TANZER REVIEWS 2011   

2010 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Schaapenberg Vineyard Stellenbosch (from fruit grown on a windswept, south-facing, decomposed-granite-and-clay slope barely four miles from the ocean): Pale, bright greenish-yellow. Pungent aromas of gooseberry, grapefruit pith, white pepper and flint. Denser and sweeter than Vergelegen's regular sauvignon blanc, with a more glyceral, mouthcoating texture to the bracing, highly concentrated flavors of grapefruit and citrus peel, musky pepper and flinty, smoky minerality. Finishes very long and suave, with a magically weightless impression. There's no need to drink this silky but bracing sauvignon now. 93

2009 Estate White Blend Stellenbosch (a 65/35 blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon, aged partly in new oak): Very pale yellow with a green tinge. Reticent aromas of lime, minerals and lees. Dense, layered and wonderfully rich but still an infant, with subtle spicy and leesy nuances already adding complexity to the mid-palate. The largest-scaled and most sophisticated of Vergelegen's white wines, finishing with unflagging length and an expanding quality that suggests this wine will evolve positively in bottle for many years. 94(+?)

2010 Sauvignon Blanc Western Cape Pungent, steely aromas and flavors of gooseberry, kiwi, grapefruit rind and green pepper. Densely packed and bracing, with a weightless quality to the intense, pristine middle palate. A touch of leesy complexity is counterbalanced by enticing peppery thrust. Finishes brisk, energetic, clean and long. Classic sauvignon. 91

2008 Chardonnay Coastal Region Full, bright medium yellow. Aromas of lemon drop and peach, complemented by sexy smoky, vanillin oak and musky lees. Broad, silky and dry, with a hint of lanolin adding texture to the flavors of underripe peach and ginger. Finishes smooth and lightly saline, with good lemony lift. Still a bit youthfully unforthcoming, with fruit in the deep background. 89

2009 Chardonnay Reserve Stellenbosch Medium green-tinged yellow. Pure but reticent aromas of pear, lemon ice and hazelnutty lees. Dense, spicy and fine-grained, with powerful but well- integrated acidity punching up the citrus fruit and hazelnut flavors. There's some vanillin oak here, but more than enough supporting fruit and minerality. Very energetic, dry chardonnay with a fine, long, lemon and mineral aftertaste and firm spine. And still a baby: I'd wait three or four years before pulling the cork. 91(+?)

2007 Merlot Reserve Stellenbosch (blended with bits of cabernet franc and petit verdot): Bright medium red. Complex aromas of redcurrant, coffee, chocolate, licorice, pepper and tobacco leaf. Suave and sweet but not at all glyceral or overextracted. Varietally expressive flavors of darkberries and plum, complicated by a whiff of woodsmoke. Nicely buffered tannins coat the mouth without leaving behind any dryness. Good broad, seamless merlot with cut. 90

2006 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Mill Race Stellenbosch Medium-deep red. Redcurrant, tobacco leaf, pepper and chocolate on the nose. Supple and pliant but with modest sweetness to the slightly stewy fruit flavors. Offers good acid bite but seems a bit disjointed, finishing with slightly dry tannins and notes of chocolatey, nutty oak. 87

2007 Shiraz Stellenbosch Red-ruby. Sexy, expressive aromas of blackberry, bacon fat, woodsmoke and pepper. Supple, pliant and easygoing, with nicely integrated acidity framing the moderately deep berry and smoked meat flavors. In a distinctly forward style, finishing with attractive sweet persistence. I'd enjoy this now or over the next few years. 89

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Stellenbosch Good dark red. Blackcurrant, pepper, dark chocolate, coffee, mocha, licorice and a whiff of wild herbs on the inviting nose. Then savory, suave and dry, with a restrained sweetness to the complex flavors of dark berries, plum, pepper, licorice and minerals. This energetic cabernet really saturates the mouth with flavor, but it should put on more weight with time in bottle. Finishes lively and long, with a slight youthful austerity to the firm tannins. 91(+?)

2004 Estate Premium Red Wine Stellenbosch Good dark red. Plum, chocolate, graphite, mint and menthol on the nose, complemented by a complex minerality. Lush, rich and seamless but still quite young, conveying an impression of bound-up energy. Wonderfully intense yet weightless wine with a powerful mineral spine to support its flavors of redcurrant, dark plum, minerals and chocolate. This savory, understated cabernet sauvignon-dominated Bordeaux blend really spreads out to saturate the palate on the finish, which features fine-grained, tongue-coating tannins and terrific grip. Wait a couple more years on this beauty and then enjoy it over the following decade. 94

2006 "V" Stellenbosch (90% cabernet sauvignon, with 5% each merlot and cabernet franc): Bright, deep red. Currant, plum, spice box, chocolate and mocha on the nose, along with a roasted herb element. Broad, lush and sweet, but with well-integrated acidity to frame the ripe dark fruit, chocolate and licorice flavors. Finishes very long, with fine-grained tannins. Vergelegen's more modern, internationally styled red blend is remarkably full and plush but showed some slightly funky truffle, herb and mocha notes with extended aeration, and less vibrancy than the classic estate red. 91(+?)?