Sunday, September 11, 2022

Vinimark Trade tasting

Another large trade wine show this week. Vinimark, whose Wine Trade Fair was held at the CTICC, represents some prestigious Cape Wine farms as well as some successful commercial brands that appear on many wine lists. One cannot possibly attempt to taste more than a fraction of the wines available so one listens to others about what they have been tasting and what is worth trying, as well as finding wines that have won recent awards

One comment after the tastings we have attended over the last weeks and it is worrisome. We have noticed a trend that winemakers are adding much too much wood to good Chardonnay, and they do seem to be younger winemakers. Have we learnt nothing? Please let’s not punish our wonderful Chardonnays with too much wood. People don’t like it and let’s face it, not many people buying Chardonnay have cellars and can afford the time for the wood to integrate. Gently does it and you will sell all of it

Early afternoon. It is attended by sommeliers and restaurant staff fitting the tasting between lunch and evening sessions, so it is spacious, as many of the daily trade are still working; later, it becomes quite hectic

Ginette de Fleuriot CWM was pouring the French Champagnes,
Nicolas Feuillet and a magnum of Bollinger Special Cuvée Rosé which was so exciting, spicy, crisp,
showing lovely raspberry and strawberry fruit and great quality. Great way to begin a tasting like this

Kerry Sutherland of Kerry-Wine and Tarryn Vincent of Reciprocal Trading, importers of Riedel glasses

Melvin Minnaar with Matthew Barlow of Rustenberg
The Rustenberg Stellenbosch Malbec 2020 is a textbook expression of this lovely grape
Spice, good dark cherry, berry fruit and good oak. Soft and slightly chewy on the deep juicy palate, with lovely length
It calls for a five course gourmet meal
The John X Merriman 2020 blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot has violets first then good fruit;
such elegance and power with sweet berry fruit and dark wood on the end. One to put down, but drinking so well now
The Peter Barlow 2019 has incense wood, layers of dark berry fruit on the nose, sweet berries on the palate,
lighter than expected and juicy and asking for food

Ad Wegner of GetWine with James Downes of Shannon
The Shannon Oscar Browne Chardonnay 2020 is new; a first picking from the fourth year of the vines
Elegant, with a whiff of good French oak, then perfume, then fruit;slightly etherial and enticing
Round on the palate, clean crisp limes and lemon, then a whiff of stone fruit and a finish of golden oak. Delicious

The Shannon Rockview Ridge Pinot Noir 2019 is perfumed, elegant, with pencil shavings and berry fruit,
on the palate, soft strawberry & raspberry fruit in layers, supported by good wood and a long finish
Lynne has a word to describe the Shannon Mount Bullet Merlot 2019 A.maz.ing!
Soft and shy on the nose at first then incense wood and fruit comes out to play
Lovely soft chalky tannins and pure essence of cherries and raspberries. Classy, elegant, textured,
just what a Merlot should be

James Downes showing his Merlot to Gus Allen of Constantia Glen
The Constantia Glen TWO 2020 is as expected, so elegant and full of great fruit,
delicious to drink and as an accompaniment to good food

Annemie Adriaanse representing Edgebaston Wines

Mandy Giddey of Makro with Tracy James-Elphick of Vinimark

Neil Ellis' new budget range of West Coast Sauvignon Blanc
It is a classic Sauvignon Blanc from the West Coast, crisp and complex with a real hint of sea breeze

Neil Ellis with his daughter Margot

and his new wallet-friendly Rosé

Zia van Rooyen du Toit, Sales & Marketing Director at Lanzerac Wine Estate with Francois du Toit

Samantha O'Keefe of Lismore Estate with James Pietersen of The Wine Cellar

The food flowed throughout the tasting and was rather good

A final appearance of Glenelly cellarmaster Luke O’Cuinneagain before he starts in his new position at Vergelegen
The Glenelly Estate Reserve Red 2016 is our sort of complex red wine blend
A whiff of Cabernet Franc on the nose, lovely savoury umami flavours on the palate with deep, dark berry fruit
The Glenelly Lady May 2016 echoes the elegance of Glenelly owner Madame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing
 A classic Bordeaux blend, with a little ripeness from the South African terroir,
lovely fruit, great wooding and soft tannins and definitely a keeper

Pretty little bites

Serrano ham and edible pansies, which Lynne cannot bear to eat as they are so pretty

Oh, those enormous prawns! and some quiches

Woolworths wine selector Rob Gower with Bosman Wines marketing manager Anthony van Schalkwyk
and cellarmaster Corlea Fourie
We loved the Bosman Upper Hemel and Aarde Sauvignon Blanc,
so classic with lovely green capsicum and elderflower on the nose and palate, crisp and refreshing

Head to head with Johan Reyneke
His stand was so busy. Lynne only managed to taste three white wines
His ripe and rich Organic Chenin Blanc 2021 has lovely stewed apple and apricot fruit
The Organic Sauvignon Blanc is complex and layered with good wood on the end
The Biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc 2021 has smoke and pleasant hints of fruit on the nose
It opens up on the palate and enchants with long fruit flavours, good grip of tannins and is full of quality and possibility

Sticky steak kebabs and a smiling server

Irene de Fleuriot, winemaker and General Manager of La Bri

Christo le Riche, who stepped into father Etienne’s big shoes at Le Riche and has filled them very well

Sophia Hawkins showing the pre-release Vilafonte Series C

There were many more great wines which we scored highly, like the Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2019 which is perfumed with raspberries, flavours of red and black berries in intense layers and some chocolate and licorice on the end. A blockbuster but needs time

The Boekenhoutskloof 2019 Syrah has a very pretty nose, quite enticing. Lynne would wear it as a perfume! Good red berry fruit, tooth gripping tannins with the fruit following through with freshness, spice, pepper and raspberries

The Creation Viognier 2022 says "bring on summer!" Peach and other stone fruit on the nose, then crisp lime and warm fruit combines to a lovely full palate with an end of a summer fruit salad

The De Morgenzon Reserve Syrah 2017 has elegance, fine pencil shaving wood, perfume and soft pepper, and coriander spice on the nose. Sweet fruit beguiles and fills the palate, some grippy chalky tannins, then the fruit returns with long flavours and spice on the end

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Wednesday, September 07, 2022

The 2022 Trophy Wine Show Public Tasting

A few weeks ago, we wrote about the results of the Trophy Wine show, sponsored by Investec
and on August 24th, we were able to taste some of the winning wines (Trophy winners, Gold and Silver) at the Westin hotel
 We were keen to sample the Trophy wines which were available to taste and to chat to the representatives of the farms
The tasting was open to the public

So good to see the team that arranges the tastings, Outsorceress Marketing led by Janice Fridjhon
It has been a long gap

The tasting was well attended and attracted a good crowd of buyers and enthusiasts

Piekenierskloof won a Silver with their Bergendal 2021 Old Vine Chenin Blanc,
so complex and mellow, perfumed vanilla nose with stone fruit,
grown on soil that does not need vines to be grafted onto Phylloxera resistant rootstocks

Old Road Wine had won the Best Semillon Trophy for their 2018 Grand-Mère Semillon,
an absolutely classic expression of the heights the Semillon can reach in the Cape,
with superb depth of complex flavours, crisp acidity of limes, ripe pear, candied citrus, spice, minerality
with soft chalky tannins and then golden oak on the long end. From old vines planted in 1936

Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2016 being poured for One&Only Head Sommelier Luvo Ntezo

Morgenster revealed their rather elegant new labels at the tasting

Deon Oliver enjoying the evening

Colin Frith and his Sunday Times Trophy for the Best Sauvignon Blanc: 2021 Trade Winds Sauvignon Blanc

Murray Barlow of Rustenberg was awarded a Silver for the 2020 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Merlot
The wine is a classic Cape Merlot with a lovely intense nose of rich berry fruit which follows through on the palate,
with finesse and well supported by good French oak, no mint, no faults

Brother and sister Paul Cluver and Liesl Cluver Rust celebrating with the Miele Trophy
for the best Chardonnay on show, the 2020 Paul Cluver Estate Chardonnay
which also won the Investec Trophy for the best White Wine Overall
It is also one of Lynne’s all-time favourite Chardonnays; wild fermented, classy and elegant
with lovely crisp citrus and stone fruit in layers, accessible with subtle oak support. So good with food

Benguela Cove Assistant Winemaker Michelle Waldeck
 was showing their 2018 Joie de Vivre Cap Classique Vintage Brut which was awarded a silver

Bon Courage Cap Classiques have jointly and deservedly won many awards
They won the Sowetan Trophy for the Best Cap Classique
with their 2013 Jacques Bruère Brut Reserve Vintage Cap Classique and it is well deserved
the wine is a blend of Chardonnay/Pinot Noir and is so full and layered, has kept its crisp mousse
and lingers on the intense palate, a triumph

Winemaker Philip Viljoen and Michelle Elford, Bon Courage National Sales and Marketing Manager

Shelley Sandell, owner of Tierhoek in Piekenierskloof was showing her old vines 2021 Chenin Blanc
which won a Silver with 92 points. Not long ago, this score would have earned a Trophy!

Buitenverwachting cellarmaster Brad Paton had his excellent '1769'
Noble Late Harvest Muscat de Frontignan 2020 vintage, from unirrigated vines planted in 2003
In our opinion this is one of the very best Constantia muscat wines, layers of rich honey,
spiced ripe and cooked apple, apricot, melon and almond, with perfume on the nose
The honey sweetness is well balanced with good crisp acidity. 5 stars in Platter, it scored a silver

Heinrich Bothman of De Wetshof. The elegant Finesse Chardonnay scored a silver

Winemakers Morné Vrey of Delaire Graff and Lukas Wentzel of Groote Post

Nicky Wallace and LRJ chatting about Elgin

Tom Orpen talks about Warwick wines
The First Lady Pinotage won the Trophy for the best Pinotage
It is very approachable, floral on the nose, lighter in style than many,
showing more Pinot character and very easy to drink and enjoy

Marcho Benjamin, assistant winemaker at MAN Vintners and marketing man AJ Nel,
who handles the marketing for MAN and Lievland
MAN won the Investec Trophy for the Discovery of the show with their 2020 Skaapveld Shiraz
Delicious plums and cassis, rounded on the palate with some licorice notes and spice
100% of the wine was matured in older American oak barrels for 12 months. Very good value too
Lievland scored a Gold for the 2021 Old Vine Chenin Blanc

Cellarmaster Johan Jordaan talks about Spier wines who have had a stellar year
They were awarded three trophies, the Investec Trophy for Best Merlot’ for the Spier Woolworths Signature Series Merlot 2018
the Harold Eedes Trophy for Best Chenin Blanc which went to the Spier Woolworths Private Collection Chenin Blanc 2020
and the coveted top Trophy for the ‘Most Successful Producer Overall’
This is the second time they have received both of the last two trophies

Paul, Nicky and Bobby Wallace. Bobby has joined his father as a winemaker at Paul Wallace Wines

Jeremy Borg of Painted Wolf wines and Nicky Wallace

Jeremy Borg and his Painted Wolf wines. Jeremy told us that containers for shipping are very scarce;
he has good orders to go overseas but logistics are a nightmare. Can anyone help?


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

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