New releases from Radford Dale, South Africa: the over-delivering Vinum wines, plus their new organic wines
Jamie Goode - WineAnorak, Dec 2024
Radford Dale are producing some very smart wines at the moment. They are getting the style right (aiming for freshness and elegance over power), and they also have a nice portfolio structure. Here are my notes on the latest releases. The Vinum range is the one that offers some really excellent value for money, with very smart wines at non-crazy prices. And they also have an excellent organic range, which was bolstered by the purchase of what was previously Elgin Ridge, a biodynamically farmed vineyard established by Brian and Marion Smith.
Vinum range
Radford Dale Vinum Chardonnay 2023 Stellenbosch, South Africa
12% alcohol. Lovely aromatics here: fruit-focused with pear, pineapple and citrus, showing nice restraint. The palate has lovely delicacy with ripe but fresh pear fruit as well as some lemon and a subtle twist of almond and hazelnut. Such finesse here: pure and well balanced. 94/100
Radford Dale Vinum Chenin Blanc 2023 Stellenbosch, South Africa
13% alcohol. There’s a lovely sweetness to the nose, with honeyed pear and apricot fruit as well as some subtle toasty notes. The palate is light bit also broad with rich pear and peach fruit. Such balance here, with depth and freshness as well as moderate alcohol. 92/100
Radford Dale Vinum Pinotage 2023 Coastal Region, South Africa
12.5% alcohol. This is textured and ripe with strawberries and cherries, as well as a touch of raspberry. There’s a hint of green here, with some sappy, herby notes under the sweet fruit. Some cured meat and sweetness. A really appealing, accessible and classy Pinotage. 91/100
Radford Dale Vinum Gamay Noir 2023 Stellenbosch, South Africa
12.5% alcohol. So fresh and direct with red cherry, raspberry and black pepper, and even some redcurrant. There’s a really creamy, smooth mid-palate with ripe fruit and then a nice focused finish. Subtle green hints here. Beautiful. 94/100
Radford Dale Vinum Grenache 2023 Stellenbosch, South Africa
12.5% alcohol. Beautifully pure fruit here: elegant, sweet red cherry and strawberry fruit. Enticing and fragrant with a sense of ease. No rough edges, with lovely fine silky fruit and good precision and purity. 93/100
Radford Dale Vinum Pinot Noir 2023 Western Cape, South Africa
12.5% alcohol. This is beautifully fruit driven and pure with raspberry and cherry fruit, as well as some supple green notes. This is silky and fine with nice purity and good fruit presence. 93/100
Organic Range
Radford Dale Revelation Semillon 2023 Elgin, South Africa
12% alcohol. Organic. This is rich and nicely concentrated, with a core of sweet citrus fruit as well as some baked apple and pear skin. It’s ripe and bold, but also has a lovely acid tension, and a crystalline quality to the fruit. Really distinctive with nice weight and presence. Finishes bright and mineral, and really long. Such a distinctive wine with real presence. 94/100
Radford Dale Touchstone Chardonnay 2023 Elgin, South Africa
13% alcohol. Organic. Finely aromatic with bright citrus fruit, showing some pear and apple richness, and a slight mealiness under the fruit. There’s real energy on the palate with a lovely acid line, some bright spiciness and plenty of texture. There’s a saline, mineral presence here providing tension and working nicely to balance out the slightly richer apple and pear notes. A beautifully complex expression of Elgin Chardonnay that’s quite special. The pricing (R550) is ambitious, but this is a serious wine. 95/100
Radford Dale Freedom Pinot Noir 2023 Elgin, South Africa
13.5% alcohol. Organic. This is supple, fine and elegant with a stewed strawberry edge to cherry and plum fruit. There’s real texture here with a core of sweet fruit but also subtle spice-laden savouriness. Smooth, ripe and warm but with elegance and fine herbal detail. 94/100
Radford Dale Higher Purpose Cabernet Franc 2023 Elgin, South Africa
13% alcohol. Organic. This is focused and fresh with a leafy edge to the sweet cherry and plum fruit, with a bit of stewed strawberry. There’s a lushness to the fruit, but also some refinement, with a smooth mid-palate. Fine-grained with nice structure. It’s not at all over-ripe with good definition to the fruit. Leafy and chalky, and showing some silkiness. 92/100
Terroir Range
Radford Dale Renaissance Chenin Blanc 2022 Stellenbosch, South Africa
12% alcohol. This is linear and fine with bright lemon and pear fruit as well as fine crystalline character. Refined with good acidity, showing concentration and also restraint, with a lovely acid line. There’s a real elegance to this wine. 94/100
Radford Dale Frankenstein Pinotage 2002 Stellenbosch, South Africa
13% alcohol. This is a really elegant, supple, refined expression of Pinotage. It’s silky and textural with a hint of cured meat and olive as well as smooth cherry and berry fruit. There’s a slight sappiness, too. This makes me think of a really refined Cinsault with it’s silky, ripe mid palate of strawberry and cherry fruit, combined with an elegant, ripe Pinot Noir. Supple, elegant and very fine. Quite beautiful. 95/100