The wines of Brookdale Estate have once again commanded attention in Master of Wine Tim Atkin’s annual South Africa Special Report.
Leading the charge is the newly released 2025 Brookdale Grenache Noir, which earned an impressive 95 points in its maiden vintage as a vibrant expression of Paarl Grenache, combining aromatic intensity with freshness, savoury complexity and refined texture.
The excellent showing of the 2025 Brookdale Grenache Noir is a remarkable debut for a wine made by Brookdale’s new-generation winemaking team of Xander Sadie as Head Winemaker, and Assistant Winemaker Shanice du Preez.
- Adding further recognition to the team’s achievements, Xander Sadie was nominated as one of four finalists in Tim Atkin’s Rising Star category, highlighting his growing reputation as one of the promising young talents in South African winemaking. Brookdale was also named as one of four finalists in Tim Atkin’s prestigious Wine Tourism Award this year.
Underlining the quality of its Paarl vineyards, Brookdale’s strong performance in the 2026 South Africa Special Report extends right across the portfolio, with each of the seven wines reviewed having achieved 92 points or higher. The 2024 Brookdale OVP Chenin Blanc and 2025 Brookdale Twenty Field Blend were both awarded an impressive 94 points, while the 2025 Brookdale Bradbourne Estate White Blend and 2025 Brookdale Sixteen Field Blend each scored 93 points.
The 92 score of both the 2025 Brookdale Mason Road GSM and 2025 Brookdale Mason Road Syrah reinforce the consistently high quality of Brookdale’s Mason Road lifestyle range too. Designed to offer an accessible expression of the estate’s Paarl vineyards without compromising on character or quality, the Mason Road wines have established a strong track record in Tim Atkin’s annual South Africa reports, with the range regularly earning impressive scores.
Tim Rudd, owner of Brookdale Estate, says: ‘Tim Atkin’s annual report is enormously important to us because it provides an independent benchmark for the quality and direction of South African wine. His understanding of our industry, his rigorous tasting process and his ability to identify emerging talent make these results especially meaningful. To see the new 2025 Grenache Noir receive 95 points in its maiden vintage, while Xander is recognised as a Rising Star finalist, is hugely encouraging. It is a wonderful endorsement of the energy, talent and ambition that Xander and Shanice are bringing to Brookdale.’
This recognition continues the exciting winemaking journey of Sadie and Du Preez, who first joined Brookdale for the 2025 harvest. ‘The 2025 Grenache Noir is a wine we are particularly proud of’, says Sadie. ‘It was an exciting opportunity to work with this vineyard for the first time and to make a wine that is both expressive of Grenache and true to the character of Brookdale. To receive 95 points from Tim Atkin for our maiden vintage is an extraordinary encouragement.’
Brookdale Estate’s 2026 Tim Atkin results provide a strong endorsement of the estate’s Paarl vineyards and its distinctive winemaking philosophy. The breadth and consistency of the scores across the portfolio demonstrate Brookdale’s ability to translate the character of its vineyards into wines that combine old-world sophistication with a modern, site-driven approach. At the same time, the exceptional debut of the Grenache Noir, together with the recognition of young winemaker Xander Sadie as a Rising Star finalist, signals an exciting new chapter for the estate and the young winemaking talent shaping its future. Brookdale wines are for sale at leading wine merchants and may be ordered online from the estate for delivery countrywide.
BROOKDALE ESTATE (PAARL)
- www.brookdale-estate.com
- The Tasting Room Tel +27 (0) 87 183 3919
