L'Ormarins

Clean, crisp lemon sherbet zest and biscuit nose. The palate follows the same track: vibrant, crisp, clean and tangy with bright freshness. Focused and poised with gentle but beguiling flavours of succulent lemon sherbet and understated trace of orange marmalade before a richer, rewarding, broad creamy toast, biscuit and brioche note from time on lees becomes apparent. Persistent dry tail.

Vigorous fine bead with green apple, lemon, yeast and fresh sea breeze aromas. The palate echoes those aromatic notes with its crisp lemon freshness and green apple vibrance that is brushed with grapefruit and citrus zest. A gentle, creamier biscuit and toast note then develops. Elegant and well structured with good fruit, acidity and lees harmony. The finish is long, dry and crisply detailed.

Pale salmon hue, with generous bouquet of lime cordial, oyster shell, fresh sea breeze and apple. Tang of crunchy, crisp green apple and raspberry, vivacious and bright, are immediately apparent on the palate. Lively fizz and energy of the mousse lends additional appeal. Lime marmalade and citrus zest appear before a fantail of toasty brioche, sourdough and creamy lees unfurls. Poised, focused, dry and cohesive to the end.

Citrus leaf, nectarine and baked artisanal bread aromas mingle with notes of kelp and sea spray. Tangy, zippy and fresh entry with bright pops of lemon, grapefruit and orange zest. The palate is lively and energetic, courtesy of its vivid acidity, with a slight edge of limestone, oyster shell and flint lending a dryness. That brightness then makes way for an ample, richer, altogether more leesy, baked sourdough and yeasty breadth. Harmony of citrus fruit, acid and mature autolytic notes is impeccable and as a consequence, the genteel, elegant power of the wine is restrained and lengthy while clean and crisp.

Rich caramel-gold colour. Mellow whiffs of baked apple with tarte tatin spice highlights and just a delicate hint of flowers and macadamia nuts which entice on the nose. The palate is suitably spirituous with apple strudel-, marzipan-, caramel- and baked biscuit-flavours. Pleasant balance and gentle rich praline notes which linger for ages.

Produced on the picturesque mountain slopes of the Franschhoek wine valley, where bees thrive on the pollen of indigenous fynbos flora. This delicious sweet & complex honey forms part of the Estate’s collection of boutique artisanal products.

Palest blush pink hue with a lively “string of pearls” bubbles. Subtle cherry and raspberry aromas mingle with more prominent fresh sea breeze and oyster shell notes. Pink grapefruit tang with a hint of lemon zest are the first flavour impressions. Those make way for the briny sea breeze and oyster shell elements, along with a lime leaf and a chalky limestone mouthfeel. Overall, a complex mouthful with an understated red fruit nuance and a rich sourdough note from its time on the lees. Complex, cohesive and persistent.

Typical melange of spice, plum compote, fresh ripe cherry and a shy powdery florality on the nose. The entry is rich, sweetly raisined and spicy with a dry, nuttiness apparent from its time in aged oak barrels. The integration on this fortified wine is beautiful, both the oak and fruit as well as the spirit addition. Nothing dominates, so the individual components harmonise in elegant and subtle fashion. It’s both complex and engaging. Texturally, it’s as if the wine is wearing a velvety cloak of chocolate-covered raisins. Delicious, comforting, mouth-wateringly tasty and the farewell is suitably dry, spicy and lingering.

Pure, unadulterated heady litchi perfume! No Ersatz essence notes whatsoever. Light potpourri whiff adds dimension and depth to the nose. The same holds true for the flavour. Undoubtedly distilled litchi spirit, it’s tropically fruity with an almost Turkish Delight exoticism. It’s smooth and gentle without any harsh spirit bite or aggression. The spirit lingers long in the mouth, finishing dry yet leaving a beautiful distinct flavour memory.

A well balanced, fresh medium bodied extra virgin olive oil, with powerful aromas emanating green olive, fresh cut grass, tomato leaf and walnut.

Aromas of apricot fruit leather, caramel and polished oak with a touch of resin. The palate is rich and spirited with lovely warmth and breadth. Flavours of praline, brûléed sugar or dark caramel are discernible alongside the apricot, dried citrus peel and roasted nuts. Smooth textured and polished, it is refined and cohesive. There’s even a suggestion of ginger preserve. Beautiful integration of oak and spirit which makes the rich flavours linger long.

Arresting bead of fine but vigorous bubbles that burst to the surface, carrying with it shy but complex aromas of citrus leaf, baked tarte tatin and a hint of lily-of-the-valley. Flavours of crunchy, tart, crisp green apple mingle with a kelpy, somewhat saline maritime note initially before becoming altogether richer, with baked bread, sesame cracker and even a roasted nut element becoming apparent. Complex and sophisticated with a superb balance of thrilling acid freshness and succulence with the fuller, creamy lees elements as well as retaining its vivid fruit expression. Poised, focussed, structured and long, it remains lively with citrus vibrance to the end.

Trademark restrained pear and nectarine fruit notes, lightly dusted with spice. In the mouth it’s more of the same with the lightly tangy, zesty stone fruit flavours apparent against a backdrop of focussed, taut, acid freshness. Texturally, the wine is compact and cohesive with good density as well as mouthfeel. Adding to the overall impression is its poise and balance, along with leesy breadth. The finish is long and parts on a lemon zest note.

A forthcoming and delicately seductive nose reveals a delightful interplay of sweet, ripe cherry and blueberry aromas. A subtle hint of rose petals and a whisper of shy spice further enhance its allure. On the palate, the wine opens with a succulent and fresh entry, but it quickly transforms into something far more intriguing than the nose suggests. It defies expectations of lightness or overt fruitiness, instead presenting a sleek, sinewy, and powerful profile with a lithe muscularity. The fruit profile deepens into darker tones—black cherry, plum, and even prune—accentuated by a prominent liquorice note. The wine boasts impressive density and layered depth. Tannins provide structure and stature, but they remain refined and unobtrusive. Altogether, this is a cohesive, rewarding, and thoroughly delicious wine, leaving a lingering and satisfying finish.

Mesmerising golden incandescent colour. The nose offers trademark floral Muscat perfume with an intriguing liquorice edge. Then there’s honeycomb, sun ripe dried mango and sultana notes too. There’s more to the palate than simple rich, honeyed sweetness – which it has in abundance. Subtle macadamia and roasted pecan nuttiness with a cookie dough element can be discerned, along with the ripe sultana fruitiness. Fortification is well handled and although sweet, it’s also fresh, beautifully balanced and long.