Monday, September 11, 2023

Floral Clanwilliam

Every year we make a trip up the West Coast to see the Spring flowers which put on such a show
- one of our floral kingdoms greatest sights
We decided to go to the annual Clanwilliam Wild Flower show, which is indoors in a local church
and planned the weekend accordingly
http://clanwilliamwildflowershow.co.za/
Why? Well, the weather this year has been wet, icy and very unpredictable;
Spring has been very late arriving and spring flowers only come out in full sun
Our feeling was that we might see flowers along the way on the N7, but if we didn't, the hall would enchant
Driving to Clanwilliam takes about 3½ hours and the weather was windy with lots of scudding clouds,
so we didn't see much

This is the sensational view from the top of the Piekenierskloof Pass
The Swartland below is normally dry brown land but, this year, is a patchwork of such beautiful different greens
from wheat and yellows from the canola fields

The very traditional Clanwilliam Harvest church, the venue for the exhibition

Spring daisies

We took two good friends with us who are enthusiastic gardeners, like Lynne

It was the second last day of the show, but the hall was still impressive with floral displays from different areas, veld, mountain, semi-desert etc.

The plants taken for the exhibition are all returned to their terroir at the end of the show

There was an amazing display of proteas

and individual flowers with their names and locations; many are rare finds

Knersvlakte is a region of hilly terrain covered with quartz gravel in Namaqualand
in the north-west corner of the Western Cape Province. It has many dry land plants and succulents

Such a variety of flora and bulbs

The Cederberg mountain area, where we had planned to spend the night,
once was a verdant mountainous area where ancient  Clanwilliam cedar trees (Widdringtonia wallichii) grew
Sadly, most of them were chopped down by early settlers to provide wood for building
There is a programme to try to replant them in the wild
One initiative that is interesting is where they have taken seeds and enrobed them in a growing medium
and these are being dropped in the wilderness areas from drones to see if they will grow again
We hope it succeeds for the future generations

Beautiful flowers from bulbous plant and local orchids

Iridiceae, the Iris genus: Moraea Speciosa (bloutulp)

Gladiolus carinatus (Blou afrikaner). These are some of our most beautiful wild flowers

The sun was out when we exited the show,
so we headed off to the local Ramskop Wild Flower Carden near the Clanwilliam Dam,
which has a reasonable entry fee of R30 for pensioners

The spring flowers were all out. 
Kokerboom trees, Aloidendron dichotomum

An enormous Australian Gum tree which was planted for shade
You often see double rows of them as they bordered old wagon roads to give the travellers relief from the harsh sun

Mauve vygies (mesembryanthemum) brighten up the garden with the golden and white daisies 

This ancient Kokerboom is prevented from falling over by a large rock

"This part of the Garden was officially opened by Lady Catherine, Countess of Clanwilliam on 30th August 1991"

A rich mix of the floral kingdom leads down to the recently enlarged Clanwilliam dam

Fruits of the ysterbos, Phylica oleaefolia

Wilde dagga, Leonotis leonurus. Sunbirds love gathering nectar from the flowers

A field of bulbs still waiting to flower, many are Watsonia borbonica

Wild Dimorphotheca sinuata, also indigenous and also now found in gardens world wide

A yellow version of Dimorphotheca sinuata

This area has had serious droughts for years when the dam was dry
and the improvement of making the dam bigger hopefully will help to keep the town alive

Daisies growing in a stream, with some tiny frogs at their base

and a small dam, we could hear the frogs

Wind making lovely patterns on the water

And a pleasure boat doing the same

We saw quite few new houses on the side of the dam

A male malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) in a protea tree

feeding on wild dagga

Carpobrotus edulis, known as Sour Fig (Suurvy) one of our indigenous plants, now grown around the world
Its seed pods are full of a sour, sticky centre and jam is made from them
The leaves are used for many medicinal uses

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Friday, September 08, 2023

John Collins trade wine tasting at Auslese

John Collins Boutique Wine Collection had its trade tasting at Auslese,
the events venue of Aubergine, chef Harald Bresselschmidt's restaurant in Gardens

John Collins and Jordan marketing manager Thea van der Merwe

Renowned chef Harald Bresselschmidt had made canapés to match the wines on each table

Deep fried chicken bites

Diemersfontein cellarmaster Francois Roode was there to show their extensive range of wines
The Carpe Diem Reserve Malbec is soft, fruity, hot and spicy with lovely savouriness on the end
The Carpe Diem Pinotage is a rich mouthful of dark spicy fruit with chalky tannins
and it should improve further with long cellaring

The Clockmaker Chenin Blanc is one of our favourites from this farm:
a rich, soft mouthful; flavours of quince preserve with honey. Wellington is great terroir for Chenin
The Chenin Blanc vines were planted by David Sonnenberg's father in 1985
The wine, which is registered on the Old Vines Project, was barrel fermented in the cellar for 10 months
The Harlequin is a blend of 72% Shiraz and 28% Pinotage. The Pinotage speaks first with sour plums and mocca wood,
then sweet plums appear with dark licorice wood and chalky tannins on the finish
Thokozani 2021 Cabernet Franc has lovely rich vanilla oak and a hint of fresh herbs like sage on the nose
Very good fruit in layers, tight tannins, some chalk; Blackberry, cassis and sweet elderberry fruit enchant

These were very popular, fresh avocado and tender squid dipped in lemon

It is a very popular trade tasting

Johan Kruger has some very special wines
The 2020 Klipkop Chardonnay from the Piekenierskloof has smoky oak and vanilla, sweet custard cream, lime and smoke,
amazing freshness and minerality and long fruit flavours, with wood supporting
The 2020 Old Vines Palomino is Palomino lifted up out of its bad reputation to something good
A waxy grass nose, zingy and creamy on the palate,
with length and kiwi, melon, lime and lasting taste and aroma of lemongrass

His 2021 Western Cape Pinot Noir has grapes coming from different cooler vineyards on decomposed granite soils
Smoke, cherry, minerality and soft wood notes, Dark berry fruit in layers with dark oak. Very enjoyable.

The Old Vines 2021 Sauvignon Blanc has a superb mature nose, with light oak, minerality and fullness, complexity, elegance and layers, with some umami and fruit and wood integrated
It was selected as one of the Top Ten Sauvignons in Winemag's Prescient Report

We love tasting Springfield's two Sauvignons Blanc: Life from Stone and Special Cuvée
when they are just released and then again later in the year to see how they have developed, and they do
They are currently fresh, zingy, classic, young and lively, and distinctly themselves,
the Yin and Yang of Robertson Sauvignon Blanc
The 2022 Albariño is exciting, full of apricot and nectarine fruit, racy on the wake-up palate. Great with food
The 2021 Wild Yeast Chardonnay is identifiable from Robertson terroir, unwooded with great golden fruit
and long, satisfying flavours

Springfield owner Abrie Bruwer's daughters, winemaker Emma and marketing manager Jenna Bruwer-Kruger






The 2020 Springfield Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon has a captivating dive in nose, a sparkle of cassis on nose and palate, smooth, long and deep flavours of fruit, built to last
The 2016 Méthode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon, has a classic Cabernet nose and palate,
with juicy cassis berries and leaves and full fruit. This has many more years to go
The 2017 Work of Time is a classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot
Savouriness from the Cab Franc, and violets from the Petite Verdot on excellent the nose
Lovely fruit in full complex layers, with maturity and class

Marcha Cooke and Thea van der Merwe of Jordan. We are sad to see dear Marcha go;
she and her family are emigrating to New Zealand
We wish them safe travels and happy years ahead in their new country

The TImepiece 2022 Riesling, 2022 Sauvignon Blanc and 2021 Chenin Blanc, all from old heritage vineyards,
are taking the wines in a new direction and are very enjoyable
The Riesling has 30 g/l sugar, but is crisp with honey notes and great acid in balance with the sugar
Good to get a chance to taste the Cobblers Hill 2015 Bordeaux blend, just being released now
It's very special, rather French in style with incense oak and dark berry fruit on the nose, black plums and salty minerality
with amazing layers of fruit, and length, with hints of pepper and spice on the savoury end. Buy!

Maree Family Wines are based in Somerset West
Old Man Sam 2022 Chenin Blanc has richness of Stellenbosch fruit,
a lovely full palate of stone fruit, golden delicious and cream with long flavours
Klein Jakkals 2021 Syrah is also Stellenbosch. Incense oak, spice and pepper, nice tight chalky tannins interlaced with good berry fruit and acid in balance
Pieter and the Jackal 2021 Shiraz has an elegant nose, incense oak, cassis, mulberry and green leaves
Cloves and spice open up to good fruit and lots of dark oak

John Collins and Caroline Rillema, owner of Caroline's Fine Wines

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