Vinum
Out of the blocks with the 2023 vintage....
vinum gamay
"Quite frankly, an utterly scrumptious wine".
17/20 - Tamlyn Currin
Vinum Grenache
"Fantastic freshness and elegance. Bravo." Tamlyn Currin 17/20
a note from the winemaking team
The 2023 vintage has produced Vinum wines of real character - cooler, refreshing wines with a lifted aromatic and fresher perfume.
The '23 harvest was, as everyone knows, very tricky - a 'vintage of extremes' - both climatically and with the general pace of it and things not happening in their 'normal' sequence! Early rains in March meant we had to change tack somewhat across the entire Radford Dale range; luckily the Vinum varietals are all early ripening grapes and we were able to pick early on in Jan and Feb, comfortably avoiding the worst of the unseasonable weather to come.
It helps that we've been working with these Vinum vineyards for many years now, and we can generally predict how they will fare in any given weather. Also, crucially our viticulture team is constantly present in the vineyards allowing us to pivot on short notice whenever necessary, thus preserving quality of the fruit.
vinum chenin blanc 2023
Stellenbosch
Light straw in colour with a subtle lime hue on the edges. Aromas of ripe white peach, winter melon, and a delicate touch of Cape Jasmine greet the nose. The palate exhibits elegance, boasting a medium body, while the wine culminates in a crisp, refreshing finish that uplifts the senses.
94/100 - WineMag
vinum chardonnay 2023
Stellenbosch
Pale gold in colour with a vibrant green tinge. The aroma offers subtle hints of stone dust intertwined with refreshing lemon cordial flourishes. On the palate, there's a delicate concentration of translucent red apple concentrate complemented by nuances of tangerines. The wine concludes with a generous and balanced finish, leaving a satisfyingly fresh finish.
92/100 - Tim Atkin
vinum gamay 2023
Stellenbosch
Deep purple, with a Violet rim. Aromatic mulberry and spiced plum notes on the nose. Generous and juicy, the plate shows medium weight with ripeness and a substantial tannin that draws into a
rewardingly full finish.
93/100 - WineMag
Jamie Goode's video review
vinum grenache 2023
Stellenbosch
Deep crimson in colour with a ruby rim. Pronounced red current and perfumed strawberry notes on the nose. The heartily fruited palate is reined in by firm, but polished tannins before a lingering pomegranate finish.
93/100 - WineMag
vinum pinot noir 2023
W Cape
Medium ruby featuring a scarlet rim. The aroma unfolds with expressive cherry notes, accompanied by subtle hints of cured meat, and accents of nutmeg and cinnamon. On the palate, it dances with liveliness, offering juicy fruit flavours that energetically express the essence of the grape. Sweet berry tones interplay gracefully with a fine tannic structure, leading to a finish that delights with a pleasant touch of savoury nuances.
90/100 - WineMag
vinum pinotage 2023
Coastal
Deep purple and with ruby rim. Ripe strawberries and mulberry with interestingly perfumed rosewater aromas indicate varietal expression. Wild berry compote and dark forest fruits delight on the medium palate, before grippy tannins bring the wine to a clean, fresh finish.
92/100 - Tim Atkin
The vinum collection
chenin blanc
Stellenbosch
We’ve championed the merits of this variety before it was fashionable to do so, striving to showcase transparency of top vineyard sites and varietal character over all else. The core barrel component of this wine comes from a site planted in 1969.
chardonnay
Stellenbosch
We’re big fans of Chardonnay on granite and here in the Polkadraai Hills the soils consist of decomposing granite, retaining warmth, whilst the cool ocean breezes keep things in check above ground. The latter give coastal Stellenbosch Chardonnay a unique character – a telltale smack of minerality and real tension from underlying, naturally derived acidity.
gamay noir
Stellenbosch
Gamay Noir is a varietal we hold in the highest esteem. Indeed, this bottling comes predominantly from the first plantings of Gamay in South Africa in over 20 years, a site we have established on the Polkadraai hills in Stellenbosch. This vineyard will also serve as the mother block for quality cuttings going forward, cuttings from which we have used for our new vineyard sites on the Helderberg and on our organic Elgin Estate. There are less than 10 hectares of Gamay currently planted in the Cape, the majority of which are managed or owned by us.
grenache
Stellenbosch
We believe in the amazing potential of Grenache from this region, to produce characterful, intriguing, and delicious wines. We’re encouraged by the progress of these relatively young vines and it looks like coastal Stellenbosch will offer up a growing category of Grenache over the next 5-10 years.
pinot noir
W Cape
This wine sees us working with three Pinot Noir vineyards, on either side of our usual stomping ground in Elgin. From sites in Stellenbosch & Botriver, we have a fleshier expression of Cape Pinot which is showing hints of a welcome darker fruit character. We’re excited to see how this wine unfolds, and how our relationship with these two sites evolve.
pinotage
Coastal
Our first release of Pinotage in the Radford Dale stable came in 2011, and the varietal has become an integral part of what we do. Simply put, we are looking for purity of fruit and freshness in our expressions. As Christian Eedes puts it we 'make Pinotage for people who dont like Pinotage'
further resources
reviews to date
Christian Eedes (WineMag SA, Sept 2024)
"The quality to price ratio is generally very good for the Vinum 2023's and they come tastefully labelled so won’t disgrace dinner party or neighbourhood restaurant tables."
Vinum Chenin Blanc 2023
"Grapes from the same Lynedoch vineyard planted in 1969 that supplies Radford Dale’s top-end Renaissance bottling. Citrus, peach and just the right amount of leesy, waxy complexity on the nose. Great fruit concentration, punchy acidity and pithy, slightly bitter finish. Old-vine Chenin treated with the lightest of hands to great effect. Alc: 13%.
CE’s rating: 94/100.
Vinum Chardonnay 2023
Grapes from Polkadraai Hills and Helderberg. Fermented and matured in a combination of foudre and neutral 228- and 300-litre barrels. Floral perfume, citrus and peach on the nose while the palate is pure and fresh with a dry finish. Nicely balanced, this has more concentration than its alcohol of 12% might suggest.
CE’s rating: 92/100.
Vinum Pinot Noir 2023
Grapes from Devon Valley, Stellenbosch and Bot River. Red cherry, musk and a hint of reduction on the nose while the palate is medium bodied with fresh acidity and soft tannins. Uncomplicated and immediately accessible. Alc: 12.5%.
CE’s rating: 90/100.
Vinum Gamay Noir 2023
Grapes from a Polkadraai Hills vineyard planted in 2017. Red cherry, cranberry and raspberry plus hints of spice and earth on the nose. The palate is light-bodied and tightly wound – good fruit definition, snappy acidity and powdery tannins, the finish gently savoury. If “light reds” are what everybody wants to drink, then why not more Gamay? Alc: 12.5%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Vinum Grenache 2023
Grapes from Paradyskloof and Helderberg. Partial whole-berry fermentation. Red and black berries, spice and earth on the nose. The palate is not too light and has more structure than many examples – pure fruit, bright acidity and nicely grippy tannins. Alc: 13.5%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Vinum Pinotage 2023
85% of grapes from Stellenbosch, 15% from Swartland. Whole-berry fermented. Subtle and alluring aromatics of red and black berries plus an earth undertone. The palate is medium- bodied and well balanced – pure and fresh with fine tannins. Succulent on entry, nicely dry on the finish. Pinotage for people who don’t like Pinotage. Alc: 12.5%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
Tamlyn Currin, for JancisRobinson.com
Radford Dale Vinum Chenin Blanc 2023
Throw cinnamon-speckled pineapple on the grill, slice a pear in half, add that too. Give them two minutes to almost caramelise, pull them off, top with a quenelle of nutmeg-infused cream. This wine.
16/20
Radford Dale Vinum Chardonnay 2023
A little toastiness on the nose that sort of took me to grilled polenta and then genmaicha tea. Cantaloupe-melon sweetness (the very, very ripe one that verges on honey and eugenol), liquorice laces, nori, the bits of oat porridge that you scrape off the bottom of the pan and then sweeten with molasses. A little bit of white peaches. Gentle.
16/20
Radford Dale Vinum Gamay Noir 2023
Full bottle 1,170 g. It is, quite frankly, an utterly scrumptious wine. You could sum it up entirely in those four last words alone. Cranberries and pepper. The darting energy of a robin redbreast, tannins like tiny feathers, the brightness and purity of birdsong. It's gloriously glouglou, but not at all simple. There is real length, depth and texture here, all through the melody of fruit.
17/20 - VGV (very Good Value)
Radford Dale Vinum Pinotage 2023
I'd defy anyone familiar with the 'burnt rubber' and thick angry jam of Pinotage gone by to recognise this soprano-with-cello number, descanting cherries and shiny red berries and the fragrance of orange peel, the spices of nutmeg. A tang. Taut. Tannins as clear and textured as mountain-stream water over rocks. The taste of strawberry on the end, like dipping the tip of your tongue into a pool of juice.
17/20 GV (Good Value)
Radford Dale Vinum Grenache 2023
Plum and cherry nose – red, red fruit. And red, red fruit on the palate with a pinch of dulce paprika, a pinch of agridulce paprika, a teeny pinch of sumac, a kiss of strawberry. There is a candied-rhubarb sweetness, but it doesn't dominate – it seems to render into the lithe tannins and bring a long rose/rose-hip leafiness and petal note to the wine. Fantastic freshness and elegance. Bravo.
17/20 GV (Good Value)
Tim Atkin MW (SA Special Report 2024)
Radford Dale Vinum Chardonnay 2023
Stellenbosch (12%)
Given his association with Burgundy, it's no surprise that Alex Dale is such a devotee of good Chardonnay. Soft and fairly approachable, in the style of a Mâcon Villages white, this has peach, pear and nectarine flavours, a dab of oak spice and a grapefruit pith finish.92/100
Radford Dale Vinum Gamay Noir 2023
Stellenbosch (13%)
Alex Dale thinks that Gamay could be "the Chenin Blanc" of reds in the Cape, thanks to its adaptability, and he's certainly hung his hat on the variety. This has some granitic intensity from Polkadraai Hills fruit, lots of energy and vibrancy, clove, white pepper, redcurrant and bramble fruit and fine-grained tannins. 92/100
Radford Dale Vinum Pinotage 2023
Coastal (12.5%)
Deliberately made in a low-alcohol style, with minimal wood influence and well-judged tannins, this appealing Pinotage has a core of Stellenbosch fruit and a 5% component from the Paardeberg. Sappy, mineral and lip-smackingly fresh with pepper, bramble and summer pudding flavours and a bright, tangy finish. 92/100
Radford Dale Vinum Chenin Blanc 2023
Stellenbosch (13%)
"Our keg wine" is how Alex Dale describes this lightly wooded, well-priced Chenin Blanc from the Lower Helderberg. You can really taste the granite in the freshness and grip of the wine here, complemented by pear, melon and passion fruit flavours and a stony finish. 91/100
Radford Dale Vinum Grenache 2023
Stellenbosch (13.5%)
Two different sources contribute here, sourced from decomposed granite and pudding stone soils. A Grenache that tastes like a wine made by a pair of Pinot Noir lovers - that's Alex Dale and Jacques de Klerk for you - this has rose petal and bouquet garni aromas and a sappy palate of watermelon and red cherry fruit. 90/100
Jamie Goode (Wine Anorak UK, Sept 2024)
"Love this! The 2023 Gamay Noir from@radford_dale in their excellent Vinum range" - Watch Jamie's video clip
