Work in Progress

By James Molesworth (June 15, 2018)

By any measure, South Africa should have long since captured the attention of American wine lovers. The Cape continues to produce exciting and distinctive wines from a diverse range of grape varieties, reliably overdelivering on quality at typically modest price points. Yet the category remains stuck in neutral in the U.S. market. That's a shame.

Since my last report on the country ("Arrival Time," June 15, 2017), I have reviewed more than 250 South African wines via blind tastings in our New York office. Overall, nearly 40 percent of the wines under review earned scores of 90 points or higher on Wine Spectator's 100-point scale, with 97 wines in the outstanding range of 90 to 94 points and another three at the classic level of 95-plus. (A free alphabetical list of scores and prices for all wines tasted is available.)

With a new generation of wine lovers in the U.S. exploring less-heralded wine regions and offbeat varieties, it's head-scratching why South Africa hasn't caught on here yet. The U.S. is the leading wine-consuming nation in the world, but only the fourth-largest export market for South African wines. According to SAWIS, an industry-funded research body, there was just modest growth from 1.07 million cases in 2016 to 1.1 million cases in 2017, a pace that belies the quality and diversity of the country's offerings.

White and red wines produced from a range of varieties and made in a range of styles from both warm and cool climates give consumers plenty to choose from. Whether it's a lush Chardonnay or a bright Chenin Blanc, a juicy Syrah or a muscular Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa offers something for everyone.

WHITE WINES

The Cape's white wines lead in terms of exports to the U.S., accounting for 48 percent of the bottled wines shipped stateside, with reds at 42 percent and sparkling and other wines making up the rest. White wines also lead in quality, with the Sadie Family Kokerboom Olifants River 2016 (96 points, $73) and 'T Voetpad Swartland 2016 (96, $70) earning top honors overall in this report. Sadie's Skerpioen Swartland 2016 (95, $60) rounds out the winery's classic-rated trio.

All three are single-vineyard bottlings, with the Kokerboom a pure Sémillon that shows stunning peach, nectarine, orange and tangerine flavors backed by tense verbena, green almond and mirabelle plum notes. The 'T Voetpad is emblematic of the Cape's diversity, blending Chenin Blanc, Sémillon Blanc, Sémillon Gris, Palomino and Muscat into a pure and refined display of Bosc pear, Jonagold apple and white peach enhanced by echoes of persimmon, verbena and macadamia nut. The Skerpioen blends Chenin Blanc with just Palomino, producing a racy white filled with yellow apple, chamomile, white ginger and jasmine flavors.

It's not surprising that Chenin Blanc features prominently in two of the three wines, since it is the Cape's lead white grape. Of the 107 dry whites in this report, 40 are Chenin Blanc or Chenin-based blends, and nearly half of those rated 90 or more points. Other top examples include the A.A. Badenhorst Family Coastal Region White 2015 (93, $40), Mullineux Chenin Blanc Swartland Granite Old Vines 2016 (93, $90), Mullineux Chenin Blanc Swartland Quartz Leliefontein 2016 (93, $90) and De Morgenzon Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch Reserve 2016 (92, $40).

Consumers can expect to find a mix of vintages in the marketplace now, with the excellent 2015s alongside the more inconsistent 2016s, the latter vintage marking the start of a run of particularly hot growing seasons on the Cape.

"What defined 2016 was extremely warm evening temperatures, which lead to rapid acid degradation and increase in pH levels," explains Carl van der Merwe, winemaker at De Morgenzon in Stellenbosch. "The best wines were made when picking was earlier than normal to preserve some natural freshness. The wines from 2016 are very approachable in their youth. They may not have the longevity of the '15 vintage, but they're definitely very appealing in style."

"2015 is what we called a Goldilocks year," says Andrea Mullineux, co-owner and winemaker along with her husband Chris at Mullineux in the Swartland. "It was the beginning of the drought but in a good way. Not too dry and not too wet, not too cold or too hot. Breezy enough to maintain healthy airflow in the vineyard, but not too much wind. And no summer heat waves. So we picked when we wanted to pick."

Other top Chenins can be had from B Vintners, Boutinot, Craven, Reyneke and Stark-Condé, among others. Value plays include Spier's delightful Chenin Blanc Swartland Vintage Selection 2015 (90, $15) and Ken Forrester's Chenin Blanc Western Cape Petit 2017 (89, $12), a fresh and lively version.

The white category fills out with blue chips such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnays from cool-climate areas such as the Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley 2016 (93, $39) and Storm Wines Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge Vrede 2016 (92, $50) offer flattering profiles of pear and hazelnut notes backed by subtle minerality for balance. The De Wetshof Chardonnay Robertson Lesca 2017 (93, $22), showing creamy apple, pear and melon flavors, is an eye-opening value.

The Duncan Savage Western Cape White 2016 (92, $42), a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Chenin Blanc, features lingering flavors of brioche, lemon curd, honeysuckle and white peach. For a leaner style, look for the Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc Constantia Blocks 361 & 372 2015 (91, $25), which offers rapier lime pith and white asparagus flavors. Fans of more eclectic bottlings can track down The Foundry's plump Roussanne Stellenbosch 2016 (91, $25) or Craven's alluring Clairette Blanche Stellenbosch 2016 (89, $20).

RED WINES

South Africa's red wines are also compelling. Mirroring the whites, they rely on easily recognizable grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while also branching out with other varieties, including Syrah (along with Grenache and Mourvèdre), Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and more.

Made from Syrah grown on dramatically jagged schist soils, the Porseleinberg Swartland 2015 (94, $95) is one of this report's top reds, offering a gutsy core of steeped fig, boysenberry and blackberry fruit backed by a strong charcoal-coated spine. Its quality is matched by two Syrah-based blends, the Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification Stellenbosch 2014 (94, $140) and the Sadie Family Columella Swartland 2015 (94, $145).

The Rust en Vrede is a Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon blend that shows ample raspberry, black currant and boysenberry fruit, while the Sadie Family combines Syrah with Mourvèdre, Grenache, Tinta Barroca, Cinsault and Carignan for a refined and polished red that relies more on acidity than tannins.

Other top-scoring reds come from A.A. Badenhorst Family, Anthonij Rupert, Bartinney, Ernie Els, Hamilton Russell, Kanonkop, MR Mvemve Raats, Mullineux and Storm Wines.

Value abounds here as well, with nearly a third of the 141 reds in this report earning 85 points or higher while costing $20 or less. The Cederberg Shiraz Cederberg 2014 (91, $20), Reyneke Capstone Stellenbosch 2014 (90, $16) and Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon Robertson 2016 (88, $10) are prime examples.

LOOKING AHEAD

The obstacles facing the country are both economic and environmental. In addition to their ongoing attempt to break through in the U.S. market, Cape vintners have dealt with daunting weather conditions in recent vintages. Since 2016, there have been three straight years of severe drought, a problem exacerbated in 2017 by wildfires that caused serious damage in some of the winelands. The 2018 vintage has been the driest of the three, resulting in markedly lower grape yields. (This could also have an upside, since reduced yields can increase quality.)

As harvest was still unfolding, Kanonkop winemaker Abrie Beeslaar told me, "The 2018 vintage is continuing to be one of the most challenging I've had to work with. Very dry conditions, uneven set and very uneven grape ripeness at harvesting."

The water shortage has been so bad in South Africa that Cape Town resorted to rationing. In general, wineries do not draw from the municipal water supply and instead manage their own reservoirs. Plowing vineyard rows to funnel rain runoff and employing water-conserving agriculture are now mandatory for any serious producer that wants to keep its vineyards viable.

"Yup, it's been dry," says Stellenbosch-based vintner Ken Forrester. "No surprise, as we knew that was coming, and so we pruned really short to one bearing eye with the hopes that we could therefore adequately ripen the fruit. Although the ripening may not be as even as we would like, we have good bunch density and generally normal bunch weights, just fewer bunches. Yields are down 20 to 25 percent, but very clean and healthy."

The American market remains daunting. The weather conditions back home are difficult. Yet South African vintners keep churning out quality bottlings that are distinctive, diverse and well-priced. It's time to try what you've been missing.