Wednesday, August 09, 2023

Caroline's Red Wine Review 2023

Caroline Rillema is one of the best wine merchants in Cape Town
She holds two annual wine shows, her Red and White Wine Reviews
This year's Caroline's Red Wine Review was held at The Lookout in the V&A Waterfront
where we could taste many of the top red wines this country produces
Caroline chooses them and we must say she always does a superb job. The quality of the wines this year was excellent

The queue for access at the start time indicated the level of interest

We headed straight for the Pinot Noir section and were rewarded with some very special wines
Chris Albrecht, Bouchard Finlayson winemaker is now making his own impressive style of Galpin Peak Pinot Noir

It has roses and cherry on the nose, and lovely layers of complex cherry berry fruit. It is drinking so well now

Corlea Fourie and Anthony van Schalkwyk, Bosman Cellarmaster and Marketing manager
The wine has a lovely balance of fruit, acidity and wood, made to last

Gottfried Mocke, Boekenhoutskloof winemaker

He produced this lovely wine. Boekenhoutskloof Cap Maritime 2021 Pinot Noir
Perfume and black cherry fruit on the nose with crisp cherries and long flavours lead to a great finish

We were so happy to see Sue Anderson with Cathy Marshall, it has been quite a while

Catherine Marshall Finite Elements 2019 Pinot Noir. The last of the Elgin fruit
Elegant with incense wood and good cherry fruit, lighter in texture than some with full long sweet flavours

Jean Claude and Carolyn Martin, owners of Creation, were showing one of our favourites, The Art of Pinot Noir 2022
JC always produces a wine that reminds one of good Burgundy
Cherry dances on the nose and palate, it's a feast of quality and flavour and it certainly has aging potential

Richard Kershaw always produces something different and exciting
He copies no one and brings forth the full potential of the grapes
Very clear notes of Burgundy's style on the nose. It draws you in
Incense wood, lovely dark cherry fruit with a tingle and then layers of complexity

Mariette and Richard Kershaw

Bevan Newton Johnson had his Family Vineyard 2022 Pinot Nor and it is a revelation
Much talked about in the room, it was lauded as being excellent
Perfumed with raspberry and good French oak, it was like being led to a surprise party on the palate,
full of glorious and serious red berry fruit, some warmth and good tannins,
made to last and our favourite Pinot of the evening

The boys from Oak Valley, winemaker Jacque du Plessis and Fabio Turilli, office & logistics manager,
with their 2018 Tabula Rasa South Ridge PN115
Another excellent example of this seductive grape. French in style, lots of elegance and lots of good fruit 

Paul Cliver Seven Flags 2018 Pinot Noir is a wow on the nose, everything you want a Pinot to be
Plum, cherry and pomegranate fruit on the sophisticated palate

Becoming crowded, but it's a huge venue and the event is very popular

Roger Burton with his last vintage of Tierhoek 2021 Grenache
He will now focus solely on his job as winemaker of Constantia Royale
Its deep and delicious, warm flavours of the South; a food wine

Wilhelm Kritzinger, Bellevue winemaker with their 2021  Bellevue 1953 Pinotage
From the oldest Pinotage producer and vineyard, it's as good as you can expect, it needs time and will reward keeping
Five stars in Platter

Richard Duckitt, Bellingham winemaker

Bellingham 2019 Bush vine Pinotage from the Bernard Series
Rich, juicy dark plum with good oak support. A keeper

Abrie Beeslaar and Danie Theron

with Abrie's 2021 Beeslaar Pinotage; from a vineyard near to Simonsig
It is delicious, with softer fruit than the legendary wines he makes for Kanonkop

Anri Truter, Beyerskloof winemaker presenting Diesel 2021 Pinotage (named after a favourite dog)
Beyerskloof's top end wine, it has rich fruit with a hint of spice and good wood influence
Excellent now, but will reward cellaring for a few years

Shanice du Preez of De Grendel with their 2021 Amandelboord Pinotage
Another rich, full-flavoured Pinotage with red berry fruit and a hint of licorice and chocolate

The Flagstone 2017 Pinotage called Time, Manner, Place

Gerhard Swart, Flagstone head winemaker since 2007

From Groot Phesantekraal in Durbanville, the Berliet 2021 Pinotage, named for the owner's vintage French car

2021 Illimis Pinotage. Lucinda Heyns' light touch endows this with more of the character of its Pinot parent
Subtle fragrance and rich berry flavour

Owner/winemaker Lucinda Heyns with negotiant Dane Raath

Pierre Wahl, Survivor cellarmaster with their 2021 Reserve Pinotage
After a long career making excellent Pinotage at Rijk's in Tulbagh,
he has taken his talent and experience to Overhex near Worcester

Dane Raath and Pierre Wahl

 Dirkie Morkel of Bellevue with his wife

Justin van Wyk and Gus Allen of Constantia Glen were showing the 2020 Five,
always an excellent, enjoyable Bordeaux blend. Who said Constantia can't produce great reds?

The Delaire Graff Botmaskop 2020. Cassis and violets in an excellent red blend

Morné Vrey, cellarmaster at Delaire Graff

Nonqcebo Langa, Delheim winemaker with her colleague Marista 

Danie Keulder, back at Groot Constantia as Cellarmaster from July 23
showing their 2019 Gouverneurs Reserve Bordeaux blend

Sjaak Nelson, Jordan cellarmaster with the 2017 Jordan Sophia which has elegance and good fruit and years to go 

Christopher Keet and his son Grant 

The First Verse 2019
French oak, and good dark fruit on the complex nose, licorice and chocolate with great layers of complexity
An iconic wine and one to cellar, but enjoyable now

Deidre Taylor, Sales & Marketing Manager, Kanonkop Wine Estate with Francois van Zyl, Ladybird cellarmaster

Anthonij Rupert 2017 Cabernet Franc, made by Dawie Botha was impressive
It has a classic varietal nose, good oak and minerality Dark fruit and a lovely silky smooth mouth feel, beautiful dark fruit with long savoury flavours and calls for food

Henrico van Lill, Antonij Rupert sales 

KWV The Mentors red blend was excellent with spice on the rich nose and lots of fruit on the palate

Two very successful winemakers Izele van Blerk (KWV) and Andrea Mullineux (Leeu Passant)

The 2020 Leeu Passant, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Cabernet Franc which really impressed us
It has a dive in nose, floral with intense berry fruit. Silky smooth on the palate, the velvety fruit sparkles on the palate 

Great to see Sommelier and wine maker Joseph Tongai Dhafana

Some other wines of special note were the impressive Uva Mira 2018 Cabernet Franc, The Dance, with savoury salty notes, some violets and good dark fruit in layers with tannin grip, a food wine
The Vergelegen GVB Cabernet Franc Merlot Cassis leaves and berries with good oak, Magic on the palate with salty licorice, cassis and plums, a great sign off from Andre van Rensburg
And the Spier Frans Smit Bordeaux blend which impresses every time we taste it. Soft fruit on the nose, soft tannins, a  big wine in flavour and length, what you expect from the blend, so expressive of the grapes. One to buy and put down
Rall 2020 a fine red blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Cinsault Dark berries and good wood on the nose, Dark layered fruit with dusty tannins and looooong flavours, a must with good food

Francois Haasbroek

with his Blackwater Sophié Cabernet franc Cinsaut 2021 blend
In earlier days, Cinsaut was usually blended with Cabernet in some of South Africa's best reds
This is a tribute to those wines with the Cinsaut adding a berry lightness to the savoury Cabernet franc

and, finally, the alchemist who put this magic all together, Caroline Rillema

In a show which exhibits so many excellent wines, it is impossible to taste and photograph everything in three hours
We needed and would have enjoyed two sessions

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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