The key characteristics of the 2016 vintage, to quote from VinPro’s harvest report, were ‘abnormal heat’ and ‘water shortages.’ It was the first of three consecutive years of drought (some say it was the second of four) but it was the year that hit the vines the hardest. Gottfried Mocke of Boekenhoutskloof says that 2016 was the first true climate change vintage for South Africa. Multiple heatwaves, the first in October during flowering and fruit set, resulted in lower bunch weights and smaller berries, with the crop significantly reduced in Stellenbosch and the Swartland compared to 2015; Andrea Mullineux reports yields of just two tons per hectare on their Syrah, for example, compared to four to six tons per hectare in 2015.

Responses at harvest time varied, with some producers opting to pick early to preserve acidity – like Sebastian Beaumont, who made an electric Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc in 2016 – and others waiting for further ripeness, with some feeling they may have left it too late. With all of this in mind, we aimed to approach the wines without the prejudices that can accompany tasting so-called ‘off’ vintages and were rewarded with some exceptional quality.

The Syrah flight was my standout of the reds; at this year’s tasting, origins were grouped together, rather than separated into Cape South Coast / Stellenbosch / Swartland, as they were at last year’s tasting. The small berries and resulting high skin-to-juice ratio of the vintage were evident here in wines that were immensely structured – ‘robust’ was a recurring word in my notes – but nevertheless fine. Many still need taming by time, and some of my fellow tasters struggled with the tannin intensity, but if we put these wines in the context of the Northern Rhône greats, then ten years’ old is still young. Tasting from a mix of origins in a single flight gave me the chance to test whether the regional characteristics, so distinct when tasting sighted, are discernible blind. The answer is a resounding ‘yes’, with Reyneke Reserve Red epitomising the perfume, spice and energy we have come to expect from the Polkadraai Hills, and Mullineux Syrah together with Porseleinberg typifying Swartland in their savouriness and structure.

The two flights of white blends from the Cape – one featuring Chenin-led blends and the other featuring blends where Chenin was present but not the dominant variety – shone the brightest of the whites, delivering exciting wines with an inherent vitality, layers of complexity, both in terms of flavour and texture, and no sense of the heat stress of the vintage. A touch of tannin (something we’re often afraid to talk about in whites) – citrus pith, peach skin or an Amaro-like character; a good bitterness and a bit of grip – was a theme of the flights, bringing great balance and a moreish quality to the wines. The discussions following these flights were some of the most stimulating of the day, culminating in the conclusion that multi-varietal blends of Mediterranean grapes were the most successful in this hot, dry vintage. One of the tasters, Fergus Stewart (private client manager at Berry Bros. & Rudd), summarised insightfully when he said that there was ‘something oxymoronic’ in these wines in reference to how they carried breadth and richness while simultaneously exhibiting tension and freshness.

The tasting revealed that the New Wave’s 2016 wines should not be underestimated. Revisiting my notes from last year’s event in the light of this one shows that there was not a notable qualitative difference across the board between 2015 and 2016, which is what I felt instinctively on the day too. While some flights weren’t as compelling as their 2015 counterparts (Bordeaux Single Varietal and Red Blends), others were in fact more convincing (Pinot Noir). Most promising for me was the clear expression of the regional identity of Syrah and the scintillating wines produced when bringing a multitude of different Mediterranean white varieties together with Chenin Blanc.

The 11 flights were: Pinot Noir (seven wines), and Cinsault, Grenache, Tinta Barocca (as single-varietal wines); Mediterranean Red Blends; Syrah (all origins); Bordeaux Single Varietal and Red Blends; Chardonnay; Chenin Blanc (all origins); Chenin-led Cape White Blends; Cape White Blends (where Chenin was not the dominant variety), Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Single Varietal and White Blends. All 69 wines were opened, put in blind bag and poured by the team at BB&R. If any wines were faulty or not showing their best, we requested a second bottle.