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South Africa
Jennifer Sandford, Papillon Wines

Jennifer provided comprehensive notes which are available here - right-click to save.

1. Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2004
Greeny yellow, leggy. Wet dog and pineapple. Rounded, full, good acid, citrus. 13.5% Very nice, fresh and fruity.  Bit dear though.
€13 - 13.50

2. Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Almost clear.  Gooseberry and green apple. In the mouth, citrus, acid, a hint of sweetness (and only 12.5%); great finish Nice, but not a t the price.
€1
6-17

3. Kanu Chardonnay 2003
Lovely full, buttery nose with huge toasty oak. Rum and butter bonbons, for those old enough to remember. Decent acid, rich fruit, well-balanced, bit of burn (14.5%). Lovely, although someone whose opinion I respect felt it lacked elegance. I love it.
16

4. Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (Loire Clone)
More golden than the Mulderbosch. Not a big nose, grassy.  Good weight, great acifity, crushed nettles, very well rounded.
€1
4.50 - 15.00

5. Backsberg Elba 2004
Really dark purple red. Quite dumb, a bit herbaceous. Silky smooth with a slight burn (14.5%), leathery, tooth-coating tannins, good fruit.  Unfortunate hint of that synthetic taste you sometimes get from Zin or Gamay, but otherwise very, very nice. 30% Malbec, 17% Mourvedre, 19% Syrah, 10% Petit Verdot, 9% Sangiovese, 9% Zinfandel, 5% Viognier!
€16.50

6. Darling Cellars "Black Granite" Shiraz 2003
Ruby, beginning to fade around the rim. On the nose, spice, black fruit, fruit pastilles. Hugely alcoholic (14.5% but not well-masked), fresh but being a bit overpowered, bit of green-ness. Different.
€12

7. Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Deep purple dreams! Eucalyptus and cassis. Dry, puckering tannins, lots of fruit, good acid.  13.5% Needs time (10-15 years?) Very good but pricey, need to lay down,; even so worth its star.
28

8. Steenberg Nebbiolo 2005
Nice light red. Prunes! Huge alcohol, violets, tar. Stewed prunes, tannin, long finish. Alcohol coming through way too much. 15%.
18 - 19

9. Steenberg Merlot 2003
Good looking, deep red. Eucalyptus, chest-rub! Beautiful; mint, fruit, elegance, acidity.  A few years to go. 14.5%
€19 - 20

10.Raka Quinary, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, 2002
Lovely mid-red/ruby. Ripe, leathery, cedar. Very well balanced, warm, vanilla, fruit, sour/condensed milk (buttermilk?), well-balanced. Will keep. A Bordeaux blend; 59% Cab Sauv, 17% Cab Franc, 10% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot. 14% alc. Excellent.
€17.50

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