Winemaker Notes
The warmer vintage conditions have imparted a subtly more fruit-forward character to the wine compared to the 2021 vintage. It exhibits notes of blackcurrant leaf, pineapple, pear, and grapefruit, complemented by nuanced wood spice. The palate is intricately woven, showcasing distinctive salinity, texture, and impressive length. This is a wine poised to evolve and reward over the next decade.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Grapefruit, wild herbs, snow peas and lemon rind on the nose. Creamy yet bright and crunchy, with a medium body and fantastic flavor concentration. Pure, perfectly ripe and fresh. Sauvignon blanc and semillon. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Composed of a blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon, the 2022 Proprietary White displays oak notes with fresh citrus that drive the wine's nose of wax melon and dusty lemon blossom essences. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a delightful and complex mouthfeel with flavors of lemon meringue and pastry cream flavors with a kiss of oak before gliding to a delightfully long finish. Just under 10,000 bottles were produced after the wine spent 10 months in barrels.
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Wine Spectator
Aromatic notes of flint, baking spices and quinine are enmeshed with a lushly textured range of lemon curd, baked melon and Marcona almond flavors. Well-honed acidity provides fine definition, and a streak of salinity drives the finish. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Drink now through 2030. 790 cases made, 55 cases imported.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.