New kid on the block at Eikendal Vineyards, a 30-year old Stellenbosch farm, is Nico Grobler who is currently the winemaker since the 2009 vintage, although he has six years experience of the vineyards and terroir there. Nico has also worked at a Burgundy producer in Cote de Challonaise and that exposure reflects in the evolution of Eikendal Chardonnay from the 2008 vintage through to the current 2010. The older vintages of this wine never seem to express the freshness of the variety due to the overt use of oak whereas the 2010 release has aromas of butter and lime and on the palate is fresh, round and smooth with a long finish of grapefruit and lime.
A technique used by Nico in the latest two vintages was to pick the fruit at three different stages of ripeness – (19.5 degrees Balling – 23 degrees Balling) resulting in freshness as well as richness in the finished wine.
Nico discusses the Eikendal Chardonnay 2009 in this video.
Also presented by Nico were the Eikendal Classique Red Blends 2005, 2006 and 2008 vintages. The 2008 blend consists of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Having more merlot in the equation creates a more old-world style of wine which I find to be classy, understated and well balanced. The tannins are soft while the finish stays and stays.
Food pairings are medium rare medallions of fillet or Carpaccio with fresh beetroot and even a rich chocolate and berry tart.
Eikendal Classique is sold from the farm for R150.00. The chardonnay is sadly sold out so keep a look out for the release of 2011.
If I were the father of my children I’d be delighted if they presented me with Woolworths Limited Release Cabernet Franc 2007 from Diemersfontein/Raats on Sunday.
Limited Release Diemersfontein/Raats Cabernet Franc 2007
This wine is a collaboration between Bruwer Raats, Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc specialist of Raats Family Wines, and the winemakers at Diemersfontein Wines.
The nose is bold with prune, black current, blackberry and even a touch of diesel aromas. The flavours are of nutmeg, white pepper and raspberry which are all beautifully balanced.
This wine pairs well with lamb dishes, poultry, lasagne and pizza. I believe that it is peaking now and drinking at its best.
Amazingly this wine which usually sells for R99.95 at Woolworths retail and online stores, is now on special for R49.95 and for this week only there is an additional 10% discount if you have one of those Woolworths benefit cards. Don’t walk – run and stock up!
I love this wine and rate it 19/20 – an outstanding wine.
The winery was founded in 1945 on land near Stellenbosch which was first planted with grapes in 1707 by early viticulturists. 1707 Was significant because it marked the release of the first political prisoner in South Africa. It was also the first time that the term “Afrikaner” was used when a certain Hendrik Beerman called himself this, while riding through the streets of Stellenbosch after a heavy, brandy-drinking session.
PG Slabbert, Cellarmaster at Stellenbosch Hills and Sonja Burger, features writer for Farmer's Weekly, celebrating the new release
In the early years from 1945 onwards, distilled wine for the production of brandy was made. What is interesting about this period is that the first affirmative action winemaker Abe Dawidse managed the cellar alongside the cellar master, Charlie Sparks.
These days PG Slabbert assisted by Juan Slabbert crafts mostly well priced wines from choice grapes supplied by 16 different farms, making Stellenbosch Hills effectively, a co-op. This does not mean that the winery cannot make sexy, boutique wines. To celebrate the anniversary, PG and his team have released the 1707 Reserve Duo.
The 1707 Reserve 2009 is a blend of Chardonnay, Semillon and Viognier. PG explains that the quality of Chardonnay grapes coming out of the Polkedraai Hills is superlative and an easy choice for the main cultivar. Viognier brings an aromatic quality to the blend while Semillon adds a round feel. The result is a buttery yet fresh wine which I found to be perfect. Even though the barrels used were new, they were only lightly toasted so that the blend is not over powering as I find often happens with white blends which have had oak treatment. Definitely a great food wine.
Stellenbosch Hills 1707 Reserve 2009
The companion wine is 1707 Reserve 2008, a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Vedot. This wine drinks beautifully right now but can be kept for up to 5 years. It paired well with a rich, cheesy Butternut, Spinach and Feta Rotolo.
The 1707 Duo can be bought at Checkers Retail Stores and at speciality wine shops for around R81.00 per bottle for the red blend and about R60.00 for the white. An absolute steal for these quality wines!
We often assume that South Africa’s bulk wine producers such as those owned by the Distell group, do not very often craft wines that come up to the same standard as some of the boutique wineries.
Razvan Macici, Nederburg Cellar Master
This week we had a wake-up call spent in the company of the charming Romanian, Nederburg cellar master since 2001, Razvan Macici. We were privileged to taste (and consume) some of Nederburg’s most exclusive wines which, in our opinion are right up there with South Africa’s best.
The evening’s Wine and Food Pairing was hosted by Andrea Foulkes’ Sidedish restaurant in Rose Street, Cape Town.
To mention a few recent achievements, Nederburg was the most successful producer at the Trophy Wine Show 2009 for two succesive years. And also achieved the highest score in the 2009 Syrah du Monde for the 2006 vintage of the Private Bin R121 Shiraz, sold exclusively for the Nederburg Auction. The wine was one of only two from South Africa on the top ten list, dominated by the French. Shiraz has won for Nederburg the 2008 Lexus WINE Challenge. The Manor House Collection maiden Shiraz 2005 took the IWSC Rosemount Trophy in 2007 for the World’s Best Shiraz.
Since 1975 the annual Nederburg Auction presents some of Cape Town’s finest wines from a host of various producers. Renowned are the Private Bin wines made especially for this event. It was a real thrill for us to enjoy two of the yet to be auctioned Private Bin creations in the tasting line Up.
Razvan grew up in the vineyards of Dealu Mare, about 70 kms from Bucharest where his father, Mihai, made his award-winning noble late harvest wines on the famous Pietroasa Estate in the area. This all made sense when we sipped the Nederburg Winemaster’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2009 which has to be the finest desert wine that I personally have enjoyed.
The wines in the line-up were:
2010 FIFA World Cup Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – an instant goal scorer.
Nederburg Private Bin D252 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon
Nederburg Ingenuity White 2008 – a five star wine in Platter’s South African Wines 2010
Nederburg Ingenuity Red 2007
Nederberg Private Bin R181 Merlot 2001
Nederberg Wine Master’s Reserve Noble Late Harvest 2009
In episode #842 Gary Vaynerchuk takes a look at 3 South African Chenin blanc wines.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Wine educator and wine critic, Gary Vaynerchuk is also referred to as “the first wine guru of the YouTube era” and “aside from Robert Parker, the most influential wine critic in the United States.” He started Wine Library TV (WLTV or The Thunder Show) in 2006 and produces his daily podcasts from Monday to Friday each week. The show is watched by an estimated 90,000 people.
The wines tasted on this show are Sizanani 2008, from Bellvue Estate, Stellenbosch; Savanah Steen 2008 which is part of Spier and Teddy Hall Chenin blanc 2009 which is presumeably part of the Moments collection.
With his inimitable passion and conviction Gary tastes and rates the wines using the 100 point scale.
Sizanani 2008 initially scored 59/100 but was down-graded to 55/100. Gary declared the wine to be “Awful. Really bad. Thin, disjointed like bad water with topsoil”.
Savanah Steen 2008 scored the best getting 89/100 with it’s aromatic flavours and similarity to Pinot Grigot.
Teddy Hall 2009 was Gary’s favourite in the lineup because of it’s green vegetable character. He scored it 82/100 thinking that not everyone would be attracted to the almost New Zealand Sauvignon blanc style.
Higgo Jacobs, current sommelier at Steenberg Vineyard’s restaurant Catharinas, guided us through a flight of off-dry to natural sweet wines.
Higgo grew up in Calitzdorp in the Klein Karoo wine district of South Africa and no doubt developed a love for the complex, delicious port wines that the area is famous for.
Early in his career he made his mark by achieving an Advanced Certificate at the UK Wine and Spirit Education Trust as well as passing the Michael Fridjohn Wine Tasting Academy course with distinction. Higgo has worked for Jeroboams Wine Merchants and Anthony Byrne Fine Wines in London and has also served on many wine assessment panels.
Higgo is soon to open his own wine consultancy. He can be contacted at higgo.jacobs@steenberghotel.com or on (27) 21 7132222.
I met Katinka several years ago as part of a small group who spent a three hour long lunch with her as she guided us through the principles and practice of matching food with wine. This experience was a revelation and gave a me greater respect for the wine which can be easily ruined by a
Katinka van Niekerk
careless food choice.
Katinka is a consultant to winemakers and chefs as well as a visiting lecturer to hotel schools and catering colleges. Her fascination with food and wine pairing began when she was the young wife of a South African diplomat serving in New York. At the many dinner parties they attended, it was fashionable to end the meal with chocolate mousse served with champagne which Katinka found unpalateable – the lovely bubbly nuances became vinegar against the sweetness of the mousse. Feeling impelled to do things differently and expressing this to her husband Albert, he reponded by saying,
We are young diplomats and will learn how it should be done. Just follow what the others are doing. You’ll get used to it.
But Katinka’s taste buds did not get used to it and she set forth in her inimitable way, to alter convention.
Thus her passion for what actually works and what does not when marrying food and wine, become a second career. Diplomatic postings to the United States, Israel, Germany and the United Kingdom and many glasses of wine later, gave Katinka ample opportunity to experiment.
At her workshops she discusses basic principles to think about which once practised a few times become intuitive.
These are - weight which is for example the difference between a piece of grilled hake and a grilled sirloin steak. The fish is light while the steak is heavy. Wines too, can be light or heavy-bodied. Consider the difference between a dry chenin blanc and a wooded chardonnay. The weight of the food should balance the weight of the wine so that neither overwhelms the other.
Flavour intensity – this is the degree of flavour that a dish has. This is apparent if we have to compare the flavour profile of white meat like
The Food and Wine Pairing Guide
chicken breast, pork fillet or veal schnitzel to red meat. The added flavourings used to prepare white meats play a bigger role than those used for more robustly flavoured meats. Consider the flavour profiles of an unwooded chenin blanc, a riesling or a gewurztraminer and it becomes clear that the more fragrant wines pair well with ethnic dishes from say, Thailand, Japan, North Africa or Mexico.
The five primary taste sensations – sweetness, acidity, saltiness, bitterness and umami (savoury). Wines and foods share basic tastes with wines having three: sweetness,acidity and in the case of red wine, umami.
Then there are secondary considerations such as sauces, cooking methods, pepper and the echo factor.
Happily for all of us Katinka has in collaboration with Brian Burke, produced The Food and Wine Pairing Guide which explains all of the above aspects in detail and with much more. It is available from Loot.
Even better, if you are in Cape Town contact Katinka to attend one of her workshops on katfoodwine@adept.co.za
I was so excited to meet Charlotte Noon at the Steenberg Vineyards barrel tasting event last night as she is one of the organisers of this fantastic first time wine fest taking place in Kommetjie this coming Saturday. Some of my favourite winemakers will be represented there like Adi Badenhorst, Duncan Savage of Cape Point Vineyards, Abri Bruwer of Springfield, Boela Gerber of Groot Constantia Estate and Adam Mason of Klein Constantia Estate. Super-stars in wine for sure.
Old Cape Wine Festival 2010
Here is the press release:
The one-day festival will see the largest gathering of wine producers and enthusiasts in the Far South ever. Visitors will be treated to the ultimate tasting experience with the opportunity to sample over 100 of South Africa’s best known wines. Over 20 wine producers – including some of South Africa’s most reputable and award-winning labels – will be there. These include Lazanou, Diemersfontein, Springfield, Teddy Hall, De Wetshof, Badenhorst, Cape Point Vineyards, Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia.
Every corner of the Cape Winelands map will be represented, including Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Robertson, Wellington, Constantia and the West Coast. Every cultivar grown in the Western Cape is also expected to be showcased, so there is definitely something for everyone. All of the wines available for tasting will be on sale at special festival prices at the Old Cape Wine Shop, while stocks last.
Tickets will be on sale on the day at just R40 per person tasting. This includes a wine glass, unlimited wine tastings and sumptuous food tastings. There will also be live music, scenic surroundings to relax in and entertainment for kids. Visitors are welcome anytime between 10am and 5pm and additional parking will be made available on site. There is also a Free Range Coffee Shop and restaurant for those who would like to include a delicious meal. The Blue Water Café offers fresh free range food, stunning views and a great kids’ entertainment area, so booking is essential (021 783 2007).
Adi Badenhorst
Organiser of the Festival and owner of the Old Cape Wine Shop, Rael Abramowitz, said: “We are very excited about the amazing response we have had – both from the wine producers attending and from the many people who are very much looking forward to enjoying the wines, the food, the music and the atmosphere at the Old Cape Wine Festival. It’s great to be able to put on a wine festival of this size in the Far South. We have many local wine enthusiasts who can now enjoy a great day out locally. With Kommetjie only being a 35 minute drive from the City Bowl, we are also looking forward to welcoming our city neighbours who will no doubt relish this leisurely day out in the country.”
Date: Saturday 6th March 2010
Time: 10h00 till 17h00
Where: Imhoff Farm, Kommetjie Road, Kommetjie
For more information about the Festival, call 021 783 50 54 or visit www.ocws.co.za. For more information about the many other attractions at Imhoff Farm, visit http://www.imhofffarm.co.za
You would easily think that – driving down Church Street which is lined with national monuments of which there are 32 in Tulbagh. That is, until you learn that high-tech water management and advanced viticulture are practised here, realising the true potential of the valley to produce premium, internationally lauded wines.
Sculpture at Saronsberg
Many of the old buildings survived or where rebuilt after the 6.3 Richter scale earthquake in 1969. Our weekend accommodation was one such Cape Dutch house built in the H shape with reed ceilings 4 meters high.
Just 90 minutes drive from Cape Town, this beautiful and fertile valley is almost completely surrounded by mountains; the Obiqua, Witzenberg and Winterhoek ranges. There are extreme variations of day and night temperatures here which together with the mountainous terrain creates different meso climates beneficial to the vineyards. The isolated effect created by the mountains allows many of the vineyards to be farmed organically such as Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards.
It's hung like a mule!
By far the most impressive farm we visited was Saronsberg Private Cellar . In 2003 under the guidance of winemaker Dewaldt Heynes, the cellar was established. His passion is clearly reflected in the magnificent wines he crafts like Shiraz 2006 which is one of the best expressions of the cultivar that we have tasted. Dewaldt, in an audio interview, describes his wines as big but elegant. Shiraz is where his focus lies as the quality of the grape in the Tulbagh Valley is amazing.
Wines from this cellar which also impressed us are:
Saronsberg Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Saronsberg Full Circle 2007
Saronsberg Seismic 2006
Nick & Forti’s Epicentre Red 2006
Nick & Forti’s Viognier 2008
Provenance Shiraz 2007
Saronsberg tasting room is an ultra modern space on different levels housing a fantastic collection of art works including a piece by William Kentridge and works by Norman Catherine.
Passionate and enthusiastic winemaker at Steenberg Vineyards, J.D. Pretorius, presented a tasting of top South African chenin blanc wines.
Also known as steen locally, South Africa produces even more chenin blanc than France’s Loire Valley. It is used for everything from generic dry white wines to age-worthy premium wines to ambitious sweet wines to brandy. The typical flavours are of yellow apples, litchi, ripe pineapple, ripe melon and the grape has a natural high acidity. In the 1960′s in South Africa it was popularised in a blend with crouchen blanc known as Lieberstein which at the time was the largest selling bottled wine in the world.
Steenberg Vineyards winemaker J.D.Pretorius
In the Swartland wine district chenin blanc vines aged up to 100 years are being revived by progressive wine makers like Eben Sadie and Adie Badenhorst to name only two. JD explained that the wines from this fruit have structure and backbone showing the natural harmony of the vine without needing manipulation in the cellar.
A lovely example of this is Mrs Kirsten’s Old Vines 2006 released last year and made by Eben Sadie. The vineyard belonging to Mrs Kirsten had patches that are as old as 100 years and was of course, no longer viable. Eben persuaded her not to pull out the vines and the wine he made sold out at R824 ($110). He plans to farm the vineyard for another 10 years.
A cross section of different Sout African chenin blanc styles of wine were tasted and they were:
Graham Beck Gamekeeper’s Reserve Chenin Blanc 2009
This chenin delighted the tasting group as one of the best of the evening. Graham Beck Brut is said to be Michelle Obama’s favourite bubbley and was served to celebrate the US presidential election.
De Trafford Chenin Blanc 2008
Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2008
An impressive wine which was awarded 5 stars in the Platter’s South African Wines 2010.
At 1,200 meters above sea level, these are the highest vineyards in the Western Cape. The land has been farmed by five generations of David Niewoudt’s family. The winery has been a winner for 2 years running of a Decanter Award for the shiraz and has been awarded Waitrose Supplierof the Year for Innovative Farming. This wine is one of the best of the evening.
Iconic, ambitious wine maker Bruwer Raats focuses on cabernet franc and chenin blanc. His cabernet franc has been rated in blind tastings as superior to Cheval Blanc 2004. Likewise his Chenin Blanc 2002 was favoured over two famous Loire wines.
Allan Mullins, Cape Wine Master and wine selector for the major South African retailer Woolworths, presented a tasting of Method Cap Classique wines from the Constantia Valley as well as a French champagne from Alexander Bonet which is sold exclusively at Woolworths under the label, Comtess Alexia. Allan’s extensive knowledge provided many interesting bubbly facts pointing out that champagne sales have fallen as a result of the recession but that demand for cap classique which is made in the traditional French manner is at an all time high. Best to get our festive season stocks in while they are available. Oozing humour and personality, Allan seasoned his talk with a mousse of hilarious anecdotes.
Allan Mullins and his beautiful wife, Therese
It is interesting to note that Archim von Arnim of Cabriere who famously opens bottles with a sabre, was the pioneer of champagne in South Africa in the early eighties.
On tasting champagne Allan mentioned that the best glasses have imperfections which allow the mousse to fizz better. If glasses are not up to scratch simply take a diamond and roughen up the surface.
The venue was the unique and spectacular new cellar door Bistro, 1682, at Steenberg Vineyards which has views across the Constantia valley with False Bay in the distance. This interesting food and wine destination has everything to entice visitors to stay and soak up the beautiful surroundings.
These are the wines that we enjoyed with Allan:
Duncan enjoying the Bistro 1862 deck
Steenberg Chardonnay MCC 2008
Steenberg Pinot Noir MCC 2006
Klein Constantia Brut 2006
Groot Constantia Cap Classique 2004
Constantia Uitsig MCC 2006
High Constantia Clos Andre 2006
Buitenverwachting Brut MCC
Comtess Alexia (Alexander Bonet)
Winston Churchill was an aficionado of Pol Roger champagne and made this well known statement:
Unusual varieties were the focus of this week’s The Wierd Ones themed tasting at Steenberg Vineyards where the spotlight was on blended wines which include Verdelho, a white grape grown throughout Portugal but with a small planting in Botriver, Walker Bay; Roussanne, a Rhone white grape; Grenache noir, a Spanish red grape widely grown in Spain and France but with tiny plantings in South Africa; Clairette blanc, another French grape; Nebbiolo, a red grape from Piedmont, Italy and Carignan, a red grape not much respected in France but found in older, low-yielding vines in South Africa.
Adi Badenhorst, maverick winemaker extraordinaire, and more of a keeper of the lands than winemaker in the conventional sense, introduced a flight of mostly blended, complex, some intense, some aromatic, unusual wines some of which have a base of chenin blanc grown on vines which are older than 40 years.
Adi Badenhorst
Adi and cousin, Hein, make wine in a once neglected cellar last used 70 years ago, Kalmoesfontein, in the Siebritskloof part of the Paardeberg mountain between Malmesbury and Wellington in the Swartland wine district where they are converting the lands to becoming organic.
Speaking of his blends, Adi explains that 5 or 6 different bush vine varieties could be harvested from 8, 10 or 15 old vineyard sites to make the final product.
The greater the number of varieties in the blend, the more complex the wine will be.
Sceptical of much touted “barrel selection wines”, Adi makes the point that this shows more faith in the coopers than in the fruit, and also impatience in expecting the wine to show it’s potential so soon. This was borne out when tasting the delectable, elegant AA Badenhorst 2007 blend of chenin blanc, roussanne, grenache blanc and gris, verdelho, colombar, viognier, chardonnay, semillon and sauvignon blanc.
Another factor in favour of vineyard selection is that the older the vines are, the greater the root surface area they have to take elements from the earth.
Other wines tasted were:
Feiteiras – Verdelho 2008 from Botriver, Walker Bay.
Steenberg – Semillon 2007 (Semillon being the first grape to be planted in the Constantia Valley)
A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines
Orangerie – Blend 2009 of chenin blanc, semillon viognier, chardonnay.
Roundstone Estate 2008 – Chenin blanc and grenache blend showing wonderful clarity of fruit.
Sadie Family Wines Palladius 2008 – Blend of chenin blanc, grenache blanc, clairette blanc,viognier, chardonnay and roussanne. Platter South African Wines 2010, Wine of the Year.
Steenberg Nebbiolo 2007 – Shows an increased cherry intensity with aging which can be as long as 30 years.
Annexkloof Malbec 2007 – Very intense, plummy, aromatic example.
Niepoort and Sadie Cape Charme 2008 – Carignan, Grenache, Tinta Barocca and Pinotage. Dirk Niepoort, 5th generation port producer from Douro, Portugal and Eben Sadie, award-winning Swartland winemaker.
Roundstone Shiraz 2008 – Small volume wine from shale soils.
Shiraz is the greatest red grape in the world. The Bordeauxlaise would love to put shiraz into their blends but they are only allowed to use malbec.
Steenberg Vineyards presented a breakaway evening of port tasting with the king of Calitzdorp, Boets Nel, owner and winemaker at De Krans, which turned out to be a wonderful reminder of often underrated fortified wine.
We found our ignorance to be embarrassing, thinking that port was only for long, cold, Winter nights, paired with cigars or strong cheese. Boets soon demolished this myth, delighting us with an uber sexy, new style of port, Pink Port, which has good structure and flavour evolving to a long dry finish which will be just the right aperitif on crushed ice, served on a hot, Summer evening. (R28.00 per bottle from the farm)
Boets steadfastly believes in the traditional method of making port, using only the varieties souzao, tinta barocca, touriga nacional, tinta franca and tinta roriz. Port is a passion of the winemakers in Calitzdorp which resembles the Douro Valley, Portugal, with low rainfall, and extremes of temperature.
Ultra sexy Pink Port
Highlights of the evening’s tasting:
Cape Ruby Port
This huge seller, entry level, 4 star port, has gorgeous ruby colour, a firey spirit and a dry dustiness on the finish, and is made for early drinking. (R34.00 per bottle from the farm)
Cape Tawny Port
A delicious port, matured for 10 years in the barrel and collector of many awards such as 2008 Swiss International Air Lines Wine Awards silver award; Veritas 2007 Double Gold; Grand-Prix runner up Michaelangelo 2006 wine awards; as well four star ratings in Platter’s South African Wines 2009 and Wine Magazine, June 2008. (R60.00 per bottle from the farm.)
Cape Vintage Port
This could be the poor man’s vintage reserve port which goes best with cheese after dinner. Four star rating in Platter’s South African Wines 2009. (R55.00 per bottle from the farm)
Steenberg Vineyards Themed tasting
Vintage Reserve Port 2007
Crafted in an exceptional year, this young wine will be a show stopper in 15 – 20 years time and is worth laying down to reach it’s full potential. One of the few ports which can stand up to a cigar pairing. (R120.00 per bottle from the farm)
Vintage Reserve Port 2001
Lush, smooth, ultimate port drinking experience which is sadly, sold out.
De Krans will arrange delivery of a case of wine to Cape Town for only R50.00 per delivery and can be contacted on dekrans@mweb.co.za or telephone: 044 2133314.
While the weather is still chilly, don’t miss out by experimenting and appreciating these world class fortified wines.
“Riesling has for long been arguably the world’s most undervalued ….grape. Riesling is the great vine variety of Germany and could claim to be the finest white grape variety in the world on the basis of the longevity of its wines and their ability to transmit the characteristics of a vineyard without losing Riesling’s own inimitable style.” (Robinson, J., The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2006. Pg 577)
Not to be confused with the misleading Cape or Paarl Riesling, a French white grape variety, Crouchen Blanc which is made cheaply, into bland dry, white wine.
Brad Paton, winemaker at Buitenverwachting since 2004, worked in Germany for eight years learning much about this niche market variety which in South Africa is produced by fewer than twenty wineries and represents only 0.2% of the 100,000 ha national vineyard. Not much more than an expensive hobby for winemakers.
That said, South African produced Rhine Rieslings, from Nederburg Wines, Hartenberg Estate, Buitenverwachting, and Klein Constantia Estate, stand up quality wise to examples from Alsace and Rheingau, showing grapefruit, lemon, lime, tangerine and even caramel notes while being perky and fresh with lingering finish on the palate. Beautiful summer wines.
Before listing the wines in the lineup here are some of Brad’s words of wisdom:
On making good wine – “If you want to make a good wine, you have to know what a good wine is and where the good wines come from. As a winemaker you have to be able to make the cheapest, entry level wine well, before being able to make a premium wine. It’s important to practice, and practice, and to taste international wines.”
Boela Gerber, winemaker for the last nine years at Groot Constantia, talked us through Shiraz/Viognier blends, Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier blends and varietal Shiraz wines at the latest Steenberg Vineyards Themed Tasting.
Even though the Constantia Wine Valley produces more and is better known for it’s white wines, premium red wines are crafted as can be seen by the Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Shiraz 2006 being ranked in the Top Ten Best Syrah du Monde 2009, matching the French at their own game, and Eagles Nest Shiraz 2006 named by Matthew Jukes as one of his top 50 South African wines for 2009.
Explaining the role of floral Viognier blended with Shiraz, Boela commented that “Viognier tones down Shiraz, takes the edge out of it. We used to refer to Shiraz as having a sweaty, saddle character………..until Brokeback Mountain that is.”
And of Mourvedre, “In the lean, cool climate, elegant style wines of Walker Bay, Mourvedre boosts the wine.”
Wines in the lineup:
Tamboerskloof Viognier 2008 La Motte Shiraz Viognier 2006 Graham Beck The Joshua 2003 Beaumont Mourvedre 2005 Newton Johnson Syrah-Mourvedre 2005 Anura Syrah-Mourvedre 2005
Eagles Nest Shiraz 2006
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Shiraz 2006
Steenberg Shiraz 2003
Constantia Valley Golden Oldies tasting was presented by Karl Lambour, winemaker at Constantia Glen since November 2006 and producer of a top notch Sauvignon Blanc with a Bordeaux style blend waiting in the wings. Dominique Hebrard of Chateaux Cheval Blanc is the winery advisor.
Constantia Valley white wines have fantastic ageing potential and Karl mentioned as an example, a Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc being rated 5 stars in Wine Magazine 18 years after release!
The wines tasted are listed below with brief notes gathered from the comments of the wine aficionados at our table.
Two different bottles were poured at our table, one screwcap and the other closed with cork. An interesting comparison revealed that the wine with a cork had aged prematurely but the wine in the screwcap bottle kept a clean freshness. The nose was forthcoming with woody cigar box notes.
Constantia Uitsig Blend 2003 – Semillon/Sauvignon
A typical Bordeaux style blend but with less oak treatment. The nose is fairly shy. A balanced wine with good aftertaste, very drinkable and a favourite at our table.
Klein Constantia Rhine Riesling 1994
This king of white grapes presented with concentrated diesel notes at first, typical of Rhine Riesling grown in a warmer environment. On the palate it is smooth, sweetish becoming dryer but retaining its fruitiness. It can easily go on for another six years.
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1992
A magnificent descendant of “Constantia” which was revered by dignitaries and aristocracy in the 18th century. Beautifully balanced and complex it is able to last a hundred years under the right conditions …… but then who wants to keep it?
Steenberg Nebbiolo 1999
The wine has a pale pinot noir like appearance with lovely cherry notes. It bursts onto the palate but with tannins which are subtle and silky and linger for ages.
This is big, spicy, food wine produced from 18 – 20 year old vines. Its beautifully integrated with soft tannins and a old aftertaste.
Steenberg Vineyards Catharina 2001
A favourite amongst the red wines tasted. It is fresh and smooth showing the Steenberg eucalyptus characteristic.
Karl’s harvest 2009 prediction is that because there was very little rain during harvest, we can expect outstanding whites and reds which are beyond reproach. This vintage is producing wines to buy and keep.
![[Muti]](http://www.muti.co.za/static/muti.png){kind=small}
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
