We spent the weekend at Elgin Cool Wines and managed to fit in 7
wineries before we ran out of time and steam. It is such a lovely area to visit,
full of hills, dales, grapes, apples and pears and here the wines do not
conform to any particular style which is refreshing. You almost never know what
you are going to get. From supreme elegance and style to gentle quaffing wines,
from well aged whites to stonkingly robust reds, they continue to surprise us
We rushed through from Cape Town for the
start of winemaker Sean Skibbe's 10 year tasting which began at 10. It was a
cold and miserable start to the day but brightened up as it went along. The
wines certainly helped. Sean has been there since they started making wine in
2006
Sean pouring a tasting for his wife and
the other guests around the table. His 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is our Wine of the
Week and we also liked his 2012 very much. The 2015 Sauvignon is still full of
pyroxenes and crisp apple acids but there are hints of what this wine will
become with a little age. Tasting the 2016 tank sample was educational. Elderflower
on the nose with fig, litchi, white peaches and gooseberries. some tropical
notes with a green background. Crisp tingle on the tongue then smooth with
green and ripe figs and peaches. One to watch
The wines currently available. We then
tasted the 2006, 2007 and 2011 Cabernets. They are all good wines and it is
great to see the wine and Sean's progression with this grape. The 2011 current
release is quite French with violets, layered dark cassis, blackberry fruit and
soft chalky tannins. A lovely wine with long flavours
The KK wines, named for owner Kevin King,
are made in small select parcels, and are only available from the farm. The 2012
Red blend is spicy with ripe red fruit, smoky, violets and elderberries. A very
pretty wine with unusual fruit flavours. Micah, named after Kevin's son, is a
blend of Syrah Mourvedre and Barbera and is perfumed, juicy and satisfying. The
Bazza Pinot Noir has a very pretty Raspberry Rose nose, its light and fruity
and needs time to show itself
Then it was off to Paul Cluver where
another Shaun (McVey), their Sales Manager gave us a private tasting of their
impressive wines
We started with the 2015 Sauvignon blanc which has some
Semillon added for roundness and elegance, it is tropical granadillas, limes,
fun and very quaffable. Then their famous Gewürztraminer, 2015, full of roses,
litchi and petals, with a great acid fruit balance and length to stand up to
spicy food. On to their two Rieslings, some of the top examples of the varietal
in the Cape. They have 25% of SA plantings. The Dry Encounter Riesling has no terpenes,
8.7 g/l sugar and attractive honey, lime and woody notes, bone dry. The Close
Encounter Riesling 34.2 g/l with its rose petal, honey and limes, deep and long
flavours close to German in style, is delicious. The good news is that they
have made enough and will not run out this year. The Estate Chardonnay is wild
fermented, has wood smoke, buttery golden layered fruit, soft chalky tannins
and balance. Always one of our favourite wines
Then on to the reds. We like the incense,
violets, smoky bacon and sharp raspberry fruit of the Village 2015 Pinot Noir
but the Estate Pinot Noir is made to impress and it does when it opens up in
the glass. The Seven Flags Pinot Noir 2013 is made from 27 year old vines - the
first vines planted on the farm by Nederburg when they were experimenting in the
area. It is in the classic elegant Burgundian style, full of raspberries and
strawberries, a soft sweet wine with wood smoke and smoke and quite heavy
tannins so you have to wait for it to mature which it will do in 4 to 5 years
time. All these wines are made by winemaker Andries Burger, who has done his
20th vintage at Paul Cluver this year. He is married to Inge Cluver, Paul
Cluver's daughter, who is the Financial manager of the farm
One of our favourite caterers Craig
Cormack was preparing the food over the weekend...
... and gave us this plate of smooth delicious
duck paté and buttery brioche with grape jam to sample before we left. It made
us very hungry, so we were happy to be off to lunch at Terra Madre
To quote them "Terra Madre Elgin is
a working family farm where chef and foodie Nicole Precoudis and her team grow
wholesome local fruit and vegetables and lovingly handcraft delicious artisanal
products and charcuterie". Moya Meaker Wines
and Thelema's cool climate range, Sutherland wines from Elgin, were also
available to taste
Owned by husband and wife team, David and
Genevieve Curl, Moya Meaker wines are made by Bordeaux renegade winemaker,
Damien Landouar. The wines available to taste were: 2012 and 2013 Syrah as well
as their unreleased Pinot Noir 2014
We enjoyed tasting some of the Sutherland
wines with our lunch, they are such good food wines, especially these reds
Chef Nicole preparing and serving the
food
Receiving our platters, piled high with
good food. We had pulled pork, roast chicken breasts and lots and lots of fresh
salads. Just what we wanted to top off all the wine we had tasted that morning
Fresh produce at Terra Madre
It was sunnier at lunch time, so we and
others sat out in the garden
to enjoy the food and wine
Then it was time for a visit to Paul
Wallace wines to catch up with the family. Son Bobbie was home for the weekend
from Elsenburg and he told us of the Elsenburg student Auction which is going
to be at Beyerskloof on the 21st of June. Do contribute wine if you can or come
along and bid for some interesting bottles. Details from Elsenburg. The auction
is organised by the students. All money collected goes to student travel funds,
so they can get to do vintages on farms in other countries in the world to
further their winemaking skills
Behind the tasting counter for the
weekend: Paul Wallace, viticulturist and winemaker, Nicky Wallace who handles
the marketing and son Bobbie, training at Elsenburg to be a winemaker. Their
elder son Mark, also a winemaker, was away doing a harvest in New Zealand
Customers chilling, chatting and sipping
Wallace wines. It is a lovely place to end a great day of wine tasting
With beautiful views of the Elgin wine
valley
We sat in the sun on the tasting room
terrace and fetched each other tastings of the crisp Little Flirt Sauvignon
Blanc, the Brave Heart softly fruity Pinot Noir; Crackerjack, a late release
2009 Bordeaux blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot with leather and cassis,
cherries and soft tannins. And finally the iconic Black Dog Malbec, named after
Jack the black Labrador/ Rottweiler cross who polices the farmyard with all his
varied brothers of another mother
It's a dog friendly farm. Black Dog is a powerful
dark fruit wine with spice, character and satisfying flavours
They had braaied
Beef fillet rolls or a chicken and walnut salad available for lunch
Shandu Mvelo kindly helping a lad with a can
We then left for our night with friends
at their cottage in the Hemel and Aarde Valley, where we had supper in front of
a roaring fire and treated ourselves with some really good older wines. Lynne
made a huge pot of mixed vegetables (10 of them!) soup with spicy sausage
The 1987 Nederburg Paarl Cabernet
Sauvignon was a total surprise. We all expected it to be interesting when first
opened and then to fade quickly. We could not have been more wrong. It was full
of smooth dark cassis fruit and elegance and improved in the glass as we drank
it. As Peter said, it was up there with some good French Cabernets. The 1998
Thelema also delighted with its classic cassis fruit and elegance and minty
flavours. The Beaumont Mourvedre 2001 was another surprise, heavy and dark and
wild and almost Italian in character, we loved it. Who says good South African
wines don't last? Not us
©
John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
