Why this Stellenbosch blew me away

You may remember that I went nuts about the inaugural, 2016 vintage of Aristea chardonnay this time last year. Well, 12 months on and this pioneering enterprise has released five brand new wines.

The new 2017 vintage of chardonnay is even finer than its predecessor, as is the 2016 cabernet which embeds even more depth of fruit into its core. Alongside these two beauties, there is a daring 2017 sauvignon blanc/semillon blend, which sets the bar staggeringly high, and two fascinating sparklers.

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Martin Krajewski’s (of Château Séraphine, Pomerol and Clos Cantenac, Saint-Emilion fame) Cape Odyssey has rocketed away from the blocks and winemaker Matt Krone (of the 12th-generation wine dynasty), ably assisted by French winemaking guru Florent Dumeau, is already working wonders. The 2015 Méthode Cap Classique Blanc is a dreamy wine with luxurious fruit, but it is my featured rosé that blew me away.

I am immensely fussy about sparkling rosé, but this wine is not just an impressive South African fizz, it is also a world-class rosé and it is stunning value to boot. All of the wines in the portfolio cost between £25 and £30 and the opening offer period knocks a few quid off each bottle. I would urge you to taste them all and you will see why Martin was so confident of success when he set up this inspirational new label.

2016 Aristea, Méthode Cap Classique Rosé Brut Stellenbosch, South Africa £25.95, reduced to £24 until the end of October, Private Cellar, 01353 721999, PrivateCellar.co.uk

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (MatthewJukes.com).

This article was originally published in MoneyWeek