Thursday, March 02, 2023

A much-delayed tasting at Paserene, Franschhoek

We had been invited a few months ago to an evening tasting at Paserene in Franschhoek, which we had to miss,
but promised that we would call when we were next in the area
A tasting was arranged and we arrived at 3 pm
The name Paserene comes from the Latin word Passeriformes,
the order of “travelling and free” birds containing swifts and swallows
The story behind the swallow is a true testament to Martin’s adventures abroad and the need to spread his wings,
all the while having a yearning to return home to create his nest – Paserene

It had been rather a long time since we were last there and were shown the additions to the tasting room

This is the new addition

The gardens around the pond look lush

 invitation to play on the lawn. Croquet or Boule anyone?

There is a great terrace for relaxing while doing the tasting on a good day

One of their cheese and charcuterie boards awaiting guests

The tasting and menu lists. Paserene is owned by Martin Smith and Ndabe Mareda

Zolani ably organized the tasting for us and helped John to photograph all the bottles

Martin Smith, the winemaker, arrived back on the farm just as we arrived
and was kind enough to come and join us for the tasting of his wine
They are in the middle of harvest and he took valuable time to spend with us, for which we are very grateful
It made the tasting so special to hear his explanations of the wine and his intentions

He confessed that he is obsessed with Cabernet Sauvignon and when you taste these, you can see why

We began the tasting with the Elements range
The Elements Rosie was created for the tasting room, a blend of Carignan, Mourvèdre and Syrah
It’s a red wine on the nose with perfume and lovely candy floss light red berry fruit on the palate

From the Website: “The Elements Range symbolises the fun side of our wine estate in Franschhoek
Each bottle is unique, and can easily shine through in a luxury wine tasting, while also being the perfect mid-week tipple
These wines are made from different elements from each of our vineyards”

Elements Emerald 2019 is a Sauvignon Blanc grown on sand in Franschhoek
It is floral and tropical with notes of fig on the nose and palate

Elements Bright is a Chardonnay with some Elgin fruit
 20% oak makes it leesy, oaky, with golden stone fruit, long deep flavours, then more wood

Elements Dark is a Syrah with 50% Franschhoek and 50% Tulbagh fruit
Spicy, good red berry fruit with dark, salty licorice wood, cola flavours and brown sugar. Lovely to quaff

Elements Midnight is Cabernet Sauvignon and you can see Martin's passion
Soft sweet cassis berry fruit, licorice wood and salty minerality with good oak notes on the end
A food wine, and one of our favourites in the tasting. A percentage of the grapes comes from Elgin and it shows

From the website: “The Shiner is a vintage-specific wine made from grapes grown on our own Franschhoek vineyard
Each vintage is different depending on the harvest, representing the next chapter in the story of The Shiner”

The Shiner white is made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from Franschhoek and has 10% sherry added - novel!
Sugar cane, limes and apricots, layered with umami and the richness of the Semillon

The 2017 red Shiner is the third vintage, and has a lovely dive-in nose, from older Cabernet Sauvignon vines
 Cassis and cherry fruit, layered with good wood and chalky tannins 40 in new oak
"Unusually", says Martin "it has a V.A. of 1"

From the website: “Our Paserene Range wines have been carefully crafted for those who prefer the finer things in life
Each bottle tells a story of the terroir that the grapes are sourced from,
with flavours that highlight the purity of the fruit’s structure and elegance
These wines are made for ageing, and will last for upwards of 20 years”

These wines score very well in competitions

The Paserene Protagonist; 40% new oak, from Elgin grapes. Lovely golden fruit repeats on the palate
Ripe peach, golden plum, marzipan and almond -  delicious

The Paserene Union with Mother Nature and swallow on the label Is a refined Syrah
Perfume of violets and rose on the nose, with black berry fruit and cherries
Full, layered and satisfying on the palate with dark berry fruit, a hint of chilli and spice with wood well integrated

Pasarene Marathon (not normally available for tasting) is elegance in the glass
Cabernet Sauvignon with some Petit Verdot, there are notes of sage, cassis and violets
On the palate, lots of cassis, cherry, dry chalky tannins, good support from oak
This wine should be put down in your cellar for drinking a few years down the line and it will reward

It was a really good and interesting tasting and we so enjoyed the wines and especially valued Martin's company
Go and taste these wines for yourself to find your own gems

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Wednesday, March 01, 2023

Lunch at Antonij Rupert Terra del Capo

It had been rather a long time since we visited Franschhoek; we haven't had any invitations for a while
 We wanted to have a good lunch and Lynne researched all the menus at the well-known restaurants
Sadly, some are now so far out of our budget, we may never get to try their food
And some are still rather traditional and a bit predictable
We have been trying to eat more salads and less heavy food this summer
and we decided that Terra Del Capo had the menu that appealed the most
And it has reasonable prices
It is in the building on the left as you enter the Antonij Rupert estate, formerly the Graham Beck facility

The reception area, with the restaurant behind it; the tasting room is upstairs
There are tables outside, underneath those olive trees on the right-hand side of the building
We were treated to a small glass of the L'Ormarins Brut Rosé while we waited for our table
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay; clean red fruit notes on the nose,
a good crisp mousse with raspberry and strawberry fruit

L'Ormarins Cap Classique magnums, in boxes, on sale

It was a lovely surprise to see Cellarmaster Dawie Botha in the restaurant
We had bumped into him recently at the Italian tasting we attended and, as they have just begun harvest,
we did not expect to see him
He had with him some Harvest helpers from the wine trade for the day and they were breaking for lunch

The bottling line is on full view through the glass windows, and it was busy, despite a power cut

Chatting to our very helpful waitress about our menu choices

What to drink with the lunch
John asked Dawie and he suggested the Caroline white Rhône style blend, so John ordered a glass
Lynne wanted to try the Terra del Capo Pinot Grigio again, as the style of food is very Italian,
so she had a glass of that and we shared them both
 They were perfection with the dishes we ordered

The Caroline is an exciting blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, Chenin Blanc and Viognier and they all shine through
Golden in colour and aroma; peach, apricot and golden grapes
On the palate, summer fruit in layers with good support of fruit acidity; a lovely wine with food
The Terra del Capo Pinot Grigio has aromas redolent of the dry and dusty Mediterranean summer
On the palate, lime, lemon, ripe grapes; another great match with food, so refreshing

The menu is served Tapas style, so they recommend ordering 2 dishes each and sharing which is what we did

Very theatrical and special is the presentation of the Trout fillets which have been smoked in the bottle
Beautifully fresh confit fish, so tender, juicy and moist, served on a bed of cucumber, dill and capers
It needed a bit more seasoning
It went very well with the other dish, the Artichoke & Romaine lettuce salad,
which was well dressed and had roasted hazelnuts

The bread was superb, small slices of seed and nut loaf, and large slices of perfect ciabatta
There is very good olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table

Our next choice was to try something new we had not had before
Chicken Involtini - chicken breasts stuffed with sun dried tomato, ricotta and olives and wrapped in streaky bacon,
which still had its rind on it. Good flavours, but a little dry

The other dish was sensational and hard, very hard to share
Next time we will order one each, should it be on the menu, and we sincerely hope it will
Truffle Tagliatelle with parmesan cream. In the foreground on the plate. Yum

The bottling line working at full bore, in the middle of a power cut

Chef HW "Harvey" Pieterse makes delicious food

Our bill with wine and service

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Tasting at Rickety Bridge

Following the CPO Chamber Music concert, we headed to Rickety Bridge for a wine tasting before our lunch appointment
The famous Manor House guesthouse and the restaurant are in Cape Dutch style

It was a lovely warm sunny day with a cool breeze, so we opted to sit outside on the deck under the trees

A view across the vineyards of the Franschhoek mountains

The large and spacious tasting room

You can choose between several different tastings
We opted for the Paulina's Reserve tasting of five of their premium wines, which costs R110
We shared the tasting, as John watches his intake when driving and uses a spittoon

Three white wines: Paulina's Reserve 2021 Sauvignon Blanc has 10% Semillon added and you can taste it;
it elevates the wine to another level
English gooseberries on the nose with some stone fruit and the Semillon is present too
Full on the palate, then the crisp Sauvignon Blanc appears with greengage plum, gooseberry and tart fruit
Good mouthfeel, and spice appears as the wine opens up

Paulina's Reserve 2020 Chenin Blanc has apple blossom and apple perfume on the nose
Guava and golden plum, cooked apple on the palate with good crisp fruit on the end
The wine is wooded and the wood holds the fruit together

Paulina's Reserve 2021 Semillon has golden fruit on the nose, and reminded us of an Alvarinho,
as it shows warm climate grape flavours
Full on the palate, with good rich mouthfeel;
wood is present with lime, lemon, guava and nectarine. Long flavours, chalky tannins, good acidity in balance

Hmm, there was lots of that in the time of Covid!

We were given a treat, as we were able to taste two vintages of the Paulina's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2020 spends 18 months on the lees. Classic cassis profile on the nose, cassis and cherry fruit on the palate,
mouth puckering chalky tannins and really crisp rhubarb and mulberry fruit with a hint of wood. Needs time

The 2010 Paulina's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is quite opaque. It spent 24 months on the lees
Classic savoury Cabernet nose, cassis leaves and berries, incense wood
Still has tight chalky tannins, this wine was built to last and it still has years to go
Chocolate, plums, cassis, salty minerality and good wood. Such a well made wine. One for your cellar

 Paulina's Reserve 2022 Cinsault was so enjoyable
Pale as expected, Raspberry and red cherry aromas with good incense wood
Good dark blackberry, dark plum and blueberry fruit flavours, a lovely mouthfeel with chalky tannins,
some salty drop licorice on the end from the wood

The two Cabernets. The deeper coloured 2010 on the left
Go and taste for yourself, they have a good selection to taste

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Chamber Music in Franschhoek

Our February monthly music venture was to The Franschhoek Chamber Music and Art Festival
which had performances by members of the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra and local musicians
Our choices were limited as we could not afford to stay overnight,
so we chose the Concert no.3 at 11 am on Friday February 24th,
the Schubert Soirée with two pieces by Franz Schubert (1797-1828)

The concert was held in the Franschhoek NG Church which, thankfully, has ample parking
The church was built in 1847 and is situated on the Main Road. It was fully restored in 1968
The thatched roof church building has a traditional cross-shaped floor plan with a canopy, but no steeple 

Members of the Cape Town Philharmonic Youth Orchestra entertained as the guests assembled
Outside, there was a coffee stand where wine and ”Mimosas”
(a mix of sparkling wine or grape juice with orange juice) were on sale and there were food trucks

The church is very spacious and airy
Lynne did wonder how the Saint-Saëns Organ Concerto would sound on this large organ
(it is one of her favourite pieces)
The wooden panelling throughout reminds us of Scandinavian churches

Soaring rafters make for very good acoustics

The first piece was introduced and explained by CPO principal clarinet Feroll-Jon Davids
It was Der Hirt auf dem Felsen (The Shepherd on the Rock), performed by Feroll-Jon Davids,
Soprano Lynelle Kenned, Petrus de Beer Violin, Azra Isaacs (viola), Matthias Enger (cello),
Roxane Steffens (double bass) and Esthea Kruger (piano)
They played beautifully and the soprano's voice rang out clearly in the hall

The second piece was one of Schubert’s most well known pieces, The Piano Quintet in A Major, D.667 “The Trout”
and they did make us imagine the journey of the fish down the swirling and racing river
Another triumph for the members of the CPO; we really enjoyed the concert which took about an hour

There was also an art exhibition hung in the Church and the concert was well attended

A very architectural window letting light stream into the church

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Sunday, February 26, 2023

In MENU This Week - Jordan Harvest, Lunch at Brookdale, Dave Hughes RIP



The road into Brookdale wine estate, Paarl

Lighten our darkness… the prayer we used to recite at evening prayers at school. Those of us who live in Cape Town’s Atlantic seaboard have had it answered – temporarily. Because the Formula E motor race was held in our vicinity yesterday, and power had to be available to charge the batteries of the cars, we have had continuous electricity for just over a week, but we are not holding our breath and expecting it to continue. It has had its downside. The race track was created from some of the streets in Mouille Point and Green Point, around the Cape Town Stadium. This meant that all traffic was diverted to a restricted number of streets. The congestion was awful. We went to Franschhoek on Friday morning. It took nearly 40 minutes to travel the 2 Km from our home to the CBD and getting home was a similar story. However, the coverage of the race gave huge exposure to our beautiful city and will, we hope, bring more tourists… if the “government” doesn’t wreck it.

Today, we tell you about two lovely wine estate experiences and, sadly, have written about the death of a South African wine icon.

2023 Harvest Lunch at Jordan

Each harvest, Gary and Kathy Jordan invite media and trade to visit them, hear about this year's harvest and taste some of the results. We were so pleased to hear from both Kathy and Gary about the past year. Read on...

Brookdale Estate launches their new Bistro

Last year, we were invited to Brookdale Wine Estate in Paarl to meet their young and talented winemaker Kiara Scott and to taste the excellent award winning wines she produces. We also met the chef Gary Coetzee and his wife Yvonne, the General Manager, who told us that they were building him a larger restaurant next to the new wine cellar and we would be invited to sample it when it opened, which it did at the beginning of February. This week we received the invitation. Read on...

Dave Hughes RIP

A South African wine revolution started in the 1960s when a few bright young men worked at Stellenbosch Farmers Winery and Nederburg. The wine industry was rigidly controlled by the KWV, who set quotas which determined the size of the crops grape farmers were permitted to make and the varietals they were allowed to grow. There were very few individual wine producing estates and SFW and the KWV bought most of the crop. Read on...



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RIP Dave Hughes CWM

A South African wine revolution started in the 1960s when a few bright young men worked at Stellenbosch Farmers Winery and Nederburg. The wine industry was controlled by the KWV who set quotas which determined the size of the crops grape farmers were permitted to make and the varietals they were allowed to grow. There were very few individual wine producing estates and SFW and the KWV bought most of the crop.

These enterprising young men led the way out of a rigidly controlled industry into a new way of thinking about wine and marketing it.

Prominent in this group were Ronnie Melck and Duimpie Bayly at SFW, Günter Brözel at Nederburg and, a few years later, Dave Hughes and Bennie Howard, also at SFW. Dave, at the age of 84, has now joined Messrs Melck and Bayly in the great cellar in the Universe after a long and illustrious career in the wine industry and after several years of declining health.

Duimpie Bayly, David Biggs, Bennie Howard, Dave Hughes

Dave had a deep knowledge of the wine and spirits industry and shared it with all who wished to learn from him. He was exceptionally generous and kind and never had a bad word to say about anyone. He founded the Cape Wine Academy in 1979 and was awarded the title Honorary Cape Wine Master in 1983 together with the first three Cape Wine Master graduates, Bennie Howard, Duimpie Bayly and Tony Mossop.

With Phyllis Hands, first Principal of the Academy, and John Kench he produced one of the first glossy coffee table books about the wine industry, The Complete Book of South African Wine, in 1983. It was followed by a second edition in 1988 and by Wines and Brandies of the Cape of Good Hope in 1997. These books, along with the publication of the first Platter guide in 1980 were very influential in increasing brandy and beer-drinking South Africans’ interest in the wine industry.

Dave was deeply religious and a devout Catholic. Many wine-related meals we attended started with a specially composed Grace which he wrote and delivered. His lightness of spirit infused every gathering he attended and his death is a tremendous loss.

All the stories we have published can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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