Thursday, January 23, 2020

Grande Provence launches the estate's first Merlot

An invitation to the Grand Provence Merlot launch on the estate in Franschhoek gave us an insight in to the growth
and confidence of two talented young men, the winemaker Thys Smit and Head Chef Marvin Robyn

We were picked up by minibus at 8.30 and, after rather a long trip to pick up other members of the media from various addresses in the city and suburbs, arrived at the farm at 10.45. Thankfully, it was great weather, nice and cool. Rain had been promised, but it didn't look likely, so Lynne took a raincoat and a sun hat. As we were early, it gave us a chance to have a look at the art gallery which has some superb paintings, sculptures and photographs. Whoever does the curating has a superb eye

 Visitors were tasting wine outside. We hear that Grand Provence is proving to be a very popular wine and food destination in Franschhoek, with numbers well up. It is also a very popular wedding venue, especially for couples from the Northern Hemisphere. It is on the route of the Franschhoek Tram. And they have a bistro as well as the fine dining restaurant
The garden is always filled with monumental sculptures
Our tasting and lunch were to be in the Jonkershuis, shown here
The trees are home to many cheeky squirrels!
We gathered first at the Oyster bar in the garden
where oysters were on offer for the media 
and some of their good Rosé Brut MCC, which has crisp flavours of strawberry and raspberry
And chatted to winemaker Thys Smit. He told us that their Harvest would begin the next day and that,
while it has been a good long, slow season, the recent rain and extreme heat have changed things a little
Luckily, he kept the canopy on the grape vines full until a week ago, when he exposed the grapes to some sun to get ripeness
Broadcaster Guy MacDonald, who is the Breakfast show presenter on Magic 828 Music Radio,
explaining something to Maryna Calow of WOSA
We took our seats at the long table for the wine tasting
The wines were introduced by the winemaker Thys Smit. Thys was one of the five nominees for Young Winemaker of the Year in 2019. He has been with Grande Province since 2015, when he joined as assistant wine maker. In July 2018, he was promoted to Grande Provence Winemaker and Farm Manager. As a BSc graduate in molecular biology and biotechnology at the University of Stellenbosch, Thys began his winemaking career completely by accident. He worked three vintages at Lourensford Estate, and enrolled in a training program in the USA, where he worked at Roth Estate, focusing on Chardonnay and Bordeaux-style blends. We have watched his confidence grow and his wines become so special over the last few years
Definitely a winemaker to watch
Here he and Marna Viljoen, Grande Provence Hospitality Manager, begin pouring the wines
We were to taste through some of the current range of wines
We began with the Grand Province 2018 Chenin Blanc. Dusty on the nose, with perfume, fig and apricot notes. On the palate, lees notes, minerality, granadilla, pear and some white peach. It is crisp, complex and layered. It has spent 9 to 10 months in tank, stirred regularly. Thys told us that a tiny splash of Viognier and Verdelho was added which gave additional complexity to the wine. Grapes from Stellenbosch & Franschhoek. The Franschhoek grapes are from a 38 year old vineyard. A bargain at R99 from the farm. 17/20
The 2018 Chardonnay was next. 40% has been matured in new French Oak and there is a touch of Paarl Verdelho added. There is a whiff of oak on the nose, then buttered toast, peach and some minerality. On the palate, it is crisp and layered with smoked apple and citrus. Quite restrained, enjoyable wooding on the palate, it does open up with buttery roundness and finishes with some mineral tannin. R170 on the farm. 18/20
The Grand Provence White was much applauded and enjoyed. A wine of character and finesse, it is a blend of 60% Chenin, 30% Viognier and 10% Chardonnay. It is not often you see so much Viognier used, but it does not take over, nor is the wine blowsy at all. In fact, it is the Chardonnay from Robertson which shines through. Whole bunch pressed and aged in new and older French oak for 11 months. Pretty, perfumed notes with some peach and well integrated wood on the nose. A good texture on the palate, with lean fruit at first, which then ripens as it opens up, with limes, peaches, butter and some definite intrinsic wildness adding to the charm and delight of this complex wine. A definite food wine that will add to whatever it is paired with. R440. 19/20
The 2018 Shiraz has just been bottled and has 14.5% alcohol. The grapes are from Franschhoek. 28% was matured in new French oak for 21 months. Spicy, with wood notes, the fruit of Christmas. Soft, smooth on the palate with lovely fruit, but still a few heavy youthful tannins that need to settle, followed by chalk and plums. A 'Feast for the meat' wine with an ending of caramel toffee and spice. With some age, will be so good. R170 on the farm. 17/20
Their flagship red, the Grand Provence Red 2015 came next. A classic Bordeaux blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet and 20% Malbec, Thys uses special viticultural methods to obtain low vigour and slow ripening of the grapes. Smoky bacon on the nose, then cassis, eucalyptus 'mint', rich cherries and some spice. Initially some tomato flavour, then cassis, cherry and wood take over, ending in some chalky minerality. Can age well. R590 from the farm
And, finally, the newly released and just launched 2018 Merlot. The grapes come from the golden triangle in Stellenbosch and would usually have gone into the Grand Provence red, but they were just so good, Thys felt that they needed to be showcased alone. Tank fermented and then in barrel for 12 months. A splash of Malbec has been added and is just visible as umami. Good incense smoky wood, then lovely full rich, ripe cherries shine through on the nose. Silky soft on the palate with minerality, a cherry feast of all the different cherry varietals and their flavours. It is rich with long fruit flavours, a hint of umami licorice and dark chocolate on the end. It will age beautifully. We predict that this will win awards; one of the best South African Merlots we have tasted this year. R170 on the farm. 18.5/20 
Then it was time for lunch, to be paired with these wines. Head Chef Marvin Robyn came to tell us about the food and the pairings. During his career he has worked with leading chefs in a number of top winelands restaurants including Delaire Graff, Cuvée at Simonsig, Equus at Cavalli and finally Makaron at Majeka House. Marvin has shown tremendous leadership ability at Grande Provence, despite his young age and is an enthusiastic mentor to the rest of the kitchen brigade, with endless good energy and new ideas. He describes his cooking style as refined South African classics, bringing new inspiration and modernity to local heritage food. The food he had cooked for us for this lunch will be on their new summer menu
A view of the garden through the Jonkershuis door
The menu
The starter was described as a bisque, but was more of a corn, chilli, cucumber and tomato salsa,
topped with shaved crayfish, surrounded by a thick seafood sauce and topped with micro greens
Well flavoured with good textures and refreshing for a summer dish
Paired with the Grande Provence Sauvignon Blanc from vineyards on the estate, which is crisp and was a good match
There was genuine applause for the vegetarian Intermediate course. Using a new and (we were told) rather expensive spiraliser,
Chef had presented us with shaved beetroot tagliatelle, as thin as the best transparent pasta
The beetroot shavings were on slices of creamy burrata mozzarella made in the kitchen,
topped with orange zest, dukkah spice and honeycomb (undetected, but perhaps as a flavouring?)
So tender and fresh, a really good expression of beetroot at its best and Hurray!, no vinegar was detected
A choice of main courses: this was tender fillet of beef on a cauliflower purée, mushrooms and a good meat jus
The fillet was topped with fresh asparagus
A surprise was some freshly baked, sticky mosbolletjies which we used to sop up the sauces on our plates
Mosbolletjies are a traditional sweet Cape bread made in the winelands using the 'mos' from the grapes
Mos is "must" or unfermented grape juice. Traditionally grape must left over from wine production is used as a leavening agent
and added to dough, often with aniseed. They were as light as a feather and so delicious
The alternative main was fresh Yellowtail, nicely pan seared (and substituted for unavailable sea bass)
perched upon a bed of fire roasted sweet potatoes, with a fig cream, topped with shaved smoked snoek and pickled grapes
A really interesting dish, with good contrasts of flavours and textures
This went so well with both the Chardonnay, echoing the smoke, and with the Grande Provence White blend
Dessert was also summery and light, as were all the dishes. A light and perfect vanilla panna cotta,
topped with fresh strawberries and accompanied by a strawberry sorbet and some crumbled meringue
Music on the way home! A sculpture outside the Gallery
What a good day, with good wine and food. Very relaxed. Thanks to all at Grand Provence
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Chenin and Pizza Party 2020 at The Grand on the Beach

Invited to the annual Chenin & Pizza Party at The Grand on the Beach, at the edge of the V&A Waterfront,
we were delighted to see that they had opened up this great tasting of South Africa's best Chenin Blancs to the public
It was on a sizzling summer Wednesday from 4 till 8 pm. Flip flops and beach wear were obligatory and essential
This event is so ably organised by Ina Smith and Jan Sleet and the team of the Chenin Blanc Association
Winemaker Roger Burton, and Shelley Sandell, owner of Tierhoek in Piekenierskloof,
were showcasing the Tierhoek Old Vine Chenin and their Straw Wine made from Chenin. A great place to start
Paul Kruger, who handles sales for Villiera
Their 2019 Barrel Fermented Chenin really impressed with its background of soft wood and clean elegance
Villiera Cellarmaster and joint owner Jeff Grier
"This too shall pass" is not a tattoo you can miss!
Amorous moments in the sun
The Spier wines always impress, The 21 Gables is one of our preferred Chenins for drinking when out at Restaurants
as it is on so many menus, full, rich and fruity, totally memorable and a great match with food
The Ideology takes Chenin to another level of sophistication and class
The Radford Dale Revelation is one indeed, having something you don't often find in Chenin, pyrazines
and they come from the Durbanville vineyard from which the grapes are harvested
We were puzzled at first but really enjoyed this stand out wine
Nicely presented
Perdeberg Vineyard Collection MCC is crisp and lively and SO good and refreshing in the heat of the day
Jeremy and Emma Borg of Painted Wolf Wines
Their Lycaon (named for the African Wild Dog//Painted Wolf, Lycaon Pictus) Old Vine Chenin
really impressed with its layers of intense fruit and elegance
A portion of profits from their wine sales goes to the conservation of African Wild Dogs and their natural habitat
Oh to be in that boat. At 5pm the heat was so intense  that Lynne was tempted to throw herself into the water
Instead she threw herself onto the deck when her sandal tripped her up climbing it!
Nothing a quiet moment or 14 close to the water, in the shade, with a glass of Chenin didn’t sort out
No bruises, thank heavens. And no, she had not had too much Chenin, just too much heat for a pale skinned gal...
Photographer Gavin Withers and Zelda Furstenburg
Prosper Gundura and a friend with Richard Kershaw
Sheltering under the shade. A fan was a great idea
Shadows lengthening! It was beginning to cool down
Ken Forrester and an admirer making a selfie
Ken's Dirty Little Secret Chenin blanc was getting lots of attention, as was he. It’s a cracker
Winemag editor Christian Eedes, Ken Forrester and Andre Morgenthal of the Old Vines Project, hard at work
And then a cool breeze appeared and everyone moved closer to the sea
Morné Vrey of Delaire Graff with his incredible Swartland Reserve Chenin, which blew us away
It comes from hot country grapes, but has the elegance and restraint of something from the Loire. So well made
Morné pours a glass for Maggie Marais, who handles Delaire Graff sales 
Everyone was having fun
Oh we were so sorry to have missed tasting the Mont Blois Chenin;
their two magnums had run out by the time we got to their stand
And Spice Route have come up with a rather good idea for the Bloemcool (cauliflower) Chenin
The label soaks off and is impregnated with cauliflower seeds for you to plant
Perhaps not a great idea if the cellar floods though. On second thought, no, we have a drought
Good to see Sommelier Tinashe Joseph Dafana enjoying his day off
Boys just want to have fun. Tom Mills, Prosper Gundura, Jean Vincent Ridon, Joseph Dafana
When the fairy lights were turned on, we realised it was time to head home
We didn’t, couldn’t, taste more than a third or less of the wines
but were so impressed with the scope and quality of the Chenins on show
And on the way back to the bus stop, Lynne heard a faint hoot and above us in the tree were two owls
Sadly, one had flown by the time John took this shot. What a lovely ending to a great event
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Posted by MENU at 12:33 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

A Walk in the Park. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

People from the rest of the country sometimes tell us who live in the Cape that we are a bit insular, aloof. We always respond that it’s not true, Capetonians are just always busy, there is too much to do here. Just ask if you can join us! But being busy means that we often do not get to some of our favourite places and Kirstenbosch is definitely one of them. While we were on holiday, we made a list of places we wanted to visit and this was at the top. So, on a warm Tuesday, we headed there to take advantage of the Pensioners' free entry, free for local pensioners every Tuesday

 We had been delayed that morning, so we arrived just in time for lunch and went straight to The Tearoom. It is where we have been going for much of our lives in Cape Town. Run by Pamela Shippel, you know you are always going to get good food, nothing fancy, but well made food. We queued for a table; it didn’t take long
Lynne chose a Smoked Trout on Cream Cheese sandwich and all the sandwiches come with chips or salad
She loves the slightly healthier sweet potato chips. It came on ciabatta bread and was huge and very good value
The local trout is always good, the quantity generous
John ordered the juicy hamburger which comes with crisply fried chips, crisp onion rings and is dressed with a barbecue sauce,
a slice of onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Excellent char-grilled flavour
Our bill with service. The day was becoming rather hot, so we ordered beers to quench our thirst
Time then for our walk. in bloom at this time of the year, including the indigenous flowering Cape Chestnut Tree
The shade was very welcome and we headed for the Otter pond. The gardens are well adapted for wheelchairs
It was a hot afternoon and we could hear the very summery sound of cicadas singing 
A view of the forest on the mountain behind us and a trace of the pathway that can take you walking up Skeleton Gorge
and onto the back of Table Mountain
An indigenous flower that is blooming everywhere in the Cape at this time of the year, the Agapanthus
Looking up to the Buttresses at the back of Table Mountain
We walked up the hill to the start of the Tree Canopy Walkway, known as the Boomslang
Next time, we will try to find the way to the bottom end; the hot climb up the hill is not something to contemplate on a hot day,
especially after lunch
And having reached the end, we turned around and headed back to the beginning as we wanted to seek the coolth of the Dell where you find Lady Anne Barnard’s Bath. You pass this amazing Atlas Cedar (Cedrus atlantica) tree which is a more than a hundred years old. It was a gift to Professor Harold Pearson, the first director of Kirstenbosch, 1913-1916, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Kew tree originally came from La Mortola in Italy. The Kirstenbosch specimen arrived, as a seed, on 21 August 1916. The sapling that was raised in the nursery was planted next to Pearson’s grave in 1919. The grave is next to the tree and bears his epitaph: ‘If ye seek his monument, look around you’. Very moving
We met a family seeking the Dell and guided them down through the amazing Cycad gardens
In the shade and near the brook are many Streptocarpus plants which thrive there
Lynne is very fond of this plant and one went home from the nursery to grow in our house
Also known as the Cape Primrose, it comes in white and all shades of pink mauve and purple
It is a lovely place for picnics. Next time
And on the way back to the car, we came across a huge bed of Pineapple Lilies,
Eucomis, another species which is indigenous to South Africa. Not related to pineapples, but to the Asparagus family
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