A chance for the trade to taste the current vintages of Keermont wines was a tasting at the Culture Club at Grub and Vine. The Keermont estate is situated high in the fold between the Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains. Alex Starey is their winemaker and viticulturist. He has recently been admitted as a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild
We began the tasting with Terrasse 2021, their White blend
which is made from Chenin, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Roussane, Marsanne and Viognier,
in the style of a good Southern Rhône wine
It is fermented in old French barrels and stays on the lees for one year
It has lovely fruit, just a whiff of smoke, crisp and full, golden fruit with a hint on the end of dark oak
A lovely summery wine which calls for food
The Culture Club looks like a good members’ club and we saw people working, networking and relaxing
There is an impressive wine room at the back
Sales consultant Kyle Martin with customers
The Club laid on some good canapés, rice suppli balls (arancini),
some filled with rich lamb ragout and mushrooms, and some tempura broccoli
Alex Starey was manning one table. There was lots of interest in the wines
Nicole Kilian, their sales manager, was on the other table with another selection of wine
Next we tasted the Keermont Riverside Chenin Blanc, made from grapes from old and new vineyards
The old vines are now 51 years old and are on the Old Vines Programme, established to preserve our vine heritage
There is elegance and enticement on the nose, with peach and nectarine stone fruit with a hint of richness
This is confirmed by the deep, sweet summer golden fruit which blossoms on the palate
with peach, loquat, yellow plum and golden oak on the end. Very impressive
The first red was the Keermont 2019 Merlot with incense wood and cherries on the nose
Tight tannins, juicy cherry, cranberry and raspberry fruit, long flavours with a hint of salinity and licorice wood on the end
A proud Alex Starey showcasing his range of wines
The Steepside Syrah 2017 has spice, richness, dark red berries and smoke on the nose
Smooth as silk on the palate, very much a classic Shiraz, with deep, dark berries and cherries
with salty licorice and then a finish of dark oak
It seems that salinity is one of the characteristics of their wines and it comes from the vineyard
The Topside 2017 Syrah from the opposite slope also has the spice and red and black berries,
with soft chalk then tight grippy tannins
Good fruit, then more chalk and dark oak on the end says that this needs time and cellaring
An elegant wine which holds great possibility
The Pondorug 2017 Cabernet Franc really impressed and entranced us
It has the classic Cabernet Franc nose which Lynne describes as salt, oak and ash resting on top of good berry fruit
Savouriness on the palate, warmth from the alcohol and ripe rhubarb, mulberry and dark plum fruit,
with some herbal notes, salinity, chalky grippy tannins and dark oak supporting on the end
The popular Keermont 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has cassis leaves and berries on the, at first, shy nose,
then it ventures out of the glass. There are wood smoke hints throughout
Soft, sweet cassis and cherry fruit, some forest floor hints and black current leaves on the palate,
with soft tannins and wood support with some hints of licorice
The Amphitheatre 2016 is a classic Bordeaux blend
of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Another impressive wine
Pure unadulterated cassis fruit then a hint of violets and vanilla oak on the nose
Fills the mouth with lovely soft layers of red berry fruits,
then it opens up to such complexity with soft tannins and dark oak
Another wine that calls for food
Two sorts of Arancini, suppli balls
The tempura broccoli spears
The last wine we tasted was the Fleurfontein NV,
made from vine dried grapes, 62% Sauvignon Blanc and 38% Roussanne
Perfumed and full of honey on the nose, it repeats with honey, lemon and lime flavours and is very well balanced,
with a little of that salinity showing here too
It has a residual sugar of 235gm/litre, but is not overly sweet, as the citrus flavours keep it in check nicely
An impressive collection of bottles, presumably all enjoyed by club members
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