Thursday, August 23, 2018

The Top Ten Pinotage Awards lunch at Cavalli, Stellenbosch

The Top 10 Pinotage Awards lunch was held last week at Cavalli Estate in the Helderberg ward of Stellenbosch. The panel of judges for the 2018 competition consisted of Neil Ellis of Neil Ellis Wines (chairman), Samarie Smith, Benguela Cove’s Brand and Business Manager, winemaker Francois Haasbroek, wine educator Nomonde Kubheka and Francois Rautenbach, wine buyer for Singita. First. we met in the tent to taste the top 20 finalists

Winemakers Warren Ellis and Francois Haasbroek discussing serious matters
Deidre Taylor and Heidi Kritzinger of Kanonkop Wine Estate
Danie Steytler Jr, Kaapzicht winemaker, discussing his wines with Bennie Howard CWM
Danie and Karen Steytler
Winemaker Izelle van Blerk and Wim Truter of KWV 
A good opportunity to meet friends and talk in the tent while tasting the Top 20 wines in the adjoining marquee
Judge Samarie Smith discusses his wines with Môreson winemaker Clayton Reabow. He had two in the Top 20
Tiger Dorrington and Pierre Wahl of Rijk's in Tulbagh
A welcoming glass of Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rosé which contains Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinotage
The large functions room at Cavalli with tables laid out in rows for lunch
The menu
The Top 20 Finalists  A record number of 161 entries was received for the Absa Top 10 competition and nearly half of the 20 finalists are from vineyards from the Stellenbosch area, including the iconic Beyerskloof, Kaapzicht, Kanonkop and Lanzerac. The other finalists originate from Breedekloof, Piekenierskloof, Durbanville, Cape Town, Paarl, Darling and Worcester. Four of the finalists had two wines in the running, namely Diemersdal, Kaapzicht, Môreson and Kanonkop
Richard van Wyk of NG Moederkerk in Stellenbosch said Grace at the start of lunch
Beyers Truter, chairman and founder of the Pinotage Association, highlighted that Pinotage’s quality is on the upsurge and that the market for wines made from this cultivar continues to grow. “Looking at the quality of wine from the 20 finalists this year, our winemakers are undoubtedly on the right course to grow Pinotage’s popularity.  Not only are they embracing the grape’s unique characteristics and learning how to best treat it in the vineyard and in the cellar, but they are also determined to continue improving its quality and educating South African consumers and the rest of the world about the superb wine it produces”
Beyers said that winemakers are now in sync with their terroir and that this is one of the most important ingredients of the success recipe

The panel of judges for the 2018 competition consisted of Neil Ellis of Neil Ellis Wines (chairman), Samarie Smith (Benguela Cove’s Brand and Business Manager), winemaker Francois Haasbroek, wine educator Nomonde Kubheka and Francois Rautenbach, wine buyer for Singita.The Pinotage Associaton was started in November 1995. They do not nominate one winner but award honours to the wines adjudged to be the best 10 entries. There are many different terroirs and variations of this mutable grape

Harvey Ruitenbach, Head of sponsor ABSA Retail Banking announced the winners
The 2018 Absa Top 10 Pinotage winners:
 Allée Bleue Black Series Old Vine Pinotage 2016
WO Piekenierskloof (Franschhoek cellar), Winemaker Van Zyl du Toit

Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2015
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker Anri Truter

Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2017
WO Durbanville, Winemaker Thys Louw

Fairview Primo Pinotage 2016
WO Paarl, Winemaker Anthony de Jager

Flagstone Writer’s Block Pinotage 2016
WO Breedekloof (Somerset West cellar), Winemaker Gerhard Swart

Kaapzicht Steytler Pinotage 2015
WO Bottelary-Stellenbosch, Winemaker Danie Steytler

Kanonkop Pinotage 2013
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar

Lyngrove Platinum Pinotage 2016
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker Danie van Tonder

Môreson The Widow Maker Pinotage 2015
WO Stellenbosch (Franschhoek cellar), Winemaker Clayton Reabow

Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2014
WO Tulbagh, Winemaker Pierre Wahl

The Cape Blend winners will be announced at an award function on 30 August 2018 at Lanzerac Wine Estate in Stellenbosch

Lanzerac winemaker Wynand Grobler with Beyers Truter
Michael Bampfield Duggan of Wine Concepts
A happy group of winemakers including De Wet Viljoen (Neethlingshof), Beyers Truter (Beyerskloof), Abrie Beeslaar (Kanonkop), Danie Steytler (Kaapzicht) and Warren Ellis (Neil Ellis)
Lunch was served between the awards. The starter of rather tough singed duck breast with a too sweet thick tinned mango purée, burnt sweetcorn (their description), coconut cream and tarragon herb oil that rather clashed with the other flavours
Abrie Beeslaar, Kanonkop winemaker, listens to the speeches
A pensive Alan Winde, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities
Bennie Howard pours a glass of Meerendal Pinotage for Tsogo Sun's Western Cape Regional Sommelier Giorgio Meletiou
The disappointing main course promised a lot but didn't deliver it all. Good beef fillet, good tender rib of beef. A dried out triangle of seared polenta that had the texture of loofah. We were promised it all on a bed of bobotie, but we were served a rather raw tomato paste sauce. Good broccoli spears... and a pea shoot
A very good selection of excellent local cheeses, chutneys, fruit and biscuits was served in the marquee after the awards. There were many of these boards set out on tables.
You could also taste the Vintage class winners which were all, without exception, worth their weight in gold.  If you have any in your cellar, now is the time to enjoy them.
The Museum Class Trophy winners
Kanonkop Pinotage 2006
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar

Neethlingshof Lord Neethling Pinotage 2003
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker De Wet Viljoen

Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2008
WO Tulbagh, Winemaker Pierre Wahl

Runners-up
Grangehurst Pinotage 2008
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker Jeremy Walker

Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection Pinotage 2008
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker Warren Ellis
Posted by MENU at 10:53 pm 0 comments

New vintage of De Wetshof Limestone Hill Chardonnay launched at Upper Bloem Restaurant, Green Point

An invitation from De Wetshof to the launch of this year's Limestone Hill Chardonnay. The launch was held at the recently opened Upper Bloem restaurant which, rather confusingly, is nowhere near Upper Bloem Road in Bo Kaap, but is on Main Road in Green Point, near the Stadium. This is a new venture for Chef Henry Vigar and his wife Mari, who have been very successful with their restaurant, La Mouette in Sea Point, where they played a great part in re-establishing Sea Point as a place to eat

We arrived just as everyone was entering the restaurant after tasting the wine on the terrace in front
The 2018 De Wetshof Limestone Hill.  It is the top seller of the six De Wetshof Chardonnays and is unwooded.. Limes and lemon blossom perfume on the friendly nose with some brioche, butter and jam hints from the lees. A good prickle on the tongue; the wine is fruity and rounded with citrus, apple, white peach and a little tropical hint, followed by some nice soft chalky tannins and minerality. It is MENU's wine of the week. R95 on the farm
Saying hello to Johan de Wet as he joined our table
PRO Emile Joubert gets the ball rolling as he introduces Johan 
Chef Henry Vigar and his wife Mari, who is in charge of the front of house. They want to showcase Cape food, and the nostalgia of it. It will be happy food, from the terroir of the Cape
Johan de Wet, CEO of De Wetshof wines. He told us that they learned a lot about the vintage and the vineyards this year. In the drought, they found that they can put more stress on the vines. It is a winemaker's vintage, with very healthy grapes. They thought that the wine would not be good, then suddenly, two months ago, the wine turned around, showing minerality, fruit and friendliness
Chef André Hill, who will run the restaurant for Chef Henry under his supervision
The menu. The food is served tapas style; all plates are for two people sharing
The bread plate: Rotis with fishy seaweed butter and very smooth smoked snoek paté with seeded samosa crisps and a teriyaki glaze
A signature starter of Chef Henry Vigar's is different flavoured croquettes or bitterballen. These are Boerenkaas, crisp on the outside, meltingly warm cheese inside, topped with shaved radish and an apple purée, with the teriyaki glaze
Onion shells filled with a Cape Malay pickled aubergine and caramelised onion chutney, topped with pomegranate aruls. Lots of spice and heat in an onion shell!
Chef plating up in on the pass
Happy Chef!
Working with the Beef Carpaccio
Pink and tender naked beef - au naturel
Roasted, caramelised sweet butternut with fennel, shaved coconut, a roasted seed mix and herbs. So well cooked, must copy for future dinner parties
The carpaccio of tender beef, fully dressed with very creamy roasted beef, agar agar mayonnaise, pickled baby mushrooms, nasturtium leaves and grated cheese. The beef had been briefly marinaded
Oh boy! An all time favourite when they are cooked like this. Triple cooked duck fat potatoes with Muizenberg sour figs, curry sauce, burnt Swiss chard and a bhadji crumb
Lamb neck biryani with toasted pistachio nuts and grains, pomegranate and dried herbs. Not pretty to look at, but a joy to eat. Tender lamb and flavourful rice. Might look better in a bowl
The dessert plate for two: Classic Koesuster donuts coated in coconut with a coffee cream, baby toffee apples, almond and pistachio nut clusters, topped with chocolate - a lovely mouthful and  frozen naartjie (clementine) curd with curry leaf. And a coffee for John
Johan de Wet and Mari Vigar
and for the birthday boy, Peter de Wet, some cup cakes
Winemaker Peter looking a bit overwhelmed
A lovely refreshing wine, a great lunch, a place to visit again soon. We can encourage you to try it
Posted by MENU at 9:28 pm 0 comments

Birthday lunch at Chefs Warehouse, Beau Constantia

We are great admirers of Chef Liam Tomlin and the innovative food he and his chefs prepare. On Lynne's birthday last year we celebrated at the Chefs Warehouse in Heritage Square in town. We have since been to Thali, his Indian restaurant. This year, she chose to go to the Chefs Warehouse at Beau Constantia. It was a grey and fairly chilly day but the views from the farm do make up for it
The wine tasting facility is on the top floor, the restaurant is below
Aross the valley you can see both Constantia Glen and Eagle's Nest wine farms
We arrived early for our 12 o'clock booking, so went to have a look at the vegetable and herb garden the chefs use
Even in winter, there are some good alternatives
Winter vines enjoying the good soaking they are getting this year and just waiting to burst into bud
They make lovely patterns across the steep slopes
Studying the lunch menu and making notes
  We asked if they would let us drink a very special bottle of wine and were very happy to pay the R80 corkage they allow on just one bottle. This lovely elegant wine has floral hints and the typical just struck gun flint notes, while, on the palate, it is lean and crisp with limes and lemons, minerality and length. It went so well with everything on the menu.  It's a Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-sur-Loire, in the Nièvre département of France
It has an open kitchen, so you can watch the professional chefs working so well and mostly in silence
We chose to eat from the Tapas menu - R800 for two
You get everything on this menu, served in three stages
Our lovely waitress Justine was very good at giving us a very full description of each dish
We began with two lovely crisp buttery slices of layered paratha topped with lime marinated, lightly seared angelfish, resting on cream and topped with a lime chutney and coriander sprouts. The spicy chutney made this dish, it was like popping candy! The fish was fresh, succulent and a bit shy
The second dish in the stage was slivers of oh so lightly smoked beef entrecote carpaccio, Vietnamese peanuts in a creamy sauce, topped with fresh herbs and puffed rice
Coal seared tuna, which made it smoky, topped with a light as air umami miso cream, warm Szechuan spiced cashews, silken tofu cubes and tempura crisp mustard greens. A great balance of different textures and flavours
  We shared the portion and this is it halved and on show out of its dark bowl
Vineyards through glasses, not darkly
When a risotto is cooked perfectly and the flavour is true, you have a wonderful dish like this green parsley and cheese risotto. It comes with horseradish, an onion soubise cream and fried ham hock that added the right amount of salt and smoke. So satisfying, so warming on a bitter winter's day
Described as a Sweet Potato and Corn Masa "Gratin" Toasted Parmesan Catalan, this was a delicate roll of thinly sliced potatoes set on its side, toasted on top, and served with a spicy moroccan lime vierge sauce and a warm corn 'chutney'. Topped with a crisp fried tapioca flour spiral, dusted with grated parmesan, and some lime segments. Complex but complete, a joy for vegetarians
The final stage of three dishes.  First a smoked linefish (Cape bream that day) Bhadji with very drisp batter, on a saffron and onion masala sauce, with curry bush and swiss chard dressing (the herb oil was outstanding), and it was finished with a lemon and milk paneeer sauce
There was magic on this plate. Tender, flavourful rich debonded lamb rib with a Gruyère cheese cream, even richer walnut caperberry and raisin jam, deep fried sage leaves and dots of a fruity red gel - berry or beet? The magic was the Puffed Pie Crust, dusted with cheese. As you picked up this light as air piece of pastry, it went pouff in your mouth and disappeared leaving just butteriness and flavour
The final piece de resistance Char grilled slices of smoky and tender venison, pink and tender in the middle, crisp outside, meltingly tender inside, parsnip beignets (why is this wonderful vegetable so neglected in the Cape?) Accompanied by a BBQ cashew nut purée, crisp crumb and a good treacly jus.  There were pieces of confit blood orange, something new for us. The taste of the venison changed completely when accompanied by this, good but it masked the enjoyable smoke
A superb meal, just one point is that the many of the dishes have a rich cream accompaniment and the richness of these does affect ones liver a little. The Sauvignon Blanc helped to cut it. Chef has now changed this menu for a new one, so do go and try it. He does this regularly according to the seasonal and local foods available.
We had not one inch of space for dessert, John managed an Espresso

Chef Ivor Jones hard at work on the Pass
The bill
Amusing and clever signage in the loo
Posted by MENU at 4:22 pm 0 comments
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