5 | Wine | South Africa, 86 to 90

"Pale straw-yellow. Grapefruit, melon, lemon and papaya aromas lifted by a minty nuance. Bright, savory and laid-back, with racy acidity giving excellent cut to the fruit, honeysuckle and subtle mineral flavors. A lovely hint of semillon richness blends nicely with the vibrant sauvignon. This could use a year of patience. Incidentally, this winery is called Shannon Vineyards in South Africa."

"It shows impressive purity on the nose with scents of macerated dark cherries, wild strawberry and raspberry. The oak is beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins. It has very impressive focus, a Pinotage a little aloof and masculine, but with style and class."

"A dark, juicy and muscular Cabernet, with a charcoal frame to the black currant, steeped fig and blackberry notes. A lining of tobacco and savory smolders on the finish".

"Tangerine, spicy oak and a hint of exotic fruits on the nose. Fruity and harmonious, with a yeasty complexity adding depth to the fairly dense, harmonious middle palate. Comes across as sweeter and fuller than the Blanc de Blancs, but finishes dry and crisp, with a bit more length. No shortage of flavor here." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Perfumed if slightly reduced aromas of black cherry, red berries, pepper and spices. Smooth, candied flavors of red fruits, spices and pepper offer moderate flesh but surprising freshness. Conveys an impression of slightly elevated acidity."

"It has a lovely ripe blackberry, white pepper and rosemary scented bouquet that is well defined and natural. The palate is well balanced with supple ripe red fruit that is silky smooth in texture. It has very good weight with a sweet, pastille-like finish that is fresh and alluring."

"Ripe but well-focused, with straw, white peach, kiwifruit pulp and pink grapefruit notes all wound together and extending through the well-defined finish. Very solid, this should mellow with modest cellaring."

"It has a clean Morello cherry and raspberry bouquet, whilst the palate is bounding full of ripe cherry and strawberry fruit. With its racy acidity, and with a powerful, creamy textured, peachy finish, this really is a lot of fun."

"The nose joyfully lifts from the glass with dark plum, bell pepper and a dash of white pepper that is very well defined and full of energy. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp, spicy black fruit laced with dark plum and soy that all leads to a structure, fresh, compelling finish. Superb."

"Nice bramble- and spice-framed plum, black currant and licorice snap notes pump through the medium-weight, toasty finish."