As a South African I am so happy you made this video but there are so many better wines we offer that could of been tasted. Warwick the blue lady, Iona Pinot noir and Optima are a few I could recommend
As a South African I felt cheered when I traveled a bit and tasted old world wines and realized how wrong we get winemaking in the Cape, it’s sad that we grow up thinking that’s what wine generally is like.
Unfortunately He tasted the cheapest Nederburg... and nederburg is one of the worlds best wines 2021 and 2022... Maybe need to talk to the winemaker and send off a few top tier bottles! and yes we have plenty of good wines...
Always enjoy your videos. Watching you you go through your deductive process is quite interesting! I am a pinotage fan, I have that Kanonkop and their cape blend too, a couple chenin blancs and some Sauvignon Blanc too. But I have to say I really like the Vin de Constance….has to one of my top favorite sweet wines….
There's a reason Lady may left Bordeaux to retire in South Africa. Our terroir is varied to the point that you can plant almost anything you like. The chocolate block could be so much better, but it's become a bit more of a mass production wine, which unfortunately is the outcome for many wines from South Africa and as the production quantity increases the quality goes down. Same goes for most of the wines he had. We have extremely good wines, but most of what is exported doesn't showcase what can be done down here. As a side note, Pinotage was an experimental accident by a professor with a great love for Pinot Noir but he couldn't grow it in his immediate vacinity. Kanonkop estate that you had is a classic but even Kanonkop makes better on the farm. Loved the video but would love for him to visit the country, there's so much to be explored.
I tasted that Pinotage yesterday, same vintage, same producer... and it was amazing! I'd never tasted any wine from South Africa before and it was an incredible experience. Thanks for your video! Cheers!
Hi Konstantin, nice video! I‘m a hughe fan of SA Wines und I tasted a lot of wines over the last 20 years during my vacations in SA Winelands. My favorites (only a small collection 🤩)are the Syrah Reserve and Ghost Gum from Stony Brook/ Franschhoek, Pinotage Reserve and the Sauvignon Blancs from Diemersdal/Durbanville, the Sauvignon Blancs from Cape Point Vineyards, the 2019 Hussey‘s Vlei Sauvignon Blanc from Buitenverwachting ( my winner SB wine last year), all Cederberg Wines, Ataraxia Chardonnay, Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc Bush Wine, Chenin Blanc from Ken Forrester, most of the wines from Springfield Estate/Robertson, Bouchard Finlayson and of course Hamilton Russel incl. Southern Right, Cabernet Franc from High Constantia and much much much more ……Cheers 🥳
Coming in late here. I only just discovered your channel and am enjoying it greatly. Regrettably, here in Australia, South African wines are hard to come by. I'm a long-time pinot fan and feel fortunate to have begun my journey with Yarra Valley wines. But enduring memories are of tasting at Hamilton Russell. In 1990, a couple of years into my pinot kick, I though the HR was well made but not quite right... probably my inexperience. When I revisited in 2017, it was a revelation. The pinot and chardonnay are astounding, at a minimum the equal of anything made here. Now, occasionally, I can only gaze wistfully at my out-of-date copy of John Platter.
Enjoyed the video and found it very interesting. Having lived in South Africa for nearly 27 years before returning to the UK, I am still a fan of the wines produced there and it is good to see an increase in the range of producers that are now available in the UK compared to a few years ago. Unfortunately apart from one supermarket the quality of South Africa wines available to the general public is really poor and does the wine industry no favours at all. Have to agree about the Chocolate Block which was not my favourite. The area that Hamilton Russell comes from has many great Pinot noir that should be investigated. My favourite producer at this time is Flagstone which I think offers great value.
As a primarily red wine drinker, I have recently been drinking ( in order of preference ) the following SA reds: Babylonstoren - Nebukadnesar 2018 and 2019 vintages - the latter being better; De Toren Fusion V 2017 ( waiting for 2018 which is supposed to be better ), Constantia Glen Five 2016 and Beeslaar Pinotage 2018 - the first three being Bordeaux style blends. I have cellared all of these wines but sampled them before committing to the cellar. VALUE for money with all of these wines, even here in USA where they cost a lot more than locally. I also enjoyed the Antonij Rupert "Optima " - also a blend. Some of these wines are difficult to find in the USA market but worth looking for them.
I'm loving the trip around the world with wines. If you do an Australia video you should include the region close to where I was born, Orange. In the 1980's when it came to wine in central western New South Wales, Mudgee was the undisputed king of wines in the area, but local politicians in Orange wanted a slice of that so they made efforts to enable local wine growers to produce the best wines possible and now we're seeing the results, wines from the Orange region are giving wines from famous regions like the Barrossa, McLaren Vale and Hunter Valley stiff competition and their Chardonnay is finding an audience worldwide and you probably know how in demand Australian Chardonnays are so to stand out in that market you have to be a top quality producer.
Hamilton Russel's chardonnays are always a favorite. As you described, thy bring both higher toned citrusy flavors as well as richer baked good flavors without ever getting flabby, oaky or hot.
This video grabbed my attention because as a wine novice, pinotage is one of my favourites (apparently that's weird)...and turns out the last one was my favourite pinotage! I do like Kanonkop wines, although usually it's the Kadette if I'm honest.
Here are my top 5 South African wines in no particular order: 1. Springfield Estate - Life From Stone (Sauvignon Blanc) 2. Anthonij Rupert - Optima (Bordeaux Blend) 3. Saronsberg - Shiraz 4. Bouchard Finlayson - Galpin Peak (Pinot Noir) 5. Delair Graff - Botmaskop (Bordeaux Blend)
Interesting video you made. The Kanonkop Pinotage is still on my bucket list. The Chocolate Block is hyped all over Vivino since years, but I was also rather disappointed. Will def try the Kloof Street.
Greetings from South Africa, thank you for the video. Will definitely add those that I haven't tried to my list. the 2018 Kanonkop Pinotage is one of the best tasting out there, for me. Some of the other wines that I truly enjoy: Beaumont - Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc 2019 Beaumont - Pinotage 2018 Springfield Estate - Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay Springfield Estate - Méthode Ancienne Cabarnet Sauvignon 2015 Bartho Eksteen - Houtskool Sauvigon Blanc 2018
Oh, yes….. South African wines!! You are not the only one with a weakness for them. I was introduced to them about 3 years ago and fell completely in love with them. Glad you covered these!!!
I found this really cool + entertaining and guessed the grapes along with you -- between us we did really well, haha! Have enjoyed 6 South Africa reds + 6 SA whites myself during September x
Great video! Next time it would be nice if you could reveal all the wines at the same time after you have made a guess on each of them instead of going one by one. It was a bit unfortunate that you could guess the Pinotage because it was the last one left. I will definitely have to try Kanonkop though! Another idea is to have one wine from a different country added into the tasting, so that even though it is unlikely there is always a chance that the wine you are tasting is from a different country than the tastings focus. This would keep you on your toes more! Speaking as a regular viewer a lot of the entertainment in a video like this comes from seeing you challenge yourself and less from you simply showing off your skills, hence why viewers picked South Africa and not a country you were confident in. We know you have the skills, you are a Master of Wine! I can say for sure that there are barely any wine experts on UA-cam who are willing to go out on a limb and risk blind tasting, even though that is what the people want to see. For this reason I appreciate it a lot that you do do this and think that embracing it even more and making the tastings harder would be amazing for your content.
i like a lot the Muratie red wines especially their pinot noir. They all have some complicated names, with the added story of each type they make, which i forgot, but in any case, they are mostly in the 20-40 euro category, and the pinot noir in 20-something euro per bottle is a very good value. Yes, Kanonkop is also making great wines, and easier to find, too.
Thanks Konstantin! Love/hate here too, regarding SA-wines. In the past, I found the reds always to have this 'asphalt/tar'- expression, which really was a turn off (like too much 'petrol' in riesling). I do think the reds have improved, but the biggest improvements, for me, are made with white wines. I really love the sauvignon blancs! For a humble price, lots of fresh fruit is delivered. Up to the 10 Euro per bottle department, I think these are the ones to have.
The premium range from Mullineux is world class. Especially the single vineyard range (Iron, Quartz, Granite) is bucket list stuff (and I don't mean the spitting bucket when tasting wines). The Chocolate Block is the Primitivo of SA
I would love to see a miniseries where you try to master South African wine! Maybe 3-5 tastings with a lot of different wines in it? Would be interesting to see how you educate yourself and how you would go about it.
Super interesting and funky producer. Probably not a wine for everyone but definitely cork-dork territory. Would also recommend Thorne & Daughters, David Sadie (super Chenin producer), Porseleinberg, Chris Alheit.. there are many more 😊
Have not had many South African wines, I have had pinotage from South Africa cannot remember if I liked it or not, I will have to try another one hopefully no baby diaper! Great information!
Yeah, I agree: South Africa is a mixed bag. Many wines are a bit rustic and not that well balanced. Some specimen are very good, though. Same goes for quality price ratio: You can find it in every price category but it is not as abundant as say in Portugal or the South of France or Beaujolais.
Thanx for another great video :-) My experience with South African wine is generally good. Value-for-money is the name of the game (at least in Denmark) - in the cheaper end you get real crowd-pleasers like Silverboom Merlot-Shiraz and Avenhoorn Merlot-Shiraz. They are about 6-7€, so what's not to like? :-P A suggestion for one of your next videos: Could you do an episode on Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)?. I have had some really great Spaẗburgunders, but I am a novice with this type of wine, so some expert advice and recommendations would be really welcome :-)
The Mullineux Old Vines CB is entry level for them. I really like it and think it's good value. Apparently a lot of London somms agree as I've seen it on multiple restaurant lists recently and I often order it. The Hamilton Russell is great too and much cheaper than equivalent quality burg.
Just have to edit myself. I checked and the Kloof St is different from the Old Vines chenin. It was the latter I was praising. I haven't tried the Kloof but Neal Martin gave the 2019 Kloof 90pts and the OV 94pts.
One thing you should note is that many of the wones you were tadting are from 2018, which wasn't a particularly good year for SA wines due to a massive drought in the Western Cape area
Just fell in love with another wine to add to my SA favorites. "The Foal - Chardonnay" by Cavali Wine Farm. They are a Single barrel wines, so not necessarily easy to find, but worth the order.
Pinotage is always difficult as the producers in South Africa haven't decided on what the style of it should be, some have a very simple Beaujolais like character with lots of potassium and banana character while others are aiming for extraction and depth of profile. Similarly Sauvignon can be very deceptive as on the south coast from Elgin or Walker Bay they drink more similar to a NZ Sauvignon, but in Stellenbosch they have an etched minerality more similar to Loire (or Bordeaux depending on the oak treatment). You are correct in that my markers for South Africa are new world fruit but with old world style and minerality.
Good tasting! Hamilton Russell chardonnay is over-oaked early, but needs time in the cellar. Years ago, I gave up on Pinotage because they all tasted like they had been fermented in old tires. Maybe time to re-try.
Just a thought if you're looking for ideas. It's a bit expensive by SA standards, but Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage is incredible if you can get your hands on it.
I have 1 kanonkop pinotage 2014 left, looking forward to drinking that. I think I pretty much have liked everything I have tried from kanonkop, but pinotage and Paul sauer stands out..
Nice video. ...have mostly had good to great SA Pinot Noir with bad experiences with other SA grapes. Stand out = Crystallum. Encore and please do some Austrian/German/Sweiss reds, esp. Blauburgunder! Hehe
Rijk’s 2015 Pinotage was unbelievable. There are few great Pinotage’s in SA despite being the main producer of it. Konstantin, if you’re able to get your hands on some MCC from SA, that would make a great review.
I absolutely agree with the Rijk's Reserve 2015 Pinotage! Something to try from the same area - Tulbagh, is the Saronsberg 2015 Full Circle. Konstantin, great videos. If you can get your hands on some of the Sadie Family wines (Swartland Region) - give them a try, you won't be disappointed.
I've always enjoyed the wines that Peter Barlow makes (made, sadly), from the Rustenberg winery, in Stellenbosch. Their standard Chardonnay is quite okay early on, but I find that softens down after 2 or 3 years, so I always have a half-case on rotation. Similar story with the John X Merriman blend, which Cab Sauv led, but Bordeaux blended. It's not dear, and is particularly enjoyable after a few years in the cupboard!
First time I think that I can answer your question of the week easily. Only had four South African wines so far and three of them were bad to boring. Therefore my favourite is the only good one which was tge Syrah of Glen Carlou (don't ask for the vintage).
There are some amazing wines produced in the Cape Winelands, but it is definitely a mixed bag in terms of what makes it abroad. The best wines typically sell overseas at big markups and the cheapest wines also find themselves overseas as cheap party wine. Nederberg, while commonly available overseas, isn't a very great wine producer (at least to my taste). A lot of the high end stuff that isn't in the top 1% of South Africa's production though stays domestic. Some of my personal favourites are Creation's Viognier, Morgenster's Alessandra MCC & Morgenster's Rouge. Waterford's Kevin Arnold Shiraz and Chenin Blanc are also very good. If you go further inland, you have some amazing fortified wines such as Cape Ruby (I like Villiersdorp Winery's one a lot). There are also some lovely wines produced by Blaauwklippen and Groot Constantia which I highly recommend. If you want to go for the top of our wine production, Meerlust Rubicon is the absolute best wine produced in South Africa, and has featured at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner before.
In the Overberg, South Africa, there are several amazing wineries that can be found. One of which is worth mentioning is Luddite Wines in Bot River. World class shiraz!! Consider reviewing some of this regions wines 🍷 you cannot believe the quality and artistry that comes out of this little valley!
How about a Mexican wine tasting? There are some good wines in Mexico, not famous at all in the world stage but pretty good. I would like to see you talk and taste some of the good Mexican wines.
Favourite South African wines for me are tied between the Hamilton Russel Chardonnay, Anthonij Rupert Cabernet Franc, and the Boekenhootskloof Cabernet Sauvignon. I really love the wines of this country, and it's easily my favourite "new world" wine producing country.
Alvi's Drift is the best value for price. They have a good Viogner, Chenin, Merlot and Shiraz. Fairview sell excellent wine, probably the best Riesling in SA. Niel Joubert's Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec is a have to. Diemersdal's Merlot is also very good. I also really enjoy Anura's Legato it's a fun wine to drink with a very fruity slightly sweet taste.
This is the first time that you tasted a wine that I also had. I had the Chocolate Block twice and I remember it not being very cheap, I was slightly disappointed by it.
Apart from Kanonkop, the wines you tried don’t represent RSA that well in my view. How about trying something from Sadie, Alheit, Porseleinberg, boekenhoutskloof, hartenberg, Hamilton Russel next time! Ps: thank you for exploring South African wine and I really enjoyed the video!
Yes agreed. Most wines were from the entry level SA market and on international shelves. Happy that Kanonkop and HRV was in the tasting, 2 wineries who work very hard to be represented well in the international market. Please also look out for HRV Oregon wines, both a Chardonnay and PN made from Oregon grapes.
As a French person liovng wine and now living in SA, I have been amazed by the quality of the wines here, but a questions remains: why I feel so frequently acidity on the wines here with still a high alcoohol content ? Making red wines sometimes still fresh but white wines often too heavy and acid at the same time
Nice video. Try Newton Johnson (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Hamilton Russell definitely a classic Chardonnay. Jordan Nine Yards chardonnay rivals it for sure as does Lismore reserve chardonnay (my personal favourite)
Very enjoyable. I liked that you were willing to put your neck out somewhat...but I guess you are a master of wine! I must say that I don't gravitate to South African wines. Pinotage is a bit of a mystery to me: I can't get over the smoky intensity. But that my be because I haven't had good quality stuff. Bravo, more :-) Tony
Some of the new wave producers are changing this perception and the new Pinotage are much brighter, fresher and fruitier. Look out for Longridge, Beeslaar, David Sadie Topography series. They are lovely light to medium red wine options and very different than the more traditional and original styles 😊
I would love to see a blind tasting of MCC/Champagne from South Africa, France and England. Two from each country, one not too expensive and one seen as a classic of the country?
I like the format and your descriptions, but I thought this was quite an easy blind tasting, wasn't it? Guessing from the same country without really going into subregions, just leaves the grape varietal, which in South Africa are relatively limited. Anyways nice video, maybe next time a bigger challenge ;-).
Würde mal deine Meinung interssieren zum "Chardonnay Wegelin" und der "Blanc de Noir Obrecht", beide aus dem Graubünden, Schweiz. Es sind Weine, die ich zum pur trinken eher schwierig finde, aber spannend zum analysieren, und besonders als foodpairing sehr spannend sind.
Its so funny that the Chocolate Block here has always been (for god knows what reason) a 'go to' for many South Africans when buying a 'nice' wine. Ironically the Kanonkop Pinotage is literally half the price here and a FAR better wine in my opinion. Some of my personal SA favourites (red wine only) which you should give a try if and when you get a chance, would be the following: Eagles Nest Shiraz, Nico van der Merwe Mas Nicolas, Quoin Rock Red Blend, Kershaw Deconstructed 'Groenland Bokkeveld SH9c Syrah, Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage & TEANO Dalla Cia to name a few. The De Toren Book 17 is also something pretty special if you really want to go big!
You may be referring to the Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage being cheaper than the Chocolate Block. The Estate Kanonkop Pinotage certainly is not. The quality of Chocolate Block has increased in recent years after cellar facilities have been updated and also a new winemaker ( previously at Chamonix) joined the team. New vineyards have also been introduced.
As a South African I am so happy you made this video but there are so many better wines we offer that could of been tasted. Warwick the blue lady, Iona Pinot noir and Optima are a few I could recommend
Warwick and Tall Horse are my favorite...
As a South African I felt cheered when I traveled a bit and tasted old world wines and realized how wrong we get winemaking in the Cape, it’s sad that we grow up thinking that’s what wine generally is like.
@@Craigwdlr after watching this I definitely had that realisation
Warwick is nice but please try kononkop the Cabernet Sauvignon I think it's the best wine I've ever had it retails for about R450-500
Unfortunately He tasted the cheapest Nederburg... and nederburg is one of the worlds best wines 2021 and 2022... Maybe need to talk to the winemaker and send off a few top tier bottles!
and yes we have plenty of good wines...
I will never stop loving South African wine. It's amazing the value you get from them.
Baby diaper, hahahaha that was great! Love it . I know what you mean . I have had this taste before come through
Would love to see Chile in a tasting like this. There's so much more here than what gets tasted un UA-cam usually.
Always enjoy your videos. Watching you you go through your deductive process is quite interesting! I am a pinotage fan, I have that Kanonkop and their cape blend too, a couple chenin blancs and some Sauvignon Blanc too. But I have to say I really like the Vin de Constance….has to one of my top favorite sweet wines….
There's a reason Lady may left Bordeaux to retire in South Africa. Our terroir is varied to the point that you can plant almost anything you like.
The chocolate block could be so much better, but it's become a bit more of a mass production wine, which unfortunately is the outcome for many wines from South Africa and as the production quantity increases the quality goes down.
Same goes for most of the wines he had. We have extremely good wines, but most of what is exported doesn't showcase what can be done down here.
As a side note, Pinotage was an experimental accident by a professor with a great love for Pinot Noir but he couldn't grow it in his immediate vacinity. Kanonkop estate that you had is a classic but even Kanonkop makes better on the farm.
Loved the video but would love for him to visit the country, there's so much to be explored.
Love it when you are honest like "I'm stuck" - great video!
I tasted that Pinotage yesterday, same vintage, same producer... and it was amazing! I'd never tasted any wine from South Africa before and it was an incredible experience. Thanks for your video! Cheers!
Right? The QPR is outstanding.
Love your approach on reviews, keep going sir.
Hi Konstantin, nice video! I‘m a hughe fan of SA Wines und I tasted a lot of wines over the last 20 years during my vacations in SA Winelands. My favorites (only a small collection 🤩)are the Syrah Reserve and Ghost Gum from Stony Brook/ Franschhoek, Pinotage Reserve and the Sauvignon Blancs from Diemersdal/Durbanville, the Sauvignon Blancs from Cape Point Vineyards, the 2019 Hussey‘s Vlei Sauvignon Blanc from Buitenverwachting ( my winner SB wine last year), all Cederberg Wines,
Ataraxia Chardonnay, Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc Bush Wine, Chenin Blanc from Ken Forrester, most of the wines from Springfield Estate/Robertson, Bouchard Finlayson and of course Hamilton Russel incl. Southern Right, Cabernet Franc from High Constantia and much much much more ……Cheers 🥳
Coming in late here. I only just discovered your channel and am enjoying it greatly.
Regrettably, here in Australia, South African wines are hard to come by. I'm a long-time pinot fan and feel fortunate to have begun my journey with Yarra Valley wines. But enduring memories are of tasting at Hamilton Russell. In 1990, a couple of years into my pinot kick, I though the HR was well made but not quite right... probably my inexperience. When I revisited in 2017, it was a revelation. The pinot and chardonnay are astounding, at a minimum the equal of anything made here.
Now, occasionally, I can only gaze wistfully at my out-of-date copy of John Platter.
Thanks so much for giving airtime to the wines of South Africa! Really appreciate you talking about them! Who was your MW mentor?
South Africa is definitely a weak spot on my wine map too. I love those wines from Hamilton Russell.
Enjoyed the video and found it very interesting. Having lived in South Africa for nearly 27 years before returning to the UK, I am still a fan of the wines produced there and it is good to see an increase in the range of producers that are now available in the UK compared to a few years ago. Unfortunately apart from one supermarket the quality of South Africa wines available to the general public is really poor and does the wine industry no favours at all. Have to agree about the Chocolate Block which was not my favourite.
The area that Hamilton Russell comes from has many great Pinot noir that should be investigated. My favourite producer at this time is Flagstone which I think offers great value.
Barista Pinotage. Approximately 10 USD in Russia and I love its flavor
As a primarily red wine drinker, I have recently been drinking ( in order of preference ) the following SA reds: Babylonstoren - Nebukadnesar 2018 and 2019 vintages - the latter being better; De Toren Fusion V 2017 ( waiting for 2018 which is supposed to be better ), Constantia Glen Five 2016 and Beeslaar Pinotage 2018 - the first three being Bordeaux style blends. I have cellared all of these wines but sampled them before committing to the cellar. VALUE for money with all of these wines, even here in USA where they cost a lot more than locally. I also enjoyed the Antonij Rupert "Optima " - also a blend. Some of these wines are difficult to find in the USA market but worth looking for them.
I'm loving the trip around the world with wines.
If you do an Australia video you should include the region close to where I was born, Orange.
In the 1980's when it came to wine in central western New South Wales, Mudgee was the undisputed king of wines in the area, but local politicians in Orange wanted a slice of that so they made efforts to enable local wine growers to produce the best wines possible and now we're seeing the results, wines from the Orange region are giving wines from famous regions like the Barrossa, McLaren Vale and Hunter Valley stiff competition and their Chardonnay is finding an audience worldwide and you probably know how in demand Australian Chardonnays are so to stand out in that market you have to be a top quality producer.
Great video, thank you Konstantin. Please do a Method Cap Classique in 10. South Africa!
Hamilton Russel's chardonnays are always a favorite. As you described, thy bring both higher toned citrusy flavors as well as richer baked good flavors without ever getting flabby, oaky or hot.
This video grabbed my attention because as a wine novice, pinotage is one of my favourites (apparently that's weird)...and turns out the last one was my favourite pinotage! I do like Kanonkop wines, although usually it's the Kadette if I'm honest.
Me too my fave and best wine I've ever had the Cabernet Sauvignon though
Please taste Bulgarian wines. We are really a hidden gem on the European wine map.
Here are my top 5 South African wines in no particular order: 1. Springfield Estate - Life From Stone (Sauvignon Blanc) 2. Anthonij Rupert - Optima (Bordeaux Blend) 3. Saronsberg - Shiraz 4. Bouchard Finlayson - Galpin Peak (Pinot Noir) 5. Delair Graff - Botmaskop (Bordeaux Blend)
Optima is excellent for the price point. Definitely one of my favourites, putting Vin de Constance to one side.
Life from Stone is phenomenal. Their Chardonnay Wild Yeast is also excellent
I'm here watching this in faith, refreshing my memory before the updated South African wine tasting that is to come!
Interesting video you made. The Kanonkop Pinotage is still on my bucket list. The Chocolate Block is hyped all over Vivino since years, but I was also rather disappointed. Will def try the Kloof Street.
Greetings from South Africa, thank you for the video. Will definitely add those that I haven't tried to my list. the 2018 Kanonkop Pinotage is one of the best tasting out there, for me.
Some of the other wines that I truly enjoy:
Beaumont - Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc 2019
Beaumont - Pinotage 2018
Springfield Estate - Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay
Springfield Estate - Méthode Ancienne Cabarnet Sauvignon 2015
Bartho Eksteen - Houtskool Sauvigon Blanc 2018
The KWV Mentor range and specifically the Orchestra is amazing!
Love that you always keep it real.
I appreciate that
most enjoyable. I guessed Hamilton Russell Chardonnay and Kanonkop Pinotage from your descriptions.
Oh, yes….. South African wines!! You are not the only one with a weakness for them. I was introduced to them about 3 years ago and fell completely in love with them. Glad you covered these!!!
You should come and visit. Brilliant food and wine destination.
I found this really cool + entertaining and guessed the grapes along with you -- between us we did really well, haha! Have enjoyed 6 South Africa reds + 6 SA whites myself during September x
Great video! Next time it would be nice if you could reveal all the wines at the same time after you have made a guess on each of them instead of going one by one. It was a bit unfortunate that you could guess the Pinotage because it was the last one left. I will definitely have to try Kanonkop though! Another idea is to have one wine from a different country added into the tasting, so that even though it is unlikely there is always a chance that the wine you are tasting is from a different country than the tastings focus. This would keep you on your toes more!
Speaking as a regular viewer a lot of the entertainment in a video like this comes from seeing you challenge yourself and less from you simply showing off your skills, hence why viewers picked South Africa and not a country you were confident in. We know you have the skills, you are a Master of Wine! I can say for sure that there are barely any wine experts on UA-cam who are willing to go out on a limb and risk blind tasting, even though that is what the people want to see. For this reason I appreciate it a lot that you do do this and think that embracing it even more and making the tastings harder would be amazing for your content.
Konstantin, you really made me laugh! I've discovered the "brett" characteristic of SA wines myself but I was to embarrassed to confess. Great video!
Haven’t had too many South African wines but I really liked Rust en Vrede Estate Red.
Interesting tasting. A region I overlook to often. Thanks!
Love your videos. On this one I miss your ratings and the retail prices. Besides that: best wine channel out there. Congrats!
i like a lot the Muratie red wines especially their pinot noir. They all have some complicated names, with the added story of each type they make, which i forgot, but in any case, they are mostly in the 20-40 euro category, and the pinot noir in 20-something euro per bottle is a very good value.
Yes, Kanonkop is also making great wines, and easier to find, too.
Thanks Konstantin! Love/hate here too, regarding SA-wines. In the past, I found the reds always to have this 'asphalt/tar'- expression, which really was a turn off (like too much 'petrol' in riesling). I do think the reds have improved, but the biggest improvements, for me, are made with white wines. I really love the sauvignon blancs! For a humble price, lots of fresh fruit is delivered. Up to the 10 Euro per bottle department, I think these are the ones to have.
The premium range from Mullineux is world class. Especially the single vineyard range (Iron, Quartz, Granite) is bucket list stuff (and I don't mean the spitting bucket when tasting wines). The Chocolate Block is the Primitivo of SA
What do you think of Rust En Vrede Estate (2015) ?
A bit too overextracted and too full-on for me :)
agree on Mullineux, incredible wines. Pity the kloof street was chosen as its their budget offering and not that wonderful.
please do pinot and chardonnay tasting from the Hemel en aarde valley
Columella, Eben Sadie
Love your videos. Would be keen to see New Zealand next!
The Cathedral Cellar has always been one of my fav. Inexpensive yet yummy. Recent find is Chocolate Block. Like it so much that I bought a case.
It's been a while, but I remember the chardonnay by Klein Constantia and Black Granite shiraz quite fondly.
yet another great video :)
Chenin Blanc are my favorite.. Good honest tasting
I would love to see a miniseries where you try to master South African wine! Maybe 3-5 tastings with a lot of different wines in it? Would be interesting to see how you educate yourself and how you would go about it.
Nice video, great wine selection 💪💪 interesting that you smell all of them first and the contiunue on tasting .. why that?
To make sure my intern did not mix any Tetra Pack wines into the lineup.
Great video!
My favourite wine is Craven Chenin Blanc but I admit I haven’t had nearly enough wines from South Africa
Super interesting and funky producer. Probably not a wine for everyone but definitely cork-dork territory. Would also recommend Thorne & Daughters, David Sadie (super Chenin producer), Porseleinberg, Chris Alheit.. there are many more 😊
THANK YOU, there is so much learning done watching your videos. My favorite ZA wine is the Anthonij Rupert Merlot. Not that I have tasted that many.
1 - Crystallum - Cuvée Cinema Pinot Noir,
2 - Kanonkop - Paul Sauer,
3 - De Toren - Fusion V.
would love to see israei wine next 👍
Ataraxia Chardonnay is one of my favorites
Excellent. Well done! Hope you taste some more examples.
Have not had many South African wines, I have had pinotage from South Africa cannot remember if I liked it or not, I will have to try another one hopefully no baby diaper! Great information!
Yeah, I agree: South Africa is a mixed bag. Many wines are a bit rustic and not that well balanced. Some specimen are very good, though. Same goes for quality price ratio: You can find it in every price category but it is not as abundant as say in Portugal or the South of France or Beaujolais.
Thanx for another great video :-)
My experience with South African wine is generally good. Value-for-money is the name of the game (at least in Denmark) - in the cheaper end you get real crowd-pleasers like Silverboom Merlot-Shiraz and Avenhoorn Merlot-Shiraz. They are about 6-7€, so what's not to like? :-P
A suggestion for one of your next videos: Could you do an episode on Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)?. I have had some really great Spaẗburgunders, but I am a novice with this type of wine, so some expert advice and recommendations would be really welcome :-)
The Mullineux Old Vines CB is entry level for them. I really like it and think it's good value. Apparently a lot of London somms agree as I've seen it on multiple restaurant lists recently and I often order it. The Hamilton Russell is great too and much cheaper than equivalent quality burg.
Just have to edit myself. I checked and the Kloof St is different from the Old Vines chenin. It was the latter I was praising. I haven't tried the Kloof but Neal Martin gave the 2019 Kloof 90pts and the OV 94pts.
One thing you should note is that many of the wones you were tadting are from 2018, which wasn't a particularly good year for SA wines due to a massive drought in the Western Cape area
Good point!
Wildekrans pinotage Barrel select is the best pinotage i ever hat. About 24-32 Euro. Und natürlich danke für das tolle Video
My most favorites are, Alheit Vineyards "Cartology", and Bosmans Family wines "Adama"
Just fell in love with another wine to add to my SA favorites. "The Foal - Chardonnay" by Cavali Wine Farm. They are a Single barrel wines, so not necessarily easy to find, but worth the order.
My I suggest a Meerlust Rubicon or one of our noble late harvests, 2015 Edelgoud by Longridge is a particularly good one👌
We have a simple Meerlust red blend and classic bordeax blend Rubicon from Stellenbosch that are very popular.
Pinotage is always difficult as the producers in South Africa haven't decided on what the style of it should be, some have a very simple Beaujolais like character with lots of potassium and banana character while others are aiming for extraction and depth of profile. Similarly Sauvignon can be very deceptive as on the south coast from Elgin or Walker Bay they drink more similar to a NZ Sauvignon, but in Stellenbosch they have an etched minerality more similar to Loire (or Bordeaux depending on the oak treatment). You are correct in that my markers for South Africa are new world fruit but with old world style and minerality.
Thanks for this video. One off topic question. What glasses that you used? They look like Riedel but I don't know the exact model.
They are. I started putting the glass model in the description under the video.
Oh, sorry. I missed the description. Champagne glass? Is the bowl large enough for red?
Good tasting! Hamilton Russell chardonnay is over-oaked early, but needs time in the cellar. Years ago, I gave up on Pinotage because they all tasted like they had been fermented in old tires. Maybe time to re-try.
Just a thought if you're looking for ideas. It's a bit expensive by SA standards, but Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage is incredible if you can get your hands on it.
Largely agree - there are great ones in between though. But only know a handful of producers who do the grape well. But it is possible…
I have 1 kanonkop pinotage 2014 left, looking forward to drinking that. I think I pretty much have liked everything I have tried from kanonkop, but pinotage and Paul sauer stands out..
Nice video. ...have mostly had good to great SA Pinot Noir with bad experiences with other SA grapes. Stand out = Crystallum. Encore and please do some Austrian/German/Sweiss reds, esp. Blauburgunder! Hehe
Thanks for sharing!
I would love to see you try some Australian wines!
Rijk’s 2015 Pinotage was unbelievable. There are few great Pinotage’s in SA despite being the main producer of it. Konstantin, if you’re able to get your hands on some MCC from SA, that would make a great review.
I absolutely agree with the Rijk's Reserve 2015 Pinotage! Something to try from the same area - Tulbagh, is the Saronsberg 2015 Full Circle. Konstantin, great videos. If you can get your hands on some of the Sadie Family wines (Swartland Region) - give them a try, you won't be disappointed.
My pic.. amadoda 3 red blend from klein constantia.. Great Review!
Thanks for sharing!
Greetings from SA. Try Seriously old Dirt from Vilafonte.
I've always enjoyed the wines that Peter Barlow makes (made, sadly), from the Rustenberg winery, in Stellenbosch. Their standard Chardonnay is quite okay early on, but I find that softens down after 2 or 3 years, so I always have a half-case on rotation. Similar story with the John X Merriman blend, which Cab Sauv led, but Bordeaux blended. It's not dear, and is particularly enjoyable after a few years in the cupboard!
Fantastic wines you found. South African wines increase a lot in quality in paste 5/7 years!!
First time I think that I can answer your question of the week easily. Only had four South African wines so far and three of them were bad to boring. Therefore my favourite is the only good one which was tge Syrah of Glen Carlou (don't ask for the vintage).
There are some amazing wines produced in the Cape Winelands, but it is definitely a mixed bag in terms of what makes it abroad. The best wines typically sell overseas at big markups and the cheapest wines also find themselves overseas as cheap party wine. Nederberg, while commonly available overseas, isn't a very great wine producer (at least to my taste). A lot of the high end stuff that isn't in the top 1% of South Africa's production though stays domestic.
Some of my personal favourites are Creation's Viognier, Morgenster's Alessandra MCC & Morgenster's Rouge. Waterford's Kevin Arnold Shiraz and Chenin Blanc are also very good. If you go further inland, you have some amazing fortified wines such as Cape Ruby (I like Villiersdorp Winery's one a lot). There are also some lovely wines produced by Blaauwklippen and Groot Constantia which I highly recommend.
If you want to go for the top of our wine production, Meerlust Rubicon is the absolute best wine produced in South Africa, and has featured at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner before.
The 2020 chocolate block is amazing, tasted 2019 and 2020 side by side and 2020 crushed it
I remember reading that oaked pinotage gave off a mild coffee aroma/flavour if that helps.
In the Overberg, South Africa, there are several amazing wineries that can be found. One of which is worth mentioning is Luddite Wines in Bot River. World class shiraz!! Consider reviewing some of this regions wines 🍷 you cannot believe the quality and artistry that comes out of this little valley!
How about a Mexican wine tasting? There are some good wines in Mexico, not famous at all in the world stage but pretty good. I would like to see you talk and taste some of the good Mexican wines.
Favourite South African wines for me are tied between the Hamilton Russel Chardonnay, Anthonij Rupert Cabernet Franc, and the Boekenhootskloof Cabernet Sauvignon. I really love the wines of this country, and it's easily my favourite "new world" wine producing country.
Alvi's Drift is the best value for price. They have a good Viogner, Chenin, Merlot and Shiraz.
Fairview sell excellent wine, probably the best Riesling in SA.
Niel Joubert's Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec is a have to.
Diemersdal's Merlot is also very good.
I also really enjoy Anura's Legato it's a fun wine to drink with a very fruity slightly sweet taste.
I loved the 2008 Spier, Frans K Smit red blend. It is a pitty I only bought 2 bottles and both are finished.
This is the first time that you tasted a wine that I also had. I had the Chocolate Block twice and I remember it not being very cheap, I was slightly disappointed by it.
They used to make pretty good wines before they became commercial. Now they are the sort og winery that has vinyards near the Winery for show.
Apart from Kanonkop, the wines you tried don’t represent RSA that well in my view.
How about trying something from Sadie, Alheit, Porseleinberg, boekenhoutskloof, hartenberg, Hamilton Russel next time!
Ps: thank you for exploring South African wine and I really enjoyed the video!
Yes agreed. Most wines were from the entry level SA market and on international shelves. Happy that Kanonkop and HRV was in the tasting, 2 wineries who work very hard to be represented well in the international market. Please also look out for HRV Oregon wines, both a Chardonnay and PN made from Oregon grapes.
Texas Hill Country is an up and coming wine scene. Would you do a review some of the offerings from those wineries in this region?
Please try a diemersdaal wine. They are fantastic. Always good on a table.
Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc/sauvignon/chardonnay/Viognier is really good paired with salty licorice or star anise.
As a French person liovng wine and now living in SA, I have been amazed by the quality of the wines here, but a questions remains: why I feel so frequently acidity on the wines here with still a high alcoohol content ? Making red wines sometimes still fresh but white wines often too heavy and acid at the same time
Nice video. Try Newton Johnson (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Hamilton Russell definitely a classic Chardonnay. Jordan Nine Yards chardonnay rivals it for sure as does Lismore reserve chardonnay (my personal favourite)
Hamilton Russell, aka the Mercedes vineyard. Fits too well!
The 2015 Chocolate Block was amazing! I wish I had bought more 😪
👍👍. Subbed, nice job!
Very enjoyable. I liked that you were willing to put your neck out somewhat...but I guess you are a master of wine! I must say that I don't gravitate to South African wines. Pinotage is a bit of a mystery to me: I can't get over the smoky intensity. But that my be because I haven't had good quality stuff.
Bravo, more :-)
Tony
Some of the new wave producers are changing this perception and the new Pinotage are much brighter, fresher and fruitier. Look out for Longridge, Beeslaar, David Sadie Topography series. They are lovely light to medium red wine options and very different than the more traditional and original styles 😊
I would love to see a blind tasting of MCC/Champagne from South Africa, France and England. Two from each country, one not too expensive and one seen as a classic of the country?
I like the format and your descriptions, but I thought this was quite an easy blind tasting, wasn't it? Guessing from the same country without really going into subregions, just leaves the grape varietal, which in South Africa are relatively limited. Anyways nice video, maybe next time a bigger challenge ;-).
Würde mal deine Meinung interssieren zum "Chardonnay Wegelin" und der "Blanc de Noir Obrecht", beide aus dem Graubünden, Schweiz. Es sind Weine, die ich zum pur trinken eher schwierig finde, aber spannend zum analysieren, und besonders als foodpairing sehr spannend sind.
What do you do with all the bottles after taking just a couple sips?
Its so funny that the Chocolate Block here has always been (for god knows what reason) a 'go to' for many South Africans when buying a 'nice' wine. Ironically the Kanonkop Pinotage is literally half the price here and a FAR better wine in my opinion. Some of my personal SA favourites (red wine only) which you should give a try if and when you get a chance, would be the following: Eagles Nest Shiraz, Nico van der Merwe Mas Nicolas, Quoin Rock Red Blend, Kershaw Deconstructed 'Groenland Bokkeveld SH9c Syrah, Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage & TEANO Dalla Cia to name a few. The De Toren Book 17 is also something pretty special if you really want to go big!
You may be referring to the Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage being cheaper than the Chocolate Block. The Estate Kanonkop Pinotage certainly is not. The quality of Chocolate Block has increased in recent years after cellar facilities have been updated and also a new winemaker ( previously at Chamonix) joined the team. New vineyards have also been introduced.
Interesting video. I just wonder why you know what wet wool (processed or still attatched to the sheep/llama) and baby diaper taste like 🤔
Not taste like but smells like.
Can you do a video on the wines from Georgia (is it really the oldest wine country)? I am also really interested in the wines from Croatia