Staying in the Hemel and Aarde in Summer is such a great place to be
All the roads are accessible now, so the valley is there for you to explore
We were there for four days so we relaxed, slept well, did some major bird watching
from the stoep of the cottage we stay at and, of course, made appointments to visit some of our favourite wine farms
and the one with the best views and, in our estimation, some of the best wines is Newton Johnson
It is a while since we visited their restaurant and thought it would be the perfect place to have a tasting
followed by Sunday lunch
The tasting room has expanded and is very comfortable, with those great views
We had previously arranged with Lisa in the tasting room to do the tasting and,
although she was taking a very deserved break that weekend,
the two young men running the tasting room did us proud
especially Liam Cloete, who was so well-informed
What a perfect name for a good Rosé. We serve Rosé to all of our friends who come to visit us in the summer
South African Rosés are delicious as an aperitif or with food
Those we buy are dry, but full of red berry fruit, complex, and delicious
Newton Johnson Rosé 2023, made from Pinot Noir, has cherry and vanilla ice cream on the nose,
with richness and depth on the palate with lovely red cherry berry fruit; almost a red wine
So easy to drink and very affordable at R120 a bottle
We then tasted the Albarinho. This warm country grape, native to Spain and Portugal,
is being planted in several SA wine areas because of the warming of the climate
These were the first vines brought into the country. We love it
Lees, nectarine, melon and apple blossom on the full nose
A glimmer of sun and hot soil on the palate, nectarine, orange peel, sharp quince to balance the palate
Juicy and satisfying, it is a great wine with food
This Pinot noir vineyard, source of some of their grapes, is directly below the building
The South End Chardonnay 2022 has some new French oak contact and has smoke, some minerality, and fresh citrus on the attractive nose
Fullness on the palate, sunshine, lovely citrus flavours, lots of minerality with some flint and complexity
The Family Vineyards Chardonnay ramps up the experience
with a whiff of smoke, golden fruit, vanilla and spice
It is full and rounded on the palate
with ginger, spice, nectarine and other stone fruit
With long flavours and good wood just supporting, this is built to last and mature well
Full Stop Rock is a total raspberry bomb on the nose with spice and wood
White pepper and spice, meaty Mourvedre, leathery Shiraz then raspberries and chocolate on the long end
A successful blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre, Falkirk 2021 Grenache is new to us
Wood, violets, cassis, raspberry with depth and concentration of fruit with a savoury end. Really good
The 2021 Falkirk Syrah has smoke, shy berry fruit and balsam
Rich berry fruit with good spice and fruit and acid in balance
The 2022 Family Vineyard Pinot Noir was next and is the reason we love the Newton Johnson Pinots so much
This was Lynne's best red wine tasted in 2023. It is an impressive wine
Smoke, richness, lovely berries, a hint of bacon and minerality on the nose. Delicious on the silky palate
Minerality follows the intense red berry fruit in layers, good tannins and a touch of wood on the elegant end
This is built to last, but is drinking so well now. It was an epic tasting so we headed in to lunch
The concise and tempting menu is well priced
Dessert and beverages
Chef Tullishe le Roux is well known in the industry and we enjoyed her food very much..
The spotless and well organized open kitchen
A table at the window to get more of those views
Another great Newton Johnson Pinot to try with our lunch, filled with raspberry and red berry fruits
Such elegance and flavour, much contentment was had. It paired well with everything
A starter of Ham Hock Terrine, sweet mustard and Sauerkraut
The terrine was reminiscent of the Jambon Persillé that is so popular in Burgundy, delicious
A delicate and astoundingly good Chicken liver parfait served with sticky onion marmalade and toasted baguette
Lynne loves Asian and chose this fish dish, Filipino Sinigang of Kingklip in a Tamarind broth with vegetables,
served with sticky rice, something new and very enjoyable
The tender Confit Duck leg was served with sweet potato, a feta salad, lemon and ginger
A Beef Hamburger topped with Cheddar cheese and serve with fat crisp chips
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