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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Tasting Keermont Single Vineyard wines

A invitation last week to visit Keermont owner Mark Wraith's Cape Town offices in Kloof Street to taste the new release of the Single Vineyard Series. We used to sell these wines in our shop, so we know the quality they produce on the farm in the high Helderberg mountains

Mark Wraith welcomed us

All the Keermont wines have scored 4 or 4.5 stars in Platter this year. An impressive performance

Winemaker Alex Starey. who has been with Keermont since 2005, took us through the tasting.

We began with the 2017 Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc, grown on riverside vines that are 47 years old. It is a patchy vineyard that produces less every year. The furniture in the office had just been polished and we hope the polish notes do not dominate our impressions. The wine has golden fruit notes with vanilla and wax (?). Rich golden fruit: peaches, apricots and melon on dark toasted wood which hopefully will soften with time. It spends one year in 2nd and 3rd fill 500 litre oak barrels. The 2014 is a 5 star wine. Some of this wine is used in their Terrasse white blend

Next the 2015 Barrel selection Syrah called Topside which is the vineyard on the left. Dark cherry and wax on the nose with some spice and dark wood. There is tension on this wine with dark, sour sweet berry fruit, long flavours, minerality and tannins with bitter dark wood on the end. Alex told us they are trying not to get too much ripeness on anything. It spends 4 weeks on the stems and skins, and is then pressed before spending two years in 500 litre French oak barrels

The 2015 Steepside Syrah is from the right hand vineyard and is picked a bit riper. More cherry than cassis, some vanilla and spice; softer, sweeter fruit, more approachable. Warm alcohol with tight tannins and dark wood on the end. Both need laying down for a few years

Then the 2015 Pondok Rug Cabernet Franc, which is a classic. Savoury on the nose, then cherry, vanilla and herb notes. Soft, sweet and savoury fruit with green cassis leaves, cherry berry long flavours, lots of minerality and elegance with wood holding back in support. To explain the historic name - Rug (pronounced reugh) is Afrikaans for a ridge and Pondok, a shack or in this case, probably, a ruined shepherd’s hut. Before we left, we tasted the 2014 Syrah, which is elegant, soft, sweet and satisfying, showing how well these wines develop with a little time

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Thursday, November 08, 2018

This Week’s MENU. Robertson Wine on the River, Overnight and Wine tasting at Bushmanspad, Robertson wine estates, Twelve Apostles' sushi, Wade Bales Constantia White, 2019 Platter's SA Wine Guide, Allan Mullins auction appeal, Thelema Petit Verdot, Alternative Christmas Pud

A walk in the country

We ended last week in Robertson and we’ll end this one there too, but more about that next week. We had a wonderful three days in that hospitable valley and came home to busy wine and dining activity in Cape Town. It has been a bit hectic. We’ll give you a small taste of one of those events here, the launch of the 2019 Platter wine guide, but the main story about that will be published next week. And we have a very special appeal.. An on line auction is being held for our friend Allan Mullins, to help with his huge medical expenses. Please click on the link below and look at the wonderful items being auctioned. It ends on the 11th, so you’ll need to hurry.

A hot Sunday at Robertson Wine Valley's Wine on the River Festival

We admit that we had been warned about the weather all week long, before we ventured to Robertson for the last day of Wine on The River, one of our favourite wine festivals. And boy, was it hot! At midday, it reached 42 degrees. Everyone was having a great time. First, we called in at the Robertson Wine Valley desk to get our media passes from Beatrix; also glasses, some vouchers, a lovely bottle of De Wetshof Finesse Chardonnay to drink with our lunch and some more of the very useful necklace wine glass holders, which allow us to control cameras and notebooks and keep our wine glasses hanging safely on our chests. You can see the heat in the photos…

Overnight and Wine tasting at Bushmanspad, Robertson

We had an invitation from Aldert Nieuwoudt, Cellarmaster at Bushmanspad, to stay at their cottages and taste their wines. We were able to stay for two nights and could then go to Wine on the River and also visit some wine farms in the area that we have not been to before, including Bushmanspad. The farm is nestled up against the Langeberg Mountains on the R60 between Ashton and Swellendam. It is owned by Dutchman Menno Schaafsma, who had the vision to build the five self catering guest cottages high on a ridge with spectacular views of the farm and the countryside beyond. There is a trail on the farm near the dam and the kloof which shows evidence of where Bushman travelled over the mountain to trade or hunt in the valley…

Visits to Robertson wine estates: Kleinhoekkloof and Kranskop

Robertson is full of some really kind and hospitable people in the wine industry, as we found on our most recent stay there. Although we had previously met the owners of Kleinhoekkloof, Theunis de Jongh, his wife Ronelle and daughter Danielle, who makes the wine with her father, we had never visited them on the farm and what a delightful visit it turned out to be…

Visits to Robertson wine estates: Springfield, Paul René, Lord's, Mont Blois

We began our third day in Robertson at Springfield, where we tasted some of the new vintages in the tasting room, specifically the Life from Stone and Special Cuvée Sauvignons Blanc, and could not resist buying six of each. These wonderful wines are distinctly different from each other, change during the year and vie for first position. Abrie Bruwer's daughter Jenna gave us an informative cellar tour…

Lunch with the Twelve Apostles' new sushi menu

The Twelve Apostles Hotel at Oudekraal now has a sushi menu and we were invited to have lunch and enjoy some of the sushi last week. It is in the lovely, summery Café Grill restaurant on the second floor…

Wade Bales launches Constantia White blend

Beautiful late afternoon light on the vines at Wade Bales’ Cellar in Constantia. Wade is a wine merchant (or, in French, a Negociant). We were there for the launch of a wine commissioned by and made especially for Wade; the first in his pioneering Wade Bales Regional Series: The Constantia White, a blend of 67% Sauvignon Blanc and 33% Semillon - as Wade says, the two hero varietals of the region. This is the outcome of a collaboration combining the talents of seven of Constantia’s top wine farms. Each winemaker selected a component of Sauvignon Blanc and/or Semillon from their best vineyards, tanks and barrels. All seven then participated in the rigorous tasting and blending process, hand crafting the best wine that represents Constantia…

The 2019 Platter's South African Wine Guide launched

The 2019 Platter Wine Guide by Diners Club was released this week at the Table Bay Hotel. Here, Publisher Jean-Pierre Rossouw holds up the new guide in its colour called Amphora, a mutable peachy pink that seems to change colour according to the light in which you view it. The On Line version is also available for purchase…

A private on-line wine auction for Allan Mullins' medical support

Our friend, Cape Wine Master Allan Mullins has had a huge impact on the South African wine scene, especially in his capacity as Wine Selector for Woolworths. He has done this despite having to live with a severe disability since he broke his spine in a diving accident at the age of 23. He has been in a wheelchair since then. He celebrated his 70th birthday last month. Living with such a severe disability presents severe medical challenges, especially as one reaches an advanced age, and this becomes very expensive. A group of Allan’s friends and family has put together an On Line auction of Special Vintage Wines, Unique Experiences, Art and Accommodation to boost his Medical Fund. The success of the auction rests on getting the word out to as many people as possible, so please go to the auction website in order to participate at auction.allanmullins.co.za

On the MENU this week. Alternative Christmas pudding Lynne has not cooked much this week; we have been away and out so much, so she hopes you won’t mind a repeat recipe from the past. Christmas is looming faster than we can credit and we are already planning our meal. Lynne made a couple of her famous Christmas puddings earlier this year, as we are rather traditional and love them on Christmas Day, after our evening meal. But not everyone likes them and this is a possible substitute more suited to our hot summer weather. You could substitute whisky or brandy for the rum if you prefer…

MENU’s Wine of the Week. Thelema Sutherland Petit Verdot

is one of the highest scoring Wines of the Year in the just released 2019 Platter SA Wine Guide. An unusual varietal that we believe has never before won 5 stars, we have enjoyed it many times in a wine from the same wine Estate, blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Read on…

8th November 2018

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Recommendations of products and outside events are not solicited or charged for, and are made at the authors’ pleasure. All photographs, recipes and text used in our website and ancillary works are © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus. Our restaurant reviews are often unsolicited. We prefer to pay for our meals and not be paid in any way by anyone. Whether we are invited or go independently, we don’t feel bad if we say we didn’t like it. Honesty is indeed our best policy. While every effort is made to avoid mistakes, we are human and they do creep in occasionally, for which we apologise. This electronic journal has been sent to you because you have personally subscribed to it or because someone you know has asked us to send it to you or forwarded it to you themselves. Addresses given to us will not be divulged to any person or organisation. We collect them only for our own promotional purposes. If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please click here to send us a message and if you wish to be removed from our mailing list

MENU’s Wine of the Week. Thelema Sutherland Petit Verdot

Now available from the farm at R300 a bottle. Lynne made sure that she tasted it after the Platter awards presentation and it knocked her socks off. So impressive, this wine was made with serious intent from beautiful fruit and has some of the expected violet perfume on the nose. Good supporting wood, it has lovely berry fruit in layers, a touch of salt, savouriness, warmth and depth with light chalky tannins. Do try and taste it before it sells out. It is young and will benefit from cellaring for a few years, if you can resist it now

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On the MENU this week. An Alternative Christmas Pudding

Lynne has not cooked much this week; we have been away and out so much, so she hopes you won’t mind a repeat recipe from the past. Christmas is looming faster than we can credit and we are already planning our meal. Lynne made a couple of her famous Christmas puddings earlier this year, as we are rather traditional and love them on Christmas day, after our evening meal. But not everyone likes them and this is a possible substitute more suited to our hot summer weather. You could substitute whisky or brandy for the rum if you prefer

Serves 6

180g Blueberries, plus more to decorate - 220g caster sugar - Juice of a lemon - 1/2 t Chinese Five Spice powder - 2 T water

Put all the ingredients into a heavy bottomed pan on full heat. Shake the pan to mix everything together. Stir with a wooden spoon but try not to break up the berries. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, then cool. Spoon some into the bottom of individual soufflé ramekins, or similar small pretty bowls

3 leaves gelatine - 600ml cream - 2 vanilla pods, split and scraped or 2 t Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste - 100g caster sugar - 2 T dark rum - 1 t powdered All Spice

Bring the vanilla, sugar and cream to a gentle simmer, remove from heat and allow to comedown in heat a little so you don’t lose the alcohol in the rum. While doing this, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for no more than 10 minutes, then wring out and add to the hot cream, together with the rum. Pour into the soufflé dishes and put into the fridge to set for 8 hours or overnight.

These do not need turning out. Put three or four fresh blueberries on top of each dish and top with light sprinkle of all-spice powder

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Wednesday, November 07, 2018

Lunch with the Twelve Apostles' new sushi menu

Chatting to an old friend, the Twelve Apostles' Head Sommelier Greg Mutambe

The menu of Sushi by 12A

We were given a bottle of the Blanc de Mer from Bouchard Finlayson, which always goes so well with seafood of any sort and it is indeed an excellent match for sushi. The Tollmans, who own the Twelve Apostles and the Carnation Hotel group, also own Bouchard Finlayson wine estate in the Hemel and Aarde

Love the impact of the place setting which echoes the blues of the decor

Our first course was the Chef’s selection of Sashimi, R195, and we were not disappointed. Some yellowtail (the white fish bottom left), two cuts of salmon; the one in the middle is the fatty belly salmon, next to it is the darker salmon, a smaller cut dressed with spring onion, daikon radish and some fine green chilli slices. Below it is the tuna, just seared on the outside and at the top of the plate large pink slices of tuna. The quality of the salmon and the tuna were superb and the sashimi is served on ice

Sushi Chef Sarawut Sukkowplang is from Thailand, so some of the sushi has Thai hints

You can examine the ingredients before you order, they are all on show

Restaurant Manager Gina Abrahams really took care of us and was very friendly and helpful

John decided we needed to try the Tuna Tataki and Lynne dug in before he had a chance to photograph it! Ooops. it happens to both of us. It comes finely chopped and formed into a beautifully presented cake topped with salmon roe, daikon, radish and some slivers of chilli. This is a Tuna Tartare mixed with wasabi and a ginger, soy, citrus sauce

Next we ordered the Futomaki. This is a super thick sushi roll with the nori outside, loaded with salmon, tuna, and avocado, then dipped in Tempura batter and deep fried. The roll takes at least three bites and puts one in danger of dripping sauce down one’s front, but it is worth risking as long as you have a napkin close by. But it was very good. Dressed with a sticky Teriyaki sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger. The rice used is more Thai than Japanese in texture.

Finally, we thought we would test their Tempura prawns and were surprised to see that they are then wrapped in a spicy mayonnaise, wrapped in nori and then rice and served as a sushi roll. Good sweet prawns and asparagus spears; the rice takes away the crispness of the tempura. Served with wasabi and pickled ginger. An interesting way to serve the prawns, we enjoyed them

An unexpected treat was brought to us by Gina Abrahams, a small plate of petit fours. Tiny macarons, dense chocolate ganache truffles and blocks of soft cream fudge served with fruit purée and gels. A lovely way to end a good meal

John enjoyed a good double espresso before we departed. Thank you so much for inviting us to the Twelve Apostles. We may well return to sample more sushi with friends

The outside area of the restaurant is next to the rock fountains and has lovely views of the Twelve Apostles mountain range. It was a little windy and chilly that day or we would have sat outside for lunch

A most beautiful mural of our local flora made of mosaic tiles and ceramics in relief hangs on the wall

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Visits to Robertson wine estates: Springfield, Paul René, Lord's, Mont Blois

Abrie Bruwer's daughter Jenna gave us an informative cellar tour of their large production facility. (If you are not a Bruwer or a de Wet in Robertson, you are probably related to them). They put insulating jackets on their cooling tanks.

Here she is explaining how they make the white wines

Underneath this floor are the old Kuipe or concrete tanks, which are still used. They were being cleaned by this worker and have to be accessed via those steel capped holes in the floor, not a popular job

More gleaming tanks in the spotless winery

and more above us

A wall of bottles, and each one can be removed without disturbing the others, should you want to

A solid wall of bottles

and more

In the red wine barrel cellar

The bottling line is impressive and was working that day

It is large but, apparently, is about to be replaced by an even larger and faster one which will bottle under nitrogen for increased stability and longevity

Storage bins

And the newly expanded deck alongside the tasting room

Jenna's new puppy, a Vizsla, has a lovely nature and is very inquisitive

A lovely place to enjoy wine on a sunny day

The Springfield Life from Stone Sauvignon Blanc. We also tasted something new, an Alvarinho 2018, This wine was first tasted in Uruguay by Abrie and his sister Jeanette and they fell in love with the grape. The nose is tropical and quite 'foreign' with a lovely muscat perfume. Peach and nectarine with limes on the palate, juicy and young with long lime flavours at the end. A lovely summery drink, that will pair well with food. More farms are planting it so soon it won’t be so foreign. It is a dryland grape that we had several times in Portugal. Newton Johnson also has one

Then on to our next farm, Paul René on Wonderfontein where they produce two MCCs, a Brut and a Brut Rosé, made by Henk van Niekerk

The old Georgian house, which was an orphanage at one stage

Inside the tasting room, a chandelier of bubbles

The original distillers licence, granted to the farm in 1885

The wines

And a working petrol bowser; every wine farm should have one

Henk with his son, Paul René, after whom the MCC wines are named. Henk and his wife Monica moved to Wonderfontein in 2008 and conceived the wine as a labour of love. Their first release was in 2013. Monica is responsible for the branding

We began with the Brut 2015, a Blanc de Blanc made from 100% Chardonnay from the Langeberg which has spent a minimum of 24 months on the lees. Bready and yeasty on the nose with hints of honey and lime. A lovely prickle on the palate with crisp lemon and grapefruit, refreshing with good minerality. We like this very much

A kiss from wife Monica

She is a talented designer and illustrator and is the brains behind the beautiful packaging and design

Next we tasted the Rosé, which is very pale, almost a partridge eye colour. 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay. On the nose, raspberry Pinot fruit with bready yeast, a nice prickle with soft strawberry and rosé flavours, it has complexity and some sweetness. Grown on ripped shale

The vineyards at Wonderfontein

Their house

Next we were off up the McGregor valley, right to the top to Lords Winery, where the weather was anything but clement. We had to run from the car to the winery as the wind and rain were horizontal and it was cold. This is the large tasting room which is also a conference or wedding venue. The clever bar can be moved and even separated into two parts to make separate bars

We tasted the Lords MCC Brut with its many gongs. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Bready on the nose, it spends 13 months on the lees and is bready and crisp on the palate. We also tasted the three Barrels Shiraz 2012. Pale in colour, with smoke and juicy fruit on the nose, lots of crisp fruit on the palate, lactic and warm alcohols

Their current range of wines. The Sauvignon blanc is unwooded, and full of granadilla and tropical flavours, crisp fruit acidity with grapefruit. The Rosé, made from 100% Pinot Noir has rose petals and raspberry fruit. Strawberry and raspberry on the palate with good acidity and some lactic flavours. The Pinot Noir has coffee choc vanilla with green leaves on the nose, tart fruit acids on the palate. It needs time, with dark wood on the end. Just released is the 2016 Shiraz, smoky and spicy with fruit cordial notes on the nose, good fruit, but thin with long flavours and very grippy chalky tannins

We were presented with a platter for lunch with some biltong, local cheeses, ham, a liver paté, some humus and some tiny cheese quiches, which certainly helped after all the wine and filled us up nicely. Thank you Lords, GM Louwrens Rademeyer and Benita Gouws for the informative tasting and nice lunch

The line up of their wines

And then back to Robertson and into the countryside behind the town to Mont Blois and their vineyards, for our appointment with Ernst and Nina-Mari Bruwer. They met at while studying Viticulture & Oenology at Stellenbosch University and Nina-Mari joined them in 2008. She and Ernst are married. And Nina-Mari is a Cape Wine Master

Their Cape Dutch house. The family’s first wine farm in Robertson was bought in 1846 and the Mont Blois Wynlandgoed cellar was built in 1884. Sweet muscadel wines were farmed in those days. Six generations later, owner Ernst Bruwer now manages three farms in Robertson: Mont Blois, La Fontaine and Sunshine. Mont Blois is named after the picturesque town of Blois in the Loire in which the Bruwer antecedents originated. They are both passionate about making site specific quality wines; they believe in sustainable farming and that older vineyards should be cared for

The wines we tasted. The 2016 Kweekkamp Chardonnay (4.5 stars in Platter 2019) is grown in a single vineyard on limestone soil. There is apple, honey and richness on the nose and clean palate, with full flavours of more green apples and limes, minerality and some chalk. The 2016 Hoog en Laag Chardonnay (4 stars in Platter 2019) is grown on red clay soils, 500 meters from the Kweekkamp and is different. It has perfume, fennel, nutmeg and nuts on the nose; on the palate, sweet oak vanillins with fruit and limes, good minerality and richness on the end with hints of spice. Two delicious and different Chardonnays, both well balanced and lightly oaked. The 2016 Groot Steen Chenin Blanc (4.5 stars in Platter 2019) comes from 32 year old vines on the banks of the Breede River. Spicy and perfumed on the nose, then honey richness and fullness on the palate, warm alcohols, lime marmalade acidity to balance, clean and full of minerality

We tasted their 2018 Grenache Blanc (4 stars in Platter 2019), recently released, with cooked apple and white grape notes on the nose; good minerality, stone fruit, plums, pear, nice warmth and texture on the palate, it has long flavours and is unfamiliar but very enjoyable. Normally found as a component in Rhône blends, it is being adopted by some good wine farms, so we expect to see more. Then two red wines: The 2016 Bacchus, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, has cassis and violets on the pretty nose and pure fruit - layers of berries and cherries, warm alcohol, and nice wooding which hints on the end palate. The Estate 2016 Pinotage is called Tarentaalsdraai. Chocolate and cherries on the very pretty nose, soft sweet fruit in layers, nice chalk and lots of cherries - black and red. Some complexity and definite aging potential

They still have stock of their Superior 1984 Estate Muscadel

The line up of the wines we tasted

Nina-Mari with a Coravin, an interesting pouring device that pours a measured dose and tops the bottle up with argon gas, so that it does not oxidise

Chatting about wine with Ernst and Nina-Mari while we taste. They are a charming couple

Then a taste of the two Estate muscadels The 2016 Pomphuis from across the river, a warmer farm, 260 gm/l sugar. With honey, herbs and dry grass on the nose, full of thick honey and limes, so well balanced. The Harpie 2016 has some Noble Late Harvest. It has honey, apricots and dried peaches on the nose, with wonderful warm, sweet fruit and honey on the palate. Two treasures. Both get 4.5 stars in the 2019 Platter

Long shadows began to stretch across the lawn as we said thank you and goodbye and headed back to Cape Town at about 4.30. We got home at 7.30, because there was a very nasty crash on the R60 near Nuy. A farm with really good wines, well worth visiting and buying

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MENU, our weekly email newsletter, started as an advertising medium for Main Ingredient, our specialist retail grocery business. We opened our Sea Point shop in December 2002 because realised that there was a place in South Africa for a grocer catering to people with sophisticated tastes and needs. We moved the shop on line in 2010, but discontinued it in 2015, having decided that it is time to “retire” and concentrate on our writing, photography and tour guiding. MENU has a wide circulation and is read nationally and internationally.

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