My WEAKNESS - MASTER OF WINE Blind Tastes SOUTH AFRICAN Wines

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I have used this glass in this Video: RIEDEL Veritas Champagne
I have tasted the following wines in this Video:
2018 Credo Chenin Blanc Quattuor
2020 Kloof Street Chenin Blanc Mullineux
2020 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
2018 Nederburg Manor House Cabernet Sauvignon
2019 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block
2018 Kanonkop Pinotage Stellenbosch
In one of my previous blind tasting videos, I mentioned that South Africa is one of my weak spots when it comes to blind tastings… No surprise that you overwhelmingly voted for South Africa when I asked you which country I should cover next. South Africa’s history is very interesting: Even though it is considered New World it started producing wine in the second half of the 17th century and the sweet wine from the Constantia winery became more famous than the great wines from Europe.
Issues with Phylloxera and a focus on quantity over quality led to a decline of the industry that was only reversed at the end of the 20th century. Today South Africa has 92.000 ha of vineyards, less than Germany and most of the wine regions are very close to the Atlantic and Indian oceans - so there is a cooling influence coming from these bodies of water. This is why it is possible to grow cool-climate grape varieties such as Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Chenin Blanc - also known as Steen - is the most widely planted grape and South Africa is the leading producer of wines from this grape. The Sauvignons, Chardonnays, and Pinots are also very widely distributed.

[@yriafehtivan]

I will never stop loving South African wine. It's amazing the value you get from them.

[@cheesvake6887]

As a South African I am so happy you made this video but there are so many better wines we offer that could of been tasted. Warwick the blue lady, Iona Pinot noir and Optima are a few I could recommend

[@jamesmay1900]

Warwick and Tall Horse are my favorite...

[@Craigwdlr]

As a South African I felt cheered when I traveled a bit and tasted old world wines and realized how wrong we get winemaking in the Cape, it’s sad that we grow up thinking that’s what wine generally is like.

[@nonhlanhlamahlangu8427]

@@Craigwdlr after watching this I definitely had that realisation

[@nonhlanhlamahlangu8427]

Warwick is nice but please try kononkop the Cabernet Sauvignon I think it's the best wine I've ever had it retails for about R450-500

[@rugbyrant7299]

Unfortunately He tasted the cheapest Nederburg... and nederburg is one of the worlds best wines 2021 and 2022... Maybe need to talk to the winemaker and send off a few top tier bottles! and yes we have plenty of good wines...

[@briancartoscelli8029]

Baby diaper, hahahaha that was great! Love it . I know what you mean . I have had this taste before come through

[@oxvaldus]

Would love to see Chile in a tasting like this. There's so much more here than what gets tasted un KZbin usually.

[@marcogreeff4053]

There's a reason Lady may left Bordeaux to retire in South Africa. Our terroir is varied to the point that you can plant almost anything you like. The chocolate block could be so much better, but it's become a bit more of a mass production wine, which unfortunately is the outcome for many wines from South Africa and as the production quantity increases the quality goes down. Same goes for most of the wines he had. We have extremely good wines, but most of what is exported doesn't showcase what can be done down here. As a side note, Pinotage was an experimental accident by a professor with a great love for Pinot Noir but he couldn't grow it in his immediate vacinity. Kanonkop estate that you had is a classic but even Kanonkop makes better on the farm. Loved the video but would love for him to visit the country, there's so much to be explored.

[@vanessasierra2580]

I tasted that Pinotage yesterday, same vintage, same producer... and it was amazing! I'd never tasted any wine from South Africa before and it was an incredible experience. Thanks for your video! Cheers!

[@Speed_7545]

Right? The QPR is outstanding.

[@gtdriver7423]

Hi Konstantin, nice video! I‘m a hughe fan of SA Wines und I tasted a lot of wines over the last 20 years during my vacations in SA Winelands. My favorites (only a small collection 🤩)are the Syrah Reserve and Ghost Gum from Stony Brook/ Franschhoek, Pinotage Reserve and the Sauvignon Blancs from Diemersdal/Durbanville, the Sauvignon Blancs from Cape Point Vineyards, the 2019 Hussey‘s Vlei Sauvignon Blanc from Buitenverwachting ( my winner SB wine last year), all Cederberg Wines, Ataraxia Chardonnay, Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc Bush Wine, Chenin Blanc from Ken Forrester, most of the wines from Springfield Estate/Robertson, Bouchard Finlayson and of course Hamilton Russel incl. Southern Right, Cabernet Franc from High Constantia and much much much more ……Cheers 🥳

[@davidrodger7495]

Coming in late here. I only just discovered your channel and am enjoying it greatly. Regrettably, here in Australia, South African wines are hard to come by. I'm a long-time pinot fan and feel fortunate to have begun my journey with Yarra Valley wines. But enduring memories are of tasting at Hamilton Russell. In 1990, a couple of years into my pinot kick, I though the HR was well made but not quite right... probably my inexperience. When I revisited in 2017, it was a revelation. The pinot and chardonnay are astounding, at a minimum the equal of anything made here. Now, occasionally, I can only gaze wistfully at my out-of-date copy of John Platter.

[@nickysingh007]

Love it when you are honest like "I'm stuck" - great video!

[@ChaingunCassidy]

I'm loving the trip around the world with wines. If you do an Australia video you should include the region close to where I was born, Orange. In the 1980's when it came to wine in central western New South Wales, Mudgee was the undisputed king of wines in the area, but local politicians in Orange wanted a slice of that so they made efforts to enable local wine growers to produce the best wines possible and now we're seeing the results, wines from the Orange region are giving wines from famous regions like the Barrossa, McLaren Vale and Hunter Valley stiff competition and their Chardonnay is finding an audience worldwide and you probably know how in demand Australian Chardonnays are so to stand out in that market you have to be a top quality producer.

[@carlcadregari7768]

Always enjoy your videos. Watching you you go through your deductive process is quite interesting! I am a pinotage fan, I have that Kanonkop and their cape blend too, a couple chenin blancs and some Sauvignon Blanc too. But I have to say I really like the Vin de Constance….has to one of my top favorite sweet wines….

[@russellwall1964]

Oh, yes….. South African wines!! You are not the only one with a weakness for them. I was introduced to them about 3 years ago and fell completely in love with them. Glad you covered these!!!

[@albertbotha]

You should come and visit. Brilliant food and wine destination.

[@davelawrence1856]

Enjoyed the video and found it very interesting. Having lived in South Africa for nearly 27 years before returning to the UK, I am still a fan of the wines produced there and it is good to see an increase in the range of producers that are now available in the UK compared to a few years ago. Unfortunately apart from one supermarket the quality of South Africa wines available to the general public is really poor and does the wine industry no favours at all. Have to agree about the Chocolate Block which was not my favourite. The area that Hamilton Russell comes from has many great Pinot noir that should be investigated. My favourite producer at this time is Flagstone which I think offers great value.

[@nwolf82]

Barista Pinotage. Approximately 10 USD in Russia and I love its flavor

[@olwethusilo7155]

I'm here watching this in faith, refreshing my memory before the updated South African wine tasting that is to come!

[@torvaldalexander1996]

Love your approach on reviews, keep going sir.

[@michaelwalker6523]

Hamilton Russel's chardonnays are always a favorite. As you described, thy bring both higher toned citrusy flavors as well as richer baked good flavors without ever getting flabby, oaky or hot.

[@itsmederek1]

Great video! Next time it would be nice if you could reveal all the wines at the same time after you have made a guess on each of them instead of going one by one. It was a bit unfortunate that you could guess the Pinotage because it was the last one left. I will definitely have to try Kanonkop though! Another idea is to have one wine from a different country added into the tasting, so that even though it is unlikely there is always a chance that the wine you are tasting is from a different country than the tastings focus. This would keep you on your toes more! Speaking as a regular viewer a lot of the entertainment in a video like this comes from seeing you challenge yourself and less from you simply showing off your skills, hence why viewers picked South Africa and not a country you were confident in. We know you have the skills, you are a Master of Wine! I can say for sure that there are barely any wine experts on KZbin who are willing to go out on a limb and risk blind tasting, even though that is what the people want to see. For this reason I appreciate it a lot that you do do this and think that embracing it even more and making the tastings harder would be amazing for your content.

[@ApothecaryTerry]

This video grabbed my attention because as a wine novice, pinotage is one of my favourites (apparently that's weird)...and turns out the last one was my favourite pinotage! I do like Kanonkop wines, although usually it's the Kadette if I'm honest.

[@nonhlanhlamahlangu8427]

Me too my fave and best wine I've ever had the Cabernet Sauvignon though

[@raysparks7555]

As a primarily red wine drinker, I have recently been drinking ( in order of preference ) the following SA reds: Babylonstoren - Nebukadnesar 2018 and 2019 vintages - the latter being better; De Toren Fusion V 2017 ( waiting for 2018 which is supposed to be better ), Constantia Glen Five 2016 and Beeslaar Pinotage 2018 - the first three being Bordeaux style blends. I have cellared all of these wines but sampled them before committing to the cellar. VALUE for money with all of these wines, even here in USA where they cost a lot more than locally. I also enjoyed the Antonij Rupert "Optima " - also a blend. Some of these wines are difficult to find in the USA market but worth looking for them.

[@blagovesttichev2745]

Please taste Bulgarian wines. We are really a hidden gem on the European wine map.

[@handrinkssolowineclub]

Thanks so much for giving airtime to the wines of South Africa! Really appreciate you talking about them! Who was your MW mentor?

[@kentpiano2600]

I found this really cool + entertaining and guessed the grapes along with you -- between us we did really well, haha! Have enjoyed 6 South Africa reds + 6 SA whites myself during September x

[@dmpietersen96]

Columella, Eben Sadie

[@drmatthewhorkey]

South Africa is definitely a weak spot on my wine map too. I love those wines from Hamilton Russell.

[@gilejoksimovic3168]

Konstantin, you really made me laugh! I've discovered the "brett" characteristic of SA wines myself but I was to embarrassed to confess. Great video!

[@gfiad2]

Haven’t had too many South African wines but I really liked Rust en Vrede Estate Red.

[@glennmartin457]

please do pinot and chardonnay tasting from the Hemel en aarde valley

[@hullion]

i like a lot the Muratie red wines especially their pinot noir. They all have some complicated names, with the added story of each type they make, which i forgot, but in any case, they are mostly in the 20-40 euro category, and the pinot noir in 20-something euro per bottle is a very good value. Yes, Kanonkop is also making great wines, and easier to find, too.

[@marktaylor7051]

most enjoyable. I guessed Hamilton Russell Chardonnay and Kanonkop Pinotage from your descriptions.

[@gerhardvisser716]

The KWV Mentor range and specifically the Orchestra is amazing!

[@benjaminvermeulen7169]

Great video, thank you Konstantin. Please do a Method Cap Classique in 10. South Africa!

[@sabrinascheer5322]

Wildekrans pinotage Barrel select is the best pinotage i ever hat. About 24-32 Euro. Und natürlich danke für das tolle Video

[@jackjack-qd3rg]

would love to see israei wine next 👍

[@grapebuster040]

Interesting video you made. The Kanonkop Pinotage is still on my bucket list. The Chocolate Block is hyped all over Vivino since years, but I was also rather disappointed. Will def try the Kloof Street.

[@garyglitta]

Apart from Kanonkop, the wines you tried don’t represent RSA that well in my view. How about trying something from Sadie, Alheit, Porseleinberg, boekenhoutskloof, hartenberg, Hamilton Russel next time! Ps: thank you for exploring South African wine and I really enjoyed the video!

[@user-ec2cy7qh2x]

Yes agreed. Most wines were from the entry level SA market and on international shelves. Happy that Kanonkop and HRV was in the tasting, 2 wineries who work very hard to be represented well in the international market. Please also look out for HRV Oregon wines, both a Chardonnay and PN made from Oregon grapes.

[@henkdelen2625]

Greetings from South Africa, thank you for the video. Will definitely add those that I haven't tried to my list. the 2018 Kanonkop Pinotage is one of the best tasting out there, for me. Some of the other wines that I truly enjoy: Beaumont - Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc 2019 Beaumont - Pinotage 2018 Springfield Estate - Méthode Ancienne Chardonnay Springfield Estate - Méthode Ancienne Cabarnet Sauvignon 2015 Bartho Eksteen - Houtskool Sauvigon Blanc 2018

[@hocheye]

Have not had many South African wines, I have had pinotage from South Africa cannot remember if I liked it or not, I will have to try another one hopefully no baby diaper! Great information!

[@neilsmith7936]

Here are my top 5 South African wines in no particular order: 1. Springfield Estate - Life From Stone (Sauvignon Blanc) 2. Anthonij Rupert - Optima (Bordeaux Blend) 3. Saronsberg - Shiraz 4. Bouchard Finlayson - Galpin Peak (Pinot Noir) 5. Delair Graff - Botmaskop (Bordeaux Blend)

[@rupertarabia]

Optima is excellent for the price point. Definitely one of my favourites, putting Vin de Constance to one side.

[@SamEst1986]

Life from Stone is phenomenal. Their Chardonnay Wild Yeast is also excellent

[@rolfkoch2348]

Love your videos. On this one I miss your ratings and the retail prices. Besides that: best wine channel out there. Congrats!

[@TheDesertWineGuy]

Love that you always keep it real.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

I appreciate that

[@papzilabzi]

I would love to see a miniseries where you try to master South African wine! Maybe 3-5 tastings with a lot of different wines in it? Would be interesting to see how you educate yourself and how you would go about it.

[@jonathanschoeller6024]

The premium range from Mullineux is world class. Especially the single vineyard range (Iron, Quartz, Granite) is bucket list stuff (and I don't mean the spitting bucket when tasting wines). The Chocolate Block is the Primitivo of SA

[@Speed_7545]

What do you think of Rust En Vrede Estate (2015) ?

[@jonathanschoeller6024]

A bit too overextracted and too full-on for me :)

[@207512386]

agree on Mullineux, incredible wines. Pity the kloof street was chosen as its their budget offering and not that wonderful.

[@egebjerg77]

Ataraxia Chardonnay is one of my favorites

[@HimanshuJeetah]

Chenin Blanc are my favorite.. Good honest tasting

[@vangestelwijnen]

Thanks Konstantin! Love/hate here too, regarding SA-wines. In the past, I found the reds always to have this 'asphalt/tar'- expression, which really was a turn off (like too much 'petrol' in riesling). I do think the reds have improved, but the biggest improvements, for me, are made with white wines. I really love the sauvignon blancs! For a humble price, lots of fresh fruit is delivered. Up to the 10 Euro per bottle department, I think these are the ones to have.

[@Big1Doc]

yet another great video :)

[@Petazzi1]

1 - Crystallum - Cuvée Cinema Pinot Noir, 2 - Kanonkop - Paul Sauer, 3 - De Toren - Fusion V.

[@sommeliermicheleorbolato9896]

Fantastic wines you found. South African wines increase a lot in quality in paste 5/7 years!!

[@CrescentRollCarl]

Interesting tasting. A region I overlook to often. Thanks!

[@abcdefghi799]

Love your videos. Would be keen to see New Zealand next!

[@francis7064]

Great video! My favourite wine is Craven Chenin Blanc but I admit I haven’t had nearly enough wines from South Africa

[@user-ec2cy7qh2x]

Super interesting and funky producer. Probably not a wine for everyone but definitely cork-dork territory. Would also recommend Thorne & Daughters, David Sadie (super Chenin producer), Porseleinberg, Chris Alheit.. there are many more 😊

[@marcelvanniekerk-edwards5272]

One thing you should note is that many of the wones you were tadting are from 2018, which wasn't a particularly good year for SA wines due to a massive drought in the Western Cape area

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Good point!

[@gregepps4710]

Greetings from SA. Try Seriously old Dirt from Vilafonte.

[@schferleon]

Nice video, great wine selection 💪💪 interesting that you smell all of them first and the contiunue on tasting .. why that?

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

To make sure my intern did not mix any Tetra Pack wines into the lineup.

[@polorodarte]

How about a Mexican wine tasting? There are some good wines in Mexico, not famous at all in the world stage but pretty good. I would like to see you talk and taste some of the good Mexican wines.

[@bmalalane]

My most favorites are, Alheit Vineyards "Cartology", and Bosmans Family wines "Adama"

[@bmalalane]

Just fell in love with another wine to add to my SA favorites. "The Foal - Chardonnay" by Cavali Wine Farm. They are a Single barrel wines, so not necessarily easy to find, but worth the order.

[@hanselcheung]

The Cathedral Cellar has always been one of my fav. Inexpensive yet yummy. Recent find is Chocolate Block. Like it so much that I bought a case.

[@sewnautiupholstery]

It's been a while, but I remember the chardonnay by Klein Constantia and Black Granite shiraz quite fondly.

[@philipellis7988]

The 2020 chocolate block is amazing, tasted 2019 and 2020 side by side and 2020 crushed it

[@johangiliomee1628]

Excellent. Well done! Hope you taste some more examples.

[@michaelosborne9279]

The Mullineux Old Vines CB is entry level for them. I really like it and think it's good value. Apparently a lot of London somms agree as I've seen it on multiple restaurant lists recently and I often order it. The Hamilton Russell is great too and much cheaper than equivalent quality burg.

[@michaelosborne9279]

Just have to edit myself. I checked and the Kloof St is different from the Old Vines chenin. It was the latter I was praising. I haven't tried the Kloof but Neal Martin gave the 2019 Kloof 90pts and the OV 94pts.

[@FuriousFry]

Hamilton Russell, aka the Mercedes vineyard. Fits too well!

[@adjusted-bunny]

Yeah, I agree: South Africa is a mixed bag. Many wines are a bit rustic and not that well balanced. Some specimen are very good, though. Same goes for quality price ratio: You can find it in every price category but it is not as abundant as say in Portugal or the South of France or Beaujolais.

[@dewaldtmaritz3372]

Rijk’s 2015 Pinotage was unbelievable. There are few great Pinotage’s in SA despite being the main producer of it. Konstantin, if you’re able to get your hands on some MCC from SA, that would make a great review.

[@111Bertus]

I absolutely agree with the Rijk's Reserve 2015 Pinotage! Something to try from the same area - Tulbagh, is the Saronsberg 2015 Full Circle. Konstantin, great videos. If you can get your hands on some of the Sadie Family wines (Swartland Region) - give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

[@michaelfallesen]

Thanx for another great video :-) My experience with South African wine is generally good. Value-for-money is the name of the game (at least in Denmark) - in the cheaper end you get real crowd-pleasers like Silverboom Merlot-Shiraz and Avenhoorn Merlot-Shiraz. They are about 6-7€, so what's not to like? :-P A suggestion for one of your next videos: Could you do an episode on Spätburgunder (German Pinot Noir)?. I have had some really great Spaẗburgunders, but I am a novice with this type of wine, so some expert advice and recommendations would be really welcome :-)

[@duncansalmon5718]

Good tasting! Hamilton Russell chardonnay is over-oaked early, but needs time in the cellar. Years ago, I gave up on Pinotage because they all tasted like they had been fermented in old tires. Maybe time to re-try.

[@christopherdunderdale7238]

Just a thought if you're looking for ideas. It's a bit expensive by SA standards, but Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage is incredible if you can get your hands on it.

[@arrowzen7433]

Largely agree - there are great ones in between though. But only know a handful of producers who do the grape well. But it is possible…

[@thibauddelplancke7139]

As a French person liovng wine and now living in SA, I have been amazed by the quality of the wines here, but a questions remains: why I feel so frequently acidity on the wines here with still a high alcoohol content ? Making red wines sometimes still fresh but white wines often too heavy and acid at the same time

[@comesahorseman]

👍👍. Subbed, nice job!

[@sabbyct]

Nice video. I am more entertained than I should be at how badly the captions butcher your words. Also was stressed by watching you wave your handsome between those wine glasses. Pro moves.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

😀

[@ivanvinope]

THANK YOU, there is so much learning done watching your videos. My favorite ZA wine is the Anthonij Rupert Merlot. Not that I have tasted that many.

[@christopherdovaston8833]

I would love to see you try some Australian wines!

[@NORWAYORNOWAY]

Nice video. ...have mostly had good to great SA Pinot Noir with bad experiences with other SA grapes. Stand out = Crystallum. Encore and please do some Austrian/German/Sweiss reds, esp. Blauburgunder! Hehe

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Thanks for sharing!

[@MsJavaWolf]

This is the first time that you tasted a wine that I also had. I had the Chocolate Block twice and I remember it not being very cheap, I was slightly disappointed by it.

[@arrowzen7433]

They used to make pretty good wines before they became commercial. Now they are the sort og winery that has vinyards near the Winery for show.

[@jacoroux7191]

My I suggest a Meerlust Rubicon or one of our noble late harvests, 2015 Edelgoud by Longridge is a particularly good one👌

[@ReTrospectiveVids]

Its so funny that the Chocolate Block here has always been (for god knows what reason) a 'go to' for many South Africans when buying a 'nice' wine. Ironically the Kanonkop Pinotage is literally half the price here and a FAR better wine in my opinion. Some of my personal SA favourites (red wine only) which you should give a try if and when you get a chance, would be the following: Eagles Nest Shiraz, Nico van der Merwe Mas Nicolas, Quoin Rock Red Blend, Kershaw Deconstructed 'Groenland Bokkeveld SH9c Syrah, Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage & TEANO Dalla Cia to name a few. The De Toren Book 17 is also something pretty special if you really want to go big!

[@user-ec2cy7qh2x]

You may be referring to the Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage being cheaper than the Chocolate Block. The Estate Kanonkop Pinotage certainly is not. The quality of Chocolate Block has increased in recent years after cellar facilities have been updated and also a new winemaker ( previously at Chamonix) joined the team. New vineyards have also been introduced.

[@spiritalex9397]

First time I think that I can answer your question of the week easily. Only had four South African wines so far and three of them were bad to boring. Therefore my favourite is the only good one which was tge Syrah of Glen Carlou (don't ask for the vintage).

[@tonydeltablues]

Very enjoyable. I liked that you were willing to put your neck out somewhat...but I guess you are a master of wine! I must say that I don't gravitate to South African wines. Pinotage is a bit of a mystery to me: I can't get over the smoky intensity. But that my be because I haven't had good quality stuff. Bravo, more :-) Tony

[@user-ec2cy7qh2x]

Some of the new wave producers are changing this perception and the new Pinotage are much brighter, fresher and fruitier. Look out for Longridge, Beeslaar, David Sadie Topography series. They are lovely light to medium red wine options and very different than the more traditional and original styles 😊

[@jamestaylor8476]

I remember reading that oaked pinotage gave off a mild coffee aroma/flavour if that helps.

[@apistosig4173]

Hey man - me is from Australia ;-) Hungary produces fabulous Pinot Noir. Having been to South Africa I can attest to the quality of the wines produced there - both reds and white. Argentina - oh man.

[@franko2053]

Alvi's Drift is the best value for price. They have a good Viogner, Chenin, Merlot and Shiraz. Fairview sell excellent wine, probably the best Riesling in SA. Niel Joubert's Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec is a have to. Diemersdal's Merlot is also very good. I also really enjoy Anura's Legato it's a fun wine to drink with a very fruity slightly sweet taste.

[@miguelcarrillo202]

Konstantin. I am super intimidated by the South African wines. I have only tried Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc once, a random Chenin Blanc and a terrible varietal called Pinotage. I had several different producers and they all tasted of gasoline, tar, black tire from a new car, and then the strangest berry flavors of blackberry and black currants. a horrible experience, but glad I can speak to it. staying thirsty

[@miguelcarrillo202]

I have to also applaud South Africa in their rise to prominence with some of their great whites and some great reds that are now competing at the highest level. Cheers

[@fredlee2239]

Thanks for this video. One off topic question. What glasses that you used? They look like Riedel but I don't know the exact model.

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

They are. I started putting the glass model in the description under the video.

[@fredlee2239]

Oh, sorry. I missed the description. Champagne glass? Is the bowl large enough for red?

[@joemoney5997]

It seems pretty clear that you are not a fan of South African wine, and should probably explore more of their premium wines. I am not a South African, but have lived in South Africa for 15 years and explored their wines deeply. The quality is on a strong upward curve with lots of interesting exploring among the young SA wine makers. I would challenge you to pick a line-up of their premium wines (two of which you had in this review) and give it a fair go, to see what they are capable of. Good luck!

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

No, I am a fan but ZA is not a country that I know very well

[@robertkish2004]

Pinotage is always difficult as the producers in South Africa haven't decided on what the style of it should be, some have a very simple Beaujolais like character with lots of potassium and banana character while others are aiming for extraction and depth of profile. Similarly Sauvignon can be very deceptive as on the south coast from Elgin or Walker Bay they drink more similar to a NZ Sauvignon, but in Stellenbosch they have an etched minerality more similar to Loire (or Bordeaux depending on the oak treatment). You are correct in that my markers for South Africa are new world fruit but with old world style and minerality.

[@psteegs1699]

Nice video. Try Newton Johnson (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir). Hamilton Russell definitely a classic Chardonnay. Jordan Nine Yards chardonnay rivals it for sure as does Lismore reserve chardonnay (my personal favourite)

[@GcobaniSipoyo]

My pic.. amadoda 3 red blend from klein constantia.. Great Review!

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Thanks for sharing!

[@jontyespen313]

I had to step in to defend my beloved mullineux. You were not impressed with their Old Vine Chenin (understandable - it's very average), but that is from the mass produced and entry level kloof street range which retails for about $6. Not to be confused with the signature series which is outstanding, and the single terroir range which is one of the best in country.

[@imbleu1067]

There are some amazing wines produced in the Cape Winelands, but it is definitely a mixed bag in terms of what makes it abroad. The best wines typically sell overseas at big markups and the cheapest wines also find themselves overseas as cheap party wine. Nederberg, while commonly available overseas, isn't a very great wine producer (at least to my taste). A lot of the high end stuff that isn't in the top 1% of South Africa's production though stays domestic. Some of my personal favourites are Creation's Viognier, Morgenster's Alessandra MCC & Morgenster's Rouge. Waterford's Kevin Arnold Shiraz and Chenin Blanc are also very good. If you go further inland, you have some amazing fortified wines such as Cape Ruby (I like Villiersdorp Winery's one a lot). There are also some lovely wines produced by Blaauwklippen and Groot Constantia which I highly recommend. If you want to go for the top of our wine production, Meerlust Rubicon is the absolute best wine produced in South Africa, and has featured at the Nobel Peace Prize dinner before.

[@kristofferholst6053]

I have 1 kanonkop pinotage 2014 left, looking forward to drinking that. I think I pretty much have liked everything I have tried from kanonkop, but pinotage and Paul sauer stands out..

[@Henoch365]

I like the format and your descriptions, but I thought this was quite an easy blind tasting, wasn't it? Guessing from the same country without really going into subregions, just leaves the grape varietal, which in South Africa are relatively limited. Anyways nice video, maybe next time a bigger challenge ;-).

[@christopherdunderdale7238]

Would definitely say some of these wines are on the more "commercial" end of the spectrum i.e. chocolate block and Nederburg. Can definitely recommend any of the wines from Uva Mira. Rustenberg wine estate make a fantastic five soldiers chardonnay. For something unique you definitely can't go wrong with some of our microclimates, suggestions below. 1. Cederberg wine estate 2. Any wine estate jn the Agulhas wine triangle e.g. Strandveld vineyards 3. Port-style wines from the Calitzdorp region e.g. Boplaas wines

[@Petazzi1]

Love the Boplaas Cape Vintage!

[@ollievw3450]

Perdeberg also has some interesting wines for a very reasonable price. I recently tasted their 2020 Grenache Blanc, which is very enjoyable. Their 2019 Cinsault is a lighter red, which one can drink slightly cooler, which makes it good for hot weather. Last year I also had a Porseleinberg 2018, which is kick-ass, but it still needs a bunch of years to mature. SA wines rock, are under-appreciated and I am glad they are becoming more well-known now. Obviously it all comes down to taste, but in SA there is something for everyone.

[@Petazzi1]

They only need a distributor in the Netherlands 😔

[@ollievw3450]

@@Petazzi1 are you talking about Perdeberg or Porseleinberg?

[@Petazzi1]

@@ollievw3450 Sorry Ollie, I meant Boplaas. Perdeberg and Porseleinberg have both disties in Holland.

[@msulwa]

As someone who lives in South Africa, it's always great to see a showcase of the awesome wine we have here. Thank you for an awesome video! It is so hard to choose my favourites, but the ones that come to mind (and there are a lot) are as follows (in no particular order): 1) Marianne - Cabernet Sauvignon, 2) Hidden Valley - Hidden Gems (Bordeaux Blend), 3) Creation - Cabernet Sauvignon, 4) Rijks - Touch of Oak (Pinotage), 5) Creation - Chardonnay, 6) Springfield - While Yeast Chardonnay, 7) Avondale - Camissa (Rosé), 8) Colmant - Blanc de blancs (Méthode Cap Classique)

[@peteradams5383]

I've always enjoyed the wines that Peter Barlow makes (made, sadly), from the Rustenberg winery, in Stellenbosch. Their standard Chardonnay is quite okay early on, but I find that softens down after 2 or 3 years, so I always have a half-case on rotation. Similar story with the John X Merriman blend, which Cab Sauv led, but Bordeaux blended. It's not dear, and is particularly enjoyable after a few years in the cupboard!

[@terrasolaris5104]

Interesting video. I just wonder why you know what wet wool (processed or still attatched to the sheep/llama) and baby diaper taste like 🤔

[@KonstantinBaumMasterofWine]

Not taste like but smells like.

[@lizzyspilsbury5266]

In the Overberg, South Africa, there are several amazing wineries that can be found. One of which is worth mentioning is Luddite Wines in Bot River. World class shiraz!! Consider reviewing some of this regions wines 🍷 you cannot believe the quality and artistry that comes out of this little valley!

[@ericthompson3255]

Favourite South African wines for me are tied between the Hamilton Russel Chardonnay, Anthonij Rupert Cabernet Franc, and the Boekenhootskloof Cabernet Sauvignon. I really love the wines of this country, and it's easily my favourite "new world" wine producing country.

[@skopskiet01]

Konstantin, I really like your channel, but Boekenhoutskloof which makes The Chocolate Block is not in the Swartland, but in the Franschoek Valley, a very different terroir.

[@Johann35667]

All the vineyards they use for chocolate block is in swartland. So on the back of the bottle one might notice it doesn't say wine of origin Franschoek.

[@skopskiet01]

@@Johann35667 Thanks for pointing that out Johan. I stand corrected!

[@jimhughes5255]

Texas Hill Country is an up and coming wine scene. Would you do a review some of the offerings from those wineries in this region?

[@linds6609]

The 2015 Chocolate Block was amazing! I wish I had bought more 😪