Tasting Notes

Nose

Crushed laurel on the nose with more than a nuance of residual seaside salt.

Palate

This has a big and textured palate with stone fruit and fennel hints – it is rich and minerally, showing even a slight rocky quality about it. As bracing as the wind through the vines at Waterkloof.

Production

Tasting Notes 

Colour

Lime green hue.

Nose

Complex core, with notes of lemongrass and lime, grapefruit and white peach, blackcurrant leaf and even elderflower.

Palate

Richly textured mouthfeel balanced by a striking minerality, razor-sharp acidity and a long, lingering finish.

Vintage

Constantia Glen's Sauvignon is a complex, elegant, cool-climate style with great fruit weight, minerality and vibrant acidity. The 2020 vintage was yet another excellent one at Constantia Glen that saw cool temperatures and a long ripening season, which produced a classic Constantia wine, exemplifying elegance, texture and freshness.

History of the Cellar

Ideally located below Constantia Nek, just moments from the bustling Cape Town city centre, Constantia Glen is a picturesque wine estate producing ultra-premium, cool climate white and red wines. The 60-hectare property, situated 103-2790 meters above sea level, has a mere 29 hectares under vine with product of wines limited to 120, 000 bottles per annum. Although winemaking began in 1685, recent history begins with the Waibel family, who purchased the land in 1960. Although this land is difficult to farm - as evident by rapid change of ownership from 1813-1960 - the dedication, patience and passion of the Waibel family has proven reward.

Having used the land predominantly as a stud farm, it was in 2000 that the Waibel family planted their first grapes and they now produce four wines. Perhaps most unique about Constantia Glen is its location. Although this region is predominantly known for its white wines, Constantia Glen is situated between the mountains, providing red grapes with the conditions needed to mature. Dryland cultivation under these cool climatic conditions results in slow ripening, low yields with exceptional grape quality and flavour concentration, thereby producing elegant Bordeaux blends. In addition to Sauvignon Blanc and the `Two` (a blend of Sauvignon Blanc with a touch of Sémillion), Constantia Glen produces the `Three` - a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon Franc and Merlot` and a `Five` - which includes the addition of Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Awards - 2020 Vintage

• 4½ stars (94 points) - Platter’s 2020 Guide
• SA Wine Guide | 91 points - Falstaff Magazine | 
• Platinum Award - SAWi 2021

Awards - 2019 Vintage

• 93 points in the 2020 Platter Guide
• Gold medal & Trophy for the best white wine from SA at the 2019 IWC
• Gold Medal at the 2017 International Wine & Spirits Competition

Alan's Personal Tasting Notes

"This is delish - much more structure, complexity and multi-layered than most kiwi Sauv blancs. Fully dry with a wonderful balance between fruit & acidity. A bit closed when over chilled but really showed well a couple of degrees warmer - 15/20" October 2022

Specifications

Vintage

Accolade

• National Wine Challenge 2020 - Double Gold Award

Specifications

An elegant, well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc - Iona's Wine Making Philosophy - 'The Winemaker is the Custodian of the fruit'

Tasting Notes 

Beautiful purity of limes and ripe gooseberry, with tropical, floral and fine herbal notes, ruby grapefruit and white pear drop on the finish. This is cool climate Sauvignon Blanc – vibrant, mineral, elegant, balanced and delicate, with a long, layered and complex finish.

Producer

At 420m above sea-level, set high above the picturesque Elgin Valley Andrew Gunn founded Iona. It is here overlooking the Atlantic ocean that he has secured some of the coolest vineyards in the Cape.  In a country where cool climate vineyards are like gold dust, these vineyards are veritable nuggets. There is an extremely long growing season, allowing Andrew to create wines with complex flavours and a fresh, elegant style. The approach is hands off and the land is farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices with a particular focus on ensuring the health of the soils whilst pests are kept under control by the resident flock of geese that roam the vineyards.

Production

"We aim for elegance, balance and to express the unique terroir of the Elgin Highlands. Grapes were hand-picked into crates early in the morning to ensure that the grapes stayed cool. Each of the 9 blocks are harvested and vinified separately. After gentle pressing, the must was settled, maintaining a temperature of 6-8°C. Fermentation occurred at 14-16°C, using different commercial yeast strains particularly suited to Sauvignon Blanc. The wine was kept on the gross lees for 5 months and stirred regularly to enhance the richness of the mid-palate. The Sémillon component was fermented naturally in 2nd and 3rd fill 500L French oak barrels to enhance the mid palate weight and to add complexity to the wine. A selection of different Sauvignon Blanc vineyard sites were naturally fermented in 500L French oak barrels. The barrel fermentation component made up 4% of the final blend. 

Accolades & Awards

Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2024 91 Points
Iona's spectacularly sited parcels are some of the highest and most dramatic in Elgin, producing a quintessential cool climate Sauvignon Blanc. Perfumed, salty and stony, this has layers of lime and grapefruit, a touch of vanilla and a briney finish. 2024-27. 91 Points, TA, 2024.

Specifications

From cool, windswept, coastal vineyards which yield naturally balanced grapes giving a wine with pure varietal charters and vibrant acidity.

Tasting Notes

Fresh and zesty with grassy and dry bay leaf aromatics, mineral notes, with hints of richness. This is a restrained Sauvignon Blanc with a palate that has lots of minerality and citrus with lightly herbal notes. The finish is ripe and gently honeyed with crisp green apple fruit and fresh acidity.

Production

False Bay Windswept Sauvignon Blanc stems from vineyards in Stellenbosch, some of which are a mere 3 miles from The Atlantic Ocean. These vineyards allow for low yields, slower ripening, natural acidity and a greater concentration of flavours. If one wants to make sauvignon blanc naturally, these are just the type of grapes required. Made by Waterkloof's talented young Cellarmaster Nadia Barnard. Balanced grapes are hand harvested, then a portion of the juice is fermented spontaneously with wild yeast and the rest is inocculated. The wine spends a minimum of 6 months on lees before bottling. No additions other than sulphur as a preservative. Grown, made and bottled in South Africa. Vegan friendly, sustainably farmed and naturally crafted

Producer

An independent company, owned by Waterkloof founder Paul Boutinot, False Bay Vineyards aims to make 'real' wine affordable. These are sustainable certified wines bottled in South Africa and naturally crafted from mature and often old vineyards that, crucially, are naturally in balance. This means that, unusually at the price, the grapes from these coastal gems can be transformed into wine with wild yeast and an absolute minimum of intervention.

False Bay Vineyards is proud to be a WWF (World Wildlife Fund) Biodiversity Champion and certified by WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association). All of their wines are Vegan friendly.

Alan's Personal Notes

"Fresh and dry with zest citric fruit and an interesting juxtaposition between maritime salinity (proximity of vineyards to the ocean) and mountainous minerality from the granitic souls - both giving great length, complexity and balance. A real snip @£9 a bottle - it delivers a great deal of flavour for little money giving incredible bang for bucks!"

Specifications

Circle of Life celebrates farming in harmony with nature, telling a story of preserving and regenerating biodiversity. This harmonious combination of 3 classic grape varieties captures the essence of Waterkloof's biodynamic viticultural amphitheatre. 94 points, Decanter July 2023.

Tasting notes

A fine and seamless blend of 3 classic white grapes. Sauvignon Blanc aromas are prominent on the nose, with lime and prickly pear notes. A tight mineral core and creamy mid palate from the Chenin Blanc gives complexity and a persistent finish while a small proportion of Semillon adds texture and depth.

Tasting Notes 

This Sauvignon Blanc is made from grapes from the Stellenbosch and Elgin area. The wine has an attractive green tinge in the glass with intense aromas of gooseberry, ripe passion fruit and lime. The mouthfeel is lively with tastes of green melon and lemon with a lingering aftertaste.

Dornier aims to make a wine that is fresh, youthful and abundant. Balance between the fruit, alcohol and acidity is of utmost importance.

History

Dornier is a family owned winery situated in The Golden Triangle area of the upper Blaauwklippen Valley Stellenbosch. The primary focus at Dornier lies in the production of premium quality wines with minimal intervention which are expressive of the unique terroir of The Golden Triangle whilst showcasing the complexity and finesse of the noble grape varieties planted at Dornier. Reverence for tradition is salient at Dornier as is difference where it leads to improvement.

Dornier Wine Estate is located on 3 different farms in the Upper Blaauwklippen Valley namely Groenkloof, Heldemeer and Stellenrust (Homestead) the latter of which includes a historic Sir Herbert Baker designed homestead and one of the first wine cellars ever built in Stellenbosch in the late 1600s.

Dornier proudly boasts an A rating with IPW (Integrity and Sustainability) given its ongoing efforts incorporated and devotion towards sustainable farming practises with integrity. 

Dornier also holds an A Rating with WIETA - a pro-active world-class and sustainable ethical trade programme for the South African wine industry and aligned sectors. given its efforts incorporated and devotion towards facilitating fair working conditions and sustainable ethical trade within the wine industry and its aligned sectors.

Fermentation & Aging

Grapes were harvested between 19° and 23° Balling to ensure fresh acidity and riper flavours in the wine. Fermentation was at 14° Celsius with further time on the lees to add to complexity and texture.

In the Vineyard

Growing conditions during the 2022 season were almost hassle-free. The cold and wet winter season was followed by a cool spring and early summer that led to excellent flavour development in the grapes.

Specifications

Baleia is Portuguese for whale and the striking labels are inspired by St Sebastian Bay, the Whale Nursery of South Africa.

Discover a place of whales and wonder, where wines are born from rocky limestone soil in a remote and unspoilt corner of the Cape South Coast.

Here vines overcome fierce elements to create fruit with singular character and depth of flavour. Beyond evocative wine, Baleia is also about finding harmony between self, others and nature in pursuit of life's perfect equilibrium. 

Tasting Notes 

Pale, greenish gold. Reflecting classic aromas of elderberry flower and green fig on the nose.

Lovely juicy, tropical fruits such as litchi, forrel pear and a hint of sea mist. The lush balanced palate entertains with granadilla, guava and a Prickly pear. 

Winemaking Philosophy

Making Sauvignon Blanc one is often faced with the temptation of making something frivolous, upfront and flirty which results in very upfront wines that lack a sense of place. With Baleia, they have chosen to take the road less travelled by choosing texture and minerality from the site to portray the beauty of the terroir. 

Vineyard Philosophy

Baleia believes that living soils = strong roots = healthy vines = perfectly ripened fruit. They believe that through science and meticulous farming with attention to the details, they can produce grapes that truly reflect the terroir in which they are grown. 

Vintage Notes

The 2022 vintage was characterised by heavy winter rains and a wet Spring which resulted in optimum reserve build-up.  A drier flowering and ripening period ensured for a decent crop size. 

Accolade

• Jancis Robinson 16.5 points

A classic cool climate Sauvignon blanc made from grapes grown at high altitude on incredibly steep NE-facing slopes. These low-yielding, windswept vines are determined to survive and produce fruit of incredible flavour concentration.

Beau Constantia is a boutique wine farm situated at the top of Constantia Nek overlooking False Bay. These lovingly nurtured vines are spoilt with panoramic views of the Stellenbosch and Helderberg Mountain ranges.

Tasting Notes 

A true reflection of a ‘sense of place’, this wine highlights the incredibly close proximity of Beau Constantia to the cold Atlantic Ocean with its profound minerality. The minerality serves to add flesh to the nervy acidity (high-altitude Sauv Blanc vines and cooling winds) and fine tannin structure (from skin contact and lees contact).

Notes of blackcurrant, ripe granadilla and buchu are complimented by the minerality, lively acid profile and tannin structure.

The Vintage by Winemaker Megan van der Merwe

"2022 was challenging, but challenges are what make a vintage unique, and overcoming them is what makes a vintage meaningful."

Winery

Some two decades ago, raging wildfires swept through an area of forest high up on Constantia Nek, leaving the slopes scorched and bare. When the fire had subsided, what was left was a brilliant and unique spot for planting a vineyard; 350 metres above sea level, with cooling ocean breezes and steep sun-bathed hills and so, like a phoenix, Beau Constantia rose from the ashes.

Sensing opportunity, Pierre and Cecily Du Preez acquired the 22-hectare property in 2002. With thorough soil analysis guiding their efforts, the inaugural vineyards were planted in 2003 under the careful guidance of farm manager, Japie Bronn.

The journey to establish vineyards on these challenging slopes demanded patience and unwavering commitment. Today, Beau Constantia proudly boasts 11.47 hectares under vine, a testament to the perseverance and dedication of all involved. Within these vineyards thrive a diverse range of varietals, including Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Shiraz, and Petit Verdot, each meticulously nurtured to capture the unique essence of this extraordinary landscape.

This boutique wine farm with just over 11 hectares under vine has utterly spectacular views over the peninsula. Megan van der Merwe is the Head Winemaker, having taken over from Justin Van Wyk in 2021, after serving as Assistant Winemaker during his successful tenure. Megan believes in 'farming to perfection - just don't stuff it up in the cellar!'. This very talented winemaker is certainly one to watch.

Each of their releases is a tribute to a member of the family.

Accolades & Awards

• Tim Atkins | 93 points

‘’Two pickings across five different parcels are the building blocks of this blend, made from a pairing of Sauvignon Blanc and 7% Semillon. Wild yeasts and some skin contact, as well as a variety of fermentation vessels, add complexity, mixing notes of nettles, elderflower and oyster shell with a dab of cream.’’

Specifications

 Sophie te'Blanche, a nickname given by those including our workers, who can't pronounce Sauvignon Blanc, is the inspiration behind this much loved wine, produced from grapes grown by dedicated farmers in Elgin and the Cape South Coast.

Tasting Notes 

Floral notes with a complex medley of tropical fruits, mingled with subtle lime and gooseberry undertones. The palate is balanced and rich, showing cut green apples with great minerality and texture. 

Producer

At 420m above sea-level, set high above the picturesque Elgin Valley Andrew Gunn founded Iona. It is here overlooking the Atlantic ocean that he has secured some of the coolest vineyards in the Cape.  In a country where cool climate vineyards are like gold dust, these vineyards are veritable nuggets. There is an extremely long growing season, allowing Andrew to create wines with complex flavours and a fresh, elegant style. The approach is hands off and the land is farmed according to organic and biodynamic practices with a particular focus on ensuring the health of the soils whilst pests are kept under control by the resident flock of geese that roam the vineyards.

Production

Grapes were hand harvested at optimal ripeness during the season. Grapes are crushed and pressed immediately. Juice was settled overnight before being inoculated with a variety of selected yeast. After fermentation, wines are racked and spend 4 months on the fine lees before blending and bottling.

Specifications