Johan Meyer 2017 South Africa Palmiet Chardonnay

I was so pleasantly surprised by the finesse and restraint in this Chardonnay!  Johan Meyer is part of the burgeoning natural wine movement in South Africa. He farms the Palmiet vineyard with a small team using only organic treatments. The Elgin region is one of the coolest in South Africa, partly because of its higher elevation, but also it receives more cloud cover, and has colder winters which lead to better conditions for elegant Chardonnays. The grapes are whole-bunch fermented and aged in 4th-use  French oak for 10 months. Richly aromatic white flowers, freshly picked yellow and green apple, a little sea salt. The palate has a beautiful, creamy texture with a touch of grip on the finish recalling the shale and bluestone soil of the vineyard. This would be an excellent pairing for buttery monkfish with fresh herbs and a splash from the bottle. Michelle DeWyngaert

Mick Craven 2020 Stellenbosch Cinsaut

This vintage of the Craven Cinsault is from the 30+ year-old Rustenhof vineyard in the Faure area which sits on granitic sandy soils just three miles from the ocean. It is farmed organically with the use of cover crops to enhance the vitality of the soil, and in turn, we believe, enhances the wine. For this bottling the grapes are destemmed and gently extracted during fermentation. The juice is then pressed into 500L neutral barrels where it ages for just seven months before bottling unfined and unfiltered. The result is bright, juicy red and purple plum aromas, crushed violets, and savory charcuterie. The palate is soft and supple, with minimal tannins, and finishes with a snap of red currant. Drink slightly chilled, perfect on its own or with lighter proteins. Michelle DeWyngaert

Mother Rock 2018 Swartland 'Kweperfontein' Chenin Blanc

A beautiful expression of Chenin Blanc from the organically and dry-farmed Kweperfontein Vineyard on the  Paardeberg Mountain. This wine is all about the texture which evokes the clay and granite soils of the vineyard, and the higher elevation keeps the wine crisp and balanced. The grapes were delicately pressed whole cluster into concrete egg fermenters where it continued to age for 16 months before bottling with no fining, filtration, or SO2 additions.

Mother Rock 2019 Semillon Force Celeste Swartla Waterval Vineyard Semillon

This is not your typical Semillon, but it is definitely tasty! The 'Force Celeste' comes from the  organically farmed Waterval Vineyard on the Paardeberg Mountain which is made up of decomposed granite and clay. The grapes are picked on several passes to create a balance of acidity and ripeness in the wine and are pressed as whole clusters with 10% left on the skins for a month making this a not-quite orange wine. The direct-pressed Semillon is fermented and aged in stainless steel on the lees for six months, and the remainder in neutral French barriques, before bottling together without fining, filtering or the addtion of SO2. The nose shows a mix of pea shoots, dried white flowers, and lime zest, and on the palate is freshly squeezed lime juice, underripe peach, and touch of tannin recalling the sandy-clay soils of the vineyard. Michelle DeWyngaert

Mother Rock 2020 Swartland Force Celeste Chenin Blanc

Storm Point 2019 Western Cape Red Blend

Storm Point Red is a juicy, fruit-forward red from three sustainably farmed  Swartland sites in Paardeberg, Malmesbury, and Riebeek Valley. The blend is 56% Cinsault, 29% Syrah, and 15% Carignan. Mostly destemmed, with just a quarter of the Syrah left whole-cluster, and then aged for 10 months in a combination of 75% neutral French barrels, and 25% stainless steel.

Storm Point 2020 Western Cape Chenin Blanc