Wine Tastings
Botanica Pinot Noir, Botanica Wines
Botanica Wines was founded in 2009 by owner and self-taught winemaker Ginny Povall, an intrepid American who fell in love with the beautiful Cape winelands She purchased Protea Heights Farm in Stellenbosch’s Devon Valley and relocated to the southern tip of Africa. Established in the late 1940s, Protea Heights was the first farm in South Africa to cultivate indigenous protea flowers commercially. Inspired by this horticultural history, it was only natural that Ginny would choose to develop her wine brands and labels with a botanical flair. It was a real joy when Ginny visited us last year, to share her wines with us and our customers at the shop; her warmth and humour really come through in her winemaking, giving them real personality. This small production Pinot Noir is considered one of South Africa’s best; lovely perfume and that perfect balance between fruitiness and elegance.
Chenin Blanc, Botanica
This is one of South Africa’s best white wines! Awarded the maximum 5 stars in the influential Platter Guide for seven vintages. The dry-farmed grapes for this wine come from a vineyard in the Citrusdal Mountain region. It is fermented and aged partially in old oak barrels and has the perfect balance between richness and freshness that only great Chenin Blanc seems to achieve. Amazingly complex and will continue to develop for many years to come. Outstanding.
Southend Chardonnay, Newton Johnson
This family farm was founded in the mid-1990s by Cape Wine Master, Dave Johnson and his wife, Felicity (Née Newton) and within the past twenty years has built a reputation for producing some of the Cape’s best Pinot Noir. Dave’s CWM thesis was on the variety. Right from the outset, Dave and Felicity’s offspring were involved and today it is very much Gordon, partnered by his wife, Nadia, who are responsible for the winemaking, with brother Bevan looking after the commercial side.Southend is a single vineyard that is owned and farmed by Newton Johnson's neighbours, the Pringle
family. It is a notably cooler slope, a stone’s throw across the river from NJ, with less sunshine
and consequently slower ripening. It produces wines with sparkling clarity, high-toned fruit
flavours, compact structure, and vibrant acidity. They preserve these features by fermenting in
larger format casks that often ferment slowly in to the winter.The oak is barely noticeable here, the wine is just fresh and juicy; such an elegant style of Chardonnay by one of the New World's best Chardonnay producers. If you know people who are adamant that they do not like Chardonnay, get them to taste this!
A great all-rounder, suiting simple fish and shellfish dishes as well as salads and grilled vegetables.
Albarino, Newton Johnson
Newton Johnson are famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but this new addition to their range has won them huge plaudits. The Spanish grape Albarino, is taking off all around the World as more and more people fall in love with it. Less intense than Sauvignon but still crisp and fresh, this is a variety you need to try.
This version is very well-made (as you would expect from Gordon Newton Johnson), perhaps slightly fleshier and juicier than it's Spanish relatives, but still elegant and food-friendly. Delicious.
Perfect with shellfish, BBQ prawns, lobster mayonnaise, grilled fish with olive oil.
Quando Sauvignon Blanc
Fanus and Martin Bruwer are 6th generation farmers in Robertson working 190 hectares on the banks of the Breede River, growing artichokes and citrus alongside 8 hectares of organic Sauvignon Blanc on ancient riverbed soils. The grapes are harvested by hand over four successive pickings at different levels of ripeness in order to build in complexity. The result is a dry, mineral Sauvignon, more ‘old world’ than new, but with a spectrum of both tropical and herbal flavours. Still literally made in a garage on the farm using olive oil grade plastic tanks and an old wooden wine press, it shows what a little ingenuity can achieve. Very different to the mass-produced, UK bottled Sauvignon’s that line the supermarket shelves.
