A tasting we always look forward to
Catherine Marshall is one of our best wine makers. Modest to a fault, she works tirelessly to make superb wines
For those in the know, they are an essential and a joy
You will find her wines in all the best restaurants and wine emporiums
We are always excited to taste her new vintages
Her tasting room and winery is at the top of the Polkadraai Hill outside Stellenbosch
The display of her current range of wines
Members of the wine trade, sommeliers and journalists were invited
Sue Anderson takes care of Cathy's Marketing and PR
A smiling welcome and we love the new hairstyle
Cellar door Price list and Tasting notes
We were to taste six white wines and seven red
The first was a new wine, as yet unlabelled 2023 Art of Arges Semillon
Grey smoke, richness, honeysuckle perfume and white peach
Crisp and full on the lanolin tongue, lovely depth of pears and white peach and minerality; long sophisticated flavours
Amatra 2022 Semillon from Elgin grapes
Smoke, vanilla, perfume, hints of citrus. Dark vanilla wood, crisp and zingy fruit, wood returns. Very young, has potential
2023 Amatra Jono's Wave Chenin Blanc
60% fermented in wood, 40% in clay amphora. Grapes from the Hemel and Aarde
Vanilla, white fruit; hint of lees, wood and hazelnuts on the nose
A beautiful wine on the palate
White peach and green apple, fullness, and silky; a burst of ripeness and flavour fills the long palate
We bought a case of 6
2023 Catherine Marshall Chenin fermented in Clay
Earthy on the nose with salinity, a hint of petrichor; golden fruit and perfume entice you to know more
Tingle on the front of the tongue, white stone fruit, crispness of lime, layers of flavour, leesy and long
The Catherine Marshall 2023 Sauvignon Blanc has a great nose, full-on fruit to dive into
A complete return to good Sauvignon Blanc, very French in character, echoes of Sancerre,
with cassis leaves, passion fruit and some green pepper
Zingy on the palate, green plums, passion fruit, crispness and fine layers of fruit enticing you to have more
A definite food wine. Six came home with us
Catherine Marshall 2023 Riesling has a typical Riesling nose
Perfume, a hint of honey, green apple and limes with a hint of wood
Crisp on the tongue first, then honey, then more lime. In balance now and delicious, with fine hints of coming terpenes
On to the red wines
Catherine Marshall 2023 Sandstone Pinot Noir
Red velvet on the nose, rose perfume, red cherry cassis and dried cranberry
Silky on the the palate with layers of red fruit, it entertains and entrances
Crispness of Morello cherry with the sweetness of ripe black cherry, dark wood hint of savoury licorice and long flavours
Definite food wine with an affinity to lamb and other red meats
Catherine Marshall 2023 Clay Soil Pinot Noir
Quite pale cranberry in colour with vanilla oak, strawberry fruit, very attractive
Sophistication on the palate, long and full of good sweet and sour berry fruit in perfect balance with alcohol and rich lees
Its long flavours call loudly for food. We scored this very high
Catherine Marshall 2023 Finite Elements Pinot Noir also earned top marks from us
Perfume, minerality, elegance and fruit forward. Vanilla oak and wet stones from the Hemel and Aarde Ridge terroir
Silky on the palate which opens out, familiar, wonderful layers of cherry fruit with dark wood and great flinty minerality
Too good to quaff, but you want more and more
As Cathy said at the tasting, "Pinot Noir demands your attention!"
Indeed it does when she makes it
The tasting room is full of great art from local artists which is for sale
John spotted this Bronze Nude and posed it with the Grenache
The 2022 Catherine Marshall Grenache came from the Swartland
Pale cherry in colour, Incense wood, dark berry fruit and umami on the nose. Sweet and sour fruit in balance on the palate,
layers of berry fruit with pomegranate and mulberry, long with wood hints on the end
Another asking for food
The 2023 Catherine Marshall Lithica Grenache comes from the Malmesbury area
Umami is forward, incense wood, red velvet fruit
Zingy red cherries and berries on the very layered palate, freshness of cranberry adding more zing, almost sherbet,
then berries which go on and on with some baked quince and mulberry, such enjoyment
Amatra 2022 The Oreads is a red blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot
Beautiful fruit on the nose, plums and cherries with a hint of violet, depth, elegance and good wood
Black fruit and savouriness from the wood on the initial palate. Layers of different components, all melding together
A food wine and definitely suited to a meal with game. (The Oreads are nymphs that live in caves)
Catherine Marshall's 2021 Peter's Vision is a classic Bordeaux Blend from Bush vine grapes in the Swartland
Umami notes on the very rich complex nose with pencil shavings, elegance and depth of fruit
Which follows through beautifully on the well structured palate palate, full of cassis and black plums
Lunch was a very good cold collation
of chicken, cold meats, quiches, salads, cheese, dips, bread and accoutrements, much enjoyed
Dessert was Pasteis de Nata and chocolate brownies with a selection of sweets and chocolates
Mother and son winemaking team
Cathy Marshall and Jonathan Oxenham (Jono) who is now also making the wine with his mother
All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right
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