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!

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