When you notice the cooler, crisp air at twilight and how the sun starts dipping its toes in the horizon a little earlier than anticipated, it’s time to revisit your wine collection to ensure that you’re prepared. While winter might be the season for heavier reds (well, for me), autumn feels like a season of transition. That means that in April and May, I will still be leaning into softer, small-batch wines like a good rosé with sense of place, cinsaults and pinot noirs and even a Chardonnay with character – perfect for autumn fireside sipping.
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LATIGO – LOST BOY
A rosé that pushes the boundaries, this 100% Mourvedre dry rosé is barrel fermented and brings a full-bodied, complex, yet beautifully balanced wine for fireside sipping this autumn. Only 800 bottles of this wine is produced and the best way to taste this flagship wine from LOST BOY, is by driving out to Gansbaai and meeting the maker himself, Trevor.
READ MORE ABOUT HOW AMERICAN CYCLIST, TREVOR DERUISÉ SOLD EVERYTHING TO MAKE WINE IN SA
Cinsault 2021 – House of Hier
As part of a collaboration between Robertson winemaker, Lourens van der Westhuizen of Arendsig and entrepreneur, Jaco Pienaar, House of Hier‘s Cinsault is one of those small-batch wines that sells out fast. In fact, it’s already sold out online, so you might have to find another way to get hold of a bottle. This spontaneously fermented wine matured over 9 months, producing a wine with a hint of spice, perfect for the transition season.
The Hier wine range consists of Cinsault and Chenin Blanc and the name, House of Hier, has a way of inviting one in – especially if you’re Afrikaans. It speaks to being here, present, in the moment – something often so true of autumn as it invites you to cozy up and linger a little longer. With this wine, it’s rather easy to live in the here and now.
Of course, a crisp Chenin Blanc can also go a long way in autumn – think laidback afternoons under the trees with a light blanky, a fire and some Chenin…
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Ridge Chardonnay – Storm Wines
Wine writer, Saskia Burman describes Storm Wines’ Ridge Chardonnay as both summer and winter in a glass, which makes it the ideal autumn Chardonnay. “Citrus peel and wet-stone fruit energy leaning into a cozy, vanilla warmth, like someone pulling something excellent out of the oven,” Saskia writes, and I can’t help but agree. The wine owes its notes and aromas to the low-vigour, stony, clay-rich Bokkeveld’s shale soil in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley – something truly unique.
Storm Wines’ collection of small-batch wines all come with personality and character and speak to very careful viticulture. Winemaker Hannes Storm is known for his deep soil knowledge, especially in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, and apart from the Chardonnay, he’s also a brilliant Pinot Noir producer. In fact, Storm Wines is the only producer to bottle Pinot Noirs from each of the three Hemel-en-Aarde appellations.
Authentic 23 Frederick Barbarossa 2023 – Gedeelte Wines
Gedeelte Wines – based on Brakkuil Farm in the St Helena Bay region on South Africa’s West Coast – is widely recognised for its unique cultivars, with Barbarossa being one of them. The farm was established in the early 1800s and Barbarossa and Palomino were planted here in 1978.
Their vineyards are planted in limestone-rich, flattened sea sand, 4km from the cold Atlantic. Apart from the unique cultivars planted here, this location evidently also has a big role to play, allowing them to gain low PH levels in their wines.
The Authentic 23 received 92 points from critics and boasts a smooth finish with subtle notes of red berry fruits. You will also find chocolate, spices, black figs and cinnamon on the palate.
Birdsong Brut 2023 – Pieter Ferreira
No autumn wine collection is complete without a proper Cap Classique and which one better than ‘Bubbles’ Ferreira’s Birdsong Brut? Somehow, even just the name has the right ring to it and well, according to Tongai Charie – Senior Sommelier at Upper Union Restaurant in Cape Town – it’s a bubbly that feels intimate and artisanal at the same time.
“The nose shows delicate citrus blossom and crisp green apple, while the palate deepens into wild strawberry with a persistent, creamy brioche finish,” he says, which makes this the ultimate bubbly to subtly nudge you into the cooler season. “This isn’t just an aperitif,” Charie adds, “it’s a statement. Its structural integrity allows it to stand up to richer autumnal hors d’oeuvres.”
Kromtak Grenache Noir 2022 – Arno Smith
Think crunchy pomegranate, macerated black cherries and a distinct spicy undertone reminiscent of dry fynbos for this quintessential red. As another selection from Upper Union’s Tongai Charie, the Kromtak Grenache Noir 2022 forms part of Arno Smith’s ‘Artist Selection’ and it offers the warming spice suited to cooler nights without the aggressive tannins that can overshadow a seasonal meal. Charie says this is a pure Grenache Noir, and the 2022 vintage shows “remarkable aromatic clarity.” According to him, “Grenache is the ultimate bridge wine – weighty enough for a braai or roast, yet elegant enough to stay light on its feet.”
I love how Charie explains that the secret to autumn drinking is texture. His advice is: don’t rush the pour. Allow the wine to breathe; let the season settle in the glass. These small-batch wines should allow you to do exactly that.
Very informative. Enjoyed reading these reviews in the concept of Autumn indulgence. Thank you
So glad that you enjoyed it! Hope you can get your hands on one or two of these special wines for autumn. 🙂