The Wine Advocate remains one of the most influential wine publications in the world, so when Neal Martin recently went through a couple hundred SA wines, his perspective on the winemaking there, and the specific wines he reviewed is important. If you are a subscriber, you can read the entire report here http://www.erobertparker.com/members/winedata/articles/article597.asp

Below are some highlights from August 2011 Wine Advocate review of South African wines:

On the country:
“So, what do you think of South Africa?”
“Visceral,” I reply. “South Africa is visceral.”

Though I only visited the Western Cape, I returned with the impression of a compelling country of extremes and contradictions. Gentle hills lie in the shadows of sky-scraping mountains that tumble into oceans, whilst no-go townships of poverty lap against luxurious mansions patrolled by teams of security guards. Aesthetically, the Western Cape is an idyllic landscape that is counterbalanced by a palpable “edginess” in the atmosphere. You never know exactly what lies round the corner and that is precisely what makes this country intoxicating. This is a dynamic country coalescing after the tumultuous years of Apartheid, a country reborn and figuring out in which direction it should head.

In discussing the grape growing and winemaking since the end of Apartheid (1994): “On the negative side, producers have historically tended to plant unsuitable clones and inappropriate varieties vis-à-vis soil type, and many winemakers that I spoke to attributed this to the rush towards winemaking.” “Fortunately, many vineyard managers and winemakers are reorganizing their vineyards to address these issues. In particular, there is now more research into soil profiles and mapping them to more suitable grape varieties. To counter the summer heat, winemakers are eking out high altitude, cooler mesoclimates that extend the growing season and engender greater complexity. With this comes greater focus upon expressing terroir, whether it is the weathered shale of Swartland or the granitic foothills of Simonsberg Mountains. This is a more mature approach than “buffing up” wines in the winery that seemed prevalent during the 1990’s. South Africa is rich with interesting and often untapped terroirs. Hopefully the process of exploiting their potential is only just beginning.”

“Conversing with winemakers, it is clear that much has been learnt empirically over the last decade in terms of vineyard husbandry, and over the last couple of years they have begun adapting vineyards accordingly. It is the “little feet in the vineyard” philosophy that is being embraced, spending time amongst the vines and making pre-emptive moves to maintain healthy vines rather than treating any problems afterwards. As a consequence, wines are becoming cleaner and demonstrate more complexity than the vintages of yore.”

On Chenin Blanc: “Many tout Chenin Blanc, which currently represents 18% of total plantings, as South Africa’s trump card. Although some wines flirted with blandness, most likely through over-cropping, a top-class Chenin Blanc can be a magical experience, surfeit with complexity, nuance and personality. The great news is that you do not have to pay through the nose for some of the best wines and in fact several outstanding Chenin Blanc wines can be found between $15.00 and $20.00, sometimes even less.”

On Pinotage: Then there is Pinotage, South Africa’s pride and joy that covers 7% of total plantings. To many cognoscenti it is a laughing stock, a variety unable to make good quality, long-lasting wine. I must admit that my views of Pinotage completely changed during my tastings, for although there remains a trough of wretched wines, there is no doubt that Pinotage can make extremely competent wine when placed in the right hands.

Bottom Line: “For the consumer, there is a gamut of rich pickings to be found. Just pour without prejudice.”

Some of our wineries:
Morgenster:
“Morgenster proved that they can produce a sublime combination of Old World meets New World Cabernet/Merlot based wines. The 300-year old estate in Somerset West used to be part of Vergelegen. In 1992 Giulio Bertrand purchased the estate, and the first vines were planted the following year. Since 1999, the busiest man in Bordeaux, Pierre Lurton, has consulted for Morgenster and together with winemaker Henry Kotze they impart a tangible Bordeaux sensibility to the wine. Their classically styled Proprietary Red is one of South Africa’s most eligible wines for aging and so I completed two small verticals that proved their wines can repay cellaring over a decade or more, commencing with their entry-level Lourens River Valley.”
Morgenster 2006 – 94 “this exquisite 2006 should age well for well over a decade”
Morgenster 2005 – 93
Morgenster 2003 – 93 “testifies that a South Africa Bordeaux can age with class.”
Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2005 – 92
Morgenster Lourens River Valley – 92
Morgenster Lourens River Valley – 91

Lammershoek:
“Look out for Swartland’s Lammershoek: a good producer that is moving up the gears judging by the tank samples of 2010 I tasted. Much of that I think is due to winemaker Craig Hawkins who is moving away from higher alcohol wines i.e. around 13% and towards less extraction through less pigeage. The emphasis here is upon sustainability and minimal intervention and to exploit their parcels of 50-year old Chenin Blanc and Syrah.”

Ataraxia:
“Having put Hamilton Russell on the map, winemaker Kevin Grant departed to establish “Ataraxia” in the idyllic Hemel-en-Aarde valley. Since debuting in 2005 with out-sourced fruit, he has already fashioned some of South Africa’s finest Chardonnays, but he is already enthusiastic about his own fledgling 47-hectares of vine that should debut with the 2011 releases. In the meantime, Kevin showed me debut and recent vintages of portfolio, expounding his philosophy of terroir and mineralite rather than fruit.”
Chardonnay 2009 – 93 “Corton-Charlemagne in all but name and price.”
Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – 90 “Impressive”

Excellent show!