8 South African Wines for Collectors

Vergelegen’s flagship V red is arguably the country’s finest wine, a true icon of South African winemaking. It is made at the historic Vergelegen farm in Somerset West, which dates back to 1700 and is now owned by the firm Anglo American. Cabernet Sauvignon leads the blend, supported by Petit Verdot, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The 2022 spent 18 months aging in French oak before bottling. Therefore, the resulting wine is approachable on release, marked by its powerful aroma of cassis, chocolate, cedarwood, and coffee – imagine the Medoc on steroids. Yet, the beauty of Vergelegen is that it is both approachable and endowed with an impressive structure that allows the wine to age for decades, ensuring that you can cellar a good vintage of Vergelegen V with confidence.

www.steenbergfarm.com

One of the Cape’s historic wine farms, Steenberg continues to craft an excellent range of wines. The flagship Catharina is a dark, berry-scented Bordeaux-style blend based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec and Petit Verdot adding further complexity. The resulting wine is both powerful in structure and flavor, a potent wine of considerable ‘breeding.’ Recent vintages have been on top form, making Catharina a compelling choice for immediate or longer-term pleasure.

Swartland’s leading property, Sadie Family Wines, makes the region’s greatest red: Columella. A Syrah-led blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Carignan, Cinsaut, and Tinta Barocca, it offers remarkable dark, spicy complexity. It is rich, almost exotic, with a supple texture and great intensity. Made from low-yielding vineyards across some of Swartland’s finest terroirs, Columella is approachable on release yet will develop beautifully for a decade or more. The 2013 vintage earned 96 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, who described it as: “Extremely refined and mineral-laden, symmetrical and standing on tip-toes on the finish.”

One of Stellenbosch’s oldest wine farms, established in 1693, Meerlust continues to produce an exceptional Bordeaux-style red called Rubicon. It is among the very best of its kind in the Cape, much loved by consumers and critics alike. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, Rubicon is rich, concentrated, and marked by cedar and exotic dark fruits, with elegance and finesse that are rare even among South Africa’s premium output. One for future generations or an upcoming special occasion – you decide.

One of the Cape’s benchmark producers of Chardonnay, this devotee of Burgundian varieties is equally renowned for elegant and profound Pinot Noir. Grown in the cool and visually stunning Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the Pinot Noir is simply astounding, rich, and full of dark berry fruit, with just a hint of peppermint. A remarkable wine worthy of considerable proselytizing, its fine structure makes it a wine you can cellar with confidence. Still, as critics often note, it drinks so well young that most cannot bear to wait.Still, as critics often note, it drinks so well young that most cannot bear to wait.

Renowned South African restaurateur Ken Forrester produces one of the finest examples of Chenin Blanc in the Cape, a testament to both his prowess and the remarkable terroir of Stellenbosch. The FMC Chenin Blanc is made primarily from old, hand-picked bush vines planted in 1974, with successive selections harvested as the fruit ripens and naturally fermented in French oak. It is arguably South Africa’s most iconic white wine, a beautifully nuanced Chenin with gorgeous honey and beeswax aromas. However, unlike many of the great white wines of Burgundy, FMC has traditionally offered remarkable quality without Burgundy’s stratospheric pricing.

Ernie Els Wines grew out of the golfer’s early collaboration with leading Stellenbosch winemaking talent and today produces a range of striking, highly regarded wines from its Helderberg estate. Indeed, the small-volume Ernie Els red is one of the most expensive wines to emerge from the Cape: a Bordeaux blend of supreme quality and inimitable style. Full-bodied, rich and intense, it offers exceptional length and the persistence of dark, blackberry, minty fruit. Moreover, the flagship red has the structure and pedigree to reward patient cellaring, although it is equally compelling for the pleasure it offers at the table.

Widely regarded as one of the Cape’s finest producers, David Trafford is a winemaking force. Drawing on carefully selected Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards around Mont Fleur, the Helderberg and Stellenbosch Mountain, Trafford makes a powerful Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine of intense concentration and force of flavor. Richly textured and impressively concentrated with dark, spicy berry fruit, the Cabernet generally benefits from several years of bottle age and, in strong vintages and good storage conditions, can develop beautifully over the long term. A poster child for premium Cape wines.