Friday, March 18, 2022

Tasting the Veritas Awards Golds and Double Golds

We were invited to taste the Veritas Double Gold and Gold award winners at the offices of Deloitte in the Waterfront. This is the first award tasting we have had for over two years and it was rather strange at first to be with so many people. It was also a sign of a return to normal life and everyone there showed their enjoyment. Luckily the crowd was small, (they did a series of tastings over a few days) and the space was good. We tried to taste carefully on our own, not get into groups and it was such a great experience to be BACK in BUSINESS again. There were some excellent wines to taste, a few surprises and a few familiar brands that always rise to the top. The wines are all tasted blind at the competition tasting

Warmly greeted by Elsabe Ferreira who is the background organiser of Veritas. She always does a superb job

We began the tasting with the unusual white varietals
and were delighted to see two familiar faces behind the tasting counter,
Anzel Rheeder and Suzanne van Dyk from Darling Cellars
It is sad that these varietals do not often earn Double Gold;
they are so interesting and many of them might be our future, with the increase in global warming

The Jordan Riesling, 93 points and Double Gold, was excellent;
fresh and full of lovely crisp fruit and honey, with just a hint of the terpenes to come
The Stettyn 2021 Chardonnay Pinot Noir has lovely full flavours of fruit, honey and caramel

Van Loveren 2021 Niel's Pick Colombard has a pretty floral nose and flavours of green figs and guava
The 2021 Hedgehog Colombard from Orange River Cellars is rather green and grippy
with passion fruit, English gooseberry & guava
Great Expectations 2021 Colombard from Goedverwacht has lots of guava and fig
It is good to see this cultivar, once the most planted in SA and used mainly for brandy,
coming back as an interesting wine grape

Ghost Corner 2018 Bowline is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
It "ties the knot between the two grapes" says the farm. A blend with character and depth and a hint of wood
Double Gold for Frans Smit of Spier for his 2018 White, a Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Lovely aromas of fig leaf and elderflower, full and crisp on the palate with lasting classic flavours,
some creaminess and just a hint of wood on the end, 18/20
Boschendal Suzanne Sauvignon Blanc, full of the classic fig and green flavours and aromas
with lovely richness on the palate, 17/20

Spier 2 Creative Block is a blend of 94% Sauvignon Blanc and 6% Semillon and impresses every time
It has tropical flavours with hints of asparagus, a lovely fullness on the palate and some minerality on the end
We know that the Darling Cellars Winemakers Selection Sauvignon Blanc Chenin is great
It is crisp with good layers of fruit; we bought a case when we tasted it at a recent visit to the cellar
Exceptional quality and value for money too

Ghost Corner 2018 Semillon was superb and a classic example of this grape, 18/20
Very satisfying, crisp and mouth filling
3rd Time Lucky 2019 from Buitenverwachting Cellarmaster Brad Paton is very enjoyable;
peach and honey notes on a drier palate, with wood on the end
The 2021 Viognier from Arra is very shy on the nose, but full of the classic peach flavours on the palate

We were excited to see and taste the Danie de Wet Chardonnay which is a classic
The De Wetshof Bon Vallon Chardonnay 2021 is also excellent and very popular
Very French in style with lovely rich Robertson fruit and clean crisp flavours, 19/20

Three more good Chardonnays which all reflect the different terroirs in which they were grown;
Constantia, high Stellenbosch and Robertson

Three more, Almenkerk from cool Elgin and Saxenburg and Kleine Zalze from warmer Stellenbosch

The Tokara Chardonnay was a wow!
Delicate nose and powerful on the palate, excellent layers of flavours with a wood note on the end, 18/20

Philip Engelen of Brooklands House and the Cape Town Club,
Angelo Casu of Grand Dedale Country House and Michael Pownall of PMR Hospitality Group;
all enjoying an opportunity to enjoy great wines in good company

The de Wet Chenin Blanc had a classic Chenin nose, concentrated and complex on the palate and worth its double gold
We need to find some!
The Simonsig Chenin Blanc is clean, green and zesty, so enjoyable

Three more excellent Chenins

Bennie Howard CWM, Vice Chairman of Veritas welcomed the guests

Four excellent Cap Classiques

Some favourite Cap Classique marques
Lynne loves really dry Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc and Laborie has been top of her list for a long time

When it came to tasting the red wines, sadly, we ran out of steam and time
and could only taste a few before the session ended
Many regrets, perhaps next time we must only taste the double golds,
instead of starting at the beginning and trying to get to all of the wines

Yes, we do believe that putting award 'gongs' on the bottles helps to sell them
Here are some of the Shiraz blends with Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier blends that are so popular and delicious

The blank white one is Le Bonheur Estate Barrel Selection. But why would you design a label that cannot be read?
Speaking as former wine merchants, labels need to jump out at you from the shelf; they need to outsell competitors 
Roodeberg has always been an iconic South African wine; good to see KWV still winning awards


Merlot was well represented in the Veritas awards this year

Merlots have improved so much, no longer are they full of mint and dry tannins, we love the riper fruit and the careful winemaking


Four more. We know the Monro is excellent and Landskroon is one we will try to taste soon

Cinsault is back in favour, and the new style wines are fresh and fruity and so enjoyable
We only found one Pinot Noir and presume that not many of our phenomenal Pinots were entered. Why?
We think the direction in which Pinot Noir is going is straight up to the top
Or did the panel not appreciate this wonderful grape?
It was good to see a Grenache getting a double gold
This One Formation is from Boland Cellars with grapes from the Paardeberg and we must get some to taste soon

We are loving the wines produced from Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot;
the winemakers are able to do wonderful things with these southern Rhône grapes
Wines full of elegance, rich fruit, excitement, wonderful aromas, good structure and class
If wood is used judiciously, they will last and have a long future

Pinotage did well this year

Some are familiar, some we have yet to discover


Four excellent award winning Shirazes

followed by three more

Well done to Nuy; their Muscadels have always been superb and are very affordable
We have always found that they go on to improve so much with age, especially the red Muscadel
We tend to keep them for ten years before opening, which enhances their richness

The de Krans Cape Vintage Reserve (Port) is superb - but who is drinking much port nowadays?
We need to encourage people to rediscover these wonderful port style wines and dessert wines

and two richly rewarded Museum class beauties from Boplaas with well-deserved double golds
and a 2020 Nederburg Noble Late Harvest

Some more treasures for drinking with dessert, cheese or after a good meal

Two excellent Museum Class Sauvignons Blanc,
one a real favourite of ours, the 2014 Rhinofields Sauvignon Blanc from Durbanville Hills
and one we bought a lot of when we were visiting the UK, the Kleine Zalze Family Reserve
Also tasted was the vintage Desiderius Pongrácz Cap Classique wine

More Museum Class winners; Durbanville Hills Tangram white blend 2016,
De Grendel’s excellent Op die Berg Chardonnay 2017
and the Kleine Zalze Family Reserve Chenin Blanc 2013

Two of our best Chenin Blancs, and another excellent Sauvignon Blanc. We think the Spier 21 Gables is one of the very best Chenins available, so full, layered and complex

Four Museum Class double gold winners

and four more, two double gold, two single gold medals

The full list of Gold and Double Gold winners



All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Tuesday, March 01, 2022

In MENU this week – Catherine Marshall, Vergelegen, CVC tasting, Gordon’s Bay, Waterkloof, Morgenster

 


A juvenile Rock Kestrel (falco rupicolus) grooming its tail

Telling you about beautiful places, special people and wonderful wines seems to be a bit lightweight when the world appears to be tottering at the edge of a precipice, fuel prices are rocketing and life is on the verge of becoming a lot more expensive. But, perhaps, we need a bit of levity amid the gloom, so here are some stories about some great experiences we have had and we hope that you’ll enjoy them

Tasting her wines with Catherine Marshall


What a wonderful way to spend a morning in the winelands; we were in for one of the best wine tastings we have had for a very long time. While we were in Stellenbosch and Helderberg for the weekend we made appointments and plans to visit four wine farms. The first was to see Catherine Marshall at her winery at the Lavinia farm, Polkadraai Road. We have known Catherine for a long time and have always been a fan of her detailed, professional and beautiful wines and have not had a chance to taste them for quite a long time due to Covid lock downs. We could not wait to see what gems she has been producing. We were not disappointed; we had a marvellous tasting with her. Read on…

The Gardens at Vergelegen

We were invited to Vergelegen for a tasting of aged wines and parked quite far away, but the long walk allowed us to enjoy the beautiful Vergelegen gardens, modern and historic. This is the entrance to the Stables Restaurant and Wine Tasting Centre through the Sundial Garden. Read on…

Cape Vintners Classification Summer Soirée at Vergelegen

An invitation to the Cape Vintners Classification Summer Soirée at Vergelegen had us raring to go; the first proper, organised wine tasting with our peers to be held since the end of lock down. It was an opportunity to walk around the tables of the different wine farms and taste some of the best vintage wines from their cellars. Who could resist, especially when the wine farms involved included some of the very best in our industry: Almenkerk, Anthonij Rupert, De Morgenzon, De Wetshof, Diemersdal, Kanonkop, Morgenster, Vergelegen, Waterford and Wildekrans. It was held from 4 till 7 pm on a Friday evening, so we booked overnight accommodation in the area, so that we didn’t have to drive back to Cape Town afterwards. Read on…

Overnight in Gordon's Bay

When we are invited to functions that go on into the evening, we try to find affordable accommodation, so that we can stay overnight. We hate driving back at night on the N2 or N1. This time, the event was at Vergelegen and the closest accommodation we could afford was in Gordon’s Bay. And it turned out to be a good find. A small but "beautifully appointed" (estate agent speak!) apartment, just a short drive from the seafront in a quiet residential street. Read on…

A Visit to Waterkloof Estate

Which wine farms to visit when you are in the Somerset West Helderberg area on a Saturday morning? It had been rather a long time since we visited Waterkloof, so they were top our list. There have been some changes; Covid has been tough and the excellent restaurant has closed. Its Chef, Gregory Czarnecki is now judging the SA Masterchef television competition. Read on…

Wines, Olives and Oil at Morgenster

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The previous afternoon, at the CVC tasting at neighbouring Vergelegen, we spoke to the Morgenster tasting room manager, James Burnham-King, who invited us to visit and taste the estate's olive products and wines. Italian entrepreneur Giulio Bertrand bought Morgenster in 1992 from the owners of Vergelegen, restored the farm and brought olives from Italy. He planted the first vines in 1995. The olives and oils have achieved great respect, as have the wines, and, after he died in 2019, his family has continued running the estate. Read on…

1st March 2022

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Monday, February 28, 2022

Tasting her wines with Catherine Marshall

What a wonderful way to spend a morning in the winelands
We were in for one of the best wine tastings we have had for a very long time

While we were in Stellenbosch and Helderberg for the weekend, we made appointments and plans to visit four wine farms. The first was to see Catherine Marshall at her winery at the Lavinia farm, Polkadraai Road. We have known Cathy for a long time and have always been a fan of her detailed, professional and beautiful wines. We had not had a chance to taste them for quite a long time due to Covid lock downs. We could not wait to see what gems she has been producing. We were not disappointed; we had a marvellous tasting with her

Catherine graduated from Elsenburg in 1991. Apprenticeships followed at various local cellars, interspersed with international experiences in France (Burgundy and St-Émilion-Bordeaux), USA (California and Oregon) and Australia

Resident winemaking positions followed at four wineries in Stellenbosch and Paarl before she embarked on a solo career in 2007, establishing and running the wine business. At this time, she was instrumental in formalising the Garagiste Movement, which has gone on to become very successful in South Africa

She has been here for the last three years and welcomes visitors to the tasting room

Check out her website for details. https://cmwines.co.za/

In the tasting room with Catherine. It is run by her tasting room manager, Mark

You can sit outside on the deck and taste while you enjoy the lovely views looking across to the Simonsberg 

The current range of her wines on display

We began with the 2021 Chenin Blanc, fermented in clay amphorae which were hand made for Catherine by a friend who is a talented local potter. She told us she is in love with the amphorae and the wines that they produce. Her description of the wine is peach juice over wet stones and it certainly lives up to that. There is richness on the nose with minerality and it is lovely and rounded on the palate with golden apricots, ripe golden juicy peach, with layered complexity and joy and some lees character. Grapes from Elgin and a small portion from old bush vines in Bottelary

Next Amatra Jono's Wave 2021 Chenin Blanc, with grapes primarily from Elgin, some from Stellenbosch, plus sites in Stanford and Franschhoek. Jono, who loves to surf - he says it's his religion - is Cathy son, who has now joined her in the business. Cathy says this is a wine meant for celebrations. 70% fermented in old French barrels, which adds another lovely dimension as you taste this rich, golden wine. It delights in layers of fruit; peach, litchi, and ripe pears, with fresh acidity to balance the fruit and wood

The 2021 Riesling is grown on red slate, which is perfect for this grape, which needs to struggle to grow. Perfumed with white flower notes, it has a lovely freshness on both the nose and palate with honey, lemon and limes. It is nicely balanced, with lovely zingy acids, good ripe fruit and has some tension from the minerality. A very good example of a South African Riesling

Catherine currently produces three excellent, but different, Pinot Noirs, and she is known to be one of the best Pinot winemakers in the country, as she consistently produces excellent examples of this difficult heartbreak grape. Her Pinots are very much in the Burgundy style. We were lucky enough to be tasting older ones, in sequence

Pinot Noir on Sandstone 2017, from the Elgin area. You can smell the terroir first, the ground and fynbos, then the beautiful cherry fruit and incense wood. On the palate, soft, ripe seductive fruit with a hint of dark chocolate wood; the wine had good structure, supported by balanced chalky tannins. Pinot Noir on Clay Soil 2017 has an intriguing dive-in nose full of cranberry and rhubarb. Soft chalky tannins, unctuous mulberry, cherry and rhubarb fruit and dark licorice wood. This wine calls loudly for food

The 2017 "Finite Elements" Pinot Noir, from the best sites and the best grapes, on both Clay and Sandstone soils in Elgin. This wine has a lovely, almost ethereal nose, very Burgundian, with Morello cherries, mulberries and raspberries. On the palate, it is like melting a dark chocolate-covered cherry in one's mouth, so delicious. It has good minerality, soft chalk and long, ripe fruit flavours

A treat, to taste the new 2021 Grenache, from the Swartland area near Malmesbury. Just bottled, not yet labelled. Richly perfumed, with roses and violets, almost a perfume to put behind your ear; some Turkish delight notes as well. Sheer pleasure on the palate. Umami notes and ripe berry fruit with lovely chalky support and light wood on the end. Another great food wine par excellence. Order soon

Amatra The Oreads 2020 Merlot. Catherine says that this wine epitomises their lifestyle in Kalk Bay, celebrating with the mountain nymphs (from Greek myth, Echo was one) in the caves above. It has lots of minerality, good wood and fruit. It is soft and silky on the palate, with ripe red plums and some peppery notes on the top palate

Our last wine is a celebration of life and is dedicated to Peter, Catherine's late husband. Peter's Vision 2017 is a blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Elgin grapes. Whether Right Bank Bordeaux or Super Tuscan in style, this wine has it all. Hints of both varietals on the nose, with some umami, violet, minerality and dark berry fruit on the silky and complete palate, with a hint of salty licorice drop on the end. Another major food wine

Cathy loves her skilfully hand made amphorae and we love her wine
Thank you so much for your time and the great experience


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A Visit to Waterkloof Estate

Which wine farms to visit when you are in the Somerset West Helderberg area on a Saturday morning?
It had been rather a long time since we'd visited Waterkloof, so they were top of our list
There have been some changes; Covid has been tough and the excellent restaurant has closed
Its Chef, Gregory Czarnecki is currently judging the SA MasterChef television competition

The wind was howling, so we hurried in through the tasting room entrance

Very modern in design, you can look down into the wine cellar as you walk through. It is now filled with amphorae

Our hostess with the mostest was Kudzai, originally from Zimbabwe and very informed;
she is taking the Cape Wine Academy exams

Looking back at where the restaurant used to be. You can still do platters

We always want the best view, but were not tempted to sit outside with the South Easter blowing
It was a bit hazy, but you can look down on Somerset West, Strand, Gordon’s Bay and the coast beyond from on high

There was a horrible fire burning in Elgin and the smoke was coming over the mountain
Here you get a good view of the vineyards

We opted to share a tasting and we chose the 6 wines we wanted to taste from their Premium list

They charge for tastings as follows:
6 wines from the False Bay range for (R80)
Premium wine tasting: 6 wines from the Waterkloof, Circumstance, Seriously Cool and Circle of Life Ranges (R120)

We began with their Astraeus Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc which has been on the lees for 3½ years
The grapes come from Elgin. Bready on the nose, very crisp with a good mousse,
with flavours of litchi, lime, greengage and pear, it is elegant and nicely dry, just the way we like it. Lynne scored it 18/20

Normally R240 a bottle, you can buy unlabelled bottles at R175

Next came the Circumstance wooded Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Hints of green leaves and green fruit on the nose, with wood smoke, a classic Blanc Fumé;
more a Bordeaux, Grave, style than a Sancerre
Smooth and round on the palate, the hints of honey and lime, with evident toasted wood on the end
The flavours are well integrated, very different in style from most South African Sauvignons

John risked going outside for a minute to capture the coastal view

The Circumstance 2020 Viognier has a shyly aromatic and pretty nose
Round and unctuous on the palate, dry with peach flavours, wood is present but doesn’t overwhelm
Again, more in the French style

The Circumstance 2020 Chenin Blanc is powerful and well made
Chalky tannins grip at first then honey and buttercups
 Golden fruit, over ripe apple and pear, then wood and more tannin and chalk on the end. Built to last

The Circumstance Cabernet Franc 2018 has a classic varietal nose, dark and deep, black cherry and a hint of the wood
Only 9% new oak, the rest in older barrels. It currently has tannins for Africa, grippy and chalky,
with savouriness and dark cherry, rhubarb fruit with long flavours
Another built to last, it needs cellaring and may reward with time

The Circumstance 2018 Petit Verdot spent 32 months in mostly old oak, only 11% new
On the nose it delights with perfume like Chanel No.5; roses and violets
Again built to last, so very young and tannic and chalky, but with long flavours and long glycerol tears on the glass
Put it down for 5 to 10 years. Impressive

The cellarmaster is Nadia Langenegger

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