White Wine Barbale Kisi Mtsvane Rkatsiteli 2020. The Barbale winery, founded in 2016, is headed by winemaker Berdia Berishvili who produces unique vintages with ancient traditional Georgian methods. The vineyards are located in the Kartli and Kakheti regions, famous for their wine history. The company cultivates native and rare vines with unique characteristics to produce ‘exceptional harvest’ organic wines. The three most important native white grape varieties of Kakheti, Kisi (70%), Rkatsiteli (10%), and Mtsvane (20%) come together in this special blend to create a typical Kakheti orange wine produced with the traditional Qvevri method which consists of long fermentation, maceration, and subsequent aging of the wine in underground terracotta pots. The Barbale Kisi Mtsvane Rkatsiteli shows the typical orange wine character with a beautiful amber color and a balanced tannin-acid structure. The nose is spoiled with delicate aromas of apples, pears and plums. The palate is lively, clear, and slightly warm. A light, fine spice note accompanies every sip, reminiscent of ginger, orange zest, and honey. This is the perfect wine for all fish dishes and for rich vegetarian tarts. It is ready now, but can also stay a couple of extra years in the cellar.
2020
White Wine Barbale Kisi Mtsvane Rkatsiteli 2020
White Wine Beaumont Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc 2020. One of the most exciting Chenin Blancs currently being produced in South Africa, the Beaumont Hope Marguerite has won praise from top international wine critics like Tim Atkin and Jancis Robinson. The fruit used in this wine is carefully selected from the estate’s oldest Chenin plantings which date back to the 1970s. The wine is fermented in large French oak barrels and aged on the lees to add additional character and complexity. The result is a powerful, full-bodied white wine which is reminiscent of fine white Burgundy. On the nose there are intense notes of white peaches, vanilla, and mango, while the first sip reveals a firm structure and bright tropical fruit flavours. This is a wine which will respond well to ageing and can be kept in the cellar for at least 5-7 years.
2020
White Wine Blankbottle Kortpad Kaaptoe 2020. Blankbottle is one of South Africa’s most dynamic and exciting wine labels thanks to winemaker Pieter Hauptfleisch Walser’s insistence on producing 30 different wines each vintage, many of which are just created as one-offs. Pieter tours vineyards in specific appellations looking for the most interesting plots which are then used in his masterful creations. This handsome white is named after an old footpath which serves as a shortcut from the Swartland to Cape Town. It was here that Pieter stumbled across a stunning parcel of bush vines planted some 30 years ago with the little-known Fernao Pires grape from Portugal. The bottling is reminiscent of a fine Condrieu from the Rhone Valley thanks to the luscious creamy texture and ripe tropical fruit flavours. Pieter vinified this bottling using wild yeasts naturally occurring on the grape skins in large French oak casks, leaving the young wine to mature on the lees for a year before bottling. Enticing apricot, peach, mango and pineapple notes dominate on the nose along with hints of honeysuckle, jasmine, and creamy yoghurt. It’s a stylish yet powerful white wine that’s perfect for pairing with roast chicken, creamy pasta dishes, or simply a generous platter of mature hard cheeses.
2020