Steenwold Returns! South Africa’s 2016sBY NEAL
MARTIN | JULY 2, 2026Following
last year's inaugural blind tasting of 2015s from South Africa's New Wave
producers, it was time to reconvene for the second edition to examine the 2016
vintage at the ten-year mark. This annual tasting dubbed "Steenwold,"
a portmanteau of the Southwold tasting and the local term for Chenin Blanc, signifies
a coming of age for the country's wine industry. Longevity is surely a
prerequisite of fine wine, and South Africa has reached a juncture where that
metric can be measured en masse. South African wines’ relatively low prices
give the false impression that even feted names are somehow inferior, predestined
for short-term consumption. Nothing could be further from the truth. Last
year's tasting would convince the most diehard skeptic that the best of South
Africa can match the elite from any classic region. The peaks are world-class,
even if prices imply otherwise.The
2026 Growing SeasonA brief
recap of the 2016 season: it was the first in a series of unprecedentedly hot,
drought-afflicted seasons. I remember hearing local radio stations count down the
number of days until there would be no running water. The drought hit
Swartland, Paarl and Stellenbosch particularly hard. Sugar levels risked
galloping ahead of phenolic ripeness, a bifurcation that could be difficult or
impossible to bridge. Moisture-deprived berries were small, hence the low
yields. Balmy nighttime temperatures caused vine fatigue, not unlike Bordeaux
in 2003, though the absence of the “Cape Doctor” southeasterly wind moderated evapotranspiration
levels. With irrigation hotly debated in the context of global warming (a
subjected heightened today by the imbroglio over Château Lafleur), drought exacerbated differences between dry-farmed and
irrigated vineyards. Swartland, in the former camp, lost 50% to 60% of the
crop; Franschhoek, in the latter, fared better. Many winemakers chose to pick
two or three weeks earlier than usual, risking phenolic immaturity to avoid
excessive alcohol and potential spoilage during fermentation and barrel
maturation. Many also applied gentler macerations due to high skin-to-juice
ratios. In short, the 2016 vintage was a test of mettle for vineyard and
winemaker alike. 









This tasting
was a more rigourous examination of South African wines’ longevity, a hard bump
down to earth after the touted 2015s. That said, trickier vintages are a litmus
test for both viticulture and winemaking. South Africa’s reputation would be sullied if it suffered wild swings in quality
between vintages, and the crème de la crème should be able to overcome
challenges in difficult vintages, affirmation of superior terroir and/or winemaking
talent. The standing of any wine region is built as
much on difficult growing seasons as great ones, and as it transpired,
based on this selection at least, I might prefer the 2016s to the 2015s!<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1782745952699-South+Africa+Chardonnays_Vinous.png">The
quality of the whites was occasionally breathtaking. Many had not merely
withstood the test of time but were actually in the opening chapters of long
and prosperous lives that may well exceed 20 or 30 years. Varietal Chenin
Blancs and Chenin Blanc blends excelled, edging ahead of the Chardonnay flight,
partly due to the breadth of compelling stylistic interpretations on display. Highlights
included the 2016 Kamedarie from Van Loggerenberg, Hope Marguerite from Beaumont
and Mary Delaney from Botanica. The flights of field blends and multi-variety
wines offered some scintillating examples: Mullineux's Old Vines White Blend,
the cerebrally taxingly named Orbitofrontal Cortex from BLANKBottle and a
stunning 2016 Terrasse from Keermont. I would happily include any of these in a
lineup of top Burgundy. Without being facetious, the combined price of all these
wines is probably less than that of a single Grand
Cru.That is
not to disparage the Chardonnays, especially when they are of the calibre of Richard
Kershaw’s 2016 Chardonnay GPS Vermaaklikheid (I recall last December when one
of his Chardonnays matched a sensational 2010 Corton-Charlemagne from
Pierre-Yves Colin Morey poured blind). It’s just that this flight did not
deliver the showstoppers that bejewelled the others.



The
reds opened with a flight of Pinot Noirs. In retrospect, these were a little
underwhelming compared to other vintages. They were not bad, but a couple
misfired, Van Loggerenberg's Geronimo and the Mabalel from Crystallum among
them. I put that down to the growing season and Pinot Noir's sensitivity to
drought, and to a lesser extent, how much winemaking techniques have improved
in the interim. The red blends were also inconsistent, though I was deeply impressed by the 2016 Red from Sijnn,
which evoked the garrigue of the Northern Rhône as much as the fynbos
of the Cape.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1782745931593-Steenworld+Rhone+Bottles_Vinous.png">As one might
expect, the Syrahs performed better, a variety well equipped for Mediterranean
climes. There were impressive showings from Kershaw’s 2016 Syrah Deconstructed
Lake District SH22, Mullineux's 2016 Schist Syrah, the 2016 Steepside from Keermont
and the 2016 Reserve Red from Reyneke. I was surprised by a less impressive 2016
Porseleinberg, which seems to have suffered from the dry conditions more than
most. However, you can always enjoy the 2016 Chocolate Block, also from
Boekenhoutskloof, proof that a mass-market cuvée can cellar just as well as
more prestigious names.Final
ThoughtsThis
was an educational and enlightening tasting of a vintage that was dismissed in
some quarters at the time, unfavourably sandwiched between the lauded twins of 2015
and 2017. Whilst it was not smooth sailing throughout, especially with respect
to the Pinot Noirs and, to a lesser extent, the Cabernets, there is much to
admire about the Syrahs and especially the whites. Among the latter, the white
blends shone brightest, not least the alluring combination of Chenin Blanc and Sémillon,
Clairette, Colombard or Viognier. Field blends, the seemingly random hodgepodge
of grape varieties, often ended up greater than the sum of their parts in 2016,
as if growers instinctively knew what to plant decades ago. The 2016 whites
display such energy and vitality that they should be allowed further bottle
age.&nbsp; The best will continue to evolve
into something special.This
tasting was further evidence that the best South African wines repay cellaring.
The challenge is persuading consumers to think likewise. When even regions like
Bordeaux actively encourage drinking their wines young (or prematurely?), what
chance does South Africa have at showing what their finest can do with time on
their side? I have written before that in 10 or 20 years, these wines will be highly
sought-after. Maybe, as with Burgundy, oenophiles will rub their eyes in
disbelief at original asking prices, ruing that they did not buy more and
cellar them away. 







Roll
on the 2017s in 12 months’ time.

© 2026, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/day-by-day-south-africa-in-2025-oct-2025">Day by Day: South Africa in 2025</a>, Neal Martin, October 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/steenwold-south-africa-ten-years-on-jul-2025">Steenwold! South Africa: Ten Years On</a>, Neal Martin, July 2025<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/south-africa-where-are-we-now-sep-2024">South Africa: Where Are We Now?</a>, Neal Martin, September 2024&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/white-on-white-porseleinberg-2010-2020-nov-2023">White-on-White: Porseleinberg 2010-2020</a>, Neal Martin, November 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/the-a-to-z-of-south-africa-nov-2023">The A to Z of South Africa</a>, Neal Martin, November 2023

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