There is a need on Delaire Graff for their own MCC and,
this week, they released it. Named after the 118 carat Delaire Sunrise, the
largest square emerald cut yellow diamond in the world. Morne Vrey has used
mainly Chenin Blanc, making this more like a Crémant de Loire. It
is a blend of Chenin Blanc (58%), Chardonnay (34%) and Cabernet Franc (8%). All the grapes come from the estate. It is intensely
crisp and has quite a crackle on the palate. Given time, this will be a beautiful
wine, but it will only be available at Delaire. Then it was time for a tasting
of some currently available Delaire wines, followed by lunch on the terrace. It’s
a hard life and, yes, the weather and the view were perfect.
A warm welcome with a tray of smoked
salmon ‘sandwiches’
And another of choux gougères, filled
with paté
A jar of gazpacho
or a cornet of beef tartare
and then some mini fishcakes
The lovely 2014 Cabernet Franc Rosé
flowed and went well with the canapés
We are introduced to the
Sunrise. Note the background decoration on the label is a depiction of the
emerald cut of the yellow diamond after which the wine is named. It is in the style of a Crémant de Loire
blend, bready and leesy on the nose, has nice crisp bubbles and with lots of
lime and pear drop flavours. It has
spent 15 months on the lees, has an RS of 5.9 and the acid is 8.
The view looking towards Paarl with
the Banhoek Valley in all its early summer glory
Canapés and conversation on the terrace
Then taking our places for the tasting
in the restaurant which was followed by lunch on the terrace
Wines we tasted
were:
The 2014 Sauvignon Blanc is in the
style we prefer with figs and green pyrazine notes, with crisp minerality Then the Coastal Cuvée 2014 SB which has a touch of Semillon added, Its
slightly tropical in style with the detectable Semillon melding the acids and
add richness. 2013 wooded Chenin
Blanc from Swartland grapes is grassy
guava and yellow peach on the nose and buttery with a lot of wood on the
palate. The 2013 Chardonnay: Umami on the nose then rich
buttery limes with gentle soft wood, nice minerality. Also needs more time to
gather itself together but will be a great wine. The 2013 Reserve White is 66%
Sauvignon Blanc and 34% Semillon Bready
and leesy on the nose, there is a tingle on the tongue with the nice richness
of the Semillon supporting the pineapple passion fruit and gooseberries of the
Sauvignon. And finally the Laurence Graff Reserve 2011 red . It’s a single
vineyard cabernet with 5% Bordeaux
varietals added. The nose is full of
cassis red velvet maraschino cherries and on the palate dark liquorice, cassis,
brambles and warm wood. We loved it
Johann Laubser, Estate General Manager
of Delaire Graff
Winemaker Morne Vrey
Fiona
MacDonald, Annareth Bolton and her brother Higgo Jacobs
The beautiful Sunrise
The lunch menu
Trout Tartare, using good quality
smoked salmon trout, on a blini with cucumber ribbons and savoury squid ink
blots
Second course was almost too pretty to
eat. A mosaic of lightly pickled octopus tentacles, topped with a perfectly
cooked sea flavoured langoustine, artichokes and beetroot slices and a creamy
foam
Main course was rather rare seared
prime beef on yellow and red beets in a good wine jus and accompanied by a dish
of those oh, so wicked truffle and parmesan crispy chips
Dessert looked like a disparate
collection of separate ingredients but when you mixed them together on a spoon,
they combined into pure heaven. A panna
cotta made with coconut cream, a tangy pineapple and mango sorbet, fruit
jellies and rosewater pearls with crumpled fruit crisps and crunchy honeycomb
and meringue pieces. Brilliant, just too
small.....
© John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2014
