South African Wine: More Than You Think Weerts explores Chardonnay on South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, from old vines in old soil. He says the Western cape is either the "oldest new-world wine region or the youngest of the old-world." His Capensis is 100% Chardonnay from the Western Cape, tank fermented with nearly a year in French oak. 14% abv, $80. There is citrus and oak on the nose - almost a smokey, buttery feel. The palate is possibly too oaky for some tastes, but it hit me just right. It's the kind of Chardonnay I like to drink at Christmastime. The fruit shines through.

Light greenish gold in color, this wine smells of cold cream and buttered popcorn. In the mouth, wonderfully saline flavors of melted butter, lemon curd, and pastry cream have a silky aspect and filigreed acidity. While I wish there were just slightly higher acidity here, there's no denying the deliciousness of this wine. Positively gulpable, with the wood only barely peeking through the long salty lemon finish. 9.0-9.5

The Stunning Spire Collection Estate in Calistoga This 2014 Capensis Chardonnay was exquisite, hands down the wine I was most excited to try for the first time. I fell in love with it. It was extremely clean and light with just a touch of malolactic flavoring, but more of a Burgundian White style than a typical, overly creaky and oaky California Chardonnay. The price tag at $80 per bottle makes this a wine I would treasure for a special occasion and not just drink daily.

Uncorked: Spire Collection a portfolio of all stars Grown in three vineyards at 2,483 feet, 1,720 feet and 570 feet on the Western Cape of South Africa, Capensis Chardonnay 2014 comes from winemaker Graham Weerts. It’s a full-bodied Chard with stone fruit, vanilla and Meyer lemon flavors. There’s a toasty marshmallow note and hints of butterscotch as well. Fermented in 50 percent new French oak, this is a complex, long-lasting Chard with stunning flavors and textures.

Giving the right present to a wine lover is easy From the Western Cape region, this bold and opulent chardonnay shows the capability of this region. Rich and buttery in style, it has ripe tropical fruit flavors, a dash of spice, vanillin oak, and soft mouthfeel.

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Following up on my last column, we had covered four wines from our tasting at the Spire Collection. Here are the final five we enjoyed… We finished, counter-intuitively one might argue, with the lone white wine of the tasting, the 2014 Capensis Chardonnay from South Africa. (I discovered that I appreciated doing the white last – another red after the heavy Napa wines would have been a bit much.) Perhaps realizing that excessive new French oak will overwhelm a good chardonnay with too much buttery taste, Capensis’ winemaker wisely aged the wine in a 50 percent blend aged 10 months in 100 percent French oak, 41 percent new. The result was a tasty wine that delivered tastes of banana on both the nose and palate. As I’ve said before, Terry’s sensory abilities far outstrip mine. On the nose, she got grass, grapefruit, pineapple and banana. She tasted grapefruit, banana, and toned-down butter. The Capensis is very balanced with a slightly acidic finish.

This wine, made for the Jackson Family Estates team by Cape Town-born. US-based Jackson winemaker Graham Weerts, is the American company's first South African release and is a bit like all the wines from this stable: absolutely reliable, distinctly superior, but not thrilling. It's an excellent Cape answer to white burgundy with good tension and is based on vineyards in high-altitude Stellenbosch (60% of the blend) plus contributions from Kaaimansgut and Robertson selected by Rosa Kruger. I'm glad it exists and I hope it will help to put South Africa on the American wine lovers' map.

Filled with charming fruit, with layers of berrylike flavors, good acids and a bracing, coffee-ground finish. This has been a longtime favorite, and is often available for less than $20.

Typically shows zippy raspberry and cherry fruit, up front and in your face. Seasoned with cinnamon from the nearly half new French oak, and sporting a velvety texture, Holloway says the idea is to preserve the fruit. as much as possible and achieve a mouth-filling opulence.

Berry and cherry fruit, smoky touch.

Completely different again, if not downright untypical. It shows a spearmint core character, along with apple, lemon zest, unripe peach and stone fruit flavors as well as dried apricot. Aged in 100 percent new Francois Frere oak, it shows a big, rich, well-rounded mouthfeel and palpable acidity, which makes it perfect for food.

More Californian in style, sort of a Katherine's taken to the next level. The nose and palate reveal a tropical fruit essence, like it had been boiled down and concentrated, with some apple and pear too. Viscous and creamy, it also shows roasted nuts, vanilla, wood spice, and baked apple nuances in the background and a lingering finish. Both this wine and the 2000 Bench Break spent more time in 100 percent new French oak than the Katherine's, which utilized one third new French oak.

Packed with mineral, black cherry, and lots of spice.

From a specific vineyard parcel, is completely different. With the grapes coming from shallower soils, the nose shows minerality and slate, while the smoky flavors include butterscotch, lemon zest and marshmallow toast. It has a certain Burgundian leanness to it, and while the wine is rich, it's streamlined and very focused.

Lush, vibrant tropical fruit flavours along with vanilla and pear.

It epitomizes the house style, with a pineapple and tropical fruit nose, as well as lush and buttery fruit forward flavors on the palate, tempered with both oak and ginger spice. The goal, explains Holloway, 'is to integrate all the components and flavors.'

Smoky, complex aromas of sage, juniper and eucalyptus. Sweet cherry flavors with an undercurrent of black pepper.

highly recommended wine, Soft, undeveloped ripe strawberry fruit. Well structured and polished wine.

Elegant, light, perfumed nose with good alcohol. Soft, undeveloped ripe strawberry fruit. Well structured and polished wine.

recommended wine

Fresh respberry nose which is straightforward, not too oaky with a hint of violets. Fresh, clean, not complex, yet pretty, well-made wine.

recommended wine

Tight, youthful, raspberry and blackberry fruit. Good quality feel. Ripe jammy fruit, firm tannins, very youthful, undeveloped violet fruit. Good potential and structure.