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Wine Heroes

This page is dedicated to our wine heroes – the wines, winery, winemakers that have shaped our vinous journey over the past 20 years.
We followed, bought and collected all the wines that feature on this page for many years and their quality vintage upon vintage is without question.
In short, these are the wines we drink, and we hope you will love them as much as we do.

Wine Heroes

This page is dedicated to our wine heroes – the wines, winery, winemakers that have shaped our vinous journey over the past 20 years.
We followed, bought and collected all the wines that feature on this page for many years and their quality vintage upon vintage is without question.
In short, these are the wines we drink, and we hope you will love them as much as we do.

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  • 2017 Smuggler’s Boot Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2017 Smuggler’s Boot Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Kershaw

    £2100

    In 2014, The Smuggler’s Boot wines were first released. The name derives from the time of trade embargoes in South Africa when growers & winemakers smuggled grapevine material into the country by hiding the cuttings in Wellington boots. The Smuggler’s Boot range celebrates that ingenuity.

    This 2017 Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon is a classic white Bordeaux-style wine.   Light lotus yellow-green in colour, the nose has pristine aromas of elderflower, lemon and mandarin segments. A clean, seamless palate with vibrant fruit definition balanced with a taut natural acidity, this linear structured wine unfurls to lime, rose and pear softened by a creamy texture and lingers long after the first sip.

    Its fresh, citrus profile and mineral texture make it perfect with seafood dishes, fish and spring vegetables. Winemaker Richard enjoys it with tuna sashimi with a delicate lime and ginger or Asian dipping sauce.  Oysters; asparagus and peas in a pasta primavera work well or goats cheese, white asparagus and chorizo (lightly spiced) pizza. Alternatively, a ‘posh’ fie pie or poached salmon with peas and frothy hollandaise, Cod and chips, or beer-battered haddock. For meat lovers, Gammon on the bone with broad beans in a parsley sauce. A light Thai green curry with pork or chicken (but go easy on the curry spice).

    Purchase & earn 21 points!Add to Basket
  • 2020 Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Lismore Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc, Lismore

    £2595

    Lismore Estate is based in Greyton within the Overberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa.  It’s here with the Sonderend mountains as a backdrop that winemaker & proprietor Samantha O’Keefe makes her fabulous wines.   ‘ I had a farm in Africa….’  The opening line of Karen Blixen’s classic memoir Out Of Africa comes to mind when you hear Samantha’s amazing story.

    We love barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc at Wine Republic and this beauty is made in an “oxidative” style using old 500-litre barrels for 70% of the fermentation and maturation bringing forward richness, intense fruit and complexity. 30% of the wine is fermented and aged in 1500-litre concrete egg tanks to enhance the rich palate texture and minerality. In both the barrels and the eggs, extended less contact adds complexity and a richer, creamy texture which works beautifully with the bright citrus and fresh herb notes and salty minerality from the grape.

    Purchase & earn 26 points!Add to Basket
  • 2021 Viognier ‘Age of Grace’, Lismore Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2021 Viognier ‘Age of Grace’, Lismore

    £2800

    Lismore Estate is based in Greyton within the Overberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa.  It’s here with the Sonderend mountains as a backdrop that winemaker & proprietor Samantha O’Keefe makes her fabulous wines.

    This Viognier is a reflection of Samantha’s obsession with how the special soil, climate and a mysterious sense of place come together to produce an extraordinary wine that tells you its story. The vines are grown on rose-quartz soils in Elgin, which is a cool, high altitude plateau. The region offers a lengthened ripening period which brings the grapes late into the season, often three to four weeks later than traditional wine-growing areas in South Africa. This provides the opportunity to develop deep complexity and concentration.

    In the glass, the 2021 Age of Grace Viognier is an expressive wine that seduces you with beautiful perfumes of honeysuckle and orange blossom and a textured palate of apricot, kiwi and pineapple. A sensual and exotic experience. Barrel fermented and aged. Enjoy it now or allow it to gain complexity with further cellaring.

    Purchase & earn 28 points!Add to Basket
  • 2020 Chenin Blanc, Lismore Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 Chenin Blanc, Lismore

    £2900

    Lismore Estate is based in Greyton within the Overberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa.  It’s here with the Sonderend mountains as a backdrop that winemaker & proprietor Samantha O’Keefe makes her fabulous wines.

    This is Samantha’s first Chenin Blanc release and with only 2000 bottles produced it is a very rare beast!  We have 12 bottles arriving in May 22 and that’s it!

    Greg Sherwood MW had his to say about in January – ” Made from grapes grown in Stanford with a small portion of skin contact, this maiden Chenin Blanc from Samantha O’Keefe is deliciously focused, pure and precise with a pronounced stony minerality of crushed gravel over lemon and tangerine peel, tart pear, white peach and flinty nuances suggesting a hint of reduction. Counter-intuitively, the palate is explosive and intense, bristling with green apple pastille, crunchy pear, liquid minerality infused with fresh fennel, dried herbs and hints of fynbos. But ultimately, this wine is defined by its uniquely taut, glassy acids that are cool, linear, crystalline and electrically fresh. A lovely lean, cool-climate expression of Chenin Blanc fruit! Drink from 2022 to 2034+

    Purchase & earn 29 points!Add to Basket
  • 2020 Chardonnay, Lismore Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2020 Chardonnay, Lismore

    £3200

    Lismore Estate is based in Greyton within the Overberg region of the Western Cape of South Africa.  It’s here with the Sonderend mountains as a backdrop that winemaker & proprietor Samantha O’Keefe makes her fabulous wines.   ‘ I had a farm in Africa….’  The opening line of Karen Blixen’s classic memoir Out Of Africa comes to mind when you hear Samantha’s amazing story.  A native Californian, Berkeley educated, Sam realised her dream and bought a mountain in Africa.

    In December 2019 Samantha’s farm, home, cellar and just-opened wine cellar was all lost in a bush-fire. Samantha has proven herself to be one of the winemaking stars of South Africa and gaining respect from all around the world. The day this tragedy took place Samantha was receiving calls from winemakers all around the Cape, giving her some of their top grapes and asking her to make the wine in their cellars in order for her to continue making wine and not miss a harvest. A remarkable woman making remarkable wines.

    The 2020 Lismore Chardonnay is delicious in the glass.  The nose is a complex, expressive bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits layered with brioche, honey and walnut. The palate is carried through by a distinct minerality and crisp acidity through to a lingering citrus finish.

    Purchase & earn 32 points!Add to Basket
  • 2018 Chardonnay ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Chardonnay ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw

    £4750

    An exceptional Chardonnay from the amazing cool-climate region of Elgin.  Restrained, mineral style focussed on elegance with a white fruit character, some oatmeal and some complexity gained from percipient applied wood.  Only 15982 bottles and 70 Magnums.

    The grapes come from eight to 10 small parcels of vineyards in several locations in the Elgin Valley. Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa and is situated on an inland, hexagonal-shaped plateau, at an altitude of 300 metres. The region is surrounded by mountains and lies just over six miles from the Atlantic Ocean, which brings occasional sea-borne mists. February is the hottest month of the year, with daytime temperatures peaking at 23°C and night-time temperatures dipping to 14°C. The benefit of this cooler climate is that the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, so it develops complex characteristics and achieves physiological ripeness more gradually, resulting in lower sugar levels and consequently lower alcohol levels.

    Purchase & earn 48 points!Add to Basket
  • 2018 Chardonnay ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Chardonnay ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw

    £4750

    Restraint, minerality, freshness of fruit and a chiselled edge reflect limestone’s soil properties. This 2018 reveals clean, bright aromas of lemon blossom, wet chalk and powdered stones. Penetrating intensity, animated acidity with a rich mid-palate weight; this wine has purity of fruit – orange peel, yellow cling peaches and grapefruit peel – with complexing oatmeal and lemon cream biscuits to crème fraiche textures and a long finish.   Only 2128 bottles were produced.

    The G.P.S. (Grape Positioning System) series is made from exciting small parcels of fruit selected from carefully chosen vineyards outside the Elgin Valley. The Chardonnay grapes come from a small parcel of vines which are grown as a single vineyard block in Lower Duivenhoks River district, in the Western Cape. The pure limestone soil is something of a rarity in the Western Cape; it is a soil in which Chardonnay flourishes and produces elegant, fresh wines. The Dijon clone CY95 vines thrive in this warm Mediterranean climate, which is tempered by the Atlantic Ocean and the nearby Duivenhoks River. The wide diurnal temperature ranges create a long hang time during which the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, developing complex characteristics and achieving physiological ripeness more gradually, balanced by natural acidity.

    Purchase & earn 48 points!Add to Basket
  • 2017 Syrah ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2017 Syrah ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw

    £4750

    A subtle, precise style of Syrah built on fine tannins that educe harmony and freshness with flavours of black fruits, iodine and ground white peppercorns.  Only 9253 bottles and 33 Magnums.

    The grapes come from five small vineyard parcels in several locations in the Elgin Valley. Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa and is situated on an inland, hexagonal shaped plateau, at an altitude of 300 metres. The region is surrounded by mountains and lies just over six miles from the Atlantic Ocean, which brings occasional sea-borne mists. February is the hottest month of the year, with daytime temperatures peaking at 23°C and night-time temperatures dipping to 14°C. The benefit of this cooler climate is that the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, so it develops complex characteristics and achieves physiological ripeness more gradually, resulting in lower sugar levels and consequently lower alcohol levels.

    Purchase & earn 48 points!Add to Basket
  • 2017 Syrah ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2017 Syrah ‘G.P.S Series’, Kershaw

    £4750

    An outstanding Syrah and easily one of South Africas best examples.

    It is restrained, yet with intent and subtle power, wines from this vineyard are characterised by piercing black pepper flavours and powdery tannins complete with rich textures and a prodigious breadth of black-orientated fruit.  The 2017 shows a mid-ruby colour, a nose heady with aromas of black pepper, cinnamon stick, star anise and black cherry panna cotta.  Succulent in texture, this medium-bodied Syrah is voluminous with a core of juicy Morello cherries, liquorice and molasses complexed with gorse bush, baked plums, bay leaf and angostura bitters underpinned with fine grippy tannins and a long lush finish.  Only 1765 bottles were produced.

    The G.P.S. (Grape Positioning System) series is made from exciting small parcels of fruit selected from carefully chosen vineyards outside the Elgin Valley. The grapes for this wine come from the Klein River ward, which is one of the smallest wine wards in South Africa. Almost 20 years ago, the first Syrah vines were planted in an area that has traditionally been used for sheep and wheat farming. Three hectares were set aside for Syrah, on shale-derived Glenrosa soil. These soils are normally the hallmark of warmer areas, but these vines nestle against the Klein River Mountain range, which combined with the nearby Akkedis Valley, provide a portal through which the cool sea breezes from the Walker Bay penetrate, creating a mild meso-climate in summer.

    Purchase & earn 48 points!Add to Basket
  • 2018 Pinot Noir ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros Red Wine

    2018 Pinot Noir ‘Clonal Selection’, Kershaw

    £5200

    A world-class Pinot Noir from Richard Kershaw M.W and easily one of South Africa’s best.  This Pinot Noir is characterised by its captivating floral attributes underscored by purity, focus and freshness framed by fine powder tannins yet cushioned by a succulent texture and flavours of black cherry, pomegranate, rose petal and raspberry. Only 8056 bottles & 33 Magnums produced.

    The grapes come from 11 tiny vineyard parcels in several locations in the Elgin Valley. Elgin is the coolest wine region in South Africa and is situated on an inland, hexagonal-shaped plateau, at an altitude of 300 metres. The region is surrounded by mountains and lies just over six miles from the Atlantic Ocean, which brings occasional sea-borne mists. February is the hottest month of the year, with daytime temperatures peaking at 23°C and night-time temperatures dipping to 14°C. The benefit of this cooler climate is that the grape cluster stays connected to its roots for longer, so it develops complex characteristics and achieves physiological ripeness more gradually, resulting in lower sugar levels and consequently lower alcohol levels.

    Purchase & earn 52 points!Add to Basket
  • 2017 Syrah ‘ Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2017 Syrah ‘ Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH22’, Kershaw

    £7600

    This outstanding Syrah, one of South Africa’s best, is part of a range of wines called Deconstructed which winemaker Richard Kershaw created to show the world-class vineyards of Elgin and the differences between vineyards and clones in the region.

    Sourced from a single parcel in the western part of Elgin, the 22 clone produces fuller, well-coloured yet finely structured wines. They tend to be more concentrated as yields are low with more black fruit, black pepper and meaty notes. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, add gracefulness and heighten the fruit intensity.

    Only 552 bottles were produced.

    Purchase & earn 76 points!Add to Basket
  • 2017 Syrah ‘ Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH9c’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2017 Syrah ‘ Deconstructed Lake District Cartref SH9c’, Kershaw

    £7600

    This outstanding Syrah, one of South Africa’s best, is part of a range of wines called Deconstructed which winemaker Richard Kershaw created to show the world-class vineyards of Elgin and the differences between vineyards and clones in the region.

    Sourced from a single parcel in the western part of Elgin the 9c clone when planted in cooler areas is known to produce wines that are well-scented, delicately balanced and savoury. They are medium in weight resonating elegance, finesse of tannin, and purity of fruit, the flavours revealing more white pepper, violet/lavender, Victoria plum and iodine. They tend to exude freshness and energy with lively acidity giving precision to the wine. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, add gracefulness and heighten the fruit intensity.

    Only 598 bottles were produced.

    Purchase & earn 76 points!Add to Basket
  • 2018 Chardonnay ‘Deconstructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY95’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Chardonnay ‘Deconstructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY95’, Kershaw

    £7995

    This outstanding Chardonnay from Richard Kershaw MW is sourced from a parcel in the western part of Elgin the CY95 in the wines name is in reference to a clone of the Chardonnay grape that is known for its excellent quality creating wines that are aromatic, fuller bodied and rich yet tightly structured, well–balanced with length of flavour, managing to show restraint and mouth-watering passivity with a great line through the palate and fruit veering towards white peach flesh and nectarine. The Bokkeveld Shale brings amplified perfume to the nose and persistence and elegance to the palate.

     Only 710 bottles were produced.

    Purchase & earn 80 points!Add to Basket
  • 2018 Chardonnay ‘Deconstructed Lake District Cartref CY96’, Kershaw Wine Republic Heros White Wine

    2018 Chardonnay ‘Deconstructed Lake District Cartref CY96’, Kershaw

    £7995

    This outstanding Chardonnay from Richard Kershaw MW is sourced from a parcel in the western part of Elgin, the CY96 in the wines name is in reference to a clone of the Chardonnay grape that is known for its excellent quality, creating wines that are nervous, aromatic, elegant and crisp with slightly lower alcohol and finely balanced, the fruit profile being subtle with hints of citrus/orange peel and peach blossom and with time, some nutty elements. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, add delicacy and heighten the fruit intensity.

     Only 780 bottles were produced.

    Purchase & earn 80 points!Add to Basket