Tim Atkin’s Winemaker of the Year in 2022, Duncan Savage of Savage Wines is an undisputed “First Growth” producer in South Africa, even though his first solo vintage was a mere 12 years ago. He is resolutely one of South Africa’s “New Wave” crowd, producing site-specific, elegant, beautifully balanced, and thrilling wines from a number of amazing sites across the Cape, as diverse as Piekenierskloof and Stellenbosch, Malgas and Darling. He manages and farms the vineyards himself with his team, leasing many of them, and spends more time in the vines than in the winery.
What started as a plan to make just two wines (Savage White and Savage Red) has grown into a range of nine now, as Duncan found unique vineyards he simply couldn’t resist working with, from Syrah to Cinsault to Grenache to Chenin Blanc. He has become as famous for his supremely delicate Cinsault, as he has for his Sauvignon and Syrah, and Follow the Line is always one of the top picks of his line-up (right up there with Eben Sadie’s Pofadder Cinsault) – incredibly fine boned, vividly fresh, with bright, precisely defined, perfumed fruit.
