"One of South Africa’s great wines" - The Wine Anorak

Jancis Robinson: "Perfumed and peppery on the nose. Aniseed too. Wonderful swooping freshness in the mouth, spicy length, damask tannin. Liquorice and sweet dark berries, with a serious savoury loveliness on the finish. Real grace. Still very tightly laced up. This is only the second vintage of this red blend. 13.5%. Drink 2011-18" 17.5++/20 points

Wine Spectator: "A broad, mouthfilling style, featuring a juicy core of fig, blackberry and melted liquorice notes, backed by fresh acidity and a bright floral hint. White pepper and sanguine notes chime in on the polished, lengthy finish. Shows excellent range; should flesh out with cellaring. Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Cinsault and Grenache. Drink now through 2012" 91 points

John Platter: "Disarmingly fruity; lavender, bowls of sun-ripe plums & a smoky vanilla undertone presented with a lovely light, cheerful touch. Year older 500L cask, finished in 4000L foudres" **** 4 Stars

The Wine Anorak: "His 2007 Badenhorst Family red is one of South Africa’s great wines: complex, pure and balanced."

N.B The Badenhorst Family Red is one of only 3 South African red wines on the wine list at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and is also served at The Ledbury (The Restaurant Magazine’s ’Restaurant of the Year’)!

"Wild and windblown and intriguing" - Jancis Robinson

Jancis Robinson: "Pears and a touch of oak on the nose, honey and thyme. Something wild and windblown and intriguing about this unusual white blend. It tastes of wild honey and aromatic herbs and dried grasses, with a touch of white pepper, soft citrus and pear. Beautifully textured - creamy - with real intensity and finely woven. 14.5%. Drink 2010-15" 17.5/20 points

Wine Spectator: "Broad and ripe, offering gorgeous flavours of white peach, quince and melon that stay well-defined, with floral, blanched almond and green fig notes adding further length and dimension on the finish. Drink now through 2011." 92 points

John Platter: "Elegant power, subtle weight and texture, nothing gauche. Open fermentation & only seasoned oak allows endless chalky, tarragon-scented features centre stage" **** 4.5 Stars

Hamish Anderson (Head Sommelier at The Tate Britain): "There is an argument that in times of diet and detox we should drink less, but better. The trouble comes when you open the bottle and find it hard to have only one glass. This blend of varieties has weight, spice and dried herbs, but above all it is a wine of texture and interest that demands your attention."

Best yet

The aromas are perfumed, peppery, spicey, smokey & exhibit ripe red fruit notes. Supple, smooth on entry but with enough grip to end dry and refreshing . In the mouth the texture & fineness of fruit tannin and drinkability of the wine is immediately evident.

4 STARS IN CUISINE MAGAZINE 2013 

Specifications: Alcohol: 14.5%

Residual Sugar: 14.5 g/L

pH: 3.67

Titratable Acidity: 3.6 g/L

Viticulture:

Climate: The early ripening season was cooler than average, resulting in a late flowering. However, warm dry conditions over budburst and later in the season lead to balanced yields, clean fruit and excellent flavours.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Deep straw 

Nose: Spice, orange peel, Turkish delight and lychee.

Palate A full-bodied, opulent wine with a characteristic rich, oily texture. Lychee, spice and Turkish delight flavours coat the palate and persist on the soft finish.

Cellaring: Will reward a further 4-5 years cellaring.

Serve: Lightly chilled

Suggested Foods: An ideal accompaniment to Oriental cuisine, such as Thai or Chinese dishes. Also try with foie gras, smoked fish or mild blue cheeses.

Of bright crimson and ruby colour, this wine offers subtle and perfumed aromas of cherry and lavender. On the palate, an exquisitely balanced, soft and silky texture belies a wine with deceiving yet tremendous depth. Structured, yet deliciously smooth, the senses are treated to flavours reminiscent of black berries, loganberries, and wild plum.  

The concept of Hannibal stands by its original design synergy between French and Italian grapes.  In the case of vintage 2006 there are five varieties involved in the blend with sangiovese (34 %) once again playing the pivotal role.  Petite syrah (31 %) now takes up second position while pinot noir constitutes 20 % of the mix.  The balance is made up of nebbiolo at 13 % and mourvedre at 2 %.

An austere vintage with a defined and concentrated age-able character. Excellent structure from small barrel ageing showing nervous fruit with a great bouquet.  It is long and harmonious - mature for 2 - 8 years.

Top-rated pinot noir from the Heaven and Earth Valley of South Africa

Elegant chardonnay

To build on these ideal conditions I have taken advantage of this opportunity to make a special blend by utilizing the best barrels in the cellar for a smaller unique bottling!  These limited release bottlings are called Tête de Cuvée. In this instance 15 barrels were used.

Vintage 2006 has followed admirably after the successful 2005. Excellent quality grapes picked over a ten day period. Great natural acidities and rewarding grape sugars brought a smile to the team.

Deftly balanced, rich, dark-coloured with rich plum and pretty floral, fruity aromatics. Luscious tannins which call one back into the glass - very appealing on the polished after taste!

Pinot noir is the most food flexible varietal.  Its richness comes from a multitude of layers of flavour. Enjoy with fish, poultry, game and red meat dishes!

Tasting Notes

The Big Easy is rich and emphatic in 2011 and yet, as the name suggests, still holds an amazingly easy silkiness on the palate. The dominant Shiraz offers complex notes of rosemary and cured meat whilst the Cabernet Sauvignon adds a beguiling structure and sweet cherry fruit core. A playful tempo is created by dashes of Grenache, Viognier, Mourvèdre and Cinsault giving a fynbos and spicy edge along with a fragrant, almost honeycomb-like finish.

Tasting Note

The second release of this very popular wine once again leaps from the glass with an extreme tropical vibrancy. A mélange of strawberry and pineapple flavours are all wound up by a limey-streak on the nose. Following through to a light but deft palate, the intense fruit strikes a perfect balance with creamy softness, and chalky minerality. Long and racy, the Big Easy Chenin Blanc is a fun yet engaging wine that is to be enjoyed now, with or without food.Blend Information: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasting Notes

The 2011 Merlot is a tempered, finely tuned beauty that shows great balance between seriousness and drinkability. Baked plums, smoked beef and chocolate on the nose lead to a juicy black currant strewn palate. A hint of soy sauce adds savouriness and complexity to the powerful, plush fruity core. The tannins have grip but yet are finely etched into a medium body, leading to a long fruity finish.

Ageing Potential

Sumptuous now, it will become even silkier with a few years aging.

With a deep black core and bright ruby rim, the Ernie Els Signature 2007 is slightly more light-footed and open than the brooding 2006, but by no means evades its suave personality. The large Cabernet Sauvignon component dominates with rich blackcurrants, whilst the four other Bordeaux varieties contribute with exotic hints of mint, pencil shavings, dark olive and rosemary. Full bodied and punchy, the lushes tannic grip is reigned in by a tightly wound finish that seems endless.

Tasting Notes

From one of the greatest vintages in memory, the 2009 Signature is even more emphatic than before, sure to make a statement everywhere. The enthralling nose is deeply rich with a myriad of black currant, coffee and smoked meat notes. Of the 5 Bordeaux varieties, the Cabernet Franc adds lead pencil and mineral notes, with a hint of spicy oak sure to integrate with age. The palate is full-bodied and decadent, reminding one of a Belgian chocolate fondant with blackberry coulee. Etched, weighty tannins finally coat suave, lush and pure fruit complexity. Exquisitely balanced and long.

A blend of the famous Bordeaux varieties cabernet sauvignon which is planted on well drained gravely soils good for close knit tannins merlot planted on alluvial clay based soils, giving the wine its richness and petit verdot grown in quartz based soils contributing to the deep colour. 

The wine is matured in French barriques for up to 24 months and then bottle aged in our cellars for a further 12 months before release.   

Produced in limited quantities with the cool climate resulting in a wine that is more Bordeaux in style, with alcohols in the region of 13%, supported by beautifully balanced acids and red fruits (cherry, strawberry and ripe plums).

Beautifully fragrant grapey flavours fill the glass overlayed with honeysuckle notes; unctious and full sweet luscious muscat and sultana flavours; sweetness well balanced with livelyacidity for a harmonious finish; delicious fortified dessert wine to enjoy chilled with apple and almond tart or fresh fruit platter.

Tasting notes

Dark purple deepening to the centre with pure pinotage flavours bursting from the glass; layers of ripe mulberry, strawberry & plum pudding lifted by juicy balancing acidity; toasty oak vanillin and spice adds interest without overwhelming the unique grape character; deftly crafted with firm structure and balance to mature for 5-6 years.

Full bodied, deep ruby red colour. Attractive black current and mocha flavours with a complex palate with good acidity. A serious food wine.

Description: A full bodied wine with ripe, sweet banana and berry flavours. This wine shows remarkable complexity with soft grape tannins and a long dry finish. Classic in style

Food Suggestion: Meat, pasta and spicy dishes

Winemaker: Abrie Beeslaar

Varieties: Pinotage 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 25%, Merlot 15% and Cabernet Franc 10%

Origin: Simonsberg Stellenbosch

Maturation: Matured in 2nd and 3rd fill French Nevers 225 lit. oak barrels.

Full bodied, deep ruby red colour. A combination of the varietals gives you more than the sum of the parts. Very complex bouquet with black current, red berry, mocha and spicy flavours.

Full bodied wine with a dark purple colour. Intense fruit flavours with soft ripe tannins give this wine maturation potential of up to 15-20 years.

Golden hued and full bodied, with melon and spicy baked apple aromas. Layered, with mineral notes enhanced by honeycomb and caramel flavours from lees contact. This wine is a great example of the harmonious balance which can be achieved between fruit and delicate oak/vanilla flavours, as they combine to form complex, soft flavours with sufficient body to enhance even spicy and full flavoured meals.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon shows vibrant notes of sweet red fruit and blackcurrant while underlying sandalwood and vanilla come through on the nose. The nose is further complimented by a very similar red fruit and cassis palate with silky smooth tannins and develops into a rich, gripping tannin on the finish. The wine is still showing some very youthful characters but with some time it will develop into a great example of the classic Klein Constantia style.

This is a classic example of Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose offers aromas of cassis with subtle earthy, mineral undertones. The palate is still very tightly wound and will take several years to open fully, its ripe, compact tannin structure ensuring many years of cellaring potential.

Appearance: Deep purple, vibrant and youthful

Nose: Spice and dark fruit dominate the nose with hints of liquorice

Palate: Plums and spice on entry, concentrated fruit sweetness with cloves and cinnamon. Great balance of fruit and tannin lead to a long dry finish

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