COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2025
GRAPE
Gamay Noir
PRODUCER
Radford Dale
REGION
Western Cape
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Medium - Light
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Medium - Long
Intensity
Mid - Pronounced
Tannins
Medium - Low
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Radford Dale is a pioneer of modern South African winemaking, championing minimal-intervention techniques and rare grape varieties. In 2015, Gamay Noir was on the brink of extinction in South Africa, with under eight hectares remaining nationwide. Radford Dale stepped in to rehabilitate the variety, planting the first new Gamay block in over two decades at the Karibib farm in the Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch. This block now serves as a 'mother block' for the country. The 2025 vintage marks a refined era under winemaker Petroné Thomas, who brought back classic Burgundian techniques from her time in Beaujolais to craft a wine of exceptional elegance and tension.
ALCOHOL
13.0%
AVG. PRICE
€20
STYLE
Classic
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
12-14°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
In 2015, Gamay was nearly extinct in South Africa, with fewer than 8 hectares remaining nationwide before Radford Dale championed its revival.
Fact 02
The Karibib vineyard block serves as South Africa's 'mother block,' providing cuttings to slowly expand Gamay plantings across the Cape.
Fact 03
Winemaker Petroné Thomas refined this vintage's texture after working a harvest at the historic Château de la Chaize in Beaujolais.
Fact 04
This wine is bottled in lightweight, eco-friendly 396g glass bottles with recyclable screw caps to minimize its carbon footprint.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The grapes are hand-harvested in the early morning from sustainably farmed vines planted on decomposed granite soils in the Polkadraai Hills. After manual sorting, the winemaking team employs semi-carbonic maceration with whole, uncrushed berries. Spontaneous fermentation occurs using 100% wild, indigenous yeasts in a large 7,000-liter oak fermenter. Extraction is kept extremely gentle. The wine is then transferred to older, neutral 225-liter French oak barrels for spontaneous malolactic fermentation and aged for nine to ten months. No new oak is used to preserve the delicate, primary fruit characteristics of the Gamay grape.
