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Thursday, August 14, 2014

Hartenberg, Klein Constantia and Radford Dale wines at The Wild Fig

Dave Nel’s Trade Tasting of Hartenberg, Klein Constantia, Anwilka and Radford Dale

This was held at the Wild Fig restaurant from 3 pm and although we didn’t have that much time due to another engagement at 5, we managed to have a good tasting and talk intelligently (we hope!) to the winemakers and marketers of these wines. The canapés produced are really worth a mention. Lynne has never been to this restaurant and we think we need to soon if this is an indication of their food.

The wines were all on show and we have to confess a huge bias for Hartenberg wines, which really shone. It is one of the few farms to produce a perfect Merlot. 2010 has no green stalkiness, just lovely classic cherry flavours with vanilla and plum. A sweet soft and juicy Shiraz 2010, a great expression of Cabernet Sauvignon the 2010, an easy drinking Cabernet Shiraz blend 2011. Even the entry level Doorkeeper Shiraz is soft and juicy. Then we come to the Gravel Hill Shiraz which is a full on fruit bomb ending in salty licorice. The Mackenzie 2009 is still quite restrained in its goreousness but will open out with time and has lots more to come. And the Stork 2010 nose is full of violets and the leaves in the vineyard , It is full of soft sweet berries, still hiding but gathering itself for a grand entrance.

The Anwilka Petit Frere 2012 Shiraz, Cab, Petite Verdot blend tastes of cherries, plums and caramel is quite chewy with salt on the end. It needs time. The Anwilka 2011 has blackcurrent leaves and mocca on top of rich fruit with a ltttle chocolate and black fruit.

We liked the Estate red from Klein Constantia a blend of Cab, Petit Verdot and Malbeck full of berries, vanilla and grippy tannins that linger with some licorice bitter wood on the end.

Restaurateur Neil Grant of Burrata

Lynne and Anel Grobler with Klein Constantia winemaker Matthew Day

Patrick Ngamane, Hartenberg winemaker

Tammy Jaftha and Heleen Rabe show the new Hartenberg Alchemy wines to Lynne and Angela Lloyd

Alex Dale's friend Angie with Deon Oliver

Alex Dale pours for Neil Grant

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Vinimark Trade Show at the Crystal Towers and supper at Knife Restaurant

These trade tastings are always well attended, in fact so well so this time, that at about 5.30 Lynne suggested that one of the wine makers should stand on a chair and say loudly “OK, all Sommeliers back to work please” . (Of course he didn’t). It was Monday and not many of them were working that night. It was rather crowded and there were lots of lots of good wines from great producers to taste. There were four wines which stood out for us amongst a very, very good selection. Shannon’s newly released Sauvignon Blanc is sensational. So much fruit, so many layers, so much elegance and potential. Constantia Glen’s 3 a blend of has always impressed us, it did so again, in spades. Very full on soft luscious red fruits with such well balance wood and acids and soft tannins with all that fruit. Reyneke’s 2013 Reserve White Sauvignon Blanc Fumé is very fumé at the moment but that will soften. It is very giving with limes and lemons and is another food wine. Edgbastons Chardonnay is a real pearl. Lovely minerality, and rich golden fruit held together but not smothered by butterscotch wood

Stephan from the House of Krone shows Shawn Benjamin and Lynne their Chardonnay Pinot Noir

Ginette de Fleuriot CWM pours a glass of vintage Ayala Champagne

Bertus Fourie shows his Barista coffee Pinotage

Jean Smit and Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof with their 2004 Semillon

Gus Allen and Justin van Wyk of Constantia Glen showing their excellent 2014 Sauvignon blanc

Carolyn Martin and her Creation team

Katharine Harris of Delaire Graff with Allan Mullins

A very busy scene

David Brice of The Wine Cellar with Simon Barlow of Rustenberg

Jessica Garlick, Reyneke winemaker, with Johan Reyneke

David van Velden pours a taste of Overgaauw Tria Cordia for Rian du Plessis of Pick 'n Pay's Waterfront wine shop

Hattingh de Villiers and Rijk Melck of Muratie

Winemaker Luke O'Cuinnegan shows Glenelly's Grand Vin red blend

Werner Els and Paul de Wet of Zandvliet in Ashton

After the tasting we went next door to Knife for supper

Birthday girl and boy - Lynne with sommelier Xolani Mancotywa

and the wine flowed

Barend Barnard of L'Avenir

The special of the evening was steak, ribs and fries with a sauce

John just wanted the steak

Lynne ordered the ribs and a salad and was more than mildly surprised at the mini serving. Usually in rib restaurants you get too much to handle. This was just five small pieces. Not sure why she was served the small bar serving. This was supper.

The bill for three

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Sunday buffet lunch at The Twelve Apostles

The weather has been slightly spring-like for the last week and now is back to cold rainy and miserable, but Sunday was a lovely exception and we had the good luck to have been invited by the 12 Apostles to come and try out their Sunday buffet at Azure restaurant. We sat on the terrace enjoying the sunshine and watched whales dance in the bay while enjoying our lunch and some good wines

One of the most beautiful coastlines in the world

Azure has a large terrace just perfect for lunch. Above is the bar, where people meet for drinks before lunch

Inside the blue restaurant with the buffet spread in the centre

Starters and fresh salads, crudités, and dips

Lovely background music by Jenie Oliver

Just half of the dessert buffet!

The cheese platter

Seafood pasta

Stir fried vegetables and butternut

Char grilled dorado. This was absolutely delicious. The fish was very fresh, moist and had that lovely wood charred flavour

Lynne chats to old friend Gavin Ferreira, F&B Manager of the 12 Apostles, who had explained the buffet to us

The carvery offered rib eye of beef, very tender perfectly pink and good roast lamb. In the background pretty amazing Yorkshire puddings

More beef and barbecue chicken wings

John does a meat oriented starter

Lynne fish and salad, That small breadcrumbed ball was mushroom risotto with truffle. Superb

Our extremely pleasant and helpful waiter Onela poured us first some lovely Bouchard Finlayson wines. Lynne had a glass of their award winning Sauvignon Blanc and John had the Sans Barrique Chardonnay

One aspect we don’t like of the terrace, they allow guests to smoke. We find it does not go well with lunch. Or dinner, or breakfast. This woman chain-smoked right through our lunch

Dorado, pesto orzo and some good raw asparagus and roasted vegetables for John

Head Chef Michael McIntyre is responsible for this good Sunday buffet which costs R285 pp and will run till the end of September. If you are celebrating your birthday, they offer you a complimentary bottle of Sparkling Wine to complement your meal in the Azure Restaurant. Just bring your identity document to qualify

A meat eater’s portion of beef, lamb and Yorkshire pudding

Was this cake irresistible to John? No. Lynne had a spoonful of the very creamy rice pudding and a spoonful of the malva pudding and covered them in the vanilla custard and the caramel sauce. Heavenly way to cheat. But no seconds

Another dessert selection

John’s slice of cake with some fruit

Head sommelier Gregory Mutambe with a media pack for us to take home. It contained lots of information on the hotel and the Red Carnation Group and a rather nice notebook, always a welcome gift to a journo

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