Friday Sips

South Africa's turbulent history has also extended to its wine industry. During apartheid it was pretty much impossible for most of the world to get their wines, but since its repeal, their winemakers have been sharing ideas and exploiting the brilliance that their vineyards deliver. It is easy to want to compare this nation's wines to that of Chile or Australia, but truth be told, they have a personality all of their own. Tokara is an impressive grower based in the Stellenbosch region who has only been brought into the States for a few years now and is one that I experienced for the first time a few weeks ago.

Beautifully complex blackberry, Havana Cigar, cassis and with an underlay of chocolate, mineral and cinnamon, this cab, if it were made in Washington or California, would command twice the price! Nicely layered, rich and oozing with class all the while maintaining poise and lift which calls one back for more. Drink this over-performing Cab through 2018; serve it with spicy meat dishes, grilled beef or strong cheeses at the end of a dinner.

Toss out your preconceived notions of what the stereotype of Shiraz is and turn up the volume on something clever, delicious and a complete different trip than what is going down in Australia's warm climate regions such as Barossa or McLaren Vale.

Tokara's Shiraz possesses a myriad of aromas with plum and cherry notes mingling with meaty, mineral and earth nuances. The palate delivers all of this in a multi-layered silky package. It's certainly a full wine, but with great definition and elegance, designed to seduce rather than assault the senses. A very food friendly offering, use it with a range of cuisine from more traditional meat dishes through to a great ragu, or even a plate of hard well flavored cheeses.

73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Petit Verdot, 6% Merlot, 4% Malbec & 2% Cabernet Franc, this top-level red blend presents itself with both new world and old world sensibilities. Dense crème de cassis, bing cherry, earth, peppermint, chocolate and cedar box are what you find on this very serious nose. This wine reminds us of a great Graves with its bold, layered core of fruit and finesseful structure yet the chewy and mouthcoating tannins frame the opulent and warm fruit which then takes us somewhere towards Walla Walla, however add in a little South African tangy-earth and spice and it becomes its own thing.

Full-flavored throughout, the wine's class and magnitude of soaring quality is evident on the lengthy finish. Very accessible and gorgeous at age 6, but make no mistake, this will live and grow in complexity for another 10 years. Aerate this beauty and have at it with a meaty mushroom dish, roasted lamb chops or a proper steak.

Recent history has shown that South Africa has been quite successful with Sauvignon Blanc. In the 90s, Estates like Thelema and Mulderbosch waved the flag of this varietal's potential and others soon followed. The Elgin region is one that is cool climate and versions that come from this area are the antithesis of New Zealand's "explosion" Sauv Blancs. Unlike NZ, these wines are fully dry in their taste profile and again following the common theme of this week's sheet, have a tip of the chapeau to the wines of France.

Subdued broad notes of creamy pear and fleshy tangerine bounce off of crisp minerality, white flowers and tangy Meyer lemon creating a slow building wave in the glass. Fleshy, yet focused on the palate with a crisp and clean lingering finish of bright citrus and subtle mineral spice. A piquant way to kick off a meal and it's a game winning touchdown with pan-seared halibut, lemon-infused chicken or fresh goat cheeses.