Monday, September 09, 2024

Caroline's 2024 Red Wine Review

If you had the chance to taste 91 of South Africa's very best red wines, why wouldn't you rush to get a ticket
So many did and this was a really impressive tasting. Caroline Rillema, who runs a very successful Wine retail business, chooses her favourite wines for tasting every year and you can buy tickets on line
She does the same with White wines too and that tasting is to be held on Thursday 12th Of September at the same venue, the DHL Stadium, Fritz Sonnenberg Road, Green Point

The venue is in the Hospitality suite area and you do get a very good view of our Impressive Cape Town Stadium

We have a small apology for not publishing this earlier
There is a reason why this review, together with a list of subsequent stories, is so late and so sparse
Both of us have had recent bad falls and so have been challenged
John with a dislocated shoulder and Lynne with a broken arm

The Members Lounge is a very good, spacious venue for wine tastings

Where do you start when you have 91 serious red wines to taste?
They were presented in their varietal categories so of course we began with the very impressive Pinot Noirs
Barend Erasmus, assistant winemaker at Bouchard Finlayson

Lynton Kaiser, Sales & Marketing Manager at Boekenhoutskloof Winery, and Evan Alexander
showing their Cap Maritime Pinot noir

The near perfect Kershaw Clonal Selection 2020 by Richard Kershaw

Kershaw winemaker Dudley Wilson and Sales and Marketing Manager Sarah du Plessis

Bevan Newton Johnson with his astonishing Family Vineyards 2022 Pinot Noir
No faults, top scoring wine of the evening

Oak Valley winemaker Jacques du Plessis and Logistics manager Fabio Turilli
with their complex and layered Tabula Rasa PN667

Chelsea Corney showing the Paul Cluver Seven Flags Pinot. Clean, linear and full of good fruit, another high scoring Pinot

Winemaker Nathan Valentine of Villiera
Their Monro Merlot has richness, fullness and lovely fruit, no faults. Lynne's comment: "I'd buy this"

Francois van Zyl and Suzaan Krige showed his Ladybird Claypot Merlot
Earthy, sappig, with sweet berry fruit, very quaffable

Wynand Lategaan with Lanzerac's 2021 Pionier Pinotage 

Francois Conradie pouring a glass for Emy Mathews of L'Avenier's 2020 Single Block Pinotage

Pierre Wahl and Paula Teixeira with the Survivor 2022 Reserve Pinotage

Charmaine Kelly showed Fairview's Primo Pinotage

Wilhelm Kritzinger and Deidre Smit, with the Bellevue 1953 Pinotage, from the 2018 vintage
made with grapes from South Africa's oldest Pinotage vineyard

Anri Truter, with the Beyerskloof 2022 Diesel Pinotage

Named after Beyers Truter's wonderful, but now sadly departed, boerbul dog

Abrie Beeslaar and Raymond Noppé with Abrie's Beeslaar 2022 Pinotage

Ther were just three Niche varietals and we really enjoyed the Bosman 2022 Cinsaut
shown by winemaker Maria Gant and Louisa Swart

Daniela Kohler showing Torero The Suit of Lights 2023 Carignan to Neil  Proudfoot of Wine Concepts, Kloof St
It was different, sunny, delicious and very enjoyable; certainly a food wine

Stander Maass, Anura winemaker with his 2022 Malbec Reserve. Sappig (juicy) and full of fruit

The wine

Louis Strydom with his impressive 2017 Ernie Els SIgnature Bordeaux blend

Christopher Keet with his 2020 First Verse Bordeaux Blend had the room buzzing
So many people were tasting this superb wine for the first time and being really impressed
We have been fans of Chris's distinct, excellent wine making for many years 

The wine is complex and classy, made to last a long time and needs cellaring, it reaps rewards
Richness, layers of ripe, red berry fruit, length, good French oak with supporting chalky tannins

Another of our favourites; Raats 2020 Family Cabernet Franc which we gave full marks
Smoky with great fruit which comes in layers of excellence and joy and leads one to food
Salty licorice drop and good wood on the end

Fred Fismer of Plaisir de Merle with his 2020 Grand Plaisir red Bordeaux blend

Johan van Dyk with Ridgeback's 2019 Signature C Bordeaux blend

Cellarmaster J C Bekker with winemakers Andre Roux and Kayla Oertle-Morse of Rupert and Rothschild
with the 2020 Baron Edmund, made by Kayla

Stony Brook winemaker Craig McNaught and sales manager Jackie Rabe with The Max 2019

An iconic wine, the 2021 Thelema Rabelais Bordeaux blend made by Duncan Clarke 

The prize winning Vondeling 2019 Philosophie Bordeaux Blend by Matthew Copeland

Charles Lourens of Zevenwacht showing the 2021  Z Collection Bordeaux blend, made by Hagen Viljoen

Jean Claude Martin of Creation Wines and Gottfried Mocke
who was showing his Cap Maritime 2022 Hemel and Aarde Pinot Noir. a relative newby in the area
Jean Claude had his 2022 Art of Pinot Noir  

Alex Starey of Keermont showing his excellent 2018 SVS Topside Syrah which is juicy, layered and still young,
a wine that entices you to eat rich food

Gavin Slabbert with his Mvemve Raats 2021 MR de Compostella Bordeaux blend

Cederberg Head Winemaker Jean Nel with his superb Five Generations 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon

Michelle Waldeck with the impressive Benguela Cove Estate Collage Bordeaux Blend
It has a fine nose, is very French in style, complex and full of good fruit. High marks

Luke Olivier and and Georgina Wilkinson with the 2021 Constantia Glen 5

Delaire Graff showing their 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon by Morne Vrey, who was overseas

Matthew Andersen with hIs Morgenster 2016 The Reserve Red Bordeaux blend

Nederburg Two Centuries 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon by Zinascke Steyn

Can a selfie be Perfection?

All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

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Posted by MENU at 12:21 pm 0 comments

Tuesday, August 06, 2024

Simonsig’s Vintage Village Launch

Simonsig’s annual Vintage Day offered customers a two week opportunity
to taste more than 30 of their most distinguished wines  from their Vinoteque collection of carefully cellared vintage wines
The wines are hand picked by third generation Cellarmaster Michael Malan
We were invited to an introductory event
The mural photograph at the back of the entrance to the tasting room of snow on the Simonsberg mountain
echos the very cold arctic weather we are having currently, and everyone was well wrapped up

A welcome glass of the Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel 2017 Cap Classique
A good nose, brioche and maturity, a lovely very crisp prickle on the palate with big acidity
and a hint of richness and complexity

A table bedecked with dips, olives, fruit, skewered caprese, cheeses and bread

We were instructed to start upstairs where we could taste the rest of the Cap Classqiues and the white wines

The sophisticated 2010 Cuvee Royale Cap Classique has wheaty notes on the nose,
with lime and butter on the rich palate and calls for food

The 2017 magnum of Kaapse Vonkel has a lovely nose, a crisp fine mousse and slight sweetness on the end

and another table of delights to tempt us while we tasted

The Brut Rosé Kaapse Vonkel is our favourite on the market

Three of the Cap Classiques

The 2017 Chenin Blanc is pale gold in colour with golden fruit and a buttery end
The wooded 2018 Chenin Avec Chene has wood smoke and golden fruit on the nose and palate
and is a lovely rich mouthful, followed by more golden oak
The 2016 Chardonnay is savoury on the nose with umami notes, on the palate richness with lemon lime and wood
The 2017 Steen was available for tasting 

 Johan Malan talking to guests

The view through the entrance to the vineyards and the Simonsberg

Downstairs to begin tasting the red wines. John started with the Pinotage

The 2014, 2015 and 2016 Redhill Pinotage, and the 2018 were available for tasting
Simonsig vineyards are on a band of shale which runs all along the Bottelary Road
The varietal did, in fact originate as a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut from that line
Most of the farms in this line are known for their exceptional Pinotages.
These are no exception to that rule. A characteristic of Pinotage is its ability to age
A friend wrote recently to tell us how great was a 2005 he had just opened
These were all good, but the 2014 Redhill was the star
Rich, smooth and deep-flavoured with lovely berry fruit, spice and a little licorice

Great music all evening from a very talented saxophonist

Paul Kruger, who has recently moved to Simonsig from Villiera, with Merindol and other Shirazes
The 2004 Merindol has vanilla wood, spices and perfume with dark berried and incense wood
Silky on the palate & lovely layers of berry fruit

The 2014 has a lovely deep dark nose, again dark berry fruit, licorice, salt and spice a good meaty wine

The 2017 MR Borio's Shiraz has sweet berry fruit,
attractive vanilla oak, chalky tannins good fruit, spice and black pepper on the end

The 2018 is rich, deep and spicy with grippy tannins, wood and sweetness and sharp fruit in balance

Cellarmaster Michael Malan with his uncle, retired viticulturist Francois Malan
The Frans Malan Cape Blends, named for late patriarch Frans Malan, came next

2014 has an attractive nose, mixed berries, chalky tannins and long flavours

The 2015 has rich and ripe cassis, incense wood
The wine is concentrated with a mix of sweet and sour fruit, chalky grippy tannins

Needs time. It is a blend of 29% Cabernet, 4% Merlot and 67% Pinotage

Michael with Matt McLagan
The Cabernet Sauvignons impressed us

2014 The Garland has maturity, good fruit and incense oak
Grippy tannins, this wine stilll has far to go with deep cassis flavours and lots of chalk

The Labyrinth 2014 has blueberry and cassis on the nose and lovely primary cassis and cherry fruit
with good tannins and chalk with a long end. Wow

The 2016 has a classic Cabernet nose, a cassis bomb, deep ripe berry flavours in layers, a great vintage,
it has a great future

The 2017 has another classic Cabernet nose, smooth and a bit sexy on the palate
Lovely fruit, exciting, juicy and full on with lasting flavours, and supporting soft chalky tannins
Drink now with food, but keep some too

Matt and Claire McLagan with Lynne

The pulled pork dish.

All the food was prepared by Kos Kouture catering -  Moline Tarusundirwa and Rentia Maass

We could try all three dishes, we opted to start with the pulled pork and it was delicious
A clever chef had chopped up the crackling very fine and it was sprinkled on top

We did skip the pasta dish, having eaten enough to satisfy us

Butter chicken with rice, rich and warming and very authentic

Frank Slabbert took us through the Flagship Bordeaux blend, called Tiara

2008 has incense oak, sophistication, vanilla, full of red and black fruit in layers with crispness

The 2011, a jewel of red berry complexity on the nose. Ripe, mature fruit on the palate

2013 was the star of the evening. Very French in style. Incense oak, cassis dominates
Ripe berry fruit develops beautifully on the palate in full layers, so smooth and satisfying. Perfection

The 2016 has smoke, vanilla oak and incense. Its enticing, fruity with chalky tannins, good cassis fruit
with dark toasted wood to wrap the fruit. Has lots of time to improve even more

The Tiara, Simonsig's Flagsip wine

The Garland 2011 in a magnum is a superb example of how good Stellenbosch Cabernet sauvignon is
With Ripe dark berries and violets and sweet plummy aromas on the nose, this still has the potential to keep on aging
if you can resist the temptation to open it for a special celebration

Johan Malan and Yolanda Saayman
We really enjoyed the whole valued experience and tasted some very impressive wines


All our stories can be seen in the Blog Archive near the top of the column on the right

If you do not wish to receive e-mails from us, please email menucape@gmail.com with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in your email

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