A friend visiting from the UK wanted to visit Constantia
and we decided that a tasting at Buitenverwachting
would be a good start
Sarah, a recent ID graduate, now at Discovery in Johannesburg, was our wine server and very good at it too!
Two glasses of Chardonnay on the counter. This wine really impressed
Fresh, with a classic Chardonnay nose, wood just supporting, with minerality and roundness on the classy palate
White peach, lemon and citrus with long flavours
We did a thorough tasting, sharing our different choices and having differing experiences but all were good
You pay R100 to taste five wines and we all ordered different wines and shared them
so we tasted almost everything on the extensive menu
A first for Constantia, 2021 Pioneer Chenin Blanc from 5 year old bush vines
Smoke on the nose, with golden fruit, which repeats on the palate with cling peach and definite Chenin ripe fruit
Worth bottling, can't wait to see how it ages
Hussey's Vlei is definitely our favourite Constantia Sauvignon Blanc. It's from a single block
This vintage 2022 is still a bit shy on the nose but full of delight on the palate with layers of classic fruit,
crisp English gooseberries, lime, stone fruit with lovely green capsicum notes
to remind one how wonderful cool country Sauvignon Blanc can be
If you are a fan of Gewurztraminer, this one is for you
Buitenverwachting G 2020 has the classic Turkish Delight rose petal nose
Clean, fresh, long crisp flavours on the rose palate; so enjoyable. It shouts for spicy food
Buitenverwachting's MPV stands for a blend of 70% Merlot, 30% Petite Verdot and what an enticing blend this makes
Violets, incense wood from the long barrel maturation and then cherry,
it was the best nose of the day, a wine you want to dive into
Soft tannins, full on fruit with layers of cherry and dark berries
The perfect accompaniment to Lamb, Springbok, Duck and Mediterranean meat dishes
Third time Lucky 2020 is Cellarmaster Brad Paton's best version of Viognier
which, unusually, is given 10 months in Acacia barrels
Sweet fruit, perfume and wood on the nose, peaches and cream, lime crispness and white peach
with long flavours all in balance, a great food wine
We also tasted the Rough Diamond, a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Petit Verdot
Richness and fullness then savouriness on the nose
Silky on the full palate, cassis, cherry, pomegranate, loooong flavors with salty minerality on the end
So enjoyable, another that calls for red meat NOW!
And then we were allowed a special tasting (Thank You Lars) from an open bottle
Buitenverwachting's Double Cab; 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon which is only made in certain years
Built to last. 37 months in new French oak, classic Cab Franc savouriness on the nose,
with black and red cherries, incense oak
Rounded, complete and beautiful with layered flavours of cherry cassis blueberries plus warmth
Chalky tannins, grippy on the teeth with licorice and black tea on the end
The wood is holding this together for future enjoyment but not interfering. WOW
We could not taste the 1762 this time, but we have at award ceremonies in the recent past, where it keeps winning awards
Named for the first year in which vines were planted in Constantia
In our opinion, one of the very best Constantia sweet wines, with layers of quality, complexity and sheer Class
With elegance, ripe golden fruit, big flavours and lasting potential
Made from 100% Muscat de Frontignan, it won best Dessert Wine in the Investec Trophy Awards 2023
It's also a Platter 5 star wine
Where to lunch after an epic tasting like this, well how about simple fish and chips at Dunes on the beach at Hout Bay. In the teeth of a South Easter, sandblasting us, we got seats inside
All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right
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