An exceptional South African roussanne

last updated 27 September 2018

Roussanne is one of the most wistful and hauntingly perfumed of all white grape varieties and, while the grape is not necessarily a heavyweight, it does, however, require a fair dunk in oak to show off its full array of skills. Carl van der Merwe is one of the 47 members of the Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) and he is responsible for this exceptional wine. It manages to show crystalline freshness on the nose and then a deep, resonant palate of citrus and pineapple pith, and it was one of a handful of standout wines at the recent press tasting ahead of this year’s CWG auction.

While I found a few semillons, a chenin, a few pinot noirs and even two pinotages (see my website for more highlights), the standout red was made by Rianie Strydom. The 2015 Strydom Family Wines The Game Changer Cabernet Franc-Merlot is a two-barrel selection coming from two different vineyards on the Helderberg. The perfume alone is sensational and this recipe (used most famously by Cheval Blanc) and Rianie’s careful oak maturation has resulted in a literal game-changer for the Cape.