Other Wine Regions

Splurge on the magnificent 2022 Berry Bros Swartland Red by the Sadie family. It’s a wonderfully seductive Syrah with layer after layer of fat, fleshy, spicy incense and bramble fruit.

Jane MacQuitty, The Times (February 2024)

We’re thrilled to work with the legendary Eben Sadie for our Swartland Red, a new addition to our Own Selection. Eben has planted some incredible new vineyards over the last decade. In the future, he’ll use the fruit of these young vines for his own signature wines. But for now, he is working exclusively with us on our Swartland Red and Swartland White.

The precise blend will change from one year to the next; our 2022 Swartland Red is made from 100% Syrah fruit. With pure, freshly picked raspberries on the nose, the palate has deep, fleshy, bramble fruits and gravelly minerality. A delicate umami note lingers on the invigorating finish.

Ready to drink now

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (May 2023)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is all you could hope for from Australian Cab. This is already showing a nice development, with woodsmoke and gentle pepper underneath the rich blackberry, cassis and eucalyptus character. The palate is rich, concentrated and yet silky smooth, with tannins than show subtle grip. The tobacco and polished leather character on the mid-palate bring real balance and lift. A real reminder of why I love Australia Cabernet Sauvignon.

Drink 2026 - 2044+

Paul Keating, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd

Very much a young wine in its primary stage, this is silky and powerful and tasted excellent during this vertical, despite 2010 being an extremely difficult vintage for winemaker Michael Silacci. 

The year got off to a cool start, followed by a heatwave - the grapes at Opus escaped the shrivelling that much of Napa saw because of leaf cover. There are still plenty of signposts towards a hot summer - olive paste, rosemary, garrigue and liquorice notes, gorgeous ground coffee bean edging, and an excellent layer of freshness that picks things up on the finish and stops it being overly powerful. 

I like years in Napa that have a little fault in them - too much perfection with the natural generosity of Napa can make for an overly powerful wine, and I celebrate the nuances here. 

1% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot complete the blend. 19 days skin contact.

Drink 2021 - 2040

Jane Anson, Decanter.com (September 2019)

52% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir, and 17 % Pinot Meunier from the 2018 harvest, with tank-aged reserve wines added. Dosage 5.7 g/l.

Hambledon Vineyard has a long and fascinating history. Not only does the village have the reputation as the cradle of cricket, long before Lord’s, it seems, but it is also the location of the first English commercial vineyard, courtesy of the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones, who developed the vineyards in the early 1950s. After an uneventful hiatus, the vineyard was purchased by Ian Kellett in 1999, and his investments of both patience and capital are now yielding fruit, quite literally, in the form of some of the best-located Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in the country.

Fruits of the 2011 harvest, with reserve sines added from 2010, this is a most impressive effort, its lees-ageing imparting gentle biscuity notes and adding weight and structure to the first impressions, which recall English orchard fruit, yellow fruits and quince.

Berry Bros. & Rudd

We’re delighted to work with the legendary Eben Sadie for our Swartland White, a brand-new wine in our Own Selection. Eben has been planting some wonderful new vineyards over the last 10 years. In the future, he’ll use the grapes from these young vines to produce his own signature wines. For now, though, he is working exclusively with us on our Swartland White and Swartland Red.

The precise blend will change from one vintage to another; our 2022 Swartland White is a blend of Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc. The nose is lively, with notes of yellow apple, white flowers and honey. The palate is gorgeous with tart white peach, fine minerality and a hint of tangerine. The finish is fresh and wonderfully pure.

Ready to drink now

Catriona Felstead MW, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (May 2023)

Robert Parker has been quoted as saying that the wines of Vérité can compete with the best of Bordeaux when tasting a vertical of La Muse; “Not just ‘like Pétrus’ but a great vintage of Pétrus’.” Gorgeous, dark, layered fruit within a broad structured frame. Balances weight, power and freshness very well and develops meaty animal hints alongside the dark blackcurrant fruit. At 15 years old, the tannins are super fine, and the length across the palate is remarkable. A real treat, drink now and over the coming 15 years.

Martyn Rolph, Head of Buying, Berry Bros. & Rudd

The 2013 Le Desir represents 2,500 cases. 

This is the softest of the three wines in 2013, and this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 23% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec emerges with more than half of the cuvée coming from Hillsides in Alexander Valley, 37% from Chalk Hill and the rest tiny dollops from Bennett Valley and Knights Valley. Opaque purple, like its siblings, the wine shows incredible floral, blueberry and espresso notes, exotic Asian spices, velvety texture, a supple, multilayered mouthfeel and an incredible finish, with incense and liquorice. 

This is a magnificent young wine, with a good 40-50 years of upside potential. Pierre Seillan is justifiably proud of what he has achieved, and his first vintage of Vérité was only 1998, but they go from strength to strength.

Drink 2015 - 2065

Robert M. Parker, Jr., Wine Advocate (October 2015)

I knew it was only a matter of time before Davide Cilli would make a wine at Promontory that would represent the maximum expression of this rugged hillside site. The 2014 Promontory has been exceptional in the past, but it has also gained another gear or two over the last year, which is pretty much now standard for these wines. Stunningly delineated and precise, with tremendous purity and exceptional balance, the 2014 Promontory dazzles from start to finish. 

This is an especially translucent style, one that is more about persistence and balance than power alone. Stated simply, the 2014 Promontory is towering achievement from one of Napa Valley's most talented young winemakers. Kudos to the Harlan family and the winegrowing team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting for creating the framework that allowed Cilli to craft this exquisite, riveting Cabernet Sauvignon.

Drink 2022 - 2039

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (December 2018)

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Opus One bursts from the glass with ripe blueberries, black cherry jam and cr?me de cassis with hints of violets, dark chocolate, cedar chest and cardamom, plus a touch of charcoal. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the palate delivers layer upon layer of opulent stewed black fruit with amazing tension and firm, ripe, fine-grained tannins, finishing long with a whole array of exotic spices coming through.

Drink 2021 - 2055

Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Wine Advocate (Feb 2021)

The lesser known (almost) twin of Porseleinberg – 80%+ of the grapes here are grown by Callie Loux on the famed farm, with the balance coming from next door at Goldmine (another fine source itself). If you were to classify Syrah vineyards in the Cape, these two would be at the very top of the list. Winemaker Gottfried Mocke applies a gentle hand in the cellar, with 60% whole cluster retained adding a delicious smoky bacon note to the soft, black fruit. Silky tannins with just a little bite at the end and lots of soft, spicy fruit. If you’re not lucky enough to be on the allocation list for Porseleinberg, dive in here! This is a Syrah of the highest order.

Drink 2024 - 2040

With fine, lifted red and black fruit aromas, this wine still feels incredibly youthful. The palate is soft with ripe hedgerow berry fruit dominating, moving into a sweet red cherry note. The wine is mellow yet still fresh with a mid-weight, Southern Rhône feel to it. With a brilliant twist of spice on the finish, this is really lovely to drink now yet certainly has some time ahead of it yet too.

Drink 2024 - 2028

Toasty on the nose with orange zest, blossom, and a hint of burnt sugar. Citrus, melon and steamed rice on the palate, with a brioche depth and an umami undertone. It finishes long and clean with a pinch of white pepper spices on the tip of the tongue.

Drink 2022 - 2027

Showing a beautiful perfume of crushed red and warm black fruits, this wine is ripe but not overly so on the palate. It’s totally beguiling because of its New World flare combined with Old World purity, and really is rather spectacular.
(Simon Staples, BBR Sales & Marketing Director)

This is a Pinot Noir that I would be happy to drop blind in any Burgundy tasting.

The 2021 Pinot Noir has a lucid colour. This has a superb bouquet, more transparency and complexity than the 2020. Vivid red fruit mixes with a touch of sous-bois and tomato vine. It’s probably my favourite of the Pinots so far. The palate has exquisite balance with slightly edgy tannins, impressive transparency, vivid cranberry and wild strawberry notes, and a sense of symmetry towards the finish. A bottle poured blind in New York showed more red fruit, Gamay-like characteristics.

Drink 2024 - 2034

Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)