Wineding through Elgin

An invitation to a media event, the first for a long, long time brought us to confusion and then consideration. They promised social distancing, and some of the events would be out of doors. They offered to take us there and back in a bus. Well, that was not as enticing as it sounds. At our age we really don't want to travel in a confined space with people whom we don't know well. We decided to go, to be cautious and to drive there in our own car. We are, after all, huge fans of Elgin wines AND it seemed like a bit of normality, which we have been craving.  We were instructed to be at OAK VALLEY and the programme there was: 10:00 - 11:45 – breakfast snack. Wines to taste from Paul Cluver, Vrede en Lust, Shannon, Idun, Highlands Road, Elgin Series from Boschendal, Thelema Sutherland. We arrived on time and learned that the bus would be taking everyone on a journey up the mountain through the vineyards and stopping high up for the tasting. We were told that our car would not make it (it would have, easily) and, luckily, Cany Bugler was taking her car up and we could travel with her. The views were spectacular, the drive not too bad and you can see the valley down over the Oak Valley and Paul Cluver farms. We began tasting at the Oak Valley stand; we particularly liked their Chardonnay and the Fountain of Youth Sauvignon Blanc

The bus is one that can traverse Africa from the Cape to Cairo - and Elgin, en route

Starting with James Downes’ Shannon Pinot Noir, and his superb Mount Bullet Merlot, which seemed like a very good idea to John. For Lynne, his Pinot Noir was one of the best she tasted that day; it has everything a Pinot Noir should have

Vanessa Simkiss, winemaker at Highlands Road, with her Sine Cera, a blend of 50/50 Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon,

with oak and spice notes and a steely Chardonnay with peach and oatmeal from the wood

The morning snack was a cheese and ham muffin

Oak Valley Office & Logistics Manager Fabio Turilli with his team; sharing the table with Paul Cluver. Paul Cluver has a new Village Chardonnay which is extremely impressive and worth every penny of the R120 price tag. Lynne's favourite, the Estate Chardonnay is, as expected, complex, layered and superb. They have also produced a Village Pinot Noir which is very easy to drink. The award winning Estate Pinot Noir is very Burgundian in style

Healthy vines after a good wet winter

Vrede and Lust had their enjoyable Koegelberg Chenin Blanc, and a Cabernet Franc

Also on the table were Thelema's oaked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from their Elgin Sutherland vineyard

The view of the mountains behind us

and the valley in front

Lynne stayed masked between tasting sips and kept a good distance from others

Liesl Cluver Rust with the new Paul Cluver Village Chardonnay. Go and try it, it’s very good

On a small dam on the farm are some lovely water lilies

Lumbering back down the hill and off to the second venue, Almenkirk

And, suddenly, we spotted our beautiful national birds, a pair of Blue Cranes in a field of dandelions

The schedule: ALMENKERK: 12:00 – 13:30 – bitterballen. Wines to taste: Richard Kershaw, Paul Wallace, Elgin Vintners, Lothian. Didn't find the bitterballen, but they had put out some of Lynne's favourite things: veggie chips!

The winery commands a beautiful view over the Elgin valley vineyards

Hills and dales, dams, flowers, fields and vineyards. Reminiscent of an English country scene

Some new planting going on in the distance

Into the tasting cellar, where the wines were arranged for us to taste

Jan Evans Sleet was showing Richard Kershaw’s wines. Richard is an extraordinarily talented winemaker, a trained chef and a British Master of Wine. The 2018 Chardonnay is very French on the nose. It could have been a Burgundy and the elegant and structured palate confirmed the style; excellence in a bottle. The 2017 Shiraz is fruity, perfumed and spicy with richness and opulence on the palate and beautiful fruit; some spice and length. Two outstanding wines. Next to Jan were the Lothian wines, which were both made by Richard and are also so impressive. Luckily, these are more affordable and we have bought in the past. The 2018 Lothian Chardonnay is gentle on the nose, classic, with light wood and a hint of herbs. The palate begins gently and then, whammo, it announces its arrival with lime, green apple and lemon, with long satisfying flavours. The 2017 Chardonnay is buttery with citrus, and minerality on the elegant nose. It’s a butterball with citrus and lime; very juicy and definitely a food wine. The Lothian 2018 Pinot Noir is also notable, in its great raspberry and plum fruit, perfume and good wooding, another good food wine

Joris van Almenkerk welcomed us

The tasting room set up for the event. We so enjoyed talking to Nicky Wallace and tasting the Paul Wallace wines, especially the new Reflections Chardonnay which is yeasty, perfumed and had hints of fynbos on the nose. Clean citrus flavours with some green apple on the end. Their 2017 Black Dog Malbec is delicious with lovely black berries, black cherry and dark savoury wood flavours. Long on the finish and asking to be paired with food. We also managed to taste the Elgin Vintners The Century; a blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. Zingy fruit in layers very attractive. Also their 2016 Ridgeland Syrah, a classic shiraz with spice and rich red and black berry fruit, silky on the palate with dry chalky tannins, warmth and a hint of licorice on the end

Joris van Almenkerk was showing several different vintages of some of his wines. We began with the 2019 Sauvignon Blanc; a classic Elgin fig leaf nose, crisp and satisfyingly green and clean on the palate. His 2018 Chardonnay has soft wood and butter, crisp limes, then wood on the end. Still youthful, this will last. The 2014 Chardonany has wood smoke; gunflint begins gently with lots of citrus and lime. We admire his 2018 Merlot, not a hint of green. Incense wood, then beautiful mulberry, cherry fruit and a hint of salty minerality on the nose. Very soft and fruity on the palate with cassis, black cherry and licorice, with a support of soft tannin on the end. The 2015 Syrah is made by carbonic maceration, an experimental wine with merlot stalks and co fermented with viognier skins. Perfumed with red berry and peach, it has very lively good red fruit and it will be interesting to see how it continues to mature.  

Good to see lots of orders being packed

And onward to the last stop; we were becoming rather hungry. SOUTH HILL: 14:00 – 16:00 – Country Tapas Lunch. Wines to taste: Richard Kershaw, Oneiric, Charles Fox, Moya Meaker, Neil Ellis, Iona

Bubs Hyland enjoying a welcome glass of rosé. Possibly a Charles Fox Cap Classique

Lynne so enjoyed their Blanc de Blanc 2016, which spends 4 years on the lees - a crisp bubble, then clean,

crisp, dry Chardonnay comes in with lemon and lime, lots of freshness and length with some minerality. Special

Sean Skibbe, South Hill's winemaker, showed us his 2020 Sauvignon Blanc. Curry bush, fynbos and fig leaf on the nose

Ripe fruit, granadilla, English gooseberry, zingy minerality and a wine to go very well with Salade Nicoise

Moya Meaker Wines had their 2019 Pinot Noir;

very French on the nose, cherry and cranberry which are echoed on the palate, with long flavours

We also tasted the Oneiric 2015 Sauvignon Blanc; another classic Elgin Fig leaf Sauvignon

Full, rich and intense flavours of granadilla and plum, and made by Niels Verburg

Kevin King and Warren Ellis. Warren had the Neil Ellis Whitehall 2019 Chardonnay to taste

Yeasty, buttery, stone fruit; at first subtle, then it opens up beautifully on the palate

Rich layers with a zing of apple acidity; a good food wine to go with roast pork and butternut

We also so enjoyed tasting the Iona 2017 Chardonnay; classic, very French nose, with a hint of gunflint from the stony soil

Beautiful fruit on the palate, intense apricot, lemon in layers and a lovely luscious texture

Nick and Kevin King

The day had been ably organised by Samarie Smith

Time for the late lunch, very welcome after all the wines we tasted

The starter was a very good fresh light pea and mint soup with good bread and farm butter

The mains, all cooked by Sandy King, were salads which were served Family style on the table for us to help ourselves

Cold chicken, rice, herb and chickpea salad, olives, peppers, courgette salad

and a good chicken liver paté made with sherry - John's selection

Lynne added a tomato salad, snoek paté and a mixed salad with green beans and sweet potato

Cabbage and apple salad

Nick King, Kevin's son who is responsible for South Hill’s wine sales, joined us at our table,

and we drank wines from the tasting

Mince pies to end the meal

a lovely crown of fruit; preserved figs on star biscuits made of crumbly cheese shortbread

and a creamy fruit trifle in individual jars

"We three Kings" - Nick and Kevin King with Nick's son

It was truly a wonderful day, with so much good wine,  good food and good company

Elgin certainly has much to offer

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New beginnings, New dreams, New friendships at Muratie

An invitation to Muratie and, after this hard year, we decided to accept as long as there were the proper protocols in place for social distancing. The invitation said: "Please bring a mask and note that all COVID regulations and precautions will be adhered to. A small attendee list allows for responsible social distancing"

The Itinerary for the day

• Guests arrive for a 10h30 start outside Ansela van de Caab’s house, dating from 1685, which houses the MOK Art Gallery (an abbreviation for moderne kontemporêr, Afrikaans for modern contemporary).
• Welcomed with a glass of Lady Alice Pinot Noir Cap Classique and Rijk Melck’s remembrance of the history books and journals of Laurens Campher, Georg Paul Canitz and the like
• A quick mention about Muratie’s new trail centre, hiking trails, single MTBike tracks etc.
• Moving to the Farm Kitchen terrace, a classic combination of old-world charm and Bohemian aesthetics
• Here we indulge in a wine tasting experience, enjoying current and vintage wines, including some award winners, most notably the Ansela van de Caab 2017 which has been honoured with a 2021 Platter 5-Star rating
• Moving at 11h30 through the luscious gardens, appreciating the panoramic views over the Muratie vineyards, Simonsberg mountain range, Stellenbosch Valley and Table Mountain
• Arriving at Muratie’s Canvas, a spectacular new functions venue with an exquisite setting, for a lunch time feast prepared by Kim Melck herself, enjoying the musings with Rijk Melck and the Muratie team

There was a large party at a long table on the terrace, but it was not part of the event we were attending

A welcome with the 2016 Muratie Lady Alice Pinot Noir Cap Classique bubbly. It has notes of raspberry and rose on the nose, raspberry, strawberry and tangerine flavours and a good mousse and is dry in style. The notes about the wine say: "As the wife of a senator, Lady Alice Sarah Stanford would rub shoulders with ministers, dine at ‘Tuinhuis’, host balls, officiate at college sports days – and by all accounts every event she attended turned into a dance party. Hers was the life of the English ‘landed gentry’, from hunting and shooting to lawn tennis and fancy dress, so life at Muratie was very festive indeed after she bought it in 1909. This Méthode Cap Classique bubbly made from 100% Pinot Noir is a toast to a lady for whom every day was a celebration"

Rijk Melck chatting with journalist Greg Landman

Desmond Binneman, National Sales & Marketing Manager

We met outside the MOK Art Gallery. Nice to see cornflowers

Rijk told us he was "Pressing the Refresh button" to get things going again after the long lock down, which so badly affected the wine and hospitality industry. He wanted to tell us all what they were up to and show us some of the things they had been doing during lock down 

He told us some of the history of the farm and its previous owners. It is a fascinating story of many different characters who are now remembered and associated with different Muratie wines. He told us that the Melck family had owned the farm in the 1700s, but it was then sold. When Rijk’s father, Ronnie Melck, bought the farm in 1978 it was rustic, rundown and stuffed but saved by the magic of the trees. They have put energy, passion and hard work into making it what it is today. They are Boeremense (farmers), not Trust Fund managers

Winemaker Hattingh de Villiers invited us to join him on the terrace to taste some of these wines

All of which were available at the bar

It was so good to see people of the industry whom we had not seen for months

Hattingh talked us through the wines

Easier to sit and take notes while tasting

The Isabella Chardonnay has a lovely rich nose and palate of citrus and stone fruits with lots of wood

Hattingh's T-shirt refers not only to the famous struggle song, but to the Johanna Dry Rosé wine! The wine notes say: "From a young age, Johanna worked in the vineyards of Muratie, but never without a song on her lips. Now happily retired, she continues to bring beauty to the farm – by arranging the flowers in the manor house and cellar. This lively and fruity, yet dry, rosé celebrates a tenacious woman, overflowing with personality, who embodies the honesty and passion of Muratie and its people"

The 2014 Ronnie Melck Shiraz has expensive oak and spice on its attractive nose. Lots of black cherry and red berry fruit. Soft on the palate at first with some good fruit, chalky tannins, good wood and grape acids to support, which makes this a lasting tribute to Rijks father. From the wine notes: As a direct descendant of Martin Melck (who owned Muratie from 1763 to 1781), Ronnie rekindled a centuries-old love affair and fulfilled a lifelong dream when he bought this gracious old wine farm in 1987, welcoming it back into the Melck fold. Humble, honest and full of integrity, he lived for Muratie and is the only owner whose remains rest here, under the trees on the highest part of the farm. Made in traditional open fermenters and matured for 16 months in 100% French oak (20% new), this wine honours his warm personality, ‘photographic palate’ and instinctive flair for winemaking"

Ansela van de Caab 2017, the Muratie Flagship wine, has incense wood and rich, dark stewed fruit aromas: mulberries, black currant and blackberry. Silky with soft chalky tannins and intense cherry, mulberry and cranberry fruit. Ansela was the wife of the first owner, Laurens Campher. The tasting notes say: "Born into slavery at the Cape (her mother a slave from West Africa, her white father most likely a servant of the Dutch East India Company), Ansela lived at the notorious Slave Lodge and worked in the Company’s Garden until her manumission in 1695, when Laurens Campher brought her home to Muratie, along with their three children

A triumph of persistence and patience, this Bordeaux-style red blend

celebrates the coming-together of this early Cape family"

The Martin Melck Cabernet Reserve 2016 has violets, cassis and incense wood. It is so enjoyable. Lovely gentle berry fruit, lots of soft chalky tannins, and lots of aging potential; a food wine now and one to put away in your cellar. The wine’s tasting notes tell of Martin Melck: "Martin Melck owned Muratie from 1763 to 1781. A mercenary from Prussia who acquired immense wealth at the Cape, primarily through marriage, he was also a devout Lutheran who felt so aggrieved that members of his faith were forbidden to form a congregation that he built a ‘schuilkerk’ (hidden church) in the barn alongside his own home in Cape Town. His greatest hope was that Lutherans would one day be able to worship openly – and indeed this came to pass one year before his death. His greatest love, though, was for his daughter, Anna Catherina, for whom he bought Muratie." The Martin Melck house is now a national monument and still stands in Strand Street in Cape Town

The wine we often drink with lunch is the Laurens Campher, a unique and delicious, rich and complex Cape white blend of Chenin Blanc (54%) with smaller amounts of Sauvignon Blanc (30%), Verdelho (12%), and Viognier (4%). Tasting notes: "Laurens Campher was a young German soldier who started farming at Muratie in 1685. This blend is a labour of love, much like Laurens’ love for Ansela van de Caab. Their love was ultimately rewarding, bringing about the birth of their three children, her freedom and the development of a farm that was only officially granted to Campher in 1699 but is still going strong over three centuries later"

The farm has lovely views across to Table Mountain

The new venue, Muratie Canvas, can be hired for events and can be made smaller if required

Lunch was a good selection of dishes, served family style so that we could serve ourselves

This was a play on Coronation chicken

Roasted onions, broccoli and baby beetroot

Tomatoes and roasted peppers with cream cheese and herb pesto

Sliced ham with a mustard sauce

Bread, paté, cheeses, olives and relishes

Spiced Couscous with butternut

and all the wines were served with lunch

A small cheese platter

Kim Melck is in charge of the kitchen

Kim Melck and Cheri van Staden, owner of 2iC Events, which operates the Muratie Canvas venue

Known as the fish tank in the family, Rijk says that Cheri is in charge of the hothouse

and, if it doesn't work, he is going into growing cannabis in it!

The Muratie wine selection with lunch

We sat at the end of the long table

The new Grenache, Mr May (see back label below)

All the wines have their histories on their back labels

Tasting Room manager, Laurence White

The 2008 Ronnie Melck has a drawing of him on the label

The end of a lovely day and Rijk and Hattingh chat to a guest in front of the vineyards

and the magnificent mountain behind the farm. Thank you again, all at Muratie

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