2024 Beaumont Family Wines Cape South Coast Chenin Blanc | 92 points
Hats off to this informal and well-priced white. From a screw-cap bottle, the Beaumont Family Wines 2024 Cape South Coast Chenin Blanc is floral, fragrant and generally so expressive. It offers a pretty sense of transparency with the naked aromas of the grape and a zesty, lean-bodied finish. There are aromas of sweet green herb and tangy citrus. This estate prides itself on its Chenin Blanc focus, a grape that it has farmed since 1974. Winemaking is hands-off, with fermentation in stainless steel with a mix of natural and inoculated yeasts. It is bottled in May and released a few months later. Production is 95,000 bottles, and although all the other wines in this portfolio are made exclusively from estate fruit, this bottle has some outside fruit brought in. It offers excellent value.
2023 Beaumont Family Wines Bot River Chenin Blanc Hope Marguerite | 93 points
The oak-fermented Beaumont Family Wines 2023 Bot River Chenin Blanc Hope Marguerite draws its fruit from heritage vines planted in 1974 (GG’s Vineyard) and 1978 (Hope Vineyards). These are two of the farm’s oldest sites, and this wine celebrates a 50-year Chenin Blanc legacy at this estate. The wine reveals a soft, medium-weight mouthfeel with a pretty core of orchard fruit that is framed by salty or flinty notes (I am reminded of flakey mica stone) and a savory touch of wild sage. Elements of the wine see pied de cuvee fermentation with yeasts from the vineyard. Production is 17,880 bottles.
2022 Beaumont Family Wines Bot River New Baby | 92 points
A creative blend of barrel-aged 65% Chenin Blanc, 25% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Colombard, the Beaumont Family Wines 2022 Bot River New Baby is a small production of just over 3,000 bottles. Each variety is fermented separately and matured on the lees, with a portion of the wine that undergoes malolactic fermentation (depending on the vintage). Broad aromas include candied citrus, fruit salad and canned peach. Over the wine’s medium texture, you might also pick up a waxy note that resembles candy corn. Fruit comes from various parcels planted between 1978 and 1988.
2022 Beaumont Family Wines Bot River Jackals River Pinotage | 91 points
This wine enjoys a three-decade tradition at Beaumont Family Wines. The 2022 Bot River Jackals River Pinotage follows the house style, which aims for a focused, mid-weight style. It is fermented in open concrete vats with two punch-downs per day. The idea is not to overwork the cap. A small portion of new oak is used over 14 months of aging. The wine shows bright fruit, plum and a distant note of wild rose. You might also recognize something succulent like meat on the grill, but all the aromas are held back with balanced restraint. It finishes with a hint of tart fruit. The wine is made with old vines planted in 1974 with some fruit from plantings made in 2018. This is a 16,290-bottle release.
2021 Beaumont Family Wines Bot River Far Side Mourvèdre | 93 points
From 10 barrels (with 3,069 bottles with wax capsules released), the Beaumont Family Wines 2021 Bot River Far Side Mourvèdre shows blue and purple fruits backed by Christmas spice and nutmeg. That spice is applied delicately as a mere dusting. The wine boasts an approachable, mid-weight texture with a contained 12.5% alcohol content. This estate was among the first to offer a single cultivation of Mourvèdre. “We’ve had a continued love affair with the grape ever since,” says Sebastian Beaumont. Today, fruit comes from three sites, planted in 2001, 2018 and 2019. Some whole bunch (40%) is used, and the wine ferments on the skins for four weeks.
2019 Beaumont Family Wines Bot River Vitruvian | 94 points
With 2,220 bottles made (and closed with a wax capsule), the Beaumont Family Wines 2019 Bot River Vitruvian is a blend of 44% Mourvèdre, 18% Cabernet Franc, 16% Syrah, 13% Petit Verdot and 9% Pinotage from estate vines. The guiding philosophy is to let the wine be “free to be Bot River.” From an area with shale and Table Mountain sandstone, the wine offers medium-plus intensity with a focus on floral notes of violet and pressed rose. It is elegantly fruit-forward, but those floral nuances do set it apart. On the palate, it is silky and streamlined. Some portions of the blend are co-fermented and other portions are blended in later to add complexity and character. The wine matures in French oak for 24 months.