Lourens Family Wines, Howard John, Paarl

Tell tale modest colour of a whole bunch fermented wine followed by a lifted fruity nose that flatters to deceive. Light palate. Little tannin. The initial charm fades rapidly. Maybe I'm harshly singling out this wine, though a not cheap example. I've had Australian syrah, Spanish monastrell, South American pais and cinsault to name but a few when this style takes hold--and I can't tell any of them apart. We've had skinny chardonnays, struck match reductive everything, over-oaking of all …

No full note - significant step up from last bottle about a year ago. No hurry but in an extremely nice drinking spot currently.

44/31/25 Grenache/Cinsault/Syrah. Medium plus nose shows dried violets, light game, raspberry, orange rind, light earth. Palate is very expressive, spicebox, dried herbs, dried red fruits, juicy but medium plus tannic structure, kind of Rhone-esque but fresher in the fruit, finishes tart. Excellent value.

So smooth with very light tanins. The Grenache and Cinsault dominate the wine with a little hint of Syrah.

Grenache/ cinsault/ syrah blend 13% ABV Raspberries and strawberry pudding on the nose, ripe but fresh smelling. Lovely freshness on the palate. Almost a beaujolais type weight and perfume. More raspberry fruit. Rocky/ slatey tannins. Quite simple on first acquaintance but there's real depth here. Just finishing the bottle off now and there's a pinot type elegance here.