Thursday, August 01, 2019

Caroline's Red Wine Review 2019

It was that time of the year again for Caroline Rillema’s epic Red Wine Review, held at the Table Bay Hotel
Tasting so many excellent reds at this tasting and others recently, has been very exciting. South African wine is turning a corner, or climbing a step; the wines we have liked are without fault and have moved into another dimension. Watch out World, we are a presence to be paid heed to, we have found our mojo and our direction. No harsh flavours, grippy mouth puckering tannins or over wooding, the wines showing beautiful fruit and elegance. Longevity yes but they are being made to be ready to drink now, which is what the market wants

 We do not taste or circulate together, so Lynne tasted some wines of which we don’t have photos. Of special mention was the Beyerskloof 2015 Faith Cape Blend. Intense bluegum on the nose, with soft juicy fruit, elegance, lovely ripe berries, dark toasted wood and chalky tannins on the end, indicating long life. Catherine Marshall had her 2016 Peter's Vision (Bordeaux blend) which is so seductive. Lots of beautiful fruit, softness and elegance 57% Cabernet Franc 43% Merlot. Peter-Allan Finlayson was showcasing his Crystallum 2018 Cuvée Cinema Pinot Noir. Perfumed, elegant nose, soft raspberry and strawberry fruit, and dark toast on the end. Lovely. David Trafford had the 2016 The Drawing Board, which is an elegant and delicious Cabernet Franc and Shiraz blend with vanilla wood. Jeremy Walker's 2009 The Grangehurst (Bordeaux Blend) shows what a wine can become with good cellaring. He holds his wine back for several years before releasing. This is very French on the nose; elegance on the nose and palate, with depth of fruit with the right balance of fruit, acid, tannin and chalk and a long delicious finish. Will cellar well too. Lanzerac 2017 Pionier Pinotage has a rich fruity nose, soft plums and chalk on the palate, very enjoyable. Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon by Christo le Riche has good wood, good cassis fruit, balanced crisp acidity and length. The apple has not fallen far from the tree in this family. A surprise was the Morgenster Reserve Bordeaux Blend 2003. It is an amazing wine, lasting this long, everything is in balance and it still has legs to go further. Plaisir de Merle's 2012 Signature Bordeaux Blend is a blockbuster, so attractive, with good fruit on the nose and palate, with layers of berries, chalk and elegance, a real crowd pleaser at the show. Johan Reyneke's 2015 Biodynamic Reserve Red shows the way. White pepper, incense wood from old French barriques, Intense fruit, it is like picking warm ripe mulberries off the tree. Dewaldt Heyns’ Saronsberg 2017 Shiraz is full of fruit and spice on the nose and delicious blackberry and blackcurrant fruit and spice on the palate. And then there was Duncan Clarke's Merlot Reserve from Thelema. Lynne's ideal style of Merlot, with layers of beautiful ripe cherry fruit, great elegance and soft wood, with not a hint of greenness or grip. She would have loved to have tasted more wines but there is a time pressure

John's first encounter was Nadia Beaumont who was pouring their 2016 Dangerfield Syrah,
a poem of ripe black cherry fruit with subtle support from a hint of black pepper and minerality
Patrick Ngamane, Hartenberg winemaker, welcomed us warmly with a taste of their 2015 The Stork Shiraz,
spicy and rich and long, full of fruit nut and raisins, a much lauded and awarded wine to savour and drink
with Christmas dinner and other celebrations, so beautifully made
Named for the late Ken Mackenzie, who bought Hartenberg in 1987, pilot, businessman, farmer and benefactor
Stork was his nickname in the Second World War, when he was a Spitfire pilot - he was tall with long thin legs
Shiraz was his favourite red wine. His daughters now run the farm 
De Grendel’s Shiraz was made by Morgan Steyn, a Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé winemaker
Christiaan Coetzee, winemaker and Lara Shargey, Marketing Manager at Uva Mira with The Mira Cabernet Sauvignon 2016,
a complex and deep classic
Kleine Zalze showed their Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, made by talented RJ Botha
Alastair Rimmer, Cellarmaster, Kleine Zalze
A smiling Ken Forrester. They were showcasing The Gypsy 2014, a blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre,
full of rich plums and spice and good wood from their Icon range
The big and the small! Mr Chenin also has excellent red wines
Ken Forrester Cellar controller Shawn Mathyse and Brand Ambassador Bianca Brand
Winemaker Alex Starey and owner Mark Wraith of Keermont with their Steepside Syrah,
rich and dark fruit, well-balanced with supple tannin
Danie Steytler was showing their 2017 Steytler Pinotage, a classic of its genre, a wine to last
The 2017 Twyfeling Cinsault impressed us so much that we made it our Wine of the Week in last week's MENU. Made by winemaker Natasha Williams. It was a revelation. Cinsault is coming of age in South Africa. No longer the disliked harsh and metallic wines mostly used for blending in the past, but wines with such fruity freshness and style that they just beg to be drunk with good food. They are not pretentious wines, just ones you want to enjoy often. This lovely wine is from a single block of bush vines on the Wellington farm. There is a smoke hint on the nose and then so much fruit delights the palate. It is so modern and enticing, with ripe plums and mulberries, then soft chalky tannins on the end. Only 20% is in new oak, the rest is matured in older barrels. It will certainly cope with Mediterranean food, tomato dishes and dishes with black olives
Andrew Gunn of Iona and Caroline Rillema Kilian
Kayleigh Hattingh & Danie Steytler Jr at the Kaapzicht table
Erika Obermeyer pouring her wine for Survivor winemaker Ben Snyman
This wine is the 2016 Erika O, a blend of Syrah, Grenache Noir, Cinsault  from talented winemaker Erika Obermeyer, whom Platter voted their 2019 Newcomer of the Year and it is MENU's Wine of the Week. She has had a long and varied career working at Kleine Zalze and Graham Beck and has now gone independent, with considerable success. The wine shone brightly above many, many excellent wines tasted that evening. With hints of pine nuts on the nose with incense wood and dark red berry fruit, it was different and delicious with layers of fruit and flavour, some soft chalky tannins and ending with a continuing flavour of ripe cherries. We scored it 19.5 out of 20 points
Pieter Badenhorst, Fleur du Cap Cellarmaster. They had their Series Privée Cabernet Sauvignon on show
Zinaschke Steyn, Nederburg Assistant Winemaker,
whom we met when she was at Glenwood in Franschhoek; she moved to Distell at the end of 2018
Thea van der Merwe & winemaker Sjaak Nelson, of Jordan with Sophia, a Bordeaux blend with sandalwood on the still shy nose,
but showing such potential with great fruit and backbone
Christopher Keet and his daughter Robyn
Chris's 2016 First Verse Bordeaux Blend is sheer poetry; very much in the style of what he's done before; he knows how to do this
Full fruit on the nose with layered berry fruit and chalky tannins; this wine is great now but will go many years
He has released it before the 2015, which he says is still in waiting
Chris Keet pouring for winemaker Ronel Wiid of Bartinney
The gospel according to Keet
Justin van Wyk of Constantia Glen pouring his Bordeaux Blend FIVE. So impressive, so delicious and so popular
Bruwer Raats' daughter pouring his Raats Family 2016 Cabernet Franc, one of the Cape's best
Spice, pepper and nutmeg on the nose then fresh berry fruit in layers, calling for food
& his son - it is a Family affair
Sophia Hawkins of Vilafonté with the 2016 Series M Bordeaux Blend
Winemakers in discussion: Bruwer Raats with Alastair Rimmer and Warren Ellis
Heidi Kritzinger pouring Kanonkop Paul Sauer for Gareth Robertson, Sales and Marketing Manager at Anthonij Rupert Wines
We will taste the very special Kanonkop wines on the farm again soon and look forward to writing about them 
Visitors…
…having fun and spotting the Paparazzi
Niels Verburg of Luddite was showcasing his 2014 Shiraz,
pouring it here for Groot Constantia winemaker Louise van der Westhuizen
It has perfume on the nose, licorice drop and black cherry fruit with long flavours, This keeps on delivering and was very popular
Discussing wines is what happens while we taste; people are interested in the wine and the winemakers
Stuart and James Downes of Shannon with Kerry Sutherland of Saxenburg
Shannon had their epic Mount Bullet Merlot, which is acknowledged as one of the best in the country
and Saxenburg showed a pure cassis-fruited Shiraz with lots of spice on the end
Posted by MENU at 10:13 pm 2 comments

Dinner at the Mount Nelson's Lord Nelson restaurant

An invitation from Gaby Palmer Bolton, Area Public Relations Manager, Southern Africa of The Belmond Group to the Mount Nelson Hotel to sample their winter offering. The press release said: "Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, revives a piece of culinary history and gourmet tradition at its 120-year old Lord Nelson Restaurant; with the introduction of bold classic dishes and the mid-17th century French art of ‘guéridon’ or table side service. Guests are greeted by a soothing soundtrack, courtesy of resident pianist, Henry Dike, before being seated at crisp white linen tables cocooned by elegant wood panelling; where classics such as Beef Wellington are given their final flourishes from wooden handcrafted trolleys and Baked Alaska is flambéed at the table"

We arrived to meet Gaby for a pre-dinner drink in the bar and could admire the famous Mount Nelson tea table,
groaning with cakes and pastries. Savouries are brought to your table and there is a selection of good teas
We each went to England in 1967 on one of these voyages, although then it did cost a little bit more
Just not in the same month, so it took us nearly 30 years to meet
John went to study photography and Lynne to work and live in London for 27 years
Stalking the halls are marvellous beaded animals
And historic paintings of the Union-Castle Line. The Mount Nelson property was purchased by shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie, owner of the Union-Castle shipping line, in 1890. He aimed to build a hotel in Cape Town as elegant as those in London, to cater exclusively for the Union-Castle Line’s First Class passengers. The Mount Nelson Hotel opened on 6 March 1899. The first hotel in South Africa to offer hot and cold running water, it was described as being ‘even better than its London counterparts’
Thank you Wikipedia
The menu cover
We could choose from the page on the left, the Tableside menu
While we were waiting for the first course, we were served warm bread with butter or a whipped lardo
Recommended by the Maître D, Paulo Luzio, we enjoyed a glass each of this 2017 Lieben Chardonnay with our dinner
It is a new label for us and we could not find it in Platter. It is made by Alwyn Liebenberg from Paarl
Quite perfumed on the nose with vanilla wood, crisp limes and lemons and ends in lots of toasted wood
Some temptation from the chef in the guise of tiny canapés: chick pea falafel and Broccoli mousse pyramids with crisp hats on
Lynne chose the very retro Prawn Cocktail and loved the updated presentation in a bowl rather than a glass
Lots of large, plumptious Norwegian pink prawns had been sliced down the middle;
the Marie Rose sauce was nicely garlicky, served on avocado with a small zingy salad of mixed leaves and herbs
John went for the classic Partridge and pistachio Terrine, served with brioche slices and a pear and mustard sauce,
a port jelly, cayenne pepper, and a pear compote
Beautiful flower arrangements grouped on a central table
A glass of wine in a gracious fine dining atmosphere, just what we like. Maître D, Paulo, although young, has had years of experience on cruise liners and in hotels. He is very urbane and friendly, speaks several languages and tells us that he is not a sommelier but a wino! He suggested the wines which went very well with the food
We really liked these murals which look like porcelain panels
Dinner arrives at our table side
We chose the Rack of Lamb as our shared main course, rather than the Beef Wellington or the Crown Roasted Chicken,
both of which are also served at the table
which went so well with this lovely Groote Post Pinot Noir, delicate with incense wood and soft raspberry fruit on the nose;
it is a classic raspberry and gentle wood combination, fruity and complex with dark licorice wood notes on the end
Herb crusted rack of lamb, with lightly roasted potatoes, al dente green beans and an assortment of different coloured carrots
Expertly carved by Paulo
Perfectly pink lamb, just the way we ordered it, and served with a good lamb demi glace sauce
A side dish of Cauliflower Mornay and two relishes accompanied the lamb
A long table had been set for a large group
and resident Pianist Henry Dike played a selection of well known songs and show tunes
You can even ask him to play Misty for you
The large group arrived and was seated at the long table
Dessert was another old fashioned but delicious classic
Baked Alaska - ice cream on a bed of cake, covered in an Italian meringue
We had eaten more than enough; the portions are generous, but we were persuaded to share this
Flamed at the table
and it disappeared very quickly
A double espresso for John made the evening complete
The hallway outside the restaurant has many portraits and caricatures of famous people who visited the Mount Nelson in its early days. We liked this one of Sir David Graaff Bt. A prominent member of the Cape business and political fraternity in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, he was the scion of the Graaff family who own De Grendel wine estate
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 7:56 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

On the MENU this Week. Spanish chicken with peppers, chorizo and olives


This is a tray bake which we love doing when we are busy but hungry; easy to assemble and pop in the oven with no fuss. And it was absolutely delicious. Full of flavour from many of the ingredients, especially the garlic, thyme and tomatoes
4 large cloves of garlic – 1 teaspoon and a few sprigs of fresh thyme – 4 tablespoons of olive oil – 8 skinless chicken pieces, drumsticks and thighs – 3 tablespoons of water – 1 onion, sliced - 800g mixed peppers (red green and yellow ) cored , seeded and roughly sliced – 150g spicy chorizo, sliced - 1 fennel bulb, sliced and some of the green fronds – 20 pitted black olives – 200g cherry tomatoes – 3 teaspoons red wine vinegar– salt and freshly ground black pepper
Turn on your oven to 180°C.
Make a paste from the garlic and the teaspoon of thyme leaves with a little salt and pepper, using either a small blender or a pestle and mortar. Coat the chicken generously with this paste and set it aside. Put the water into the blender or the mortar that has contained the paste and stir, you will add this flavoured water to the dish before you bake.
In a large roasting tin, layer the onion, peppers, chorizo, fennel, olives and tomatoes. Toss with the remaining oil. Drizzle over the vinegar and the water from your blender. Top with the chicken pieces and then cover the dish with aluminium foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked and almost falling off the bone, but not dry; about another 15 to 20 minutes.
Season and serve with crusty bread to dip into the sauce, baked potatoes and green vegetables. Serves four, generously.
We had this with a bottle of Elgin Ridge 282 Sauvignon Blanc that we had been sent by the farm to sample and it was a really perfect match. The wine is quite Mediterranean in character, spicy and rich with quince fruit, granadilla. It has minerality and lees palate weight. It reminded us more of the Alentejo style white wines we had in Portugal and Spain, often made with the Fernão Pires, also known as Maria Gomes, grape as a component, that go so well with this style of food, it is less crisp than the usual green South African Sauvignon Blanc
All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 10:51 pm 0 comments

MENU’s Wine of the Week, Erika O Syrah, Grenache Noir, Cinsault 2016


from talented winemaker Erika Obermeyer, whom Platter voted their 2019 Newcomer of the Year. We tasted it this week at Caroline's Red Wine review and were so impressed. The wine shines brightly above many, many excellent wines tasted that the evening 
Erika has had a long and varied carrier, in which she made her mark as red wine maker at Kleine Zalze and Graham Beck
Following Graham Beck's decision to concentrate solely on sparkling wine, she has now gone independent, with considerable success.
 
We tasted this at Caroline Rillema’s 2019 Red Wine Review at the Table Bay Hotel last week and it shone brightly above many, many excellent wines we tasted that the evening. With hints of pine nuts on the nose, with incense wood and dark red berry fruit, it was different and delicious with layers of fruit and flavour, some soft chalky tannins  and ending with a continuing flavour of ripe cherries
We scored it 19.5 out of 20 points
R605.00 at Caroline’s Strand St and Tokai

All content ©  John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus
Posted by MENU at 10:47 pm 0 comments

The Winter Menu at Kyoto Garden

It is Winter Special time at Kyoto Gardens Sushi restaurant in Kloof Neck Road, so we were invited to sample this year's offering
And we enjoyed it very much indeed. This is the Special menu
We think the price of R230 is very reasonable indeed, given the quality of food on offer
Japanese simplicity. The lighting in the restaurant is low and warm

Working on his laptop and phone at the counter table while enjoying some sushi!
You get a glass of either Gabrielskloof Sauvignon Blanc or Gabriëlskloof Red "The Blend" with the special
We must mention Kiera, the manager, who really made it a superb evening for us and spoilt us a lot with extras on some plates
They really spoiled us; this is not part of the special, but a small sample of the yellowtail sashimi, very fresh and tender
with a very good marinade of citrus, possibly ponzu or yuzu?
This is the Yellowfin Tuna Tartar, very soft, yielding and flavourful with a hint of wasabi,
served with seaweed and shredded daikon radish
We ordered the mixed vegetable tempura which comes with asparagus, sishu leaf, butternut, carrot, aubergine and broccoli. Also on the plate and not included in the Winter special are two large prawns and two superb scallops, another treat from the management. The tempura batter is light, fluffy and crisp. Served with a fresh ginger dipping sauce, a slice of lemon, daikon and some salt. If you too want to sample the seafood tempura, you can order it off the menu as an extra course - there will be a separate charge
You can chose from four main courses. The sushi platter has 2 tuna and 2 salmon rolls, 2 slices of sashimi and four nigiri,
prawn, tuna, yellowtail and salmon. Good hot pickled ginger too
The udon noodles with duck had great broth, the duck is cut like a blanket and the noodles were good to shlurp
We shared this and the sushi
Oh ice cream time. This is the miso ice cream which completely captivated us
Imagine the best salted caramel you have ever tasted
This is the cherry blossom ice cream with lovely pieces of cherry and lots of chocolate nibs and bits - not on the winter menu,
but they wanted us to taste this as they have changed their ice cream supplier and we have had the previous version
This is much better
The chocolate ice cream is really densely dark chocolate in appearance and flavour
We didn’t end with Sake as John was driving, so we both had some of the Toasted Rice Green tea,
so lovely and malty from the roasted rice, a good digestif and very, very refreshing after a large meal
 Go and try it, we know you will enjoy it
Posted by MENU at 10:26 pm 0 comments
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