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Thursday, March 14, 2019

This Week's MENU. Dinner at Bones, Thelema tasting & lunch, Basil & Ricotta Pesto Pasta, Thelema Cab 2016

A rainbow over Cape Town – is that the Pot of Gold?

We’re in that strange time of the year when winter tries to nudge summer out of the way, succeeds for a short while and then gets banged back. We've had a little rain and, suddenly, weed seeds which have lain dormant in the barren soil we used to call a garden are poking green shoots through the soil. Wine farms are in the middle of harvest and are stuck in that schizophrenic position of being grateful for the rain but wishing it would hold off until they’ve finished picking. It has been a little quiet on the PR front, but we have been to a restaurant which we liked and had the privilege of a wonderful wine and food experience on an iconic estate. Scroll down and have a look…

Anniversary Dinner at Bones, Woodstock

It's that time of the year again, where to go for our Anniversary dinner? We chose one we have been meaning to visit for ages but, because of the Cycle Race and everyone (still!) carbo loading, we were turned down. John thinks it's because we were only two and they make more money from bigger tables. Anyway they run a two tier system, so they are off the list. We do NOT want to eat at 6 and be out by 8 unless there is a really good price incentive, nor do we want to get our main course later than 10 pm. So Lynne remembered that she had seen some really good reviews on a site she follows in Facebook: Cape Town Restaurants - the good, the bad and the nastyyyy ... And so a reservation was made at Bones Kitchen and Bar in the Palms Centre in Woodstock. It’s a safe centre behind a barrier, with its own paid parking. And what a great time we had with lovely food and excellent service…

Wine tasting and lunch at Thelema. Stellenbosch

On the MENU this week. Basil and Ricotta Cheese Pesto Pasta

We are growing herbs in pots this year and watering by hand. Some have been really successful like our basil and thyme, while others have turned up their toes and died like the oregano which was planted with the thyme. Because the basil was starting to go to seed, Lynne decided to make a pesto this week and this is how the recipe evolved. See the whole recipe here…

MENU’s Wine of the Week. Thelema 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

This really impressive Stellenbosch wine has vanilla oak, rich fruit: berries and cherries, wood supports and there is no mint

Soft, sweet, seductive berry fruit, raspberry, red cherry & mulberry with nice soft grippy tannins. Enjoyable now and just in waiting for the future reveal. A different clone from the previous Thelema Cabernets. R275 on the farm

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14th March 2019

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© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2019

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Phones: +27 21 439 3169 / 083 229 1172 / 083 656 4169

Postal address: 60 Arthurs Rd, Sea Point 8005

Recommendations of products and outside events are not solicited or charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs, recipes and text used in our website and ancillary works are © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are often unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals and not be paid in any way by anyone. Whether we are invited or go independently, we don’t feel bad if we say we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed our best policy. While every effort is made to avoid mistakes, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise.

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MENU’s Wine of the Week. Thelema 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

This really impressive Stellenbosch wine has vanilla oak, rich fruit: berries and cherries, wood supports and there is no trace of the "traditional" Thelema mint

Soft sweet seductive berry fruit, raspberry, red cherry & mulberry, with nice soft grippy tannins, enjoyable now and just in waiting for the future reveal. A different clone from the previous Thelema Cabernets. R275 on the farm

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Wine tasting and lunch at Thelema. Stellenbosch

COME BACK TO THE CLASSICS SAYS THELEMA

You know how many good new wines and wineries we introduced to you over a year; all that new innovation, so different, so much hype and excitement? Yes those renaissance wines, those experimental wines... Well what is after the renaissance? Here is more big news. The classics are the ones we should pay attention to again. The benchmark wines of South Africa, those that have sustained, impressed, been at the forefront of our wine world here and abroad for decades gaining us kudos for our wines, won awards, earned big numbers from wine writers and judges, sold amazingly well and more importantly, are consistent. So, instead of going off at a new tangent, go back and take another look; you need reminding of how good they are, at what we love to drink and why. At what has continued to be enjoyed for many many years. These guys know what they are doing. They don't have to reinvent the wheel and do somersaults to get our attention. Familiar names you know and love. Think Beyerskloof, Meerlust, Kanonkop, Groot Constantia, Boschendal, KWV, Nederburg, Vergelegen, Lanzerac. Simonsig, Rustenberg and, of course, Thelema

This week we had this invitation to visit the farm and taste several older vintages of Thelema wines

matched with the new pre-release wines. And what an impressive tasting it was. It certainly makes one think

Winemaker Rudi Schultz welcomed us with a glass of their Brut MCC 2014, a classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

So crisp, so elegant, with lovely brioche age notes, lemon lime lean with a good mousse and so good for celebrations

Christine Rudman, Mel Minnaar and Malu Lambert talking to the dogs,

a matched pair of German Short haired pointers, such intelligent and friendly hounds

A table had been laid on the lawn where we would have had the tasting until the very welcome rain began to teem down

So we moved inside to the dining room. Julian Richfield and Fiona MacDonald with Malu and Mel on one side of the table

Angela Lloyd, Lynne, Graham Howe and Christine Rudman on the other

The line up of wines to taste

Thomas Webb took us through the tasting. He told us that Thelema produces 600 000 bottles of wine a year and they are known to be a reliable label, Thelema’s sales have been great over the last 2 years; people are buying quality wines. He thinks we should promote Stellenbosch Cabernets as the best SA produces

Our tasting sheet

Serious tasting concentration. Emile Joubert at the end

Rudi came to add comments about the winemaking

and a busy Gyles Webb popped in for a quick word

Chardonnay 2007 & 2016 We began with the 2007 Chardonnay. Golden in colour and fruit, some herbs, almost a terpene hint, acorn, peach wood with hints of fennel. Crisp complex and layered, wood is present, lovely crisp zing of lemon and lime, very elegant, rather Burgundian in style, mouth-watering and a food wine still.. Then the 2016 with herbal notes, white peach, wood smoke hint ending in nectarine. Rich full on the palate, silky with nectarine, lime, citrus, such length and depth, long, long flavours, with wood supporting, made to last and drinking perfectly now. Another food wine. R170 on the farm

Three Cabernets 1995, 2010, 2016 All impressed us. First we tasted the 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Yes, the one with the mint. Green tomato leaf nose for Lynne who doesn't get mint; herbal, bruléed berry fruit on the nose. Soft sweet fruit with some balsam on the palate, lovely cranberry cherry flavours. Still a good acid, fruit, wood balance and some more of that 'mint' on the end. Then the 2010 with cassis on the nose, richness, some tomato leaf hints, with complex layers of red and black berries, liquorice & a touch of salt. Dark chocolate, crisp red & black berries, long flavours nicely balanced with soft chalky tannin; still has years to go. The 2016 Cabernet has vanilla oak, rich fruit: berries and cherries, wood supports and no mint. Soft, sweet, seductive berry fruit, raspberry, red cherry, mulberry with nice soft grippy tannins; enjoyable now and just in waiting for the future reveal. A different clone from the two above. R275 on the farm

Rabelais 2010, 2015. This is a Bordeaux blend, Thelema's flagship wine and it is hard not to gush about it. So good. The 2010 is a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Complex with incense wood, cassis berries, such elegance and promise on the nose, fulfilled when tasting. Sweet cassis berries, grippy powdery tannins are still present. It is amazing on the palate. The fruit is prominent and delicious, but so supported by tannin and wood. Will last for ages more. Still has a nice warm kick of alcohol. The 2015, made from Cabernet and Petit Verdot is complex with vanilla and dark berry fruit with violet perfume on the nose. Again, elegance with incense wood, lighter fruit than the previous wine, with cassis, vanilla and liquorice, grippy chalky tannins and herbs on the end

Time to move to the terrace, under shelter from the downpour but warm

A tray of bread to the table and wine is poured

The home farm terrace

Classic Parma ham and melon starter, dressed with garden flowers

The rain it raineth

Absolutely moreish baked figs, stuffed with mild goat’s cheese, with walnuts and rocket and a dollop of cranberry jelly

Lots of discussion around the table

Great match, the Sauvignon Blanc and the figs

It is crisp and lean with a bit of that old fashioned cats pee on a gooseberry bush. Wonderful

The food was served Family Style, so we helped ourselves to this mixed salad

with mixed leaves, avocado, olives , nuts and tomato

A huge platter of fresh asparagus, now in season

Glazed salmon fillet on a bed of black rice was delish

and went so well with the wines we had tasted and were drinking with lunch

And something special with lunch was the farm's own (not for sale) Muscat de Frontignan, made in 2000 and still in barrel. Bruléed spice from the wood, perfumed with grapey aromas, honey, cinnamon, it is thick, sweet and textured with a hit of ground pepper on the end. As they say in Sea Point, to die for

Giles is amused by what Mel is saying

Dessert was a smooth panna cotta topped with granadilla, raspberries, black berries and nougat

Well matched with the dessert wine

What a lovely colour too

A reflection of the natural world in the glass

The tall trees that surround the house and lawn

Father and son, Gyles and Thomas Webb. Thank you for showing us the past and the future and reminding us of how good your wines are, and will be

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Wednesday, March 13, 2019

On the MENU This Week. Basil and Ricotta Cheese Pesto Pasta

We are growing herbs in pots this year and watering by hand. Some have been really successful like our basil and thyme, while others have turned up their toes and died, like the oregano which was planted with the thyme. Because the basil was starting to go to seed, Lynne decided to make a pesto this week and this is how the recipe evolved. It was influenced by watching Jamie in Italy, where he has been doing some interesting vegetarian pastas that Nonnas (Italian grandmothers) have made at home for years. We used a favourite shape called Fusillata which holds sauce well, but any pasta you like can be used with Pesto, it does stick. You can also change the nuts if you like

1 cup of fresh Italian Basil - 2 peeled garlic cloves - 20g walnuts - ½ teaspoon of salt - 1 Tablespoon grated Pecorino cheese

1 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese - 4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 100g Ricotta cheese, drained

Freshly ground black pepper - Pasta of your choice for 4 - 50g baby peas - Parmesan to add at the end

In a blender, combine the basil, garlic, walnuts, salt, both hard cheeses and one tablespoon of olive oil. Blend, adding more olive oil slowly to make a finer paste. Then add the Ricotta. Taste and add more salt if necessary and season with black pepper. Cook the pasta in well salted water until al dente. Briefly cook the the baby peas; they only need a minute. Drain the pasta and stir in the Pesto. Add the peas into the pasta at the last moment. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and another good grating of Parmesan. Serve with a tomato salad and a good Sauvignon Blanc

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Anniversary Dinner at Bones, Woodstock

The Menu. Prices are very reasonable for what you get; it is fine dining with some conventional dishes and some new and exciting. And we do love the sharing aspect, if our appetites are in tune

Might have to try them for breakfast too. And Yay! They have Green Tea.

The wine list is quite eclectic, mostly good with some wines we like. We did order the Rosé by the glass and found that you get a very generous carafe with nearly two glasses each. However, we think they might need a better house wine. Not the best rosé we have ever had. Lactic and a little bitter

Moooooose anyone. Very atmospheric! The restaurant is spacious and there is a very good buzz in the room of people enjoying themselves

The rosé was to drink with our starters - it goes well with seafood and other dishes, so usually a good choice
It lasted well into the main course

John had the Mussels velouté; superb, rich and full of plump mussels and crisp pancetta pieces
The stock they used was really good

Lynne had been dreaming of gnocchi at the first restaurant and so was delighted to find them on this menu too. In a lovely thick flavourful Gorgonzola sauce, topped with sun blush tomatoes and micro greens. They were quite light, but we think they might have been in the water just a little too long. The small pieces of crisp Parmesan tuiles were inspired. Our Pinot Noir was a great match for this dish

For our main course and because of some of the reviews, we went for the shared Pot Bones and chose the shin of beef - excellent value at R375 for 2 . Absolutely magnificent. We were told that they would take about 20 minutes extra to arrive and we were very happy to wait. The beef was slow cooked in this casserole with red wine and vegetables, plenty of rosemary and it simply fell apart. The flavour is extraordinary and it is served with a side of creamy, buttery mashed potato. Of course we couldn’t manage the whole thing and had the remains put in a doggy bag. Lunch the next day of course. The lamb choice was lamb ribs and we saw it on our neighbours’ table and that looked great too. But John does not do small bones. The other choice was chicken, cooked long and slow in these pots. We so recommend you go and try these. Wish we had a dog for that marrow bone. All its flavour is in the dish

We took along a special bottle from our cellar and it was perfect for the dish. We asked before we ordered if they have a corkage policy and they do for one bottle. A reasonable R50 given that this wine is expensive. And although, on opening, we thought it needed more time, it quickly opened up into the classic Burgundian elegant Pinot Noir we were expecting with a floral nose and lovely deep dark fruit, soft tannins and complexity. No faults and so enjoyable

Absolutely no room for dessert but we will be back, with friends. Service was seamless, we had two excellent, helpful and friendly waiters and despite a shift change nothing went awry. Thank you Carlson. Sadly we didn’t get the name of the first waiter