Friday, October 29, 2021

Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Lanzerac Pinotage

What a way to break a long fast. We were among the 50 individuals who were sent an invitation to be part of the story of South African Pinotage and to celebrate its 60th anniversary. We have been in a very long drought as far as stories to cover are concerned and this was a very good way to get back into the flow. Covid has changed things so much in the industry. The invitation read: "Let’s celebrate the 60th Anniversary of a courageous beginning. A collaboration between two historic estates, which led to the establishment of an enduring South African icon. Lanzerac and Bellevue Estates are celebrating and want you to join us."

Pinotage has a long and very interesting history and Lanzerac and Bellevue have published a very well written story on line for you to read. Just click on the link: https://storyofpinotage.co.za/history-of-pinotage/

We also really liked the story written by Trudi Webb of wine.co.za:
https://wine.co.za/page/page.aspx?PAGEID=2417

The Lanzerac manor house, viewed from the gate

We were told that unless we dressed in the style of the 1950s we would not be admitted, so we went as 1950s teens in denim and T shirts; John even Brylcreemed his hair and Lynne sported a ponytail, we remember it well having been teenagers in the 50s. We met on the lawn outside the Cellar Hall for a glass of Cap Classique and some canapés



The programme for the day

Our favourite style of bubbles has always been a Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay) nice and crisp and dry
 This is a good expression of the style

Canapés of Duck Pâté between two crisp layers of truffled melba toast with a cognac jelly were much enjoyed

As were these tiny crisp flaky pastry vol au vents of smoked salmon

There were also Oysters on the Rocks



Neethlingshof cellarmaster De Wet Viljoen and publicist Emile Joubert

Christian Eedes of Winemag and Andre Morgenthal of the Old Vines Project

Before we went into the lecture theatre we had a choice of caramel popcorn or candyfloss

Nicely socially distanced,.. we were able to really catch up with other media and wine industry folk whom we have not seen for, literally, years (well, one and a half). Then it was time to watch the informative film that had been specially made about the creation and history of Pinotage

The year 1925 saw Professor Abraham Izak Perold, the first Professor of Viticulture at the University of Stellenbosch, successfully cross two grape varietals, Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsault), to create South Africa’s first unique and indigenous wine grape variety – Pinotage. Just a few vines were cultivated and, in the 1950s, some were found and planted out on De Waal (1950), Bellevue (1953) and Kanonkop (1953) estates

Several years later, Stellenbosch Farmers Winery became the first winery in the world to use the term ‘Pinotage’ on their label when they marketed the 1959 vintage, produced under the name ‘Lanzerac’ The wine was made at Bellevue in the Bottelary ward from the grapes in their vineyard. The wine is believed to have come from the tank that won the General Smuts Trophy for Bellevue earlier that year at the S.A. Young Wine Show, although SFW's blending notes show that some of the 1960 vintage was blended into the wine. This visionary release marked the birth of Pinotage as a unique variety from South Africa

Today, Bellevue and Lanzerac wine estates, under the leadership of Bellevue's Dirkie Morkel and Lanzerac Cellar Master, Wynand Lategan (seen here with Bellevue owner Marinus Neethling) and Farm Manager Danie Malherbe, produce award-winning Pinotage, along with a wide variety of other excellent quality wines that form part of Lanzerac’s three tiers – the Premium Range, Heritage Range and Keldermeester Versameling (Cellar Master Collection)

The collaboration between the farms still growing the original pinotage grapes has been taking place since 2017
and the wine is being made at Lanzerac

Bellevue co-owner Dirkie Morkel, seated in the original vineyard, where the grapes planted in 1953 are still growing in the original vineyard. These grapes are now being used to produce the wine they were about to launch and we were to taste. The pinotage block on Bellevue is 2.5 hectares and produces only 3 tons a hectare each year. We are fortunate enough to have made two barrels of Pinotage from this vineyard in the Bellevue cellar in 2002

Kanonkop co-owner Johann Krige, who has helped with the development of this new grape variety and produced top class wines introduced to our local market and the rest of the world. Kanonkop’s Black Label Pinotage is made from their 1953 vineyard

DeWaal owner Pieter de Waal told us how the first vines were planted on his farm in 1950 and how they are still producing good grapes

They were planted on Kanonkop in 1953

The "King" of Pinotage, Beyers Truter is renowned for producing superb Pinotage

Bellevue Pinotage was earning awards in the 1960s at the Cape Wine Show in Goodwood Showgrounds

Then it was time to taste the result of five years of making the historic blend

Suzanne Coetzee of Nuiba Brands introduced the presentation

Dirkie Morkel spoke about Bellevue's involvement 

Wynand Grobler, Lanzerac winemaker, took us through the rather rapid tasting of the wines

The tasting 'menu'

The first wine was the Lanzerac Keldermeester Versameling (cellarmaster Selection) Prof 2017 which is a Pinot Noir and Cinsault blend made to see if it resembled Pinotage. Rather vapid on the nose, with cranberry, mulberry and plum. On the palate, sharp fruit on the tongue with rather unripe plums and mulberry. Good bones and nice wooding

Second came the Bellevue 2017 Reserve Pinotage. This wine is not made from the original block of pinotage, but from younger blocks on the farm. Dark purple in colour, plum and prune fruit on the nose and silky palate with zingy fruit, and licorice wood on the end

The third wine was the Lanzerac 2018 Pionier Pinotage from the Jonkershoek valley. Seductive and pretty on the nose, with rose, cherry and incense wood. A wow on the palate. Heady aromas and flavours of cherry and berries as you taste, chalky tannins; worth cellaring

The Commemorative Pinotage Experimental Barrel 2017 was next (they actually made three barrels). Vanilla and almond on the nose with prunes and cassis. A lovely soft mouthfeel, some zings of fruit acidity with good wood on the end
The Commemorative Pinotage Experimental Barrel 2018 has an approachable, dive-in nose, with the Pinot Noir parent playing its part here. Cherries and berries, incense wood, elegance and restraint. Long deep flavours on the palate of cherries, cassis and chalky tannins

Beyers Truter tasting the wines


And then (Drum roll) the Commemorative Pinotage Maiden Vintage 2019 is presented to by us Lanzerac's talented winemaker Wynand Grobler. “Stories sell wine” says Wynand. This is the first commercial release of the project. They have replicated the original label from the first Lanzerac Pinotage at great effort and expense. The original font is no longer available and had to be recreated. The wine, which is a very limited release, will retail for R1950 per bottle from the farm

Suzanne Coetzee pours the new commemorative Lanzerac Pinotage

It spent 16 months in oak. One barrel in French first fill, the rest in second fill or older. Deep burgundy in colour with incense wood, hints of violet and rose perfumes and complex cherry fruit. It is young, so the tight tannins do bite a little, but they indicate that it will last well. Lovely cherry and red and black berry fruit, with blue plums; the wine had length and structure. To put away and wait awhile for Pinotage to do its magic

“Cheers to Pinotage” says Beyers Truter

Christine Rudman, who was Principal of the Cape Wine Academy when we studied for our diplomas in the mid 90s

The team involved:
Mr & Mrs Marinus Neethling, Wynand Grobler, Dirkie Morkel, Beyers Truter, Maryna Calow and De Wet Viljoen

Time to head to the dining room for lunch

Maryna Calow of Wines of South Africa, very suitably and beautifully dressed in 1950s style

The full compendium of Bellevue and Lanzerac Pinotages

The lunch menu

This elegant room has a history. When we first knew it, in the 1960s, it was a most elegant lounge, decorated with very valuable and beautiful art works and antique furniture. Sadly, in May 2017, a devastating fire consumed most of the building and everything was lost. The walls have been left unplastered, exposing the brickwork, which dates back to the 1770s. The hotel’s owners decided to showcase these ‘battle scars’, along with the charred remains of previous fires, as well as the most recent one, so that the estate’s stories can be physically relayed, not covered up again and forgotten

Two of the Lanzerac wines we tasted while waiting for lunch to be served. They have both scored highly in competition. The Mrs English is a single vineyard Chardonnay, full of flavours of crisp citrus and just the wine we needed after such a concentrated red wine morning. We also enjoyed the Bergstroom Sauvignon Semillon blend, rich and full of kiwi and gooseberry flavours

And the wine we enjoyed the most with our lunch was the Bellevue 2017 Pinotage 1953 which is drinking so well now. A classic, well made Bottelary Pinotage, full of dark fruit in layers, with soft silky tannins and long complex flavours of cherry and plums. So easy to drink and perfect with the meal

Tanya Powell and Karien Basson joined us at our table

In keeping with the 1950s era, talented Lanzerac Chef Stephen Fraser had produced a classic Beef Wellington of tender fillet wrapped in crisp pastry, accompanied with cauliflower cheese, butter roast potatoes, carrots, bone marrow on top of the Wellington and onion gravy. So delicious

Dessert was another 1950's classic; Lemon Chiffon Cake topped with macarons, marinated berries, lemon curd and vanilla ice cream. Lynne is not a fan of cake but, if they were all as good and fairy light as this, she would be very happy and perhaps much plumper. It certainly needs reviving as a modern classic

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