David & Nadia Aristargos 2021

Starting with a broad and waxy nose of elegant yellow apples, sweet citrus and plum blossom, the 2021 Aristargos is delightful and intricate in the glass. Medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is enticing with the flavors of Meyer lemon and spiced white tea, while displaying a dusty mineral tension that evolves over the long, spicy and complex finish. It’s a brilliantly layered wine that will remain food-friendly for years to come.

The 2018 Pinotage comes from one of the higher-altitude sites, so it is picked earlier than the whites. It includes 100% whole bunch fruit, spends three weeks on the skins and is matured in 4,000-liter foudres; it undergoes just a little carbonic maceration. This bottle showed a bit of reduction on the nose, although that will blow off with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins and nicely judged acidity, and the solid, slightly austere finish indicates that it will need three or four years in bottle. Fine, but not a Pinotage predisposed to appeal to the masses. (11/2019)

A blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Roussanne, Sémillon and Clairette from 12 different vineyards, this 2016 is the product of a small crop. The team were forced to pick earlier than usual. It has a richer nose of baked apple, followed on the palate by fresh green apple as well as apple crumble flavours. It has a lemony acidity with some mineral touches, allied to a fuller, richer texture than previous years thanks to a lower pH. (6/2019)