Most of our clients are likely familiar with Reyneke Estate, and those who aren’t should catch up quickly as they produce some of the best wines in the Cape. Johan Reyneke, the pioneering force behind the estate, has significantly stridden South African wine. Reyneke was the first Demeter-certified biodynamic estate in the country and has been classified as a South African “First Growth” by Tim Atkin MW for consecutive years.

It is an unmissable feat when wines from this prominent address are available at a reasonable cost. Today we are pleased to present the estate’s entry-level range, which they can be afforded at a mere cost of HK$935 / S$160 per case IB across the board.

This is a selection of four wines, including two reds and two whites. Lauded as “one of the best value wines in the Reyneke portfolio”, Cornerstone 2019 is a magnificent Bordeaux blend. The 2019 was the first vintage to exclude Merlot, made from a marriage between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon; this is “graceful, granular and leafy, with caressing tannins, fine oak and bright plum”.

Hailing from Polkadraai Hills, which possesses one of the best Syrah’s terroirs in the New World, Reyneke Syrah is a beauty oozing “enticing aromas of pine and lavender and a vibrant, spicy, grippy palate of fig, white pepper and barbecued meat”.

Yet, what is often the blockbusters in the portfolio is the pair of white wines. A terrific white made from a blend of two old-vine blocks planted in the 1970s, the superb Chenin Blanc 2021 impresses with a “well-defined” nose and a “poised and focused” palette. Awarded 94pts from Atkin and 93pts from Vinous, it is called “very sophisticated” white.

The only un-scored wine in the range, the 2022 Sauvignon Blanc will be a pleaser for those looking for simple Summer booze. Always a recommendation from us, we love this white for its “bright opening, fresh and saline with a taut and quite linear finish” (VN on 2021).

These Reyneke wines offer sensational quality at an almost unimaginable cost. Don’t miss out on this breath of fresh air, and grab a case or two to enjoy anytime at home!