Can South African Wines Live Up to Their World-Class Potential? 2022 Annual Report

Standing on the highest vineyard site of Klein Constantia, you can see the continuity of South Africa’s varied terroir with clarity. The Cape Town winery produces the country’s best sweet wine and dry sauvignon blanc, with the intense maritime influence from the ocean only four kilometers away in one direction and seven kilometers in the other. An hour’s drive away is Stellenbosch, where Bordeaux varieties and chardonnay grow in a unique microclimate created by the cooling proximity to the sea and the surrounding mountain peaks. Another hour’s drive is the heart of Swartland, where some of the country’s oldest syrah and chenin blanc vineyards still stand strong in the warm, dry climate.

The compressed scale of diversity in South African wine reminded me of the many conversations I had with winemakers during our trip who echoed the opportunity the country has for greater quality wines at an even larger scale – which is why we rated more than 800 wines during our trip for our largest ever South Africa report.

Many of you already know the history of the country’s wine industry and how bulk wine had become almost synonymous for South Africa as a whole, but our tastings over the last few years have shown that world-class wines are more than possible, with the number of high-quality wines growing each year.

Mike Ratcliffe, the owner of Vilafonte Wines in Stellenbosch, in South Africa’s Western Cape province, is one of the leaders in the country’s effort to make wines that are internationally competitive both in terms of quality and price, with greater focus on specialization. Ratcliffe admitted, though, that South Africa’s greatest wines are made “in quantities that aren’t big enough.”

“We need to get better at either raising prices or getting more high-quality wines in higher quantity,” he said. “It is a challenge, not a weakness.”

Vilafonte is one of the highest-regarded producers in Stellenbosch, making his flagship wines “C” and “M,” which are cabernet sauvignon and merlot/malbec blends, respectively. They are fresh and focused wines with fine tannin structure that showcase the power and finesse that Stellenbosch is capable of. Ratcliffe is on the board of a number of wine associations in Stellenbosch and acts as a spokesperson for the region and for South Africa as a whole. He's the kind of guy who says “hello” half a dozen times walking down Stellenbosch’s streets because he knows shop owners, restaurant workers and customers alike.

“Stellenbosch is the most established region with the best-established brand,” he said. “We take that leadership quite seriously” and try to extend it to other regions to uplift the country’s wine producers as a whole.

READ MORE SOUTH AFRICA’S WINE SOUL: CHENIN AND CHARDONNAY LEAD A VARIETAL EVOLUTION

To that end, Ratcliffe wants Stellenbosch to lead the charge in terms of what he called “premiumization” –  wines made to a higher standard and priced accordingly. The goal is not only to make top-tier wines that can compete with the great wines of the world but also to uplift the perception of what South African wines can be.

Many other producers agree and are, in their own ways, following suit. “It’s a coming of age” said winemaker Christo le Riche of Le Riche Wines, another Stellenbosch producer. “There has been a shift in quality of wines since the 2000s because South Africans have been able to travel and get knowledge and inspiration.”

Le Riche speaks from personal experience, having traveled the world and worked with the likes of Andy Erickson at Screaming Eagle in Napa Valley years ago, bringing his experiences back to his family winery in Stellenbosch.

While Stellenbosch has a reputation for its Bordeaux-inspired wines, we have been reporting for some time now on the quality of the region’s chardonnay. Our two highest-rated chardonnays from South Africa are both from Stellenbosch: Leeu Passant’s Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2020 and Uva Mira’s Single Tree Chardonnay 2018.

Although 2020 and 2018 are very different vintages, with 2020 having good rain but some warmer evenings and 2018 being the hottest and driest vintage for over 20 years, both wines showed elegance and grace despite natural richness of fruit and texture.

Both the Uva Mira and Leeu Passant chardonnays come from high-altitude sites along the Helderberg Mountain Range.  Chris Mullineux of Leeu Passant who also is one of the owners of Mullineux winery (his wife, Andrea, is the winemaker) said their goal in making chardonnay was “to push it to the extreme,” which is why they chose to work in the more trying conditions at elevation. Yet those extreme conditions have paid off in the wine, which is complex and showcases lovely balance between fresh, driving fruit and savory, nutty character.

Uva Mira’s oenologist and general manager, Christiaan Coetzee, said that growing at altitude is the key to higher quality. “You get a lot silkier tannins with our altitude. Mineral too,” he said. “Wines with elegance and longevity. Not powerful wines but they have punch.”

Uva Mira’s 2018 Single Tree Chardonnay is dense and elegant with wonderful weight and phenolic texture. It showcases the potential that chardonnay has in Stellenbosch when the correct site is treated with respect to its terroir and inherent character.

While Stellenbosch may be South Africa’ most recognizable name, Swartland is a region we have been keeping a close eye on the last few years, and this year is an excellent example of why – the largest portion of the wines we rated 95 points or higher come from Swartland. Syrah and chenin blanc lead the charge in terms of quality, with the best examples showcasing the unique character of the region.

Driving through Swartland, you could be confused as to where all the vines are because the valley floor is almost entirely covered in wheat fields; the vineyards are planted on the elevated ranges of nearby mountains and hills. The soils vary from mostly decomposed granite and schist to pockets of iron and quartz.

While there is variation of character throughout the region, producers often spoke of tannin quality as the region’s calling card. “The essence of Swartland is tannins,” Mullineux said. “Our tannins are firm but never rough. We have an almost chalky, slightly velvety style of tannins.”

This rings true for us, with many of the region’s best examples driven by tannins. A prime example is Porseleinberg, which is a one-wine label from the Boekenhoutskloof group that comes from a special site on a small hill in the middle of Swartland.

Porseleinberg winemaker Callie Louw went even further into the deconstruction of Swartland tannins, explaining, “On the schist, peppercorn isn’t as pronounced as granite. Schist is more savory. It’s a lot more about texture and tannin. They’re drying and a bit more puckering than other soils.”

We tasted the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020 vintages of Porseleinberg and we can tell the difference. The wines are very tannin-driven, with red and blue fruit at the core. Louw implements an extremely low-intervention approach in his winemaking. As he put it, “I try to farm as hard as possible and then walk away.”

Since 2018, Louw has fermented with 100 percent whole-bunch grapes in concrete with a submerged cap. The juice is then matured in concrete eggs or foudre until bottling. The change to the submerged cap has made his tannins juicier and more fruit-soaked than in the past, when they were finer and more chiseled. Porseleinberg is a high-water mark for Swartland syrah and exemplifies why Swartland is making some of the most exciting wines in all of South Africa.

Chenin blanc continues to impress us as well, with many of our favorite examples coming from Swartland, the pinnacle being the David & Nadia Chenin Blanc Swartland Skaliekap Single Vineyard Wine 2021. It is a graceful wine that commands incredible depth and texture while remaining fresh and vibrant throughout a long finish. We sat down with David & Nadia co-owner David Sadie, who spoke in a familiar vein as other producers, saying that “if we can stand together and have high-quality chenin blanc, we can send it around the world and have it reflected back on South Africa in general.

READ MORE: TOP 100 VALUE WINES OF 2021

“With premium wines, people are more loyal through thick and thin,” Sadie continued. ”You see more consistency with consumers and importers. As a result of that, you see people coming back for more.”

Producers are aiming to make great wines that express the unique South African terroir and, in the process, educate and make meaningful connections with wine lovers and collectors around the world.

When speaking about this with Mullineux, he remarked, “Swartland is very exciting but what we need to do is build consistency so that we can be a benchmark region. Our wines need to be collector-worthy and actually get better in the cellar.”

For Sadie, it's all about putting in the work. “You can’t go into a farm and declare greatness," he said. "You need to invest in time and money. After time you can understand if it’s been worth the long-term investment.”

BUILDING A BRAND

The ambition of Swartland producers, who want to compete with benchmark regions like the Rhone Valley and Barossa Valley, is palpable. But producers also understand that building such a reputation takes time and patience. To that end, there has been a shift in focus in South Africa toward the recognition of old vines. Every producer we spoke to during our trip said that the vineyards that handled the recent years’ heat and drought the best were the ones comprised of old vines.

Starting in the apartheid-era South Africa of the 1970s, when the winemaking cooperative KWV was granted control over the production, sale and export of the wine and spirits industry, every single vineyard site in South Africa had to be documented and tracked, according to a number of winemakers. As result, each of these  sites is now traceable back to their original planting. What was created as a tool for centralized control has ended up benefitting today’s producers, who have the historical knowledge that in many other winemaking regions would have been lost with time.

“The Swartland is interesting because it’s like a look back into the wine industry,” said Hanneke Kruger of A.A. Badenhorst. “We used to make a lot of port, sherry and brandy. That’s why so many of the vineyards were planted to the grapes originally.”

While many of our top syrahs and chenin blancs come from old vines, there are quite a few old plantings of tinta barocca and muscat of Alexandria. While not the highest expression of Swartland, they are a gateway into understanding the region and South Africa as a whole. So when you read “Certified Heritage Vineyard” on the neck of a South African bottle, it is a regulated term that means the site the wine comes from is at least 35 years old, with certain vines possibly being even older.

While the sweet and fortified wine industry has dwindled since its historic early days, many old names continue the tradition, using modern-day winemaking and viticulture to take their wines to the next level. The best example of this is Klein Constantia, whose Vin de Constance continues to be a benchmark for South African sweet wine. Winemaker Matthew Day has even grander views, saying, “We are looking to take Vin de Constance from a great wine from South Africa to one of the best wines of the world.”

With the 2018 and 2019 Vin de Constance receiving high marks from us, it’s an easy argument to make. Their viticulture is extremely meticulous, with viticulturalist Craig Harris explaining, “It’s a farm, it’s not just a vineyard.” Harris takes techniques from various farming practices and puts what he feels are the best tools from each to make for healthy vines.

From having cattle and pigs on the property for compost to pruning according to the biodynamic calendar, Harris’s approach is detailed. Day takes a similar approach in the cellar, which has been newly renovated and expanded. Day is adamant that Klein Constantia’s sweet wines must show restraint in terms of overall sweetness so that they can be enjoyed with meals and not just on their own. The 2019 Vin de Constance is beautiful, with the sweetness entwined in a sturdy core of peachy fruit and complex mineral and white tea undertones. The aging potential is just about as long as you can resist popping the bottle.

Several other South African producers greatly impressed us this year, including Bouchard Finlayson, whose Pinot Noir Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Tete de Cuvée 2020 is our highest-rated South African pinot noir ever. It’s a selection of the very best barrels from 2020 and is exhilarating with explosive energy and bright, fresh berry fruit. It’s a clear high point for us, but many other producers, such as Ataraxia, Hamilton Russell Vineyards and Iona, also produced venerable pinot noirs and chardonnays.

As far as South Africa’s wine regions go, Hemel-en-Aarde and Elgin are two to watch in the coming years. The coastal influence in both is considerable, with Elgin the coolest region in all of South Africa. The best examples coming out of the two regions are crisp and linear with tight structure and textural tannins.

Other wonderful producers we enjoyed this year were Sadie Family Wines, whose Swartland Columella 2020 was one of the highlights of our tastings; Rall Wines, whose crunchy and expressive offerings are some of the most earnest and transparent in all of the Swartland; and Anwilka, which recently joined the Klein Constantia family and whose wines showcase Stellenbosch’s vintage variation with clarity and verve.

In terms of what vintages are currently on the market, our tastings were all over the board, but a few vintages stood out. As Louw of Porseleinberg said, “In years to come I think we will see that ‘17 is one of the unforgettable vintages.”

2017 is the vintage almost every single producer we spoke to said was the highlight of the last decade.  2016 to 2019 were drought vintages, but 2017 was easy riding for producers in water-stressed times, with the wines showing seamless balance and texture. 2018 was the hottest vintage on record and as a result the wines are richly textured and concentrated. Some wines used the inherent power of the vintage to their advantage while others veered into the realm of overripe.

READ MORE SWITZERLAND ANNUAL REPORT: VIBRANT MOUNTAIN WINES AND THE PURSUIT OF PEAK FLAVOR

Producers said 2019 was generally cooler with some warmer evenings, but the wines have proven the test of time, showing a return to restraint after 2018 showed some real richness. For Swartland’s 2020 vintage, Boekenhoutskloof winemaker Gottfried Mocke said it’s a “much more elegant vintage” than 2019.

“We like that,” he said “It’s a hot region and we are picking wines that are physiologically ripe but at lower alcohols. In comparison, he said, Stellenbosch’s 2020 vintage is a “friendly” one, but “for cabernet they are very far behind. It is a vintage that needs a bit more time.”

We tend to agree that some of the Swartland 2020s show a juiciness and approachability that the previous vintages did not share, and that the Stellenbosch 2020s are still a bit tightly wound.

As for 2021, Mullineux remarked, “2021 was awesome, it was our longest, coolest year. We had warmth that lead to easy veraison and then it kept even.”

A FUTURE FOR GRENACHE?

While many reds from 2021 have yet to come across our desk, the whites have shown at a very high level, with quite a bit of phenolic texture. 2022 is the vintage we saw the least of, but Ratcliffe, of Vilafonte Wines, gave us the heads up: “2022 you will have to kiss a lot of frogs” because of heat stress, he said. “The best winemakers I’ve spoken to are excited. But damn did it take a lot of it. It was not a walk in the park.”

Looking to the future, many producers spoke of grenache’s great potential in the country. “Grenache is going to be the next big thing. With the heat, grenache has shown to be incredibly resilient,” Mocke said.

This rings true with what many other winemakers said. “Grenache grows well here,” said Kruger of A.A. Badenhorst. “The vines are just really, really happy. They’re resilient to the conditions as well.” As to what a great South African grenache should look like, Sadie said they should have an “ethereal, light, almost pinot-like” character.

While we did not taste a lot of grenache in this year’s report, we were impressed with the quality of what we did taste and are looking forward to seeing what other offerings come in the future.

It is also worth mentioning that despite our general enthusiasm for the country’s wines, we found many mediocre and unexciting bottles, as we did in our past annual tastings from our office in Hong Kong. Some of the producers we talked to said that although there has been a shift toward quality, many wineries still have fragmented and unfocused selections that aim to capitalize off previous success or perhaps one flagship bottling. And this doesn’t help the South African wine industry as a whole.

“People forget, we are doing it with our own money,” Mocke said. “There is no government money, no subsidies. If you want to make good wine, you have to do it yourself.”

It’s that can-do attitude that has led South Africa’s rise from a practical provider of cheap and cheerful bottles to an up-and-coming wine country with world-class potential. But the country still has a long way to go. Out of the 816 wines we rated, only 24 received scores of 95 points or higher from our tasting team. Compare that with New Zealand, a much smaller country where we rated just about the same number of wines (825) this year but with 131 receiving scores of 95 points or higher, or with Hungary, which had 44 wines out of just 251 rated 95 points or higher.

Still, the South African wine scene continues to bloom, and we’re excited to keep reporting on it and to keep returning to the beautiful, vast expanse at the bottom the continent. We will explore it to the end…

– Nathan Slone, Associate Editor, with Andrii Stetsiuk, Associate Editor

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