A day at Spier Wine Estate

We love Spier's mission statement on their web site, it really resonates with us
And we saw what they are doing when we visited this week

"Ethical farming, the health of the soil and the people who work it.

Artistic endeavour and absolute care in the crafting of our wines.

This is what matters to us."

We were invited to arrive at 12h15 and presumed that we would be having a wine tasting and some lunch

It turned out to be a day filled with delights

Walking across the Werf, we looked at some amazing trees and the historic buildings bordering the square

Frans Smit, who was cellarmaster for over 20 years, has now been promoted to Managing Director of the wine business,
but he assured us that he will still be involved with the wine making
He was chatting to journalist Graham Howe when we arrived

A lovely room in the Manor House had been prepared for lunch,

and the food would be provided from PJ Vadas' restaurant, which is just next door

It was lovely to catch up with wine friends that we had not seen for such a long time

and to enjoy a glass of Spier’s Cap Classique Brut,
made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, full of crisp bubbles and lovely flavours from both grapes

That is how you pour it!

Leticia is driving sales, local and International

Frans told us that we were there to chat about where they are today at Spier, with some wine and good food. Covid changed things here too. On the business side, He took over as MD after 20 years of winemaking from Andrew Milne, who is now chairman of Spier. Johan Jordaan has taken over from Frans as Cellarmaster. It is 25 years since they held the first wine launch in the cellar at Spier and we would be taking part in a tasting there later. He said that Covid has changed things everywhere and that applies to Spier too; they have now opened so many new attractions to the farm, the restaurants, the wine shop, the gardens with more planned

Time to sit down to what they termed a light lunch!

Frans told us that the local wine market is now stabilizing and growing after the knock it took during Covid, mostly caused by punishing, destructive regulations introduced by the Government. There is energy and movement but, sadly, a decline in the sector. Internationally, logistics are very challenging. The UK wine market’s purchases of SA wines are down 5 to 6%, because they can’t get hold of the product. It is a big worry. Worldwide, we seem to be expecting a downturn for the next 18 months, so Spier is having lots of meetings with overseas clients, making sure their partners there are supplied. The winery and vineyards are being improved. Massive replantings on the properties are taking place, replacing vines which were planted 25 to 27 years ago. It is now time to regenerate and make the vines last for the next 25 years. And two properties will be going to organic production. Over the next two years, they will be rolling out an ethical and environmentally sound programme. They have a beautiful story which works

Sales Director Danie de Kock pouring on the right

Frans told us that we were about to be served a light lunch at which two new wines would be introduced

After that, we would move to the cellar for a very special tasting, and then an early dinner at the hotel

Spier had kindly arranged drivers who would drive us back home in our own cars

He welcomed us back to Spier: "We are here and we are strong; winning and world class wines are our focus. We are not good at blowing our own trumpet, but results are important, especially for sales, Spier is fifth in SA in volume and value after Nederburg, Kleine Zalze, KWV and Boekenhoutskloof. We want to be competitive in the retail environment, but also with top brands and world class wines"

A member of the staff from P J Vadas restaurant came to tell us about the lunch

A veritable feast was set before us, to share “family style”

Hot and spicy Tandoori style chicken strips, with tzatziki

A plate of charcuterie from Farmer Angus butchery

Megan’s Garden salad with fynbos vinegar and organic olive oil

A mezze platter, served with a huge and delicious selection of Vadas bread,

consisted of marinated olives, hummus, pesto, baba ganoush, whipped feta and pickled aubergine

A classic Caesar Salad with parmesan, white anchovies and a classic sauce

An Asian slaw of cabbage and apple, topped with crisp onion rings

Ideology wines are never the same, vintage to vintage,

so the brand gives the winemaker freedom to experiment and try something new and different

As Spier puts it: "The most delicious varietal you’ve never heard of and only 500 cases made - better stock up soonest"

Ideology Albariño 2021, from 9 hectares of grapes grown on the southern slopes of the Bottelary Hills in Stellenbosch

It is a lovely sunny climes grape. Pineapple, peach, orange and floral notes on the nose, racy acidity,

minerality with quince and lemon zest;

so good with the food and it coped excellently with a very hot and spicy dish. R85 on the farm

Frans told us that he wants to attract more people to the farm, to partake in the many great offerings that Spier provides. And good numbers of people are returning for good experiences. They are providing increasingly innovative offerings, so do come and kuier (an Afrikaans ter, for a relaxed visit). The hotel has been going through a good refurbishment and will reopen very shortly. Weekends are nicely busy so, for those retired or not working, weekdays are a great chance to experience them

Spier recycles everything they can; there is no such thing as waste, the farm is very green. 100% of water used on Spier is recycled. With veg and salads coming from Megan’s Garden and meats from Farmer Angus, they are assured of the quality that their suppliers produce. Everything they do is with this ethos, working with nature, people, earth, not just sustainable; it is not enough anymore. There is a new logo on the bottles “Growing for Good”; continuity, compassion and collaboration with the local community Entrepreneur Arts Project - all partners and suppliers must have the same philosophy

Catrine de Villiers, Quality and Compliance Director

Ideology Range 2020 Cinsault from exceptional 29-year-old Cinsault vines grown in the Voor-Paardeberg wine region near Paarl

It is lighter in style, as are many of the more modern and delicious Cinsaults, with very light wood notes; very Pinot-like on the nose, perfumed with raspberry and some spice, soft & fruity on the palate, long and satisfying with cherry and cranberry fruit. Natural fermentation, and matured in 300L older French oak barrels, 3rd & 4th fill. Very enjoyable with food, and a bargain at R130 from the farm

Some slides we were shown

For dessert we visited PJ Vadas’ restaurant and were offered a real treat

the best Pasteis de Nata we have had outside Belem

served by cheerful staff!

Then down to the Barrel cellar for the afternoon tasting and what a tasting we had of superb wines

A display of some of the top brands

These were not all the wines we were to taste; just to admire and come again for another tasting in the Tasting Room

The Spier Pinotage Rosé Cap Classique

And one of our all time favourite Chenin Blancs, the much awarded 21 Gables

Lynne had said to John, "I do hope we get to taste the 21 Gables Chenin Blanc today”

The Farm House Range

The Spier range and the Yellow Wood range

An American oak barrel

It is a very large, well-filled cellar

Some history about the owners, the Enthoven Family

Frans told us that, when they bought the farm in 1993, it was not for the wine,

but for the many old historic buildings and the architecture on the farm

The extent was 650 hectares then and it still is

and other owners in the past 

That is a very early date for good wine production in the Cape

and some important recent history

We took our seats at the long table

and to our joy and excitement we were to taste a vertical of six vintages of the 21 Gables Chenin Blanc

6 vintages of an amazing wine were in front of us on the table

The 2020 has lees and smoke hints on the nose, ripe fruit, vanilla oak and pencil shavings with some spice notes at the end. On the palate, lime and lots of golden fruit and oak flavours. It is silky on the palate and opens up well with long flavours. It has had 60% new oak and needs to soften a while

The 2019 has a lovely nose of ripe nectarine, lime marmalade and ripe loquat with a hint of smoky bacon from the wood. Superb on the palate, oily, silky, packed full of flavours and shouts "give me food". Richness of stone fruit, minerality and some light nutty acorn oak

The 2018 is flirty, a little shy; minerality and lime zest on the nose, elegance, and wood holding it in the background. Grippy chalky tannins, very French in style, with freshness and salty minerality. It is waiting to say “hello” and needs more time to become magnificent. The style follows through from the last two. A small amount of Hungarian oak was used on this vintage

The 2017 has gunflint on the nose, then floral notes. On the palate, lovely lime and stone fruit, exciting river stone minerality, long clean flavours, with good length and crispness which stays on the palate. It is even more French in style

Johan Jordaan, Cellarmaster, guided us through the tasting

Frans with Mishqa Slabbert, their Senior PR Account Manager, who so ably organised the event

The 2016 21 Gables Chenin Blanc is golden in colour, smoky on the nose reminiscent of the Blanc fumé style

Rolling richness, white pepper, lovely lime fruit; lasting flavours with soft chalky tannins

It is exceptional and has won many awards

What a treat to be able to taste the 2010

Honey gold in colour, a nose of pure honey, reminiscent of a Noble Late, but no honey on the palate

Wood, dark oak smoke hints on the nose

Savoury umami at first, salty with coriander spice, then clementine and roasted nectarine fruit, even a hint of licorice,

rich and fresh with lime on the end. And says "food please"

And then it was time for a vertical tasting of the Spier Creative Block 5, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This is Spier’s take on a Bordeaux blend

It takes its name from a Spier Arts project

We were going to change to the correct Riedel glasses for this wine

Careful pouring of the tasting samples

The 2017 Creative Block 5 has a lovely, almost dive in nose, very complex with freshness and perfume of violets and rose

Lovely dark cherry, cassis and plum fruit, chalky tannins, it is classy

The 2018 Creative Block 5 has Cabernet from Stellenbosch and Darling. It has cassis, cherry, incense wood, savouriness, spice and minerality. On the palate, it is well-balanced with lovely dark umami licorice, with blackberry and cassis fruit rounding it off. Some fennel and pomegranate appear and then graphite. It is drinking well now and will last well. And it is another asking for food

The 2016 Creative Block 5 has violets on the nose from the Petit Verdot, with almond, blackberry and cassis; it reminded us of a violet macaron. Long and deep flavours on the palate, a serious wine, with blackberry and elderberry and a hint of dark chocolate on its drier end. This wine is waiting in the wings

The 2015 Creative Block 5 is a cassis bomb, with the fruit and its green leaves showing on the nose and palate. Grippy, with rhubarb, chocolate and cassis on the palate, it has good support from chalky tannins. A wine that will last a long time

and, finally, for us the best wine of the Creative Block tasting, the 2014 Creative Block 5. Grown in a wet and cold winter, like Bordeaux. A very approachable, pretty nose with ripe cherries and berries; perfume notes follow through on the palate. Lovely, full on, soft, rich dark berry and cherry fruit in layers, with some dried black fig. Delicious. One comment: "Want some!"

The tank cellar is vast

MD Frans in his corridors of power!

Cellarmaster Johan telling us about the wines made in the tanks

This is where it happens

Collecting the blankets after the tasting in the cellar, it had been a little chilly

Then it was time to head for the Hotel, where we were to have dinner, starting at 6 pm

A lovely selection of the wines we had tasted during the day to have with our dinner and a few more

The wine paired with the Terrine was the 2021 Creative Block 2, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from Durbanville; full of lovely green flavours of fig leaf and capsicum on the nose and palate, with some hints of ripe tropical fruit, asparagus and great minerality. It nicely balanced the rich flavours of the terrine and added to the experience

It is a serious wine and the best wine at its price point, R135 from the farm

We were welcomed by Head Chef Wesley, who told us he is cutting down on his carbon footprint

All the restaurant ingredients are sourced locally and from Megan’s Garden; the meat is from Farmer Angus

The first course was an excellent, rich and flavourful ham hock terrine served with apple ketchup,

pickled onion and a parsley salad. Good toasted sour dough to accompany it

One of the older wines was decanted for the main course

It was their top flight wine, the Frans Smit Red Blend 2017,

a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot

Incense wood, with lots of cassis leaves and berries on the nose, and then those savoury Cabernet Franc flavours,

a lovely wine with deep layers of dark berry fruit;

classical flavours to cherish and keep for many years to come, but drinking splendidly now

and we had some of the 2021 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc

with the second course of lightly smoked confit trout, fennel and herbed buttermilk and crème fraiche sauce

The 21 Gables 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon has cassis and violets on the nose, lots of warmth and a purple velvet crown,

full of cassis and quality with lovely soft tannins and good supporting fruit acids, a wine with a future

The main course came as platters of huge char-grilled Farmer Angus prime rib, perfectly pink,

which was sliced and shared

It was accompanied by glazed baby carrots, char-grilled tenderstem broccoli, beetroot in a citrus dressing

and the pièce de resistance (that no one could resist)

braised short rib and potato mash with smoked bone marrow crumble,

which just brought the whole dish together

That short rib mash!

The 2016 Creative Block 3 is a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Viognier

Incense nose, a spicy Rhône blend, with full on layers of flavours - dark plum, prune and berry fruits with spice on the end

It was a great match with the Dessert of Malva pudding with spiced prunes and a salted caramel sauce

and then it was time for our driver to drive us home in our own car, and what an excellent driver he was

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

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

Click here to follow our blogs

Follow us on Facebook
If you would like to purchase a signed print of one of our photographs, please click here
All content in this article is © John & Lynne Ford, MENU

Follow us on Instagram

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic and PicFair

Lunch at Brookdale Estate, Paarl

An invitation for us to visit a new wine estate this week, Brookdale in Paarl

We were picked up by transport at the Zeitz MOCAA Gallery in the Waterfront

The farm, which was originally part of the Ashanti estate, was bought by UK businessman Tim Rudd when it was just an overgrown and underused area in the Paarl winelands. He named the estate after the hamlet in Derbyshire where he lived for many years. His ambition was to create a world class country estate. He says "I have set out to create a playground for the curious and a space for experimentation. Our varietals are unusual, our location is outside of the well-known, and our approach is rather unconventional. Brookdale’s wines will be a product of passion, of thought, of the freedom to be creative and of remarkable attention to detail and quality. I couldn’t be more excited." And seeing the impressive property, tasting the wines and hearing about all the planned developments, we know he is achieving his ambition. Its location is spectacular, nestled beneath the imposing Drakenstein mountains. The Manor House is modern, built in the Cape Dutch style; it is not a heritage house

The entrance gates

The Manor House began as a family house for the Rudds when they visited

and is now an impressive guest house with six en suite bedrooms

The whole house can be booked for one party for special occasions, events and small weddings

or the individual suites can be booked for individual couples. https://brookdale-estate.com/manor-house/

There is an imposing staircase leading to the upper rooms

Yvonne Coetzee, who gave us a tour of the Manor House, is the General Manager

She and her husband, Chef Gary, were with Singita African Safari lodges

and also had a decade of working for hotelier Sol Kerzner

Between them, they have had many years of hospitality management

She says “We believe in the art of memory-making

Magic happens when attention to detail, creativity and understanding come together

for an event that is as memorable as it is effortless”

The decor is calming, comfortable and luxurious and every small thing has been provided to put guests at their ease

There is impressive art in all the public areas and in the rooms
This beautiful and finely detailed oil is in the atrium and is of the magical stream area at Kirstenbosch
It was painted by talented artist Debora Poynton

A view of one of the en suite bathrooms

One of the tranquil bedrooms
The beds are very special; apparently, they also have them at Buckingham Palace

The downstairs bedrooms have outdoor terraces

There is a study for use by people who have to do some work while staying at Brookdale

The dining room, where we would taste the wines later with the winemaker Kiara Scott

and eat a very good lunch, prepared by Chef Gary Coetzee, with the dishes paired with the wines

A view of the Manor House kitchen
They are currently building a new restaurant at another venue on the farm, to be opened at the end of this year
It will be in a complex with a new wine cellar and tasting room

Another of the spacious en suite bathrooms

At the top of the stairs

Every room has superb views of the surrounding countryside

The protea motif used in this tranquil room was superb

The curtain fabric had been embroidered with the flower, as had the cushions on the bed

A good view of the vegetable garden and the vines beyond

Each room has this beverage station

A close up of an embroidered curtain in another room

We met the winemaker Kiara Scott, here chatting with PRO Janie van der Spuy

Wines on ice for the tasting to come. Brookdale’s wines are currently made at Avondale
The new cellar, which it is hoped will be ready for the 2023 vintage, will make the Estate wines
It will have a 600 ton capacity, and as well as barrels, and 2 Foudres, there will be some amphora and concrete eggs

A lounge area with a library, a fire and a TV

The back of the Manor House leads to the topiary garden

and the outside pool and cabana

A good place to relax after a swim

Another small dining room

Views of the vines, as you taste the wines

Another comfortable lounge to relax in

Winemaker Kiara Scott told us “I was either going to be a musician, a lawyer or a winemaker. I’m very passion driven”

Luckily for the industry, wine won out. She was accepted into Elsenburg Agricultural College

In her final year, she received a bursary from the Cape Winemakers Guild

to take part in their three-year Protégé Programme. It is a very prestigious programme

During the programme, she worked with David Nieuwoudt of Cederberg Wines,

Charles Hopkins of De Grendel Estate and Carl Van de Merwe at DeMorgenzon,

complete with regular tastings and courses

“Without the programme it would have taken me much, much longer to achieve what I have”

And, during this time, she also worked harvests in the Rhône Valley, Sancerre and the Russian River Valley in California

She has been mentored by Duncan Savage, who consults to Brookdale,

and it was he who recommended her for the job

We had such fun chatting with her over lunch and tasting the wine which impressed us a lot;

she is so young and fresh and driven

The menu

Chef Gary Coetzee came to chat to us before lunch to tell us about the new restaurant,

which will have a chic bistro style menu and vibe. And he will have a new team to run it

He was able to tell us that in his new commercial kitchen he will have a flat top grill plancha, a boiling table

and a salamander, as well as a -2ºC fish fridge. He is looking forward to planning his kitchen

The wines were all served in Riedel glasses. We began with the 2021 Brookdale Mason Road Chenin Blanc, priced at R115

Apricots and peach with golden delicious apple on the nose, crisp apple, some lees character

and a hint of wood and flint on the palate. Long flavours point to a wine good with food

They aim for constancy year after year. Grapes are bought in from 30- and 16-year-old vines, not in Paarl

This was paired with an egg yolk raviolo in a delicious truffle and white wine cream with salted capers

Traditionally a very challenging dish to make as, when you open the raviolo, the thin pasta must be cooked

but the egg yolk inside must run and mix successfully with the cream, enriching the dish. And it did!

The 2020 Mason Road Serendipity Rosé is a combination of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault grapes,

a red wine vinified as white

Partridge eye in colour, it has a lovely perfumed nose of jasmine and red plums, a real dive-in nose

Light at first on the palate, a hint of zing and then the red grapes’ charm comes through

Pan seared sardine fillets with a very good combination of two sauces: a spicy chermoula and an olive tapenade,

topped with garden herbs and green peppercorns. We told Gary that if he can bottle it, we would buy it!

Next, also paired with the Rosé, was a very good vegan dish, Tandoori roasted cauliflower,

with the spicy and tangy tandoori yogurt sauce baked onto the top of the perfectly cooked cauliflower,

drizzled with a good salsa verde, with hummus,

nutty Dukkah spices and roasted red onion

One to copy at home, definitely. And a great match with the wine

Writer and Sommelier Erica Taylor enjoying lunch too, the wine a good match for her hair

Kiara "nosing the wine"

Many have said she is one to watch, and we will,

but she is definitely in the right place right now and going far in her career

She is a talented wine maker

When Tim Rudd first acquired the land of Brookdale, it was overgrown and underused and,
as they began to clear the land, replant indigenous trees and shrubs, and plant new vines,
they found something remarkable. A single block of Chenin Blanc which held immense potential
had been quietly thriving on one of the slopes at Brookdale Estate
This block joined the Old Vines project in 2021 and would yield the first vintage of Brookdale Chenin Blanc
from the then 35-year-old vines
The 2018 Brookdale Chenin Blanc has won awards and accolades
We were lucky to taste this vintage, as the current one is 2020
Golden fruit, lees and some smoke on the nose, rich apple and quince flavours in layers,
sweet then crisp with some attractive salinity; very enjoyable
New oak use is decreasing year by year and they are finding old 500 litre barrels very hard to source

A classic Chenin served with a classic dish and such a good pairing

A tender, flavourful Chicken Ballotine, a classic chicken Velouté, perfect green asparagus

with a small delightful crunch, peas and Pommes Mousseline

Winner, winner chicken dinner Gary!

So good to be reminded of why certain dishes are classics with all their essential flavours

A very happy couple!

The Mason Road Syrah is from young vines and from the first vintage;

not often do people take the risk, but this came off beautifully

Incense wood on the nose with cherries and plums, lovely sappig (juicy) fruit,

raspberry, plum and cranberry on the palate, cloves, cinnamon and some minerality and smoke

and so well paired with the dessert

A chocolate marquise, chocolate soil, raspberry and pomegranate coulis

and thick vanilla ice cream that was more like clotted cream,

and an almond biscuit to top off this lovely end to a special tasting and meal

Jacus Marais is now Sales and Marketing manager at Brookdale,

after 22½ years in the same position at Nitída in Durbanville. It was good to see him

Thank you to all at Brookdale and to Janie for organising such a great day out. We almost feel we are back to normal

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

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

Click here to follow our blogs

Follow us on Facebook
If you would like to purchase a signed print of one of our photographs, please click here
All content in this article is © John & Lynne Ford, MENU

Follow us on Instagram

See John's photographs and follow us on YouPic and PicFair