South African wine is hitting a few sweet spots at the moment. At the £20-plus level, producers in the Cape are making wines that are both interesting and impressive.
These are managing to attract the attention of collectors and wine buffs, who would usually be drawn to Bordeaux and Burgundy, as well as a younger generation of wine explorers – a feat few wine regions achieve. If you want to know where to find them, check out Lay & Wheeler and Swig Wines.
What to look for? South Africa is excelling in so many styles, including chardonnay and pinot noir from cooler regions such as Hemel-en-Aarde and terroir-driven chenin blancs, while regions like Swartland and Stellenbosch are also intensely sought after.
Full Moon White 2019 South Africa (Swig Wines, £24; Lay & Wheeler, £21.88) is an amazing, textured white made from a field blend of 10 varieties (meaning the vines of 10 different varieties are interplanted and the grapes are picked and vinified together).
Lourens Family Wines Howard John 2020 Swartland, South Africa (Swig Wines, £27.50) is a superb and aromatic red that is a blend of grenache, cinsault and syrah – think dried herbs and floral peppercorns with swags of fruit.
The country is also producing excellent wines at more affordable prices. “South Africa is huge at the moment,” says Laithwaites. “Mostly it’s the country’s fresh, crisp whites that are winning our customers’ hearts – terrific news given the pressure on New Zealand sauvignon blanc for the foreseeable future.”
A good crisp white to go for is Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc 2020 South Africa (Tesco, £10).
