I thoroughly enjoyed the informal SA 2012 tasting of IWSC wines hosted at the Grand Roche Hotel last week.

I was glad I got there early as the wines were available on a “pour you own” system with whites warming up quite quickly in the heat we have been experiencing over the past few weeks.  There was also a “top” table at the front of the room offering a few international winners which obviously were also quickly lapped up:)

Since I don’t get to taste a range of international wines too often it was a great opportunity to taste wines from a broad spectrum of countries including France, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, Argentina and Italy.  My favourite white of these wines was the Two Sisters Vineyard Riesling 2007 from New Zealand offering a huge intensity of petrol nuances and zesty lime on the nose and tremendous depth.  My favourite red was the Trapiche Finca Las Palmas Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from Argentina with its purity of fruit absolutely sublime.  One of the notes most apparent with this wine was the “non minty / eucalyptus” character which I am so used to picking up on our Cabs.

Keeping in mind not all the wines were available for tasting here is a short list of my favourites from SA.

Overall favourite of the day was undoubtedly the Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2006 with the most intriguing winner going to the Simonsig Straw Wine 2009.

WHITE:

• Flagstone Treaty Tree Reserve 2010 – a wonderful food wine which reminded me of elements of their much loved Happy Hour but with a slightly shorter finish
• Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2010 – a wine offering balance and perfection.  A buttery complexity but with fruit acid to stand up against the oak influence and refresh the palate entirely
• Jordan The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – one of my all time favourites the layers and intrigue of this wine, both on nose and palate, keep me coming back for more every time
• Tokara Director’s Reserve White 2009 – served from a big bottle (magnum) which seemed well suited to this big wine
• Vondeling Babiana – a crisp, refreshing wine to finish off my flight of whites.  Integrated, balanced but not too serious

RED:

• Naledi Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 – a dense wine offering sweet fruit and dark chocolate with beautiful spices and soft tannin structure
• Kanonkop offered a lovely range and it was great to taste across various vintages – their Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 & Paul Sauer 2005 reiterated what this estate is capable of
• Mary Le Bow 2007 – one of the only wines I had not come across before (also from Flagstone). Soft, integrated dark fruit with a subtle meaty edge and refined structure
• Kaapzicht Estate Steytler Vision 2007 – despite the alcohol levels that one can pick up on this wine it always comes up as a favourite every time I get an opportunity to taste it
• Val de Vie 1783 2007 – a Mouvedre dominated blend with dark fruit, coriander, cinnamon and clove spices filling the glass accompanied by soft, integrated tannins

• With the L’Ormarins range shifts to new packaging and ranging of their wines they are selling this lovely 2008 Chardonnay for R35 from the cellar door whilst stocks last.  Get there!
• I’ve worked with the Bouchard Finlayson range of wines, hosting tastings and doing hotel and restaurant staff training on their behalf for several years.  It was thus wonderful to see their Hannibal 2010 rewarded with a Platter 5 Star:)
• I battle to choose a favourite out of all the incredible wines being produced at Kleine Zalze recently but this crisp, zesty Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 certainly rates up there amongst their best!
• Having patiently aged this wine it was perfect timing to open the 2003 Backsberg Babylonstoren Red Blend which, after some time in a decanter still showed beautiful fruit and structure and paired heavenly with fillet and red wine jus
• This CWG Happy Hour from Bruce Jack was the first wine I bought at the auction last year.  2009 still an ultimate vintage for me and this wine lived up to all expectations pairing well with a saffron and prawn starter
• I’m loving the dimension and depth bottle age is offering this 2006 Semillon from Haut Espoir

I have been interacting with Rob on Twitter for over a year now, as we do in this “modern” age I’ve tasted, and been impressed by, the Haut Espoir (meaning “high hope”) wines I’ve enjoyed with meals at Wakame and Holden Manz.  As is so often the case though, nothing can compare to the real thing and I thus jumped at the opportunity to head across to the farm for a tasting with Rob a couple of weeks ago. Being based next door to Boekenhoutskloof we are all well aware of the wine this terroir is capable of!

Meeting this gentle giant in person he totally lived up to the good things I had heard about him.  My biggest surprise for the day though, was that the wine is in fact named after the mountain range, and not the man himself:)  In a much needed cool and casual environment we tasted our way though the range of wines along with an opportunity to taste several barrel samples as well.

I fully agree with a few comments being made lately on how well our Sauvignon Blanc’s are ageing in SA.  And now we can add aged Semillon to that list as well!  This Haut Espoir 2006 is the second aged Semillon I have tasted in the last few weeks and have been incredibly impressed with the added depth and dimension bottle age has added to the wine.  The range as a whole is far from apologetic or shy.  In fact, all the wines were very powerful, upfront and demanding of ones attention.  Whilst I enjoyed the Chardonnay, tasting the two separate component in barrel was such an eye-opener! The wild yeast barrels were pure tinned pineapple with the other barrels bringing in the element of butterscotch and texture.  My favourite in the white wine range, which has since been labelled is the Cloud Fall, a white blend of 34% Semillon; 33% Viognier; 26% Nouvelle; 6% Chardonnay and 1% Sauvignon Blanc. Tasting through the individual elements of the Gentle Giant was also a highlight as the art of blending is always highlighted when given the opportunity ti taste each element on its own.  We tasted a couple of vintages of the Shiraz which were both juicy yet distinctly different in character but as far as value for money and intrigue goes the Gentle Giant still won my vote.

Rob is taking on the additional role of winemaker from this vintage with increased focus on bio-dynamic and environmentally conscious practices. I look forward to following this estate with interest!

Haut Espoir

021 876-4000 / www.hautespoir.com

L'Ormarins Chardonnay 2008

We recently had some friends visiting from Amsterdam and since one of the lads is very interested in motor cars I automatically added L’Ormarins Estate and Motor Museum to their list of “must see’s” whilst on their self-drive trip through the winelands.

What a bonus the suggestion ended up being for us as well, as they bought us a case of this delightful Chardonnay selling at incredible value of only R35 per bottle from the estate (sale ends end-January so hurry while stocks last!) The L’Ormarins Chardonnay 2008 has a lovely golden hue from a little bottle ageing and was made using grapes from L’Ormarins and Elandskloof farms spending  9 months in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels. Still showing such elegance and balance this distinctive wine is smooth and rounded with citrus and nutty flavours underlined with tones from the oaking and a long finish.

There is a history behind this brand which is once again going through a bit of a transformation………… When Johann Rupert took over L’Ormarins in 2002, after his brother Anthonij had owned and run the farm since 1969, his main purpose was to build onto the legacy Anthonij had already left and to fulfil many of his dreams. Mr Rupert subsequently did a major re-development of L’Ormarins which saw the building of a state of the art, gravity fed, red wine cellar with a revolving ceiling and tunnels to various other buildings, the Franschhoek Motor Museum and the Drakenstein Stud. He also purchased three other farms across the winelands (Elandskloof – Kaaimansgat, Riebeeksrivier and Darling) which is in line with his belief that specific varieties need to be planted to terroirs which suite the variety in order to ensure optimal quality and varietal characteristic.

With grapes coming into the L’Ormarins cellars from all the different area’s, L’Ormarins essentially became the home of Anthonij Rupert Wines. Thus there was an introduction of the ‘Anthonij Rupert’ range (maiden vintage 2005) which completed the building blocks for the legacy Mr Rupert wishes to leave for his brother. This created the ‘Anthonij Rupert Wines’ portfolio with the flagship ‘Anthonij Rupert’ range, Terroir specific ‘Cape of Good Hope’ range, Italian varietal ‘Terra del Capo’ range and the excellent value for money, lifestyle ‘Protea’ range.

The L’Ormarins label has been shelved. The last few bottles of L’Ormarins Chardonnay 2008 and L’Ormarins Optima are still available from the estate and selected retailers. If the Optima and Chardonnay are your favourites, no need to worry. The Optima will move into the ‘Anthonij Rupert’ range and the price will not change, so look out for the ‘Anthonij Rupert Optima 2007′ with a new label at about midyear, retailing at approximately R130. The Protea range has a Chardonnay which is very similar to the L’Ormarins Chardonnay and will replace it going forward.

Anthonij Rupert

021 874 9000 / www.rupertwines.com

Bouchard Finlayson, established in 1989, has always been a favourite boutique winery of mine and I believe they totally uphold their philosophy and focus to produce wines of the finest quality. Although they are dedicated to the making of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc it is their Hannibal that continues to capture my palate.

This blend is arguably singularly unique in its classic varietal composition.  Perhaps best described as a “super tusker blend” with a play on words surrounding the role of African elephants in Hannibal the Conqueror’s historical war on the Romans.  Each year there are marginal differences in the make-up of this wine, but the primary performers are Sangiovese, Pinot Noir  and Nebbiolo. The rest of the blend comprises of Mourvedre, Barbera and Shiraz.  All portions have been matured in best French oak barrels.  Aromatic and firm with notable fruits of the forest character.  Excellent ageing potential and long aristocratic finish!

They were recently awarded a Platter 5 star for their 2010 vintage and although their 2008 is the vintage on-shelf in stores at the moment they are very accommodating in supplying both of these vintages to any interested customers.  An additional, unique offering from the estate, is their 3-pack which comprises the 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages for a vertical comparison for R571.00.  Since the 2009 vintage is only available from the estate this limited release offering is packaged in a lovely 3-pack box with a message inside signed by Peter Finlayson stating “Twenty one years of winemaking at Bouchard Finlayson is being celebrated with the release of these cameo selections reflecting some of our best achievements.  These hand-picked and crafted wines are available as gifts, or to be cellared and kept for those memorable times when they can be shared with family and friends.”

I have since found a bottle of the 2007 on my wine rack so am waiting in eager anticipation to get a group assembled for this epic vertical tasting.

Bouchard Finlayson

R320, Hemel-&-Aarde Valley, Hermanus

Tel: 028 312 3515 / www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za

The Elegantly Elgin Spring Festival is the perfect way to experience wines of Elgin and discover why this region is fast becoming the newly celebrated wine-producing area of the Cape. On the 21 October, Southern Sun hotel in Newlands will play host to over 80 exciting wines for the public to sample and relish in from 17h00 – 20h00.

A festival of this nature is a first for the Elgin Region, as estates from around the Western Cape who buy and produce wines of Elgin Origin have been invited to stand side by side to showcase their range of fine wines.

“Everyone is asking that as the wine grape growing ward of Elgin has now supplied grapes for a number of years to the industry, how do we identify these wines? This festival is providing a platform for anyone, big or small who buys Elgin grapes and makes a wine of origin Elgin to showcase their creation, and therein doing so provides the trade and public an insight to the contribution that Elgin grapes are making to wine styles being consumed today.” James Downes, Chairman of the Elgin Valley Wine Guild.

Festival organisers Wine Concepts are expecting over 300 public to attend the event and invite them to swirl, sip and savour the floral aromas of our Sauvignon Blanc’s and Chardonnay’s from estates such as Elgin Ridge, Ross Gower Wines, Vrede en Lust, Winters Drift and Elgin Vintners, who will be showing eleven of their wines including their new vintage release Sauvignon Blanc and new release Sauvignon Blanc/ Semillon white blend. Our Red blends, Pinot Noir’s like the beautiful Radford Dale and shiraz’s will also be staring in our line-up and attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to sample the first ever 100% Elgin Malbec from Paul Wallace of Wallovale and  award winning brandies from the Oude Molen distillery.

For one night only guests will be able to purchase their favourite wines at a 15% discount, which will ensure your wine racks are full for the upcoming festive season. Tickets for the Elegantly Elgin Spring Festival are on sale at Wine Concept outlets at a cost of R 120. Early bird tickets at R100 are available until 14 October only. To be a part of this unforgettable wine experience book now to avoid disappointment.

Wine Concepts Newland (021) 671 9030, Kloof Street (021) 426 4401, email: corlien@wineconcepts.co.za

• Enjoying a glass of Laibach‘s Lady Bird Red 2009 brings back memories of many laughs with the highly amusing winemaker Francois  van Zyl whom I hosted for a series at KGB Wine Club last year
• Having purchased this bottle of Freedom Hill Shiraz 2004 a few years ago we caught it just before it crossed over to “the dark side”.  A huge, spicy wine which lived up to its 4 star Platter rating
• Wedgewood Director’s Choice Chenin Blanc 2010 was given as a gift from a friend as I hadn’t heard of the brand before.  An unpretentious, easy drinking wine at very good value
• I loved this wine last year and was ecstatic to receive the new release of Oldenburg Vineyards Chenin Blanc 2010 from Manley Communications.  The wine is still a little tight but so well balanced between tropical fruit and floral notes along with subtle oak tones and lingering minerality
• This is the maiden vintage for Seven Springs for both their Chardonnay 2010 and their Syrah 2010. The beauty of these two wines lies in their drink-ability now with evident expression allowing for age-ability. Balanced, characterful, layered. Impressive expression of talent from their winemaker Riana.  We shared them with @foodandfabulous and hubby at Maria’s over some delicious Greek food
• With summer around the corner I did a bit of a Rose “shoot-out” and Gabrielskloof Rosebud won hands down!  This is a potently expressive rose from Viognier and Shiraz.  Since they sold out last year it is evident that I am not alone in my enthusiasm
• The night before we bought this Genevieve MCC from Melissa she explained how surprised she was what a “big” MCC this was from the outset.  It is her wish for it to sit in the bottle for a little longer which we promised to do……….  After popping a bottle 4 days in a row we realised our promise had been broken – sorry Melissa!

Achim von Arnim, owner and MD at Haute Cabriere is a well respected presence in the wine industry. Indeed, he was even included in Wine Magazine’s South African Wine Legends article in their final issue.  Getting to meet the eccentric Achim was similar to that of a larger than life legend who entertained us with memories and philosophies of his wine experiences, at the same time enticing us into the future! “Haute Cabriere is my dream, and I love fulfilling my dream”.

Having made a name for himself with MCC and Pinot Noir it was fitting that we shared a bottle of Bella Rose with him.  Not until after his sabrage performance of course

His family has embraced Achim’s passion for the industry with his wife Hildegard operating as PR Manager, Takuan as Cellar Master, and Christiane as Marketing Manager.  We happened to visit on the day that the family had tasted the new menu (though we’ve been assured that the infamous mussels in creamy white sauce will remain) with Christiane evidently content with her glamourous decor touches to their newly renovated restaurant. “Dressed in crisp, white linens and featuring a series of sparkling handcrafted chandeliers and colourful artworks, many of them by cellar master and Haute Cabrière founder Achim von Arnim, the restaurant is a stylish version of its former self.”

Haute Cabrière Cellar Restaurant reopened in September with a new chef at the helm, Ryan Shell. Chef Ryan is a force to be reckoned with having worked with the likes of Margot Janse and Chris Erasmus making wine-friendly food a priority.  “The ever changing menu revolves around Haute Cabrière’s wines and the range of Pierre Jourdan Cap Classiques, and a wine recommendation accompanies every dish. In order to allow guests to experience the full food and wine experience, Haute Cabrière Cellar Restaurant aims to offer guests a choice of either a full or half portion on their meal, encouraging sampling and tasting a variety of combinations.”

Bubbly, vista views, new chef and age-old wine personalities – numerous reasons to visit the estate.  And make it soon!

Lyngrove Wines and Guest House is based in the golden triangle of Stellenbsoch which is where I discovered them at the Helderberg Festival last year.  They are not generally open for tasting so my hubby and I took advantage of this occasion to explore the guest house grounds, 80 hectares of vineyards, and taste their fairly large range of wines.

As several brands seem to be doing they have split their offering into various brackets under the Lyngrove Collection Range – Easy-drinking fruit-driven wines that are for general consumption and enjoyment, but still elegant; Lyngrove Reserve Range – Full-bodied, well-structured wines that are modern, yet elegant and fruit-driven wines and; Lyngrove Platinum Range – A flagship range specially chosen and handcrafted, aged in French and American oak barrels for up to 20 months. They are complex and powerful, but still elegant. Each range’s character was appreciated by the attendees of the wine club with the favourites voted as Collection Chenin Blanc, Reserve Chardonnay and Shiraz/Pinotage blend, and, as could be expected, the whole Platinum range with a welcome preference for their Pinotage!

Lyngrove, whilst being a highly-prized source of the grapes that produce export-quality wines enjoyed by connoisseurs in Belgium, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, USA, and indeed, one of the Cape’s top-selling brands in the Netherlands, have only recently become available locally under this label.
Lyngrove has undergone a complete transformation under Baarsma’s Holding BV, a leading international wine company based in Holland that acquired the estate in 1996. After extensive research, they replanted 60% of vines with the best new clones meticulously matched to the soils. Hannes Louw and Danielle le Roux are the award-winning winemakers with viticulturalist, John Fullard, based at the estate.

The estate also offers a charming five-star guest house decorated in the French colonial style offering prestigious accommodation and immaculate service in each of the nine themed luxury suites

With Spring on its way it looks like tourism has increased to the Cape and not many of them are able to leave without a few days in our majestic winelands.  I’m grateful to have met and spent a few days with a wine student from Switzerland and a couple from Tokyo.  I also met a lovely family of 5 from California who were my second group out from 20th Century Fox Studios with the next group due in October.  Finally, I had a 5 full day winelands outing with a guest from Atlanta.

The days events are occasionally interspersed with non-wine events such as a visit to the Cheetah Outreach at Spier or the Chocolate Making class at Huguenot Chocolates but its all too easy to while away the time with tastings, tours and lunches at the estates themselves. Some highlights for this month include:

• MCC & Champagne tasting at Chabivin with Hendrik
• Lunch at Jordan Restaurant followed by a drive through the vineyards and tasting with Gary of the Syrah with expansive views right across to Table Mountain.  The Outlander was voted as one of the best whites tasted in South Africa by two separate groups
• The master class at Graham Beck in their private tasting room
• Guided tasting in Elgin with Cathy Marshall – my guest was so captivated by Cathy’s wines commenting that he didn’t even need to taste the Sauvignon Blanc as the smell itself was delightful enough. Cathy had several words of wisdom to share with us about her experience and description of Pinot Noir  “Pinot Noir must reflect an iron fist in a silk glove.  It  must be picked before over-ripeness, not over extracted, and keep the oak right down. I make my wine as a symphony of notes each distinctly different in character. Pinot Noir has taught me patience and resilience. I’ve had to hone my skills to create these wines”
• A tasting of the Paul Cluver Chardonnay which is well deserved in its accolades received at the Old Mutual Trophy show this year
• An impromptu barrel and tank sample tasting with Kobie at Gabrielskloof - they were in the process of putting together their blend for their latest Five Arches and we got to taste the component parts and learn some of the intricacies of blending
• Developing our Sauvignon Blanc and terroir experience at Hermanuspietersfontein where Die Bartho and Swartskaap Cabernet Franc were our highlights but out of the range of 9 wines even their “Lifestyle” Sonner Nommer was nothing to scoff at!
• Food and wine pairing at Creation – the bold and brave pairing of cauliflower and blue cheese soup with the Merlot remains a winner
• Manor House and Ingenuity series tasting at Nederburg
• Private tasting with Carla at Bosman Family Vineyards – my guests were thoroughly impressed with the uniqueness of Optenhorst Chenin Blanc and believed their Adama red is made as Shiraz should be!!
• Lunches at Stone Kitchen in Wellington & Holden Manz in Franschhoek
• Aged wine tasting at Grangehurst who still offer 2003 vintages – comment from my guest “These are serious efforts! With keeping wines back Jeremy will never be the richest winemaker but surely one of the proudest”
• Reserve tasting of library wines at Waterford including’04 Library Collection Bordeaux Blend. Guest comment “Sign of a great wine on the nose. Taste becomes an after thought”