The life of a PR consultant is frenetic at best (read: NOT glamorous most of the time!), so it’s hard to find the time to take a day away from the office. Still, I didn’t hesitate when I heard about the Swartland regional tasting arranged by the resident lads.

To say the array was interesting is an understatement at best. The wines were simply exceptional and a great indication of some of South Africa’s most promising terroir. Classic Rhônal cultivars seem to fare especially well, featuring strongly in blends andweighing in beautifully from the mid-palate to the lingering end. Chris and AndreaMullineux’s awesome Syrah is one of my very best, a wine that I’ve had the privilege of tasting before with his cousin Bron.

The Roundstone Syrah, while decidedly different in profile, showed a Swartland-characteristic minerality punctuated by gorgeous and generous dark fruit.

Eben’s Columella was clearly a star of the show, though I must confess that Adi Badenhorst’s excellent red blend had me coming back for seconds and thirds. (Along with his entertaining tales of parrots aplenty…the opening conversation going something like this: E: “Hi Adi, that red blend looks interesting, think I could try some of that?” A: “Sure, here, let me pour – so, what sort of parrots do you have in Australia?” Adi if you’re reading this I’d REALLY like to hear more, please send some pics along!)

Well done to Eben and Chris on arranging an excellent showing of palates that are well endowed with personality; the rustic Bar Bar Black Sheep was a truly suitable choice, though next time maybe they can hold the tuna and anchovies ;-)