~$18US, 100% Saugivnon Blanc, Stellenbosch South Africa

My hunt for weird and wild white wines takes me to South Africa, this time to one of Stellenbosh’s top producers, Mulderbosch. This wine has been noted as a prime example of Southern Hemisphere Sauv Blanc, so I thought I’d see how it stacked up against the Loire and New Zealand companions I’ve had in the past (I embarrassingly haven’t had a white Bordeaux example yet).

Very pale yellow color. Aromatically complex and unusual, with extreme green vegetable action. Lime pips, bell pepper, and peas. Very bright and high-toned on the palate with lime, green apple. and jalepeno peppers. The acidity is so fresh it’s spicy through the midpalate. Very focused and precise. Crispy finish bursting with chalk and grass. Like a gravel ceviche.

Overall a wild ride through the vegetable garden - you usually don’t get this complexity and uniqueness below 20 bones - in the Loire, or beyond. This is not a wine for everyone, but I’m loving it for the nose alone. I wouldn’t pair it with anything acidic - probably softer sweeter cheeses, asparagus, and oysters.

Update: After 24 hours, the wine loosened up considerably - so much that it fell apart - the spike of acidity was too aggressive as the rest of the fruit softened.  Sharp and disjointed.

~$16US, 100% Viognier, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Pale gold. Very, very shy on the nose, even at room temperature, and after considerable time. A little pear and some peach nectar, and if I really try, maybe some weird steel and floral notes. It does have a nice fresh mouthfeel and overall palate balance - brisk acidity and an extremely satisfying, oily finish.  The palate feels very pure and clean, with a clear mineral-driven core. I like what I taste, but I grabbed a viognier because it’s typically an aromatic variety, and ironically, the only shortfall of this wine is the aromatics.

At present time it’s a closed book.  I don’t have a lot of experience with older viogniers, but I think this will develop into a more open and generous wine in 3-5 years. Because of the balance, finish, and “feel”, I believe the wine-making to be excellent - but the climate or vineyard might not be ideal for the variety - or it simply might be too young. A real head-scratcher.It has the potential for excellence, but just not yet…I  bet their syrah is very interesting.

~$8US - 100% Chenin Blanc, South Africa

Very pale straw in the glass - almost clear. Really pleasant fresh aromas of pear and apple cider, with a little seaweed and rockiness that integrated nicely. Kind of ‘coastal’ feel in the mouth - like Oban or Clynelish whiskies with some saltiness, but the Chenin Blanc’s acidity really balanced the overall feel and kept it crisp. Creat complexity for an under-$10 wine. Where the Dry Creek brought an abundance of fruit to the table, the Teddy Hall had some fruit, but was overall more diverse with the rockiness and briney flavors and a cleaner, drier finish. Peaches and dried floral notes on the finish. A perfect weeknight white for lighter fare and seafood - it accented some of the subtler flavors in the pan-seared sea scallops we enjoyed with it. Solid.