A harmonious, medium-bodied white, with a creamy mesh of creamed apple, lemon curd, toasted hazelnut and lime blossom notes. Shows good length and a pleasing roundness on the palate, with a fresh, spiced finish. Drink now through 2029. 

Bright and vivid nose with strawberries, dried raspberries, cherry blossoms and a light, spicy undertone. Medium-bodied, round-textured and lengthy with lots of energy and a crisp, mineral backbone. Round and textural finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.

Ornato has been the Pio Cesare estate's cru since 1985. In 2020, the grapes were harvested on 5 October, after the heavy rainfall. Mineral and smoky, with intense violet notes alongside cherry kernel and rhubarb, it's full of graphite flavour and almost zestiness on the palate, supported by tight-knit tannins. Polished and thick on the finish. "Compared to 2019, we used gentler extractions in 2020," explains Federica Boffa, now in charge at Pio Cesare.

“Tangerine peel acidity creates a softly juicy and well-balanced frame for a ripe range of pear tart, marzipan, dried white flowers and honeycomb notes in this fine and creamy white. A minerally underpinning of salinity emerges alongside accents of white pepper and herbs on the finish. Drink now through 2029.”

Meerlust’s estate sits in the southwestern corner of Stellenbosch, open to the winds off of False Bay. This wine is dominated by its toasty oak when first opened, in need of at least a day of air to integrate all that richness and bring forward a delicate, pale florality nestled in a green-apple-skin tannic bite. It lasts beautifully—open it the day before a dinner party and track its evolution a splash at a time until the guests arrive.