Day one for Helen McEvoy on the road in South Africa - and a first taste of the 2009s

Today was the first of many supplier visits. My itinerary had been planned out to include visits both to those who have been with us for years, but also to potential new suppliers. My philosophy is that in order to be sure you are buying the best possible wine at the best possible price, you must benchmark your range against other potential new wines.

It was also the first chance I had to taste the 2009 vintage ...

Ahead of my trip, South Africans had cautiously suggested that this vintage was really rather good; my expectations were therefore on the high side. However, what a result! Without exception, every 09 wine I tried today was simply a pleasure to taste.

The whites were singing. An expression of pure fruit combined with a lively mineral note and long elegant finish - simply delicious. The reds were harder to taste, many having only that week finished malo lactic fermentation, but despite this far from ideal tasting environment, they too showed real promise, with a complexity far improved from previous vintages and a ripe fruit freshness that enticed the palate. Most remarkable for me was the removal of that earthy, rubbery note so often found on South African wines; tannins were soft and supple rather than harsh and bitter. Winemakers were at pains to stress that the reds would improve - brilliant I thought, they are showing well already yet this is only the beginning!

I had to ask why 09 is looking so special in South Africa and reassuringly, all winemakers gave the same response. A warm but not hot growing season led to complex flavours developing. A long ripening period let these flavours fully form and a lack of rainfall kept disease away. One winemaker cited this vintage as the best he has seen for whites in the 20+ years he has been in the trade.

What a start to my trip! I went to bed that night looking forward to trying more delicious wines the following day.

Helen McEvoy, Senior Buyer