Spoiled wonderfully at Simonsig followed by a
Birthday lunch at Glenelly
We mentioned to Johan Malan last week that we
planned to bring our Dutch friends to Simonsig this week, on our way to attend our
friend Peter's Birthday lunch at Glenelly. And they really pushed the boat out
for us at Simonsig and made it such a special day for us and especially for
Peter
Itumeleng in the tasting room
saw Peter looking at the Sabrage sword and then taught Peter how to do it on a
bottle of Kaapse Vonkel Rosé. He was thrilled
Peter removed the top of the bottle perfectly
and John managed to catch the cork flying through the air - you can see it at
the top of the glass door.
Now he knows how to do it, we
expect to drink even more MCCs and Champagnes. As he is a retired Dutch Naval Commander, we think he may have his own sword
Then we began tasting with the
three most popular MCCs that Simonsig produce, the Brut, the Rosé and the Cuvée
Royale. They are all excellent and, apparently, these wines are sold in Holland, but only in restaurants
Because lunch was booked for
12.30 and we were meeting others there, we went straight to the Red wines, as
these are what Peter likes to drink. We began with the 2013 Tiara, a Cabernet
driven Bordeaux blend full of spicy wood and black berries which still needs time to gather its skirts together; the 2015 Redhill Pinotage which begins shy then boom! opens up. A powerful wine with spicy wood, lots of fruit and licorice and elegance. Next the really impressive 2015
Frans Malan, which is a Cape blend of Pinotage, Cabernet and Merlot. It is still youthful, with cassis on the nose with richness and hints of vanilla, full of spicy cassis and plums and future
Then something very special
from the Vinoteque: the 2004 Merindol Syrah has balsam on the nose and soft sweet integrated fruit on the palate, still has time to go. And then to contrast,the 2014 Merindol Syrah, which Itumeleng decanted through an aerator. You can see the relationship. The wine is soft, silky and sweet, with spiced black current jub jub berries, chalky tannins, and dark wood on the long finish. What a treat to compare two vintages, ten years apart
The top
wine, The Garland Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, is herbal, with sweet cassis and violets on the nose. On the palate, the wine had cherry notes, perfume and complexity, so soft and full, it is silky with soft chalky tannins and warmth. Built to last, the wine has such quality and
length. We felt very privileged to taste these special wines
Wine Advisor Itumeleng Mohale and Peter with a magnum of Kaapse Vonkel
On to lunch at Glenelly and the
menu had to be studied well, as there were so many temptations
This was the menu of the day
The pepper crusted oh-so-tender
springbok fillet, served with fresh spanspek melon, a horseradish sauce,
pickled vegetables and baby leaves. Lots of flavour.
A very popular starter was the
Prawn and Langoustine Bisque with chive cream, which got great applause
The lightly cured hake and mussel
marinière, with grilled baby courgette, Mediterranean potatoes and glazed
carrots. The hake was pronounced especially well cooked and delicious
Peter ordered the Pork cheeks
Grande Mere and was rather envied by a couple of us. It is a beautiful dish,
with melting pig cheeks and a very rich jus with lots of vegetables, beluga
lentils, and glazed onions and cabbage. This was the perfect dish for the
Glenelly Glass Collection Syrah
The Bouillabaisse was generous.
It had four pieces of fish - silvers and panga, calamari, lots of mussels, and
a gigantic prawn. It also correctly came with a dish of rouille, the spicy
sauce you top those tiny croutons with and float in the bisque. Almost too big
a portion for one, some had to be left and the bisque could have been a little
deeper in flavour. Went with a carafe of Glenelly Glass Collection unwooded Chardonnay
John chose the Beef Rib eye
Steak with potato wedges, root vegetables and a mustard sauce, drenched in a wonderfully aromatic and flavourful gravy. He relished the
dish
Yes we did have room for
dessert. This was the much enjoyed warm melting dark chocolate
"biscuit" served with poached figs, and a Chantilly yoghurt
Lynne had to have the Canelé
from Bordeaux; she knows Chef Christophe is a master at them. Hard to describe
its between a baked pancake and a stiff panna cotta, set and caramelised on the
outside, gooey and creamy inside. Once you have had a good Canelé you are hooked
for life. Served with sharp caramelised
pineapple, a good foil for the sweetness of the dish, and a rooibos and honey
ice cream. A very good ice cream if you are a fan of rooibos tea. Lynne is not
and it did completely take over the dish, hiding even the honey. Without it the
dish was good for her. You may love it
The Rum Baba, a soft pudding
cake soaked in rum and topped with preserved sour plums and a Chantilly cream
and a plum coulis. Pronounced delicious by the Birthday celebrant
The beautiful views from
Glenelly
Vines after harvest
Our waitress taking photos for the group.
Cattle in the far fields
The Hottentots Holland
mountains through the vine pergola
We had been to see the glass
collection before and made sure the group went downstairs to look at it. Such
an interesting end to a lovely day in Stellenbosch
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2018
