We
have said this before and no doubt will again. Chenin Blanc is the grape that
defines the South African wine industry. We grow more of it than any other
grape. It can be grown all over our winelands as it is not terroir specific and
can produce many different styles, very well. We have vineyards of great age
and elegance that continue to produce superb wine, Astoundingly, all the
winners in this competition come from vineyards that are at least 25 year old,
and many are 40 years or more. It is our best hope of overseas attention and
respect. We are producing some absolutely amazing Chenins, at all price levels.
And some are very affordable. In fact at the prices quoted below, all would
sell in the UK for around or below ₤10 yet their international competitors
would sell for much, much, more.
This week, we were at The Cape Grace
Hotel to attend the award ceremony of the Standard Bank Top 10 Chenin Blancs
for 1915
Always nice to get a warm welcoming
smile and a glass of some bubbly
De Morgenzon’s DMZ NV Chenin MCC
Two
other MCC's made from Chenin were available for tasting: Perdeberg's Brut
Reserve NV and Sparklehorse from Ken Forrester with its pretty carousel label. All
are excellent
Canapés of salmon, topped with
mayonnaise in vol au vent cases, circulated
Photographer Danie Nel with PRO
Nicolette Waterford
Getting the organisation sorted out is
Ina Smith, the doyenne of organisation and management at the Chenin Blanc
Association
Mercy Mwai, the sommelier of Nobu restaurant
at The One & Only Hotel, with Lynne and Journalist Graham Howe
The awards function was held in the hotel's Signal restaurant
Chairman of the Chenin Blanc
Association Ken Forrester opens proceedings. It has come of age. To quote Ken: "Chenin
Blanc seems to belong everywhere with wines from Durbanville, Paarl,
Piekenierskloof, Swartland and Stellenbosch represented in the Top 10. There
can no longer be any doubt of the role that old vines play in the excellence of
Chenin Blanc with all the wines coming off vineyards older than 20 years. May
it stay long in the ground”
Billy du Plessis, Standard Bank
Executive Business Banking Head in the Western Cape, tells of Standard Bank's
commitment to these awards
Christian Eedes of Winemag.co.za. Christian,
one of South Africa’s most respected wine judges, was chairperson. The other
judges were Jamie Goode from the United Kingdom, a London-based wine writer,
currently wine columnist with UK national newspaper The Sunday Express; Higgo
Jacobs, certified with the Court of Master Sommeliers and wine judge; François
Rautenbach, a man deeply invested in hospitality and heading up the ‘Singita
Premier Wine Direct’ programme for Singita Game Reserves and sourcing and
supplying wines for the Singita properties in Southern and East Africa; Cathy
van Zyl, Master of Wine, regular judge and associate editor of Platter’s South
African Wine Guide, as well as associate judges Jaap-Henk Koelewijn, sommelier
and partner in Tokara Restaurant, and Tongai Joseph Dafana, sommelier at La
Colombe. 145 wines were entered, 15% more than last year
The menu, with each course paired with
two of the winning Chenins
A morsel of pickled yellowtail, with
avocado lime mousse, crisp Kataifi pastry shards and some salad leaves. it was
accompanied by a rather robust curry apricot chutney. Paired with KVW Cathedral
Cellar 2014 R85 (from 54% from a Paarl vineyard approximately 25 years old,
33.2% from a Swartland vineyard 36 years old and 12.8% from a Stellenbosch,
approximately 30 years old) and Perdeberg The Dry Land Collection Barrel
Fermented 2014 R77 (from two vineyards in the Agter-Paarl, one 26 years old and
the other 32 years old).
We tried to hang on to some of our
glasses but there were just too many people and they needed the glasses for the
next pouring. This is the next course. Potato gnudi, fried in butter with a
very creamy foam with gentle hints of gorgonzola, served on poached pear with
semi dried tomato and a walnut crumble. Someone at the table compared it to muesli
at breakfast and we would have liked more sight of the gorgonzola, but it went
very well with the two wines: the DeMorgenzon Reserve 2014 R210 (from a
vineyard on the Stellenbosch property planted in 1972, 43 years old) and Lynne's
favourite wine of the tasting, the L'Avenir Single Block 2014 R195 (from a
vineyard on the Stellenbosch property planted in 1972, 43 years old) which has
delicious hints of pine nuts on the nose with nutmeg and a sprinkle of cayenne
on top of rich fruit
Ina Smith of the Chenin Blanc
Association with the sponsor of the Challenge, Darius Rasool, Marketing
Manager at Standard Bank Group
The next course was an Asian flavoured
glazed square of tender pork belly, with a crunchy vegetable slaw topped with a
salted sesame nougatine. This came with Simonsig's Chenin Avec Chène 2014 R115
(from the Stellenbosch property’s oldest Chenin Blanc vineyard planted in 1986)
and Spier 21 Gables 2014 R139 (from a Durbanville vineyard, 40 years plus in
age)
Dead soldiers
Fourth course of confit duck roll, a
swipe of sweet potato purée, a curried jus and topped with lovely onion crisps
and served with green vegetables. The paired wines were Aeternitas 2010 R120 (from
a 49-year-old Swartland vineyard) and Stellenrust 49 Barrel fermented 2013
Chenin R130 (from a 49-year-old vineyard in Bottelary, Stellenbosch )
And then to dessert. An old fashioned
Bread and Butter pudding (we wanted much more!) with a passion fruit cream,
citrus marmalade and Lynne's nightmare, rooibos ice cream, which she left on
the plate. Paired with Boutinot Tea Leaf 2014 Chenin R74 (from a
Piekenierskloof vineyard, 40 years plus in age and surrounded by Rooibos ) and
Leopards Leap Culinaria 2014 R70 (from 90% Chenin some 30 to 40 years old and
10% Grenache Blanc, both from Voor Paardeberg)
Six of the winners
The other six
All the winners with their awards and
their wines From L to R: Kobus van der Merwe, KWV. Dirk Coetzee, L'Avenir. Hannes Meyer, Simonsig. Albertus Louw, Perdeberg. Marinda Kruger-Van Eck and Donovan Rall, Boutinot. Tertius Boshoff, Stellenrust. Johan Grimbeek, Aeternitas. Carl van der Merwe, DeMorgenzon, Eugene van Zyl, Leopard's Leap. Jacques Erasmus, Spier
