SIMON HOGGART
1 have bored on for ages about the excellence of South African wines. The end of apartheid made it easier for the country's winemakers to adapt to the latest techniques and to follow changing international tastes, while the fall in the value of the rand has made their produce even better value. This ; cannot last for ever, and meanwhile I hope you'll snap up this selection of first-rate but very reasonably priced bottles from the enterprising Hereford merchant, Mills Whitcombe.
`Todo' is an African word meaning, I gather, 'something special'. The Todo Workers White 2003(1) does what it says on the bottle. It's made mainly from Chenin Blanc, a grape in which the South Africans specialise, and they make better wine from it than you'll find anywhere except in its French home, Vouvray. This is perfect for glugging back in summer, being crisp, balanced and fruity. Only £5.49.
The Wildekrans Chenin Blanc 2003(2) is a shade more expensive, but it is a little richer, having the same voluptuous, mouthfilling feel as a fine Vouvray. Wildekrans is a boutique property — rated, I'm told, by Decanter magazine as one of the 21 best wineries in the New World. This wine is made from very low yields, so the flavour is
concentrated in fewer grapes. It is lightly oaked, and almost tastes as if someone has physically crammed the flavour into the bottle. Just £6.29.
The Todo Workers Red 2000(s) is designed, like the white, by the people who work at the winery. They choose the style they want, based in this case on a mix of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinotage, while the wine is actually made by Koos Bosman. The result is velvety as well as fruity. Slap a few steaks on to the barbecue, open a bottle, slug it back, and then realise that you need another to go with the sausages, chicken and spare ribs. Then a third. You can, at £5.69.
MOreson is one of the finest of the country's newer wineries, and while all their wines appear to be excellent, I was especially struck by this claret-like blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot 2000(d). A rich, complex wine with the smoky undertones South Africa often brings to the party, but with lots of surprising flavours too — spices, plums, cherries, liquorice and even chocolate. I keep on saying this, but you would not find a red Bordeaux as good as this at even twice the £8.99 price.
Delivery as ever is free, and there is a sample case containing three bottles of each.
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