In theory the dead of winter is the perfect time to be engaging about wine — “engaging” here meaning far more than merely talking about it.
You might think that short days, longer nights and cooler weather would serve to drive interest in — and purchase of — wine. This simply isn’t the case.
Industry pundits reckon that the mid-summer year-end festive season accounts for about 40% of sales, with (dry) January and mid-winter on the opposite side of the spectrum. As a result, there’s not a lot of promotional activity through June and July, which may play a role in the lower sales figures. Elsewhere this would be called a self-fulfilling prophesy.
The Meridian Trade Show was a welcome oasis during this surprisingly quiet season. The company is one of the two most important fine wine distributors operating in South Africa, handling more than 20 of the country’s leading wineries. With wineries such as Meerlust, Paul Cluver, De Grendel and Delaire Graff in its portfolio, it carries brands that cover a large percentage of the high-end trade.
For me the advantage in attending what is obviously a sighted tasting is to chat with the producers, hear about what is happening in their vineyards and perhaps sample an older vintage alongside the current release.
At Mullineux, for example, where the latest (2024) Granite Chenin seemed a little closed and quite austere, the 2023 (a year older and obviously the result of different weather conditions) was more expressive, layered and generous. The message is clear: Mullineux whites should be allowed to age like red wines.
The occasion also provided me with an opportunity of reassessing the Jean Roi rosé. In the past I’ve not always been persuaded about what it offers in relation to its price, which is nearly R300. This time I was impressed. Nuanced, delicate but not inconsequential, it comes with lovely chalky notes that deliver texture rather than weight.
This tasting was also the first time I sampled the Dalkeith Koplandsteen 2023, made by Graham Weerts with fruit bought from the Du Bois family’s Sonop farm in Stellenbosch. It’s very fine, balancing freshness and mouthfeel. No hint of softness, no concession to early drinking, more like a coiled spring made to unwind over time.
A little over a week later I sampled the 2025 Du Bois wine, made with grapes from the same farm (but not necessarily the same sites), and it was palpably different. The aroma was still very primary and quite shy. Once it emerged, however, it presented more as stone fruit compared with the white pear and marzipan of the Dalkeith.
Both wines come from certified old vine blocks on the farm. Both serve to remind us how different Stellenbosch chenin can be from its Swartland counterpart, with leanness more an expression of linearity than austerity.
At the same tasting I was also able to compare the three different chardonnay releases produced by Weerts at Capensis, the vineyard and cellar owned by Barbara Banke/Jackson Family Vineyards, probably America’s most important chardonnay producer. Capensis has been in the trade for more than 10 years, but boutique production coupled with strong exports have made it something of an exotic in the domestic market.
The entry-level Silene (Banhoek and Helderberg grapes) is the bargain of the trio, selling for around R400 and overdelivering substantially at the price point: ample but not overdone, it shows freshness, a hint of leesy richness, and beautifully managed oak.
The next tier (confusingly) simply called Capensis, made with fruit from as far afield as the Tradouw Highlands, is more layered: lime melded with grapefruit pith, lifted by just a whiff of brioche.
Finally, there’s the main act — the Capensis Fijnbosch — all fruit from the Banhoek site, oaked like a premier cru Burgundy and, even at four years old, worthy of long cellaring. It’s not yet out of the starting blocks. When it reaches its plateau of maturity at least half a decade from now, the R1,750 purchase price might even look reasonable.
Business Day
