Posts Tagged ‘Malbec’

Rockspider meets the Rooinek

I came across this quirky piece on Decanter.com

Alex Milner and Stefan Gerber, who met while studying wine making in Stellenbosch,  have teamed up to create a series of wines  labelled Boer & Brit which recognise their great-great grandfathers, each of whom fought on opposing sides during the Boer War 1880 – 1902.

Boer and Brit

Stefan is the great-great grandson of Paul Kruger, the Afrikaner leader and then president of the Transvaal.  The bitter war resulted in the British Imperial Army defeating the Boers and gaining control of the gold and diamond fields of South Africa. Leading a cavalry charge to end the siege of Kimberley, was Field Marshall John Denton Pinkstone French, 1st Earl of Ypres, the great-great grandfather of Alex.

The range of wines consists of a Sauvignon Blanc called Gezina after Stefan’s grandmother;  The General which is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot and The Field Marshall, a blend of Shiraz, Mouvedre, Tinta Amarela and Carignan. Ironic back label phrases state: “The war is over – let’s party” and “With the body of a boer and the nose of an Englishman – you can’t go wrong”.

Bob's Your Uncle

Bob's Your Uncle

Another of this funky duo’s irreverant wines is a Bordeaux blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon called Bob’s Your Uncle which is bottled in a brown, beer bottle complete with a crown cork.

 

For a list of suppliers follow this link

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Celebrating Fairview’s La Capra wine range

Scanning the shelves in Pick and Pay’s wine section I was stopped in my tracks by the zany, curious label of La Capra Shiraz and on closer inspection discovered this to be one of the new value wines made by Fairview, the much loved and visited Paarl wine farm whose name is linked as much to finely crafted cheese as it is to premium wines.

La Capra wines

La Capra wines

That evening we paired our La Capra Shiraz with barbecued ostrich sausage and sirloin steak with delicious results.

Having a chance to review the entire range of La Capra wines at the public launch was a huge bonus which I grabbed with both hands.  This gypsy carnival was staged complete with oompah band, gypsy caravan and beautiful fortune teller in the form of Bridget Back, daughter of the renowned wine maker Charles Back, owner of Fairview estate.

Bridget lured us into her caravan with the promise of delightful potions and disappointed we were not.

The Chenin Blanc 2009 is perky and delicious, as are the Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Rose 2009 from Pinotage, and the Chardonnay 2009. A real treat for consumers who want to be more adventurous is that the range includes a Viognier 2009.

My favourite amongst the red wines is the Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 which is amazingly smooth with almost imperceptible oak. This can happily be drunk as an aperitif for those of us who simply can’t get enough red wine. To my mind, the Pinotage 2009, Merlot 2009 and Shiraz 2009 will compliment food really well. Also in the range is Malbec 2009 another more unusual variety wine which I will be scouring the supermarket shelves for.

All of these wines are accessible and perfect for drinking straight away.

Sipping to the sound of the Oompah Band

Sipping to the sound of the Oompah Band

“What about the name?” I asked the gypsy princess.  My Italian being somewhat rusty I had missed the word capra meaning goat, referring of course to the Fairview goat herd from which the very first goat’s milk cheese was produced in South Africa. La rhymes with Ra the Egyptian sun god and Capra also points to the Cape Cap, suggesting a Cape to Cairo connection.

These wines are available at Fairview Estate for the unbelievable price of R200.00 per mixed 6 bottle case. Alternately they can be bought at Pick and Pay supermarkets in the Western Cape for between R35 and R42 per bottle.

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Zorgvliet Silver Myn Merlot Cabernet Franc 2006

What a superb neighbourhood this is to live in where our neighbour presents us with a magnificent bottle of wine to say thanks for helping with his boat. Why would we want to be anywhere else?

Zorgvliet Silver Myn Merlot Cabernet Franc 2006

Zorgvliet Silver Myn Merlot Cabernet Franc 2006

Quaffing this wine as we watched the clouds change colour over the Constantiaberg Mountains we were immediately impressed with the smooth elegance and balance. For me the main flavours were a little spice, sour cherry and mulberry. It is hard to believe that this is a second tier wine of this premium Cape Town producer.

Named Silver Myn because of historical mining that took place in the Banghoek area of Stellenbosch, Zorgvliet aims with this range to pair usual cultivars with unusual ones in high quality blends. Sauvignon Blanc with Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon with Malbec are two more examples.

At R49.60 ($7) a bottle, this is astonishing good value for money.

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