Monday, September 09, 2024

Caroline's 2024 Red Wine Review

If you had the chance to taste 91 of South Africa's very best red wines, why wouldn't you rush to get a ticket
So many did and this was a really impressive tasting. Caroline Rillema, who runs a very successful Wine retail business, chooses her favourite wines for tasting every year and you can buy tickets on line
She does the same with White wines too and that tasting is to be held on Thursday 12th Of September at the same venue, the DHL Stadium, Fritz Sonnenberg Road, Green Point

The venue is in the Hospitality suite area and you do get a very good view of our Impressive Cape Town Stadium

We have a small apology for not publishing this earlier
There is a reason why this review, together with a list of subsequent stories, is so late and so sparse
Both of us have had recent bad falls and so have been challenged
John with a dislocated shoulder and Lynne with a broken arm

The Members Lounge is a very good, spacious venue for wine tastings

Where do you start when you have 91 serious red wines to taste?
They were presented in their varietal categories so of course we began with the very impressive Pinot Noirs
Barend Erasmus, assistant winemaker at Bouchard Finlayson

Lynton Kaiser, Sales & Marketing Manager at Boekenhoutskloof Winery, and Evan Alexander
showing their Cap Maritime Pinot noir

The near perfect Kershaw Clonal Selection 2020 by Richard Kershaw

Kershaw winemaker Dudley Wilson and Sales and Marketing Manager Sarah du Plessis

Bevan Newton Johnson with his astonishing Family Vineyards 2022 Pinot Noir
No faults, top scoring wine of the evening

Oak Valley winemaker Jacques du Plessis and Logistics manager Fabio Turilli
with their complex and layered Tabula Rasa PN667

Chelsea Corney showing the Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot. Clean, linear and full of good fruit, another high scoring Pinot

Winemaker Nathan Valentine of Villiera
Their Monro Merlot has richness, fullness and lovely fruit, no faults. Lynne's comment: "I'd buy this"

Francois van Zyl and Suzaan Krige showed his Ladybird Claypot Merlot
Earthy, sappig, with sweet berry fruit, very quaffable

Wynand Lategaan with Lanzerac's 2021 Pionier Pinotage 

Francois Conradie pouring a glass for Emy Mathews of L'Avenier's 2020 Single Block Pinotage

Pierre Wahl and Paula Teixeira with the Survivor 2022 Reserve Pinotage

Charmaine Kelly showed Fairview's Primo Pinotage

Wilhelm Kritzinger and Deidre Smit, with the Bellevue 1953 Pinotage, from the 2018 vintage
made with grapes from South Africa's oldest Pinotage vineyard

Anri Truter, with the Beyerskloof 2022 Diesel Pinotage

Named after Beyers Truter's wonderful, but now sadly departed, boerbul dog

Abrie Beeslaar and Raymond NoppĂ© with Abrie's Beeslaar 2022 Pinotage

Ther were just three Niche varietals and we really enjoyed the Bosman 2022 Cinsaut
shown by winemaker Maria Gant and Louisa Swart

Daniela Kohler showing Torero The Suit of Lights 2023 Carignan to Neil  Proudfoot of Wine Concepts, Kloof St
It was different, sunny, delicious and very enjoyable; certainly a food wine

Stander Maass, Anura winemaker with his 2022 Malbec Reserve. Sappig (juicy) and full of fruit

The wine

Louis Strydom with his impressive 2017 Ernie Els SIgnature Bordeaux blend

Christopher Keet with his 2020 First Verse Bordeaux Blend had the room buzzing
So many people were tasting this superb wine for the first time and being really impressed
We have been fans of Chris's distinct, excellent wine making for many years 

The wine is complex and classy, made to last a long time and needs cellaring, it reaps rewards
Richness, layers of ripe, red berry fruit, length, good French oak with supporting chalky tannins

Another of our favourites; Raats 2020 Family Cabernet Franc which we gave full marks
Smoky with great fruit which comes in layers of excellence and joy and leads one to food
Salty licorice drop and good wood on the end

Fred Fismer of Plaisir de Merle with his 2020 Grand Plaisir red Bordeaux blend

Johan van Dyk with Ridgeback's 2019 Signature C Bordeaux blend

Cellarmaster J C Bekker with winemakers Andre Roux and Kayla Oertle-Morse of Rupert and Rothschild
with the 2020 Baron Edmund, made by Kayla

Stony Brook winemaker Craig McNaught and sales manager Jackie Rabe with The Max 2019

An iconic wine, the 2021 Thelema Rabelais Bordeaux blend made by Duncan Clarke 

The prize winning Vondeling 2019 Philosophie Bordeaux Blend by Matthew Copeland

Charles Lourens of Zevenwacht showing the 2021  Z Collection Bordeaux blend, made by Hagen Viljoen

Jean Claude Martin of Creation Wines and Gottfried Mocke
who was showing his Cap Maritime 2022 Hemel and Aarde Pinot Noir. a relative newby in the area
Jean Claude had his 2022 Art of Pinot Noir  

Alex Starey of Keermont showing his excellent 2018 SVS Topside Syrah which is juicy, layered and still young,
a wine that entices you to eat rich food

Gavin Slabbert with his Mvemve Raats 2021 MR de Compostella Bordeaux blend

Cederberg Head Winemaker Jean Nel with his superb Five Generations 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

Michelle Waldeck with the impressive Benguela Cove Estate Collage Bordeaux Blend
It has a fine nose, is very French in style, complex and full of good fruit. High marks

Luke Olivier and and Georgina Wilkinson with the 2021 Constantia Glen 5

Delaire Graff showing their 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon by Morne Vrey, who was overseas

Matthew Andersen with hIs Morgenster 2016 The Reserve Red Bordeaux blend

Nederburg Two Centuries 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon by Zinascke Steyn

Can a selfie be Perfection?

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

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