Thursday, March 16, 2023

A new tasting Pavilion at Grangehurst

If you love wine, and you invest in it, you must wonder how the good wines you buy will mature
Few people have a wine cellar which enables them to keep a collection of wines in a good environment
and enjoy them when they have been well-aged
An opportunity to taste them elsewhere is a rare treat. It is possible, at a premium;
when you buy a good bottle in a restaurant or vinoteque; you will usually pay well for that privilege

If you want to taste or even enjoy a glass or two of well-matured wines with a view to buying them,
you need to head for Grangehurst, just off the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West,
and visit their new Pavilion tasting room on the farm, where you can taste superb red wines from the 2009 vintage
Owner/winemaker Jeremy Walker only releases his wines when he judges that they have reached maturity
 The views from the tasting centre are lovely, looking across at Table Mountain

It is a great experience and the tasting fees are reasonable

The tasting room is modern, clean and so relaxing; a great place for sipping wonderful wine and gazing at the countryside

It was a hazy early autumn day and we could see across many vineyards and olive groves
On a clear day you can see the city and the Table Mountain range

Happy, smiling Jeremy Walker who joined us for the tasting
We are old friends; we always stocked his wines in our shop, Main Ingredient, where they sold well

 The Grangehurst wines are also available in several overseas countries,
which our many overseas readers may appreciate
https://grangehurst.co.za/sales-distribution/

This is their price list with the current releases

We began the tasting with the 2018 Rosé which, as Jeremy puts it, is a rosé for red wine drinkers
It is a blend of Cabernet and Pinotage in almost equal amounts plus 14% Chenin blanc
Perfumed, with the Pinotage parent showing on the nose with raspberry and mulberry;
juicy on the palate and full of fruit, it calls for food

The aptly named 2014 Daylea Red, a blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Pinotage, Shiraz and Petit Verdot, is a bargain at R125
Rich, with red cherries and berries. Dark wood, crisp and juicy, good tannins,
some spice notes on the end and a hit of black pepper. So easy to keep sipping

A Pinotage that has been aged for as long as this 2011 is always going to be good;
this varietal appreciates age, as do we
Quality incense French wood, the wine is aged for 2 to 3 years in barrel
Red and black berries on the attractive nose. Gorgeous on the plate, this is what Pinotage should taste like;
red and black cherries in layers of richness, then mulberry and cassis. Long flavours. R250

Nikela 2008, R300. A Grangehurst blend of Pinotage, Cabernet and Merlot with a dash of Mourvedre
You know from the first nose that this is a fine wine; perfume of roses, dark cherry and mulberry repeats on the palate,
full of fruit, warmth and lovely soft chalky tannins with a savoury ending
We love drinking this on special occasions like Christmas dinner, but it enhances any meal
The wines were served with some good olives and rosemary biscuits

Grangehurst 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, R280. So special, so integrated, perfume, wood and fruit all in harmony
It dances on the tongue with warmth, lovely fruit, good French oak on the end, a classic Cabernet

The Grangehurst 2009, R510, a blend of Cabernet, Merlot and Petit Verdot
Cassis, violets and cherries on the nose. Richness, roundness, velvety on the palate, a classic Bordeaux blend
It is an amazing wine, so seldom do we get to taste aged wine this good
Cassis leaves and berries, cherry, mulberry, dark wood, great expression, long flavours

Sadly, Jeremy tells us he will not be making wine this year; his cellar is full
his cooling plant has been damaged by constant blackouts 
He does not have solar power and Eskom load shedding has made it impossible;

Grangehurst has good accommodation on the farm. https://grangehurst.co.za/accommodation/

This Cassia plant which can become a large tree, also known as popcorn plant (Senna didymobotrya),
was full of buzzing bees who all disappeared when they saw the camera

The mist was beginning to lift and we could make out the familiar sight of the Southern Titan, Adamastor,
taking a rest in the Table Mountain range


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Friday, March 03, 2023

In MENU This Week. Four Franschhoek experiences - Chamber Music, Rickety Bridge, Antonij Rupert, Paserene

 A Cape Robin-chat (Cossypha caffra) on an apple tree branch

This week, our stories are about four experiences in Franschhoek, all on the same day. Beautiful music and delicious food and superb wines. The E-Prix motor race caused most of the roads to and from our home tobe blocked off, so getting there and back involved serious traffic jams, but the effort was well worth the irritation. Have a lovely weekend

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). Read on…

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 under the trees. Read on…

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. Read on…

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 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. Read on…



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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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