Posts Tagged ‘merlot’
Wednesday, August 4th, 2010
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!
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Tags: Afrikaner, Brandy, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Juan Slabbert, merlot, Petit Vedot, PG Slabbert, Polkedraai Hills, Semillon, sexy, shiraz, South Africa, Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch Hills, Viognier, wine
Posted in Wine Tasting | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
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
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
“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.
Tags: Bridget Back, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, cheese, chenin blanc, Cyril Back, Fairview Estate, goats, La Capra, Malbec, merlot, Paarl, Pick and Pay, Pinotage, Rose, sauvignon blanc, shiraz, South Africa, Viognier, wine
Posted in What's New | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Fairview’s latest range of value wines is La Capra. The range comprises Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier as well as Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec.
La Capra presented by Fairview
We decided to try the La Capra Shiraz 2008 and very easily laid the bottle waste. There is are spice flavours galore on the palate like white pepper, clove and nutmeg, and the fruity yet dry flavours remind of eating pomegranates when I was a child. We think this wine goes very well with itself but it was also great with our sirloin and ostrich sausage braai. It’s beautifully balanced and sits on the palate forever after swallowing.
If I wanted to introduce a first time drinker to a Shiraz varietal wine, La Capra Shiraz is what I would reach for.
The quirky label reminds us that Fairview is home to goat herds and produces award winning cheeses.
These wines are available at the unbelievable price of R200.00 ($28.50) per mixed case from the farm.
La Capra Shiraz
Tags: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, cheese, chenin blanc, Fairview, goat, La Capra, merlot, Pinotage, sauvignon blanc, Viognier, wine
Posted in The Daily Tipple | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Another wine that we love to drink at home is Vergelegen Merlot 2006.
Vergelegen Merlot 2006
This is a lush, full-bodied wine with a little bit of spice on the palate and lots of ripe, red fruit flavours. It is smooth as silk and satisfying in every way. We are happy to drink it on it’s own but love to pair it with a rich meat stew like cottage pie. This is very much a comfort drink.
At R135.91 ($19) per bottle it is more an occasional wine rather than a daily tipple.
Tags: merlot, Vergelegen
Posted in The Daily Tipple | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
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
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.
Tags: Banghoek, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, Cape Town, Constantiaberg, Malbec, merlot, sauvignon blanc, Viognier, wine, Zorvliet
Posted in The Daily Tipple | No Comments »
Saturday, March 6th, 2010
Tags: critic, merlot, wine
Posted in What's New | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
May Eliane de Lencquesaing formally owned Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtess de Lalande, in the Pauillac appellation of Bordeaux, France. Although, she acquired Glenelly Stellenbosch, in 2003, the formal opening of the estate has been delayed until the 2008 vintage wines, which were crafted solely from grapes grown on the estate, have been released for sale.
Glenelly Estate
An environmentally sensitive 600 ton cellar, created by Swiss, French and South African architects was completed last year. Some of it’s features are that fewer chemicals are used to clean tanks because water at high temperature does the job and under-floor cooling cuts energy costs. The cellar structure blends into the Simonsberg hills because of carefully coloured concrete thus minimising visual impact.
The winemaker is Luke O’Cuinneagain and Adie Badenhorst is the consultant, formally of neighbouring farm, Rustenberg. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, petit verdot, shiraz and chardonnay are the cultivars planted here.
de Lencquesaing is quoted in Decanter.com as saying,
I now intend to spend six months of the year in South Africa. I am very keen to ensure this is a truly South African estate, not to impose too much of my Bordeaux sensibilities on to the land.
I will be running the estate and continuing with the set up of numerous social structures for the employees from estate housing to child care to education and training courses.
All of this at the age of 84 years!
Tags: Adi Badenhorst, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, Glenelly Estate, merlot, petit verdot, shiraz
Posted in Environment Sensitive Wine Farms, What's New | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Since discovering Rust en Vrede wines at the Stellenbosch Wine Festival 2009, we have been huge fans enjoying the old world elegance and balance in those that we have tasted.
Rust en Vrede Merlot 2008
As a festive season splurge we opened the merlot to experience a complex nose of dark fruit with a touch of spice. This full-bodied wine has great structure but with subtle oak, ripe plum and and long finish.
We love the quotations by Thomas Jefferson on the back label.
Rust en Vrede Merlot 2008 sells for R130.00 ($18) from the farm.
Tags: merlot, Rust en Vrede, Stellenbosch, wine, Wine Festival
Posted in The Daily Tipple | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Silky smooth, feminine Merlot with barely noticeable oak from a small crop on this Paarl farm. It went down so well that we forgot about the slightly extravagant price tag of R71.00.
Could probably still drink well in years to come but it seems perfect now and who wants to wait anyhow?
Seidelberg Estate.
Tags: merlot, Seidelberg
Posted in The Daily Tipple | No Comments »
