Kaapzicht – Celebrating 30 years of Winemaking
Friday was another of those days with two events;
luckily the timing didn’t clash and we wouldn’t have missed the Kaapzicht
Celebration in Bottelary for all the tea in China. We got to know the Steytler
family when we were studying wine in the 1990s and have developed a fondness for them and a love for their wine ever
since. We sold it in our shop and continue to buy and drink it as often as we
can. Major David Charles Steytler bought the farm after the war in 1946, when
it was called Rosendal. There have been four generations farming since then, at
first mixed farming, and then they changed to grapes. They bottled their first
wine in 1984, when the farm was renamed Kaapzicht (transl. Sight of the Cape).
They have a beautiful view of Table Mountain from the farm, hence the name
Danie’s wife Yngvild handles the export market and
visits at least 20 countries over 13 weeks each year. Now winemaker Danie Junior
has the energy and new ideas to improve the wines. He and his wife Karen (who
handles the sales) are preparing a new vintage, which will turn their parents into
grandparents. Danie senior says winemaking is for young people, not for
grandfathers, so the farm is on loan to them. The 5th generation is scheduled to arrive in October. They had a slideshow running, showing us the history of Kaapzicht
in pictures. Over the years, Kaapzicht has won many awards for their wines,
mostly Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, and we were very lucky to be able to taste
these with dinner. This was prepared by Chef Etienne Bonthuys and all the food
was cooked on coals of wingerd stokkies (vine prunings). As he produced some
salmon soufflé dumplings, we were seriously in awe. Pots of boiling water were
spotted on the fire for these. Very brave and it worked very well.
George Steytler welcomed us with a glass of Kaapzicht Celebration bubbly
So new, the
corks haven’t gone in yet
Our pathway
through barrels and crates into the cellar. Romantic candle light guided us
Long U shaped
table for all the invited guests and family
Danie Junior
spent days rearranging all the crates to make the cellar more cozy. It will
take more days to put it all back. John asked what would happen if any of the
labels became detached!
Friends,
neighbours and family. Mrs and Johan Malan from Simonsig, Mrs van der Merwe, Danie Steytler, Mr van der Merwe of FNB and
Louis Roos from Mooiplaas, the farm next door
Danie Junior,
his mother Yngvild, Danie Steytler telling us the farm’s history and his mother,
who still lives on the farm
It was served
with Veal sweetbreads with the Kaapzicht Chenin Blanc-based saffron sauce.
Perhaps a little adventurous for some palates. We did see rather a lot returned
to the kitchen. It was topped with raw salmon sashimi and some creamy chicken
liver and fruit accompanied it
Then it was
time for a treat: Magnums of Cape Winemakers Guild Auction wine - Kaapzicht 2001
Auction Reserve. Incense, perfume and violets on the nose, with some herbal
balsamic notes. Jammy Cabernet flavours of deeply intense dark berries and some
more violets
This and the Steytler
2010 Vision Cape blend were served with the main course of an Ostrich eye fillet
with a Kaapzicht Pinotage reduction, topped with tagliolini of pasta and
courgette and rich bone marrow
The Vision 2010
Cape Blend had an intense nose, sweet and sour fruit which is layered with some
chalk. Pinotage is definitely present in this wine! It won four and half stars
in Platter. The Kaapzicht Cabernet 2008 won a Veritas gold
Sadly, no
picture of the lovely dessert, but lots of fun was being had by all at the end
of the evening. Shante Hutton of Wine.co.za, sommelier Higgo Jacobs, Danie
Steytler Jnr and Annareth Bolton, CEO of the Stellenbosch Wine Route - This big?
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014
