Western Cape, South Africa

A Sauvignon Blanc with real confidence and swagger. Don’t let the nose frighten you - on first sniff, it’s certainly an unabashed Sauvignon Blanc, with masses of nettly, blackcurrant leaf notes, finely chopped green pepper, green apple and white pepper. However, Emerald is certainly no one trick pony. Whilst the nose first dominates with green notes, it opens and broadens, with the palate matching, brimming with Canteloupe melon, super ripe mango and passion fruit. Rounded, luscious with mouth coating glycerol and a long finish. Crying out to be paired with a baked goats cheese drizzled with honey, or radicchio with an orangey dressing!

Paserene introduced their Elements range of wines mid 2020, offering a superb range of wines at a more accessible price point. In a similar vein to the Matthiasson Tendu range, the Paserene Elements series explores younger sites that haven’t quite yet hit their stride and reached Martin’s high standards for the flagship wines. Accessible, more affordable wines still produced with the same Paserene values, and as Martin says, “the wines to drink whilst you wait for the flagship wines to age!” This Sauvignon is sourced equally from Elgin, where the rocky shale soils bring great complexity and weight, and Franschhoek, where the fine sandy soils bring the tropical notes. Buy it, drink it, enjoy it!

Tulbagh, South Africa

To add our own note to the words of wisdom from the pro, the 2019 Union is immensely concentrated, dark and brooding. Still a baby, it’s all smoke, charred meats, molasses and scorched charcoal, with that immense savoury spine lifted and balanced by the pretty violets and red fruits.

Now 100% Syrah … the Paserene Union is named for the union between the swift - (winemaker Martin) and the girl (Mother Nature) - and their bond in making this wine. Each variety bringing different components to the wine. The Syrah vineyard is planted on extremely poor arid soils, yielding just small amounts of exceptionally concentrated fruit with intense, dark fruited flavours, whilst the Carignan and Mourvedre bring more perfume and pretty high toned notes.

Paserene is a joint venture between winemaker Martin Smith and businessman Ndabe Mareda, their goal is to produce fine wines that are truly authentic to the place and people that made them. They call both Franschhoek and Tulbagh home, with a beautiful tasting room and some vineyards in the much loved foodie town of Franschhoek, and a recently purchased farm in the lesser known region of Tulbagh. It is here where self confessed Cabernet junkie Martin sees the greatest potential for the grape in the Cape, and where they are planting for the future.

The name derives from the Latin Passeriformes, the type of bird that includes swifts, swallows and martins; all birds that follow the epic migration from Europe to South Africa, representing the often travelled route by young winemakers gaining experience abroad before returning to their home country.

Tulbagh, Western Cape

Strawberries and cream, fresh cherries and rose hips, with a pleasantly textured palate thanks to a good part of the wine being fermented and aged in old oak. Pale in colour, but don’t let that fool you for something thin and watery! A little cinnamon and spiced cream, with a very moreish and zingy finish. 80% Carignan, 17% Mourvedre, 3% Syrah.

Paserene introduced their Elements range of wines mid 2020, offering a superb range of wines at a more accessible price point. In a similar vein to the Matthiasson Tendu range, the Paserene Elements series explores younger sites that haven’t quite yet hit their stride and reached Martin’s high standards for the flagship wines. Accessible, more affordable wines still produced with the same Paserene values, and as Martin says, “the wines to drink whilst you wait for the flagship wines to age!”

Franschhoek, South Africa

Chamomile, grapefruit and greengages greet you on the nose, and as it opens, you’re transported to somewhere in the tropics. Lilac and bergamot, developing on to the palate to pineapple and honeydew melon with some herbaceous notes and a racy oyster shell acidity on the finish. Like a great Bordeaux Blanc from Graves, this will benefit from a little time in bottle, and will surely develop beautifully in the next few years, taking on more weight and those sought after notes of lanolin and baked apples.

Just over 80% Sauvignon Blanc with the remainder Semillon Gris, picked from their estate vineyard planted on sandy soils by the Franschhoek tasting room. Fermented in old oak, and aged for just under two years with a portion of new French.

“Shiner” is the proclaimed “world’s most badass wine.; the “working class man of the Paserene family.” It may be their more entry level wine, but it’s certainly still pretty serious, with all the same love and effort put in to production and high quality fruit that you would expect from Martin. Chapter 1 was made in the 2016 vintage, and was a Bordeaux red blend, whilst this is a Bordeaux white blend. Each release will see a new chapter and a new wine!

Paserene is a joint venture between winemaker Martin Smith and businessman Ndabe Mareda, their goal is to produce fine wines that are truly authentic to the place and people that made them. They call both Franschhoek and Tulbagh home, with a beautiful tasting room and some vineyards in the much loved foodie town of Franschhoek, and a recently purchased farm in the lesser known region of Tulbagh. It is here where self confessed Cabernet junkie Martin sees the greatest potential for the grape in the Cape, and where they are planting for the future.

The name derives from the Latin Passeriformes, the type of bird that includes swifts, swallows and martins; all birds that follow the epic migration from Europe to South Africa, representing the often travelled route by young winemakers gaining experience abroad before returning to their home country.