Sunday, June 23, 2024

In MENU this issue - Trophy Wine Show Feedback Session & Awards, Grape Escape, Decanter Awards, Concours Mondial, Siris & Raath trade tastings, Oldenburg & le Riche tastings, Jos Baker memorial

This month has seen the opening of what one could call the Wine-tasting season and wine events are the main focus, along with a memorial for a lady who was a doyenne of fashion, fine dining, wine and, in her special way, history. Enjoy the experiences! We did

The Trophy Wine Show Judges' Feedback Session at the Grande Roche


The Trophy Feedback session was held this year at Grande Roche, where it was held several years ago. Grande Roche has been through a renovation. This is where we hear a report back about the judges' findings after tasting the various categories of wines, but we are given no information about the brands as they are all tasted blind. The Feedback session is held in their conference centre. Read on….

The 2024 Investec Trophy Wine Awards at Glen Carlou


The venue for the 2024 Awards was Glen Carlou estate near Paarl on the road to Franschhoek. Several good Cap Classiques were on offer as we arrived. Canapés and bubbly were served in the Art Gallery which gave us all a chance to admire the art and chat to friends. Head Judge and originator of the competition Michael Fridjhon welcomed us and got things going. Read on….

Wine Concepts Grape Escape wine festival at Moyo, Kirstenbosch


Michael Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts' annual tasting of unusual varietals really appeals to us. Our winelands are becoming more diverse; it's where we have to go if we are to grow and prosper. while Global warming takes its toll of traditional vineyards worldwide. And we love tasting diversity. However, this was a huge tasting of many different wines so, sadly, we could only manage to taste a selection of them. There were so many tempting white wines that, regrettably, we could only taste a very small sample of red wines. It was held, this year, at Moyo Restaurant at Kirstenbosch. It is a superb venue, wide and spacious and accommodating all the farms comfortably who wanted to show off their diversity in wine. It was raining and the mountain streams were in full spate when we arrived. Read on….

The 2024 Decanter Awards - South African Gold and Silver Medallists


The results of the 2024 Decanter Awards competition have been released. 530 South African wines earned medals. Of these, two were awarded Best in Show, 1 Platinum, 28 Gold, 220 Silver and 282 Bronze. There are many wine competitions, several in South Africa, but this is one of the most highly respected and it judges the wines blind against their peers from all the wine-producing countries. While respecting their opinions, it must be remembered that all wine judging is subject to many influences - emotion, atmosphere, personal prejudice, national pride and taste preferences.... Some of the results in the table below tally quite closely with results in South African competitions such as, most recently the Investec Trophy Wine Show, and others have quite large differences. That is the nature of the beast. Read on….

The 2024 Concours Mondial. Gold and Silver medals awarded to SouthAfrican wines


The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Is an international wine competition which has run since 1994. Judging is done by more than sixty panels of five to six tasters over three mornings. The International panel of tasters comprises more than 300 full-time wine industry professionals of whom three were from South Africa in 2024 – Carrie Adams of Norman Goodfellows, WOSA Communications Manager Maryna Calow and Jean-Vincent Ridon who is Head Sommelier at the South African Sommeliers Academy. Judging is blind with the only information given to the tasters being the vintage. Four categories of wines are judged separately: Red & White Wines, Rosé Wine, Sweet & Fortified Wine and Sparkling Wines. The Concours’ primary ambition is to single out wines of irreproachable quality offering a truly pleasurable drinking experience, wines from across the globe and all price points Read on….

Siris trade wine tasting at the Mount Nelson


Trade tastings are coming thick and fast this year, with little time to recover! But we love what we do and this is always a chance to catch up with our winemaker friends and meet new ones. The Siris Trade tasting was held this year in the Mount Nelson Ballroom. We arrived early as Lynne had to attend another event that evening. Read on….

Raath Promotions trade wine tasting at The Winchester


This is the time of the year when many wine, beer and spirit trade tastings take place and we enjoy tasting the new products, vintages and, usually, something new. The Raath Trade tasting took place at the Winchester Mansions in Sea Point; a good venue for this. Read on….

Tasting the wines of Oldenburg


An invitation to visit and taste the wines at Oldenburg from Stefan Reinmuth, their Private Client Manager and head Sommelier, was quickly accepted. The farm is in Banghoek, eight kilometres from Stellenbosch, on the road to Franschhoek. To quote them "Off the beaten track, a winding road leads deep into the Banghoek Valley. Our unique location benefits from the confluence of 8 Natural Elements, creating a distinctive terroir and allowing us to make wines that truly reflect their Place". We know they produce wines of quality that are often awarded and it had been a while since our last tasting on the farm with winemaker Nic van Aarde, shortly after he had he first joined them. Read on….

Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Tasting at Upper Union Restaurant


The Le Riche Vintage tasting was held at new venue to us, in Upper Union Street, just off Kloof Street in Oranjezicht. Christo Le Riche is very happy with the new vintage and invited us to taste its wines and some older wines from Le Riche. It is always a treat, as they really do know how to make the very best of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. Read on….

Gathering in memory of Jos Baker at Den Anker

Jos Baker was something of a polymath. Starting with a career in fashion, she turned her love of food, wine and décor into a long, successful career as a journalist. She also had a lifelong passion of maintaining, Klein Zoar, the historic 18th Century house she lived in. Klein Zoar is said to have been the home of Wolraad Woltemade, a Cape Dutch dairy farmer, who died while rescuing sailors from the wreck of the ship De Jonge Thomas in a storm in Table Bay on 1 June 1773. Read on….




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The 2024 Concours Mondial. Gold and Silver medals awarded to South African wines


The Concours Mondial de Bruxelles Is an international wine competition which has run since 1994. Judging is done by more than sixty panels of five to six tasters over three mornings. The International panel of tasters comprises more than 300 full-time wine industry professionals of whom three were from South Africa in 2024 – Carrie Adams of Norman Goodfellows, WOSA Communications Manager Maryna Calow and Jean-Vincent Ridon who is Head Sommelier at the South African Sommeliers Academy. Judging is blind with the only information given to the tasters being the vintage. Four categories of wines are judged separately: Red & White Wines, Rosé Wine, Sweet & Fortified Wine and Sparkling Wines. The Concours’ primary ambition is to single out wines of irreproachable quality offering a truly pleasurable drinking experience, wines from across the globe and all price points. 

Results are not given in points, but in medal ratings: Grand Gold, Gold and Silver with a special addition to the Grand Gold, Revelation. The cost of entry is graduated according to the number of wines submitted by the producer, from €185 (R3554) for a single entry to €168 (R3227) for ten or more.

Here is the list of medals awarded to South African Wines in the 2024 competition. One wine achieved a Grand Gold - Revelation, 5 Grand Gold, 34 Gold and 9 Silver. In many cases, the results tally with awards given to the same wines in other competitions, which is a good indication of consistent judging.

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

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Saturday, June 22, 2024

The 2024 Decanter Awards - South African Gold and Silver Medallists

The results of the 2024 Decanter Awards competition have been released. 530 South African wines earned medals. Of these, two were awarded Best in Show, 1 Platinum, 28 Gold, 220 Silver and 282 Bronze. The whole story can be seen HERE 

There are many wine competitions, several in South Africa, but this is one of the most highly respected and it judges the wines blind against their peers from all the wine-producing countries. While respecting their opinions, it must be remembered that all wine judging is subject to many influences - emotion, atmosphere, personal prejudice, national pride and taste preferences.... Some of the results in the table below tally quite closely with results in South African competitions such as, most recently the Investec Trophy Wine Show, and others have quite large differences. That is the nature of the beast.

Entry into the Decanter Awards costs £170 (R3862) plus 20% VAT per entry and four sample bottles are required per wine entry. This is obviously a very serious consideration for producers, especially the smaller ones, and that is without the cost of getting the entries to the publishers of the magazine or the cost of buying bottle stickers for winning wines - £55 (R1250) per roll of 1000.

On the subject of scoring, the current favourite system is scoring wines out of 100. We are, perhaps, old-fashioned, but we agree with the opinion recently expressed by Tim James that it is too exact for something which is subject to the influences above. The Decanter site shows scores out of 100. In the table we show here, we have added a column in which the scores are converted to scores out of 20.

Not many years ago, a wine scoring 90 (18/20) would have earned a Gold medal. The standard has risen, Gold is in a narrow band between 96 and 95 (19/20) and a score between 94 and 90 is only worthy of Silver. The bottom line is that any wine which scores 90 or above is worthy of consideration. Two of the Gold medallists, Spier Albariño at R85 and MAN Family Vintners Essay Red Blend at R115 (ex cellars), have an additional note that they are Good Value which, in Britain, means that a bottle sells for less than £15 (±R330). British retail prices are taken into consideration in the judging.

Stellenbosch wines were the best performers, obviously with the most entries, and they scored 181 medals in all categories but there was a good spread of Gold and Silver medals across our principal wine producing regions. It was good to see one of our favourites, Oak Valley's Groenlandberg Chardonnay earning a Platinum medal. We were pleased to see how many MCCs won medals.

You may notice some unfamiliar labels such as wines with the names of British supermarkets, Aldi, Asda and Marks & Spencer may or may not be available here (such as M&S Creation Chardonnay).

You can see the Gold and Silver medallists here:

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

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Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Wine Concepts Grape Escape wine festival at Moyo, Kirstenbosch

Michael Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts' annual tasting of unusual varietals really appeals to us
Our winelands are becoming more diverse; it's where we have to go if we are to grow and prosper
while Global warming takes its toll of traditional vineyards worldwide
And we love tasting diversity
However, this was a huge tasting of many different wines so, sadly, we could only manage to taste a selection of them
There were so many tempting white wines that, regrettably, we could only taste a very small sample of red wines

It was held, this year, at Moyo Restaurant at Kirstenbosch
It is a superb venue, wide and spacious
and accommodating all the farms comfortably who wanted to show off their diversity in wine

It was raining and the mountain streams were in full spate when we arrived

The entrance

Mike at the entrance table with his trusty staff

The huge room with the double sided fireplace mid room and some great chandeliers to provide good lighting

André Badenhorst, showing the after effects of a motoring incident, had some good wines on show, made by his son Adi
André is fine, thankfully
The Kalmoesfontein White blend 2021 has Grenache blanc, Chenin, Roussanne, Viognier
all adding to this crisp and fulsome blend which cries "food please"! 

And Secateurs 2021 Chenin Blanc, which is deservedly on most menus in the Cape and a best seller,
never disappoints with its quality of great Swartland Chenin

A good selection of Bruce Jack's wines. We especially loved the 2023 Reserve Viognier,
full of peach blossom and promise and, on the palate, the intensity of peaches with cream with a dash of crisp lemon,
so good with spicy food or just to enjoy glass by glass

Ginny Poval's Botanica wines always impress
and the Mary Delaney 2022 Chenin Blanc from Citrusdal has texture layered with ripe golden fruit and rewards

The M&S 2021 Ogier Cote du Rhône was a good find in the tasting;
it has such a French nose and attitude and needs pairing with food

The Cedarberg Five Generations Chenin blanc has golden fruit and lime in layer after layer

The Cedarberg Sauvignon Gris was life changing
It is grey on the nose with some of the expected varietal aromas,
but so different on the palate, like a rush of fresh breeze,
crisp and dry with some green leaves blowing in it, with excitement
We scored both very highly


Winemaker WS Visagie showed the Daschbosch Méthode Ancestrale sparkling wine
The Verdelho grapes are from 62 year old vines in the Breedekloof
And you can see from the label that he took a flier at this and its a success
Interesting, initially crisp and sparkling, with lots of fruit, some cooked, apples, limes and greengage plum

Three of the Daschbosch wines

Canapés. Unusual but good crisp onion leaves in batter

Darling Cellars with their wealth of good unusual varietals, we must make an other visit soon
Their Rosés are a summer standard in our house

Fairview's Viognier was the first ever produced in South Africa by talented winemaker Anthony de Jager
and it is still a great rendition of this lovely grape
Bloemcool Ploegstert white blend is a blend of Palomino, Chenin Blanc and Grenache Blanc

Margot Nel and Leon Coetzee showed their Hoeksteen Chenin blanc and Boplaas Verdelho,
both excellent examples of their class

Jason Steel's Lorraine Allison Rosé from Cinsault

Jordan's Timepiece range has added a Riesling. Sadly, the Assyrtiko is sold out at the cellar
We hope to taste the new vintage soon, its a great wine

Nicole Kilian with the Keermont wines

Three of Kleine Zalze Project Z wines;
the Chenin Blanc 2021, the Chenin Blanc Skin Contact 2021 and the Project Z Sweet Fortified NV
and their Cellar Selection Cinsault Rosé

Alexandra MacFarlane showed several of her wines
Impressive was the The Capitoline Wolf White blend 70% Semillon and 30% Chenin Blanc
As expected from Semillon, it is grey on the nose and waxy on the palate
It has Aladdin coming out of the bottle with lovely crisp and zingy fruit coming with him! Surprise and so enjoyable

The Capitoline Wolf Rosé, The Capitoline Wolf Red blend, The Capitoline Wolf White blend,
Monday's Child Chenin blanc and Tuesdays Child Cinsault

Morgenster's Vermentino is a firecracker of a wine, with superb minerality - a wine suited  for seafood and fish

Emy Mathews was showing Morgenster's excellent Tristis Vermentino

Mont Rachelle's 2023 Little Rock Blanc

Michael Bampfield Duggan with Billy Hughes and winemaker Lieze Norval of Nativo wines

Two wines from Neil Joubert, Good to see the 2023 Grüner Veltliner and the 2019 Grenache Blanc

Henry Kotzé and Angie Tieling showed the Nomoya wines of Michela Sfiligoi and Agronomist Attilio Dalpiaz,
whom we first met when they were at Ayama in Voor Paardeberg

The Nomoya 2021 Chenin Blanc and the 2021 Vermentino

Three wines from Org de Rac: Roussanne 2022, De Waghuis Wit 2021 and De Waghuis Rooi 2021

Alisa van der Westhuizen showing the wines of Org de Rac

Painted Wolf had their Solo Roussanne 2023, Lycaon Old Vine Chenin Blanc, 2021 always a stunner,
and Blacktip Mourvedre 2020

Roodekrantz wines

Usana wines

The excellent Stellenrust Chenin blancs, White and Red Cinsault and a Shiraz

Strandveld charmed with their Skaamgesiggie Pinot Brut Cap Classic 2020; their other wines are always superb

Their Viognier is always worth tasting and buying
Their Adamastor Bordeaux blend of crisp and elegant Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon is on many top wine lists

Yes samosas and some were mince,
but they produced a great new invention, a samosa stuffed full of rich melting cheese
Wow. Just right after tasting quite a lot of wine

VDP Distributors had some interesting wines. The Lothian Elgin Grüner Veltliner 2023 was so enjoyable
The Lemberg Harslevelu has been unique to the estate in Tulbagh since the 1980s and is signature for the farm
We wish we'd had time to taste the others

Welgegund in Wellington had a good range of their wines
and the Old Vines 2021 Cinsault is heady and rich on the nose and palate with beautiful fruit and supporting tannins
Deserves time in the cellar

Iona in Elgin has one of the best Nebbiolos, their 2019
It's very Italian in style, but perhaps even better!
Such good fruit in layers but true to its varietal identity. So good with food

Paul Gibon from Arromanches in Normandy with the South African Italian Idiom wines,
coincidentally on the anniversary of the D Day landings in France

Their 2020 Viognier has lots of oak,
the 2019 Zinfandel has geranium on the nose, salty minerality and long fruit layers with cherry and mulberry
Needs food NOW!

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

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

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