Monday, September 04, 2023

Cape Winemakers Guild 2023 VIP Tasting at the Westin

The 2023 Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild auction will take place over two days,
Friday 6th of October and Saturday 7th October, at the Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West and on line
hosted by auctioneers Strauss & Co
Click here for details: https://www.capewinemakersguild.com/auction/ 

Before the evening Public tasting of this year's auction wines, a VIP tasting of the wines,
presented by the winemakers, was held in the ballroom at the Westin Hotel, next to the CTICC
The wines in this year auction are really spectacular; we were so impressed
There will be one more VIP tasting just before the Auction
and the wines will be available for tasting early on the days of the auction
We have written about a random selection here

A full auditorium, with guests on the left and the winemakers and sponsor's guests on the right

Gordon Newton Johnson, President of the Guild, made the opening address
The Guild currently has 40 members and membership is only by invitation from the members
This is the 39th year of the Guild auction
Last year's was the most successful action, bringing in just shy of R14,000,000
and they are so glad to see that white wines are growing in value and beginning to compete with the red wines
The online Protégé Auction was also a success; it will be held this year from the 25th September to the 9th of October
The CWG Protégé programme has nurtured some of our up and coming talent in the wine industry.

Nedbank has sponsored the CWG for several years. Anton Paterson, Provincial Sales Manager at Nedbank,
spoke about their past and future collaboration with the Guild

There were 29 wines in the guided tasting and 10 more were available in the atrium for tasting informally later

John Loubser began the tasting by telling us about his ancient Bokkeveld soils which, Professor Bell explained,
are 400 million years old and predate the Table Mountain sandstone
They are the oldest soils on the planet
His Silverthorn Big Dog IX 2018 Cap Classique, 69% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir, is from his 20th vintage
It has a golden sparkle, character from lees, citrus and a hint of oak
Crisp and fiery on the exciting palate, clean and dry with lime on the end

Pieter Ferreira had his Graham Beck Blanc de Blanc Cuvée 108 Chardonnay 2014
It was just disgorged in time for the auction tasting
It was given extended time on the lees and 50% of the base wine was matured in French oak
Golden in colour and with golden fruit on the nose with lees, wood and maturity
A good mousse with flavours of apple, caramel, lime and brioche

The two Cap Classiques

Richard Kershaw had his Ziggurat Chardonnay
The grapes came from Babilonstoren mountainside vineyards on the Hemel and Aarde ridge
Full on nose from Richard as always, lovely integrated fruit and smoke
Peach, nectarine, a zing of lime and grapefruit on the lasting palate. A food wine

Gordon Newton Johnson's Family Vineyards 2021 Sandford Chardonnay
is an impressive naturally fermented big wine
Shy initially and then honeycomb appears with yellow cling peach
It's a wow on the palate with beautiful peach, yellow plum, lime, salty minerality and gun flint

It was Gary Jordan's 62nd birthday and he was given a rousingly sung Happy Birthday from the room
The 2022 Jordan CWG Chardonnay has smoke, golden stone fruit, lemon lime and vanilla oak and lasting flavours
Built to last. He will also have the 2021 Jordan Sophia Bordeaux blend in the auction

Sebastian Beaumont had the Beaumont Family Wines Arturo's 2021 Pinotage from their oldest block
Rich red fruit, full of everything you could want from Pinotage on the nose
Grippy chalky tannins, sharp plums and cherries and licorice wood on the end
It has years to go. He will also have the Hope Single Vineyard 2022 Chenin Blanc in the auction

Donovan Rall had his 2021 Noa Syrah with spice, pepper, yards of red velvet fruit on the nose and palate
Some black tea, chalky tannins, wood and spice remain

Carel Nel, Boplaas, announced his retirement from the Guild after 35 years. He, and we, were very emotional
He spoke about two wines: Boplaas CWG 2021 Daniel's Legacy named for his father
It's a blend of Touriga National, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Tinta Barocca
Perfumed with lovely berry fruit. Big flavours of balanced fruit and acids,
it's a Mediterranean influenced food wine, with good length and it shows its terroir
He will also have Boplaas Cape Tawny Colheita 2007 in the auction 

Alex Starey made his Auction debut with one of the best wines of the tasting,
Keermont Vineyards 2021 Where the Mountains Meet, a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon
from their three vineyards high up where the Stellenberg meets the Helderberg
It has such richness and depth and a very attractive nose
Ripe cherry, red plum, great minerality, chalky tannins and wood just supporting

Erika Obermeyer is also making her auction debut, with a celebration wine, 2021 Silver Linings,
a blend of Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault and a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon
Richness, fullness, layers of berry fruit and perfume and smoky wood
Savoury on the initial palate with minerality, then soft full fruit with chalky tannins to hold it together for years
The future looks bright for the Guild

Rianie Strydom has just joined Cavalli estate as cellarmaster
She had her Strydom Family Wine, 2018 The Game Changer from Cabernet Franc and Merlot
Full, with layers of powerful berry fruit. Savoury, then a lovely mouth full of ripe berry fruit. Hard to spit it out!
Chalk, fruit, length, dark wood on the end. Yes! 

Bartho Eksteen gave us some excitement and controversy
He insisted that his Vloekskoot wooded Sauvignon Blanc 2022, should be tasted in the middle of the red wines
And we thought it a very good idea, it so refreshed our palates. A rather French thing to do but it works
A classic "cat's pee on a gooseberry bush" Sauvignon
with a hint of oak and elderflower and lime, refreshing, clean and very crisp

David Trafford  will open the auction this year with his Glenrosa 2021 Syrah, so be there on time
Spicy with, turmeric, allspice, black pepper, rose and green leaf, soft deep berry fruit, chalky tannins,
it's creamy, long and delicious

Miles Mossop showed his 2020 Maximilian: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot
A cassis bomb which has layers of fruit on the nose with some rose perfume
Another wine hard to spit, so delicious with great fruit and elegance on the layered palate
Well made and special

Following the tasting, we returned to the atrium where canapés were served
Fresh, plump oysters

Freshly made sushi is always popular

Kevin Grant entered his Ataraxia Under the Gavel 2022 Chardonnay

Andrea Mullineaux entered her Swartland "The Gris" 2022 Old Vine Semillon
and the Leeu Passant Franschhoek Hillside 2021 Cabernet Franc

Bruwer Raats will sell his Raats Family Wines 2019 Stella Nova Cabernet Franc
and his The Fountain Specific 2022 Chenin Blanc

Carel Nel's Boplaas 2007 Cape Tawny Colheita
A classic, rich Tawny Port

Soft shell BBQ Tacos with spiced veg, avocado, tahini yoghurt dressing

Bubs Hyland with Duncan Savage, who will sell his Duncan Savage Wines 2021 Auction Syrah

Father and son Christo and Etienne LeRiche

Hoteliers Angelo Casu and Michael Pownall

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

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