News and events:

February 2010:

27 February:    Annual Crush Day - come pick your grapes, stomp them to juice, have a GREAT West Coast lunch and enjoy some cold wines!

View brochure ...

Newsletter - December 2009:

It is the last month of the year, one which flew by at an amazing pace and brings us yet again to a
time to sit down, take a deep breath and reflect upon the year that was. So in keeping with that
frame of mind, here goes...

Read more ...

Newsletter - November 2009:

Welcome to the Darling Cellars newsletter.
The 2009 vintage kicked off with a slow start in the last week of January with Chenin Blanc and concluded at
the end of May with a bit of Noble Rot Chenin Blanc. E-mail us if you need some info on why the harvest
started and ended with the same varietal! The chemistry of the various varietals looked much better than the
last few years and as such we had better grapes to make our wines form...

Read more ...

March 2009:

Steve Tanzer ratings for Onyx range March 2009:

2006 Darling Cellars Shiraz Onyx Darling
($16) Good deep red. Aromatic nose offers dark fruits, licorice, minerals, white pepper and a whiff of cola. Juicy, high-pitched flavors of black fruits and pepper show almost grenache-like high tones and enticing inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with good lift and a light touch.
88

2005 Darling Cellars Shiraz Onyx Darling
($16) Deep red with ruby highlights. Riper on the nose than the 2006, with suggestions of stewed fruits. More meaty and less perfumed in the mouth, with the roasted fruit note carrying through. A rich, sweet wine that can't quite match the 2006 for definition and lift.
87

2004 Darling Cellars Kroon Onyx Darling
($25; a blend of 45% each shiraz and pinotage and 5% each cinsault and grenache) Good deep red. The nose offers slightly cooked fruits, beefsteak tomato and molasses. Then sweet, plush and smoky in the mouth, with candied fruit and molasses flavors complicated by notes of leather and minerals. A bit warm with alcohol but finishes with sweet tannins.
87

2008 Darling Cellars Onyx Noble Late Harvest White Wine Darling (half bottle)
($22; for 375 ml.) Deep orange-gold. Exotic aromas of honey, clove and orange marmalade. Rich and plump but with an edge of acidity giving a slightly dusty quality to the flavors of fresh and dried apricot. This slightly high-toned sweet wine finishes with a lightly phenolic quality and racy acids.
88

Also recommended: 2005 Onyx Pinotage Darling (85), 2004 Onyx Cabernet Sauvignon Darling (85).
Other wines tasted: 2008 Onyx Sauvignon Blanc Darling*, 2007 Onyx Sauvignon Blanc Darling, 2003 Onyx Pinotage Darling.

February 2009:

21 February:    Annual Crush Day - come pick your grapes, stomp them to juice, have a GREAT West Coast lunch and enjoy some cold wines!

View brochure ...