Focus on South Africa

The month of September has arrived and at Philglas & Swiggot that means it is that time of the year where we celebrate the wonderful personalities and characters that make up the South African wine industry and their wares.

If making wine in Africa doesn’t already come with enough challenges, Covid19 happened and our favourite producers were not allowed to sell any of their wines, in a prohibition style lockdown, for almost 5 months. Now that the ban has been lifted, we thought we would do our best to support the South African wine industry and their amazing producers.

Thorne & Daughters

…“Thorne & Daughters, one of South Africa’s most exciting and talented producers”…  Jamie Goode, Wineanorak.com

Who are we to argue! Thorne & Daughters was started in 2013 by John and Tasha Seccombe with the aim of producing authentic wines from the Western Cape. It is widely acknowledged to be one of the forerunners of the ‘New Wave’ wine movement in South Africa and one of the Cape’s most thoughtful and creative producers.  Thorne & Daughters is mainly focused on producing Cape white blends, from 15 different growers in Bot River, Stellenbosch, Voor Paardeberg, Swartland, Citrusdal, Franschhoek and Overberg. Fruit sourcing has relied on a network of close winemaking friends and knocking on doors to gather the various parcels with which they work. John and Tasha did not want to be limited geographically, so the net was cast wide and has been driven by “a happy synergy of people, place, soil and vines”. The wines from this amazing small family operation raises the bar each and every vintage with either new cuveés or their Rocking Horse, which is now seen as one of the country’s benchmark Cape white blends. The 2019 release has done it once more showing a focus and tension, very rarely seen in wines produced from in a Mediterranean climate. 

Crystallum Wines

…“These are some of South Africa's finest Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Attesting to that was their fine performance when served against the likes of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti”...Neal Martin, Vinous

This small winery was established in 2007 by brothers Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson. Their father, Peter, was a pioneer in the production of cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at Bouchard Finlayson, so after university it seemed the natural thing for the boys to return home and source some fruit from the Hemel-en-Aarde valley to start their own label. Crystallum is now one of the most highly regarded wineries in South Africa, yet the Finlaysons are determined to make even better wines. Peter-Allan has sourced fruit from some new vineyards, while winemaking has evolved. All of the wines are now fermented using indigenous yeasts and new oak has been reduced to help the bright fruit shine through. We have long regarded the wines from Peter-Allan as some of the country’s best examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this was all reaffirmed after tasting the 2019’s. A vintage where these wines have reached new heights, with focus, tension and an almost confidence-like way about them, like never seen before. 

Savage Wines

…“I was a bit blown away by this range from Duncan. He is achieving his dream of zoning in on choice parcels of old vine from areas such as Piekenierskloof and Malgas. So you end up with a gallimaufry of grape varieties in some blends, yet nurtured beautifully by Duncan to create some thrilling, quite cerebral but delicious wines”… Neal Martin, Vinous

Duncan Savage started his own project in 2011 with the aim to produce elegant and classic wines that reflect his passion for wine and terroir. Duncan previously worked with Cape Point Vineyards as their winemaker and viticulturist and if the accolades that he received whilst working with them was anything to go by, then expectations were always going to be high on his own new releases. We are happy to report that he has not let us down and every year we try our hardest to get hold of as much of his highly sort after stock as possible. Extremely pure wines with minimal intervention, whole punch, usage of amphorae and fruit from predominantly old vines, his wines are a true reflection of the excellence of what South African wines now offer. Beautifully simplistic packaging, imaginative names and blends, the wine carries itself in an almost effortless yet classy manner. A winemaker that has confidence in both what he is doing and the vineyards that he is working with, something that just stands out in the 2019 release.