For the third time, our wine have been singled out in the USA in the prestigious ‘TOP 100 BEST BUYS’ of the year. Our Vinum Chenin Blanc 2011 is one of only 3 South African wines to make the TOP 100 this year.
2010 The Winery Of Good Hope Vinum Chenin Blanc
A Chenin Blanc Dry White Table wine from South Africa
| Source | Reviewer | Rating | Maturity | Cost |
| eRobertParker.com Aug 2011 |
Neal Martin | 91 | Drink 2011 - 2017 |
$14 |
Cropped at 30 hectoliter per hectare and sorted by hand, the 2010 Vinum Chenin Blanc is a superb wine at a superb price. It has a bright nose of pear, bruised apple and apricot with a prudent use of oak allowing the nose to achieve fine delineation and clarity. The palate is well-defined with a crisp, honeycomb tinged entry, a little spice and orange rind, leading to a finish with great weight and personality. This is a winery that lives up to its name! Drink now-2017. Importer: World Premiere Wines, Mooresville, NC 28117. |
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Vinum Africa Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Southeast Vino
Platter Guide 2011: Vinum Range
**** Cabernet Sauvignon √ 08, obvious black currant & cedar. 18 mths Fr oak (touch Am) bolsters pure, succulent fruit, adding sufficient grip to plushness; minerality rallies finish. Just-dry; 14.5% alc.
**** Chenin Blanc √ Limpid previewed 09 (**** ½) from low-yield bushvines more complex
than 08. Superbly styled, layers of citrus, stone fruits broadened by 20% portion ferm/yr in brl; focused line of acidity to mineral finish.
***** |
Superlative. A Cape classic |
****½ |
Outstanding |
**** |
Excellent |
***½ |
Very good/promising |
*** |
Characterful, appealing |
**½ |
Good everyday drinking |
** |
Pleasant drinking |
*½ |
Casual quaffing |
* |
Plain and simple |
½ |
Very ordinary |
No Star |
Somewhat less than ordinary |
Vinum Africa Stellenbosch Chenin blanc 2009 87 Points*
Clear, bright, straw with green reflections, medium concentration and medium viscosity, no evidence of gas or sediment.
Clean, high intensity, ripe golden delicious apple, fragrant jasmine, tangerine and orange peel, hay some granite minerals, pebbly, oak vanillin, (10%, French oak, 100% new) bold but not obtrusive, excellent purity of fruit and concentration, clean and precise.
Dry with some residual sugar, medium plus acidity, medium plus alcohol, new flavours of candied pears, honey and preserved lime, structured mid palate with leesy complexity (9 months on gross lees, no stirring or batonnage) medium plus complexity and medium plus lenght.
By far the best Vinum Chenin Blanc made to date, exceptional value and over delivers in quality.
Chenin Blanc sourced around the Helderberg pocket of Stellenbosch, average age of 43 years (as per information supplier by winery of Good Hope)
Served at around 11 degrees, preferably decanted / aerated, paired with a slow braised chicken on bones with oyster sauce and shittake mushroon
* Wine tasted sighted, using the 2008 vintage (2008 listed already) as a benchmark, which scored 85 points, the 2009 is superior in many respect with more aromatics, extrovert without loosing it's svelte and linear profile.
Posted by Miguel Chan
PLATTER GUIDE 2010
4 Stars Cabernet-Sauvignon: Complex yet accessible 06 has creamy red fruit, integrated 15 months oak. Svelte lines, white pepper, dried herb notes
4 Stars Chenin Blanc: Beautifully balanced, lithe 08, confidently styled & pure; softly spicy apples, pears & citrus peel embraced & textured by small oak fermentation portion & fine minerality.
***** |
Superlative. A Cape classic |
****½ |
Outstanding |
**** |
Excellent |
***½ |
Very good/promising |
*** |
Characterful, appealing |
**½ |
Good everyday drinking |
** |
Pleasant drinking |
*½ |
Casual quaffing |
* |
Plain and simple |
½ |
Very ordinary |
No Star |
Somewhat less than ordinary |
www.gismondionwine.com
Anthony Gismondi
Reviewed – August 9th, 2009
Vinum Africa Chenin Blanc 2008
Stellenbosch, Coastal Region, South Africa
Tasted twice in recent weeks and we have been impressed both times. As stated on many occasions if South Africa is going to gain respect for its wines in Canada this is the level of quality required to make an impression on serious wine drinkers. Made from mature grapes located on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain in the Stellenbosch Region. The key to freshness is only five percent of the juice is barrel fermented yet all of the fruit is aged on its lees for texture and freshness. Both lively and fresh, you pick up a minerality and depth of ripe chenin fruit that can beguile. Bits of lime and honey with a floral, spicy undertone leaves you wanting more. Excellent quality Chenin blanc.
Prices: AB $22.00 private wine stores; BC $18.00 specialty listing; NF $20.00
CSPC: 206052; UPC: 006005305001671
Score: 89/100
THE WINERY OF GOOD HOPE quotes from the 2009 PLATTER GUIDE:
“There’s always something happening at this up-and-at-’em Helderberg winery.”
“Stylish & strikingly individual.”
“More Old World styling than New…”
“Exotic, individual & compelling”
RATINGS 2009 PLATTER GUIDE: Vinum range
**** Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
More restrained vintage than 05 but no less fine, 06 has
creamy red fruit, integrated oak; 15 months barrel regime & cab’s class showing in svelte
lines, white pepper/dried herb notes. Complex yet accessible; will reward cellaring.
**** Chenin Blanc 2007
From old Helderberg bushvines. Intense citrus with additional
earthy, savoury note on finish. Satisfyingly full-bodied, excellent texture & length from
9 months lees-ageing. Could go 3/4 yrs.
| ***** | Superlative. A Cape classic |
| ****½ | Outstanding |
| **** | Excellent |
| ***½ | Very good/promising |
| *** | Characterful, appealing |
| **½ | Good everyday drinking |
| ** | Pleasant drinking |
| *½ | Casual quaffing |
| * | Plain and simple |
| ½ | Very ordinary |
| No Star | Somewhat less than ordinary |
By DOROTHY J. GAITER AND JOHN BRECHER
The Wall Street Journal
DECEMBER 22, 2008
2008's Most Thrilling
The year's 'Delicious'-rated wines are an antidote to cynicism
When we began taking notes on wines 35 years ago, we rated them on a real-life scale from Yech to Delicious! We never imagined then that we'd need another category: Cynical. If there is one major negative trend in wine over the past few years, we'd say it's the rise of cynical wine.
Read more...
Myrna Robbins
THE CAPE ARGUS
RSA, September 2007
“…More affordable quality from another cellar marked by both individuality and style : Alex Dale of The Winery is always a jump ahead of national and global trends. His focus on Chenin at a time when local demand for Sauvignon is probably peaking is spot on, and his four distinct ranges allow palates and purses of varying sophistication and size to enjoy his wines. The Vinum Chenin 2006 retails for R50, and is a good example of how Chenin responds to talented viticulture, offering enjoyable complexity”.
John Platter Wine Guide, 2008 Edition
4* Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - New World styling, is crammed with same delectable cassis, dark choc, sweet spice flavours as 04, but is riper, reflecting vintage, for drinking sooner. No hardship here.
4* Vinum Chenin Blanc 2006 - shows how well good Chenin develops: citrus peel to the fore over tropical core, vein of acidity keeps everything fresh, lively.
4* Stellenboch Radford Dale Merlot 2005: schönes Rubin, etwas Cassiskonfitüre, eleganter, aber auch etwas schlanker Wein mit guter Tanninstruktur
4* Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Vinum 2005: dichtes Rot, ledrig-pflaumige Aromen, feste Tanninstruktur und gute aromatische Fülle, eleganter Wein
4* Stellenbosch Good Hope Pinotage 2006: dichtes Rubinrot, pfeffrige Kirschfrucht, saftig, fruchtig, etwas wenig Tiefe und Länge
5* Stellenbosch Radford Dale Gravity 2004: dichtes Rubin, würzige, tiefe Fruchtaromen, fest strukturierter Wein mit guter Länge, braucht noch Zeit
4* Stellenbosch Radford Dale Gravity 2005: dichtes Rot, noch verhaltene Nase, feste, große Struktur, braucht noch Zeit, Tannine noch eine Spur bitter
4* Stellenbosch Radford Dale Shiraz - Viognier 2005: dichtes Rubinrot, tiefe Cassisaromen, gut strukturiert, aber mit zu viel Schärfe, 2. Probe : frisches Rubinrot, klassisches Syrahbukett mit schwarzen Beeren, elegante, feste Struktur, besser als bei der Vorprobe
3* Swartland Black Rock Shiraz - Carignan - Grenache 2006: leuchtendes, frisches Rubin, etwas zu neutral in der Nase und zu wenig Frucht am Gaumen
Dr. Eckhard Supp, Germany, October 2007.
The Winery of Good Hope Chenin Blanc 2007 R35 - 14.5
Vinum Africa Chenin Blanc 2006 R50 - 15.5
The media information accompanying these two chenins from the dynamic Winery of Good Hope, headquartered in Stellenbosch, claims they are ‘intended to help change the South African wine drinker’s perceptions that this white variety is only for early drinking’ and ‘are crafted for enhanced longevity of three to six years’.
Techniques or factors that co-owner, Alex Dale says contribute to this longevity include careful site selection (to ensure the vines benefit from cooling maritime breezes), limiting yields (to enhance fruit quality), extended lees contact (for structure and flavour), and long maturation times (for complexity and integration).
We found the less expensive of the two very enjoyable with pineapple and cinnamon notes, intense pear and leesy flavours, and a rounded, persistent finish. It certainly has benefited from its four month sojourn on the lees.
The Vinum Africa example, too, has the structure and intensity for cellaring. A small portion of the juice (5%) was fermented and matured for 10 months in mainly new Burgundian oak. Also from old bush vines and a cool Helderberg vineyard, it is intensely long, with complex vanilla, fynbos and mountain side scrub aromas and flavours.
I find it a well integrated and classy drink... Both wines bear an unobtrusive 14% alc. While agreeing they will benefit from bottle aging, perhaps closer to three rather than six years is more realistic a period.
Cathy van Zyl MW,
GRAPE, South Africa, October 2007
The Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2004
Stellenbosch and Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 are on top of the world - leading Wine Enthusiast magazine’s annual ranking of the Best Buys for the Pennywise, in its November 2006 issue. For this ranking the magazine chose bottles that retail for no more than $15 and states that they 'have a quality-to-price ratio that would qualify them as Best Buys in our international Buying Guide'. The Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 (Stellenbosch) topped the feature with 89 points, retailing in the United States at $14. It was judged: "A wine true to Stellenbosch at an affordable price." This wine is dark red in the glass and slowly reveals itself as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Hints of leather and barnyard lift to show dark berry aromas, while the entry is smooth and silky, a chocolate undercurrent leading towards more substantial cassis and mixed berry with cola and leather notes. Firm in the mouth, it has graceful tannins that will evolve over the next few years. The Winery’s founder Alex Dale is delighted with the magazine’s accolade, particularly as it is the second year running that this wine producer has been rated so highly by this influential US wine publication. The 2004 Vinum Chenin Blanc was also rated Best Buy by the Wine Enthusiast, the Wine Spectator and Robert Parker, completing a hat-trick of recognition in all the US major rating publications.
MICHAEL OLIVER, NOSH NEWS –SOUTH AFRICA. JULY 2007
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2006 ****
Showing expected class and concentration: tropical fruit, some citrus; curvaceous body & variety’s appetising acidic bite.
Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ****
Sleek & polished: cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla spicing & a satin textured accessibility, despite the underlying structure.
JOHN PLATTER SOUTH AFRICAN WINE GUIDE 2007
2004 The Winery of Good Hope Vinum Africa Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch
($14) Medium-deep red. Raspberry and flowers on the nose. Sweet, smooth and lively, with good intensity to the red berry and spicy oak flavors. Finishes with substantial ripe tannins. Nicely balanced, suave wine.
USA, March 2007
November 15, 2006
Selling at R50, Vinum Africa Chenin Blanc 2005, released earlier this month, should not be missed: it is an excellent example of what the Chenin renaissance is about, offering contemporary quality from Helderberg bush vines. Citrus flavours are spiked with spice, but neither overwhelms: elegance is captured in a screwcap bottle. This cellar is the first South African producer to become a member of the International Screwcap Initiative, a non-profit organisation started in Australasia to promote quality through the use of screwcap seals.
Myrna Robins
Weekend Argus, July 29 2006
NEIL PENDOCK’S RECOMMENDED WINES OF THE WEEK
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2005
This is my favourite Chenin Blanc at present. It is packed with fruit, but has a certain tightness and nervosity which is almost Chablis-like. I know Chablis is made of Chardonnay, but you know what I mean, I’m sure ! The fresh pear-like fruitiness is balanced with minerality and it is a truly refreshing, intriguing wine, with well-integrated oak. Created at The Winery of Good Hope by Alex Dale and his team.
SUNDAY TIMES, AUGUST 6 2006
A MUST TRY WINE
Produced by The Winery, largely responsible for raising the profile of South Africa’s Chenin Blanc. The 2005 vintage is said to surpass their 2004 and is restrained, elegant, with a touch of flintiness and plenty of length.
2005 Vinum Chenin Blanc
Mary Jane Harris
Woman & Home, October 2006
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2005 R50 16.5 points
One of South Africa's generally most under-rated chenins, mainly because Alex Dale, co-owner of The Winery, doesn't enter competitions; nor, generally, is this wine spoken about with the same regularity and enthusiasm as others with a higher profile. Yet it has shown remarkable consistency since the maiden 2001, its defining characteristics being aromatic delicacy combined with concentration and richness of structure. The constant has been the grape source: old, dryland bush vines on the Helderberg. In a hot dry vintage like 2005 these vines held their own thanks to their deep root systems. Oak plays a role but is sensitively judged to add richness rather than dominate; the 5% of the wine fermented (and matured nine months on lees) in new oak, plus a highish 14.5% alcohol lend a strong buttery straw colour to the wine. Multi-layered aromas include honey, citrus and a piquant floral note (elderflower for those who know this European plant). There's a sense of weight and texture with freshness, both of which lend good definition. Balance, polish and persistence are further attributes. Still quite closed, a rewarding future appears assured.
Angela Lloyd, Grape South Africa
Wine Spectator, April 2006
James Molesworth’s Recommended South African Wines
TOP VALUES
VINUM Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc 2004 (87 points)
Mature flavours of brown butter and apple. Stays firm and nervy underneath. Dry, stony finish.
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2004
Vinum, Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch, 2004. $11
As spring approaches and the weather improves, Chenin Blanc makes for a great spring transitional wine. And with temperatures in the high 60s today, spring is in the air. In the past week, I tried five Chenins and this cheapest one (and only new world one) stood up well, perhaps because the non-interventionist team in South Africa is headed by Frenchman Edouard Labeye. Light notes of flowers, a squeeze of lime, and faint vanilla infuse this snappy value vino. Serve it with fish or appetizers or wherever you would have had American Chardonnay 5 years ago. Importer: Vinnovative Imports, Charlotte, NC. 5,000 cases produced.
Dr. Vino's wine blog
wine talk that goes down easy
SA wines get the world-class taste
Myrna Robins –Cape Argus : Good Tastes feature, 25th March 2006
“Entrepreneurial partners and innovative plantings characterize operations at The Winery, where clever marketing complements consistent quality across four ranges.”
South African Wine, part 2
Jamie Goode, UK, May 2006
Heather Whitman
Winery of Good Hope Chenin Blanc 2005 Stellenbosch
This is Radford Dale’s more affordable, everyday Chenin, which is fermented in tank with some extended lees contact. Nice honeyed nose with a trace of herby Chenin fruit. Lovely palate is quite rich with some delicious cheesy, herbal fruit. Lots of personality to this fruit-driven wine. Very good+ 87/100
Vinum Chenin 2004 Stellenbosch
With this, Alex is looking for a wine that will age longer, with more minerality and flintiness and less fruit. A small proportion goes into small French oak barrels. There’s lots of personality here: it’s minerally, with notes of straw and herbs. The palate has a lovely savoury, herbal character together with nice minerality and weight. A lovely food wine. Very good+ 89/100
Radford Dale Chardonnay 2003 Stellenbosch
Lovely weight and richness: an expressive, slightly nutty Chardonnay with a toasty edge to it. The oak doesn’t overpower. It’s rich, but not over the top; a nice wine, made with restraint. After alcoholic fermentation this is kept at 4–7 ºC for five or six months to delay malolactic and give the wine a chance to interact with the lees and oak. Malolactic is inhibited with sulfur dioxide after this. Very good+ 88/100
Black Rock 2004 Perderberg, Swartland
The first release of this wine, which comes from the up-coming Perderberg region. It’s mainly Chenin (75%) with some Chardonnay and a touch of Viognier. There’s a nice weight of cheesy, straw-tinged herby fruit. It’s generously textured and has good acidity. A really lovely wine that combines weight with freshness. Very good/excellent 90/100
Radford Dale Shiraz 2003 Stellenbosch
Sweet dark fruits nose with a sweet vanilla and coconut edge, together with some tarriness. The palate shows good concentration of sweet, accessible red fruits. Perhaps just a touch confected but very approachable. After a while there’s a bit of dark chocolatey fruit. It’s tighter and more expressive. Very good/excellent 90/100
Radford Dale Gravity 2004 Stellenbosch
A blend of Cabernet (50%), Merlot (25%) and Shiraz (25%). Lovely ripe dark fruits nose with a minerally, slightly leafy character and a tarry edge. The palate is dominated by smooth sweet dark fruits. Well defined with an earthy, spicy savouriness adding a lovely spicy definition. Very good/excellent 92/100
Chenin 2005 ****
Good Value selection.
From Helderberg bushvines; shows honey & apricot with generous acidity, nascent complexity.
Cabernet-Sauvignon 2004 ****
Shows spicy Xmas cake nose, elegant perfumed cassis flavours, very good balance & length; needs time.
John Platter South Africa Wine Guide 2006
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2004 (Stellenbosch): 89 points.
Just a hint of wood from a small percentage of barrel ageing gives this wine an open, buttery character. From vines on the slopes of the Helderberg mountain outside Stellenbosch. There are great, ripe flavours. Best Buy.
WINE ENTHUSIAST, USA, 15.11.05
Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon 2003
Bright ruby red. High toned aromas of cassis, bitter chocolate and mint. Juicy, sweet and accessible... In fact, this firmly built, rather stylish wine is currently dominated by its juicy acidity and tannic spine.
Steve Tanzer, April 2005
John Platter South African Wine Guide 2005
“Blood, guts and passion go into every wine from this extraordinary collaboration…”
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2003 ****
Good value. From prime, mature Helderberg vineyards. Pure lemon blossom scents; tapered mineral length, great finesse; most characterful and appealing.
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2004 ****
Riper, greater orange zest/honey intensity; substantial mouthful clean, pure flavours with minerally intensity, delicate oak expansion.
Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon 2003 ***x
Invariably hits the team’s goal of refined structure with accessible fruit. Elegant 2003 prime example; reverberating cassis, soft berry scents, flavours; sleek; mouthwatering juiciness; harmonious.
If the finish on the black cherry and blackberry-scented 2003 Cabernet sauvignon fleshes out in the next few months, this wine could merit two to three points more. Big, dense and ample, it is a medium-bodied, satin-textured effort crammed with sweet, spicy black fruits. Fresh, expressively and enormously appealing. Drink this fine value over the next 5 years.
Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon 2003
- Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, October 2004
Waiting for wine to mature.
“Vinum's 2003 Chenin Blanc displays none of the characteristics that come to mind when one considers its varietal...it offers a rich toasted oak-laden nose, a gorgeously supple texture, and smokey melon flavours. This excellent value is an internationally styled wine to drink over the next 18 months” (87 points).
Another noteworthy value is Vinum’s 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh herbs are intermingled with black fruits in its aromatics. On the palate this wine reveals a medium bodied, structured personality filled with jiucy blackberries and black currants. It has excellent density of fruit, loads of spices and a firm finish” (Chenin Blanc 2003 - 87 points)
- Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate's 'The Value Report',(USA) Sept 2003
“One of the Cape’s most characterful and appealing. 03 has the hallmark pure lemon-blossom scents. Bigger than concentrated 02 but balanced with tapered mineral length, great finesse”
****(4 stars) Chenin Blanc 2003
- John Platter South African Wine Guide 2004
“Accessible, well-structured style…elegantly flaunts inviting black berry/cassis fruit; juicy exuberance carefully rounded by modicum oak, intergrated tannin”
*** and half (3 and a half stars) Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
- John Platter South African Wine Guide 2004
“The tres chic label, with ‘Vinum’ transformed into an arrangement of curved and straight lines, is cryptic as well as attractive. But it’s well worth the trouble. This is as close to the Loire as the Cape has managed yet, with a restrained, classically flinty, lanolin nose, layers of clean fruit and a long mineral-filled finish. Harmonious and elegant, the wine has balanced acidity and well-judged oak.” (**** 4 stars – Vinum Chenin Blanc 2002)
- Grape, South Africa - July-Sept 2003
Grape and man.
“The Vinum 2002 Chenin Blanc is a typical in that the usual guava aromas are absent. Instead it is lemony, dry but fruity and complements many dishes, including those complex salads packed with diverse ingredients”
- Myrna Robins, Weekend Argus May 3rd 2003
“Alex Dale has refreshingly unorthodox views on how NOT to sell wine…spot his ‘seven deadly sins’, from ethnic-bongo brands and the viticultural small-print to the show wines and the medals – and you’ve got a whole new way of selling wine. Makes you think, doesn’t it?”
- Graham Howe, Wine.co.za, 18th June 2003
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2002: "This very good Chenin Blanc is dry and full-bodied, but not oaky; its subtle aromas and flavors suggest honey, pear and hints of lemon. It has the typical citrus-yet-rich texture of Chenin Blanc."
Mary Ewing Mulligan MW, New York Daily News, June 2003
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2002: “Gravelly scents of minerals and lime coast through this Chenin, lasting with a quiet, yellow fruitiness”
87 points - Wine & Spirits magazine, USA. Summer 2003
…they are managing to turn out some of South Africa's most competently made wines with real appeal to palates outside South Africa and at far from ridiculous prices. The Vinum Chenin Blanc and Cabernet-Sauvignon both taste and look exceptional.
- Jancis Robinson MW, October 2002
VINUM CHENIN BLANC 2001
A richly honeyed, creamy wine with baked-pear and apple fruitiness. …very modern, golden coloured, oaky white has nutty, smoky edges…a fabulous fruity wine.
- Kitty Johnson, Sunday Express UK, October 2002
This micro producer has taken off like the proverbial bat… with marketing radar that's spot on : high quality contents in stylish packaging, all at very reasonable prices."
- John Platter South African Wine Guide 2002
VINUM CHENIN BLANC 2001 : "This full-bodied wine could hardly look more glamorous -a great deal more glamorous than its price tag would suggest. And it tastes pretty good too. …made from the produce of a single vineyard on the foothills of the Helderberg Region south of Stellenbosch. Maximum flavour has been squeezed out of the grapes by letting the wines rest in contact with the lees of fermentation. The South African Wine bible, John Platter South African Wine Guide, raves about this canny producer who delivers value and quality."
- JANCIS ROBINSON MW, September 2002
"Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon 2001 : 5th out of 84 : Soft, soft, soft - like spicy licorice and prune sauce blanketing your taste buds, which surrender immediately and dream away. Extremely mild and drinkable despite its youth, but there is a hidden backbone and supporting tannins, event though the tannins are mild and soothing. Delicious, individual food wine, very convincing in its consequent soft style"
- OLDENBURGS VINGUIDE 2003, Denmark
"Striking similarity between 2002 and maiden 2001 (terroir not cellar legerdemain); new vintage better balanced, more concentrated. Spring-fresh lemon fragrance; tight-wound palate, incisive dryness need / demand year to unfurl."
**** (4 Stars) Vinum Chenin Blanc 2002
- John Platter South African Wine Guide 2003
"Modern style that will keep traditionalists happy too. Bright, sassy '99 scooped by 2000, bigger, more serious; mouthfilling and ripely vinous. Polished dry tannins pervade…"
**** (4 Stars) Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon 2000
- John Platter South African Wine Guide 2002
Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s
GREED RELIEF: 75 EXCELLENT VALUES
a general guide to interpreting the numerical rating- 80-89 : such a wine,
particularly in the 85-89 range, is very, very good; many of these wines that fall into this range often are great values as well.
Grapes leaving for the winery
at sunrise.
VINUM 2001 CABERNET SAUVIGNON : STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA- 88 PTS.
Vinified with the help of Edouard Labeye…this wine sports a gorgeous nose of ripe blackberries, cassis, and black raspberries. It has excellent to outstanding depth of fruit, concentration, and power. Lush waves of dark berries can be found throughout its character as well as in its long, flavorful finish. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.
- EXCELLENT VALUE, August 2002
"86 points and an excellent value" - Vinum Chenin Blanc 2001
- The Wine Advocate
The most fatiguing report to write for this guide is the one on excellent values.
Over 3,000 wines have been tasted in order to unearth these appealing bargains.
The unmistakable irony of the international marketplace is that the top end of luxury priced wines is preposterously overpriced, regardless of how superb some of those wines might be.
At the bottom of the market, most wines offer little except acidity, wood, alcohol, and an absence of fruit.
Yet the wines contained in this report are often amazing for their price.
- Robert Parker
SOUTH AFRICA
Certainly a contender for Best Wine Label of the Year, the 1999 Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon's label looks like a gold African symbol, but in reality it spells out the winery's name. It reveals sweet red fruit aromas, and elegant personality. Red and black currants, cherries, and raspberries can be found in this bright, lively Cabernet. Drink it over the next 2-3 years. It is an excellent value. Date: 8-31-01
"Stylish packaging (feature of range) mirrors steely brightness of '01; expressive, delightfully individual; piquant flint, lemon-grass, oak-spice subtleties preceed almos unbelievably delicate lemony intensity"
**** (3 1/2 Stars) 2001 Vinum Chenin-Blanc
- John Platter South African Wine Guide 2002
"Superb racy and softly spiced. Terrific texture, deep and all-enveloping, and a lingering richness of great charm." 1999 Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon
- Malcolm Gluck, UK, www.superplonk.com, September 2001
The bald and the beautiful overseeing Vinum Cabernet
grapes at harvest time.
"No. 2…Quelques centaines de caisses seulement de ce vin rouge profond, très concentré au nez comme en bouche, aux tanins soyeux, presque fondants. (Only a few hundred cases produced of this deep, concentrated red wine - both on the palate and the nose- with silky almost melting tannins.)
1999 Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon
Survey of SA's top wines Gault Milau, France: Top 10 South African wines, September 2000
"No mere crowd pleaser…but a seriously sleek combination of fruit-first philosophy and classic structure. Coffee, cassis and freshly-rolled tobacco are all present in a wonderfully appealing, warm aroma, while the equally engaging palate sees generous blackcurrants and raspberries allied to a gentle pepperyness. Hard to believe it weighs in at less than £8 ".
1999 Vinum Cabernet-Sauvignon
Oddbins, Winter 2001 / 2002