Revisiting the wines of Doran Vineyards, Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
Website: https://www.doranvineyards.com/home/
Back in 2010 Edwin Doran bought a vineyard in Voor Paardeberg as a retirement gift to himself. Sadly, he passed last year, but his son Tom has taken on the project. The new GM, Ernie Manuel, was previously in charge of the organic conversion at Mullineux, after a spell working with Joostenberg. So they are working in a more regenerative direction in the vineyards, and these wines are a step up from the 2024s that I tried last year, with the exception of the Chenin Reserve, but this could have been a bottle issue.
Doran Vineyards Ayra 2025 Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
13% alcohol. Chenin Blanc raised in stainless steel. Highly aromatic with primary pear drop notes and some citrus. Textured, full palate with sweet pear and citrus fruit as well as some yellow plum. Nice purity and presence with a rounded mid-palate. 89/100
Doran Vineyards Chenin Reserve 2025 Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
13% alcohol. Wild ferment and ageing in Serbian oak. Some apple, herb and spice on the nose, with a touch of wood. Some juiciness on the palate showing ripe yellow fruits, but the savoury woody notes stick out a little bit, and there are some appley oxidative notes, too. 85/100
Doran Vineyards Rosie D 2025 Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
10% alcohol. This is Grenache Noir raised in stainless steel. Pale pink in colour, this is bright, fresh and fruity with some juiciness and a touch of red cherry alongside the pear and citrus fruit. Light and direct, and I like the fact that the alcohol has been dialled back a bit. 88/100
Doran Vineyards Romy D 2024 Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
13.5% alcohol. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah raised in old oak. There’s an attractive green sappy edge to the nose. The palate is bright, easy and juicy with attractive red cherry and berry fruits and a touch of blackcurrant, with nice sweetness. Easy and approachable with a bit of crunch on the finish. 90/100
Doran Vineyards Pinotage 2024 Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
13.5% alcohol. Wild yeast ferment, matured in used oak. Supple, ripe cherries and berries with nice texture on the mid-palate. Very appealing with a core of sweet strawberry and cherry fruit, and nice soft tannins. Lots to like about this friendly, approachable red. 90/100
Doran Vineyards Iosa 2024 Voor Paardeberg, South Africa
14% alcohol. A blend of Shiraz and Merlot aged in older oak barrels. Lovely sweet cherries and berries with some floral aromatics. There’s a leafy green edge here with nice berry fruits and then a bit of spice on the finish. A real crowd-pleaser with nice sweet, pure fruit. 91/100
