Stockist/Retailer: Loki Wines

(2026) And yet another demonstration of FMC's ageability, this 18-year-old bottle fabulous with a deep golden yellow colour flecked with emerald. Creamy almond, so much custard and ripeness, intense mintiness, guava, pineapple, with delicious spices, but such intensity, streaking grapefruit tang and acidity. Last tasted by me in 2010 (93 points) this has matured beautifully.

(2026) From a 1959 vineyard of bush vines in Piekenierskloof where Chenin and Palomino are co-planted on sand. Fabulously sour orange and grapefruit presence here, a green streak that adds a vivacious brightness and yet gentle, creamy talcum powder leesiness and earthiness too. A fascinating wine. Price and stockist quoted is for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2026) Naturally fermented and 100% barrel fermentation for this Chenin from vineyards in Swartland, older barrels in which it also matures for 12 months. It is both more creamy and custardy than the Old VInes, but is also dramatically more mineral and salty, firm and intense on the finish. Like the 2021 vintage tasted last time, I really enjoyed this expression of Chenin from Ken.

(2026) The pink partner to the Chenin Blanc pet nat, this is made from Grenache, and is quite toasty with intriguing aromas that run between strawberry and something exotic - maybe persimmon or passion fruit, red fruits too. A satisfying wine with a touch of earthiness and gentle sparkle.

(2026) Ken's white Pet Nat, gently sparkling and under a beer-bottle crown cap. Made by the Method Ancestrale (so just one fermention in bottle, undisgorged, so this will have a little haziness), it spent 18 months on lees before release and has a lovely nose of yeast and lemon jelly, a mouthfilling texture, and plenty of acidity that bites in the finish with great freshness.

(2023) Restrained aromatically, with cool mint and soft hints of vanilla, but so much greengage and citrus, orange and lime peel in a complex nose. The palate is very harmonious, has a smoother character, and a hint of lusciousness. Holding up really well, the edges rubbed off by time - but not too much. Bottled November 2015. pH 3.18 and acidity 6.2g/l.

(2017) Austria's Grüner Veltliner is gaining some traction in southern hemisphere vineyards - I reported recently on a small enclave in Australia's Adelaide Hills - but Marlborough has also taken to the variety. Only the third vintage for Riverby, this has succulent pear on the nose, limey citrus and a hint of mineral salts. There's a delicious weight to the fruit on the palate, texture and silkiness, the sheerness of the citrus acidity sweeps through, cutting rather more tropical fruit flavours to finish dry. A really very good expression of Gru-V. Note: price and stockist quoted at time of review is for the 2014 vintage.