous winemaker with an enquiring mind, Corlea Fourie was eager to try out this technique. So every harvest, she would set aside some Chenin Blanc grapes and ferment them naturally and on the skins. But sadly, it never worked. One year, she resolutely decided to give it one last go, but this time used Grenache Blanc grapes instead. The result was a delicious amber wine with complex aromatics including ginger biscuit, tangerine peel, bruised fruit and complex savoury notes.

Today this wine is called Fides, which means ‘trust’ or ‘faith’ in Latin, because it is a fine example of the trust relationship needed between winemaker and nature. It reflects the conviction and the hope of the winemaker to realise the beautiful potential hidden within nature’s bounty. Establishing the delicate relationship to tease out the best, explore the possibilities and honour ancient traditions takes persistence, thoughtfulness, knowledge, experience and care, but most of all trust.