MICHAEL FRIDJHON: There is no complacency among Cape’s great estates

“There is a tide in the affairs of men,” as Shakespeare observed, “which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.” There’s no great wine estate that hasn’t been both the cause and victim of its ebb and flow, whether through neglect, bad luck or changing fashion.

Vin de Constance, for example, was once the most expensive wine in the world. Death, diminished family fortunes and the implosion of the Dutch East India Company contributed to its decline. It took almost two centuries to become an international icon again.

Sometimes fashion alone can explain the rise and fall, sometimes the vagaries of history. Madeira’s golden age dates to a time when fortified wine was generally preferred because it was stable and impervious to oxidation. But it also benefited from the proximity of the island to North America at the time of the American War of Independence and it remained the favourite drink of the Boston brahmins until well into the 19th century.

Creativity and the hunger for recognition drive success; hunger for revenue, coupled with cash flow constraints, usually has the opposite effect. Chateau Margaux produced wines unworthy of a First Growth because its owners could not afford to apply essential quality controls through the lean years of the post-war Bordeaux market. It needed new ownership and huge investment to recover.

During the course of the past month, I sampled many of the wines from our top producers. Some of the tastings focused on current vintages; others included a few older wines. What emerged from this exercise turned out to be a clear enough indication that all of them are either on an upward trajectory or at least holding their ground.

The arrival of Luke O’Cuinneagain at Vergelegen in 2022 induced an immediate improvement at the estate. The latest vintages of the whites are splendid: bright and elegant, no surplus flesh but also no hard angles. The reds are also palpably better, though it will take some time before the wines over which O’Cuinneagain has had full control come to market. Even from this imperfect vantage point there’s no doubt that the cellar is properly back on track.

Morgenster also has a new winemaking team, though some of the red wine releases date back to a previous cellarmaster. The Reserve 2016 resembles many of the fine vintages of the early 21st century when Pierre Lurton (adviser to the cellar and CEO of Chateau Cheval Blanc and d’Yquem) played a key role. The 2023 estate white blend, which was the category winner at the WineMag challenge, suggests that nothing has been lost in the transition.

The wines from Hamilton Russell Vineyards continue to be the most visible ambassadors of the Cape’s Burgundian aspirations. The chardonnay, in particular, has real presence. The pinot noir remains unflamboyant, designed to reward the patient rather than those who seek instant gratification.

No-one doubts Kanonkop’s ultra-premium status. The recently launched Black Label Pinotage 2022 is simply exceptional. It may be the best vintage so far — generous but not overdone, textural, layered and precise. Meanwhile, the entry-level Kadette wines (which all sell for under R200) substantially overdeliver in terms of quality, intensity and finesse.

Finally, the renaissance at Meerlust is now evident for all to see. Besides the finely crafted chardonnay (the best I can remember from the property), the Rubicon 2021 is simply sublime. Gone is the clunkiness, the granular tannins, the compromised aromatics. Instead the fruit is expressive and nuanced and the oak integration perfectly managed. It’s easy to enjoy now, but it’s been built for the long haul.

At a time when much of the hype about Cape wine is focused on smaller boutique producers and tiny old vine selections, it’s important to recognise that the great estates are not resting on tarnished reputations. These are the flag-bearers of our vinous nation — cellars with enough production to reach the major international wine markets, delivering quality worthy of one of the oldest wine regions of the New World.

This column originally appeared in Business Day.