South Africa
GOLD Sparkling white 95 Graham Beck, Ultra Brut, Western Cape 2017 (12.6%)
POA £ Bibendum Wine
$27-$35 AOC Selections, Saratoga Wine Exchange, The Cellar d’Or, Vinopolis, Wine.com
Delightful white flower and citrus aromas are fringed by an appealing maritime note. A compact and focused wine that boasts crunchy green apple acidity and a fantail of creamy sourdough.
GOLD White 96 Paul Clüver, Sauvignon Blanc, Elgin 2023 (13.7%)
£17 Frontier Fine Wines
$17-$19 Astor Wines, Lisa’s Liquor Barn, Saratoga Wine Exchange, Wine.com
Displays a wonderful sense of place. Shimmering with blackcurrant, apple and cutgrass aromas, this is crisp and taut with a broad, textured palate and persistent length.
95 Bartinney, Hourglass Chardonnay, Banghoek, Stellenbosch 2022 (13.5%)
POA £ Humble Grape, Newton Wines Enticing orange, peach and bright citrus fruits overlay creamy-oatmeal oak characters and mineral freshness. Sleek and stylish with a chalky tail.
95 Bellingham, The Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Coastal Region 2022 (13.5%)
£16-£18 DGB Europe, Evington’s Wines
$27-$30 Cape Classic, Vin Chicago
Lavish stone fruit, citrus zest and buttery notes are elegantly restrained by cooling acidity and a crystalline purity that engulfs the palate and lingers on the finish.
95 Lothian, Chardonnay, Elgin 2021
(13%)
POA £ Berkmann, Strictly Wine
POA $ USA Wine Imports
Peaches and red apples nestle in creamy, rich lemon meringue pie with a buttery biscuit base. Impeccably smooth, with zesty acidity and a mineral finish. A textbook example.
95 Neil Ellis, Whitehall Chardonnay, Elgin 2022 (12.5%)
£30-£40 Cellar Door Wines, Farr Vintners, Gonzalez Byass UK, South Downs Cellars, The Dorset Wine Co, Topsham Wines
Genteel, refined and elegant, with vivid lime citrus and green apple vitality countered by a creamy breadth and wellintegrated oak. Beautifully long and flinty.
95 Oldenburg Vineyards, Chardonnay, Stellenbosch 2023 (14%)
Impressive complexity, with coconut biscuit, creamy lime cheesecake and succulent nectarine aromas. Lavish and mellow, with a tapering bead of acidity and an enduring vibrancy on the finish.
95 Spier, Signature Collection Albariño, Stellenbosch 2023 (13.5%)
£11.99 Majestic
Charming Granny Smith apple and juicy stone fruit characters with a hallmark saline boost. Chalky and mineral on the palate, finishing with a gorgeous mandarin twist.
95 Stark-Condé, Field Blend, Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch 2023 (12.5%)
£22.99 Museum Wines
$31 Vineyard Brands
Bursting with youth. Lifted white florals and green apple aromas, tropical fruit salad, deftly framed by a chalky mineral character and focused acidity. Long and saline.
95 Uva Mira, Sing-a-Wing Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch 2022 (13%)
POA £ Museum Wines
$37 Cape Ardor
Grapefruit, passion fruit and elderflower fragrances are interspersed with a beguiling asparagus and pea freshness. Alert and alive, with mouthwatering acidity and a long, textured finish.
GOLD Red 96 Stark-Condé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch 2021 (14%)
£28 Museum Wines
$31 Vineyard Brands
Ripe black cherries and blueberries meld seamlessly with a cool, minty background. Pure and vibrant, with radiant acidity and enriching tannins. Stylish and long.