Another large trade wine show this week. Vinimark, whose Wine Trade Fair was held at the CTICC, represents some prestigious Cape Wine farms as well as some successful commercial brands that appear on many wine lists. One cannot possibly attempt to taste more than a fraction of the wines available so one listens to others about what they have been tasting and what is worth trying, as well as finding wines that have won recent awards
One comment after the tastings we have attended over the last weeks and it is worrisome. We have noticed a trend that winemakers are adding much too much wood to good Chardonnay, and they do seem to be younger winemakers. Have we learnt nothing? Please let’s not punish our wonderful Chardonnays with too much wood. People don’t like it and let’s face it, not many people buying Chardonnay have cellars and can afford the time for the wood to integrate. Gently does it and you will sell all of it
Early afternoon. It is attended by sommeliers and restaurant staff fitting the tasting between lunch and evening sessions, so it is spacious, as many of the daily trade are still working; later, it becomes quite hectic
Ginette de Fleuriot CWM was pouring the French Champagnes,
Nicolas Feuillet and a magnum of Bollinger Special Cuvée Rosé which was so exciting, spicy, crisp,
showing lovely raspberry and strawberry fruit and great quality. Great way to begin a tasting like this
Kerry Sutherland of Kerry-Wine and Tarryn Vincent of Reciprocal Trading, importers of Riedel glasses
Melvin Minnaar with Matthew Barlow of Rustenberg
The Rustenberg Stellenbosch Malbec 2020 is a textbook expression of this lovely grape
Spice, good dark cherry, berry fruit and good oak. Soft and slightly chewy on the deep juicy palate, with lovely length
It calls for a five course gourmet meal
The John X Merriman 2020 blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot has violets first then good fruit;
such elegance and power with sweet berry fruit and dark wood on the end. One to put down, but drinking so well now
The Peter Barlow 2019 has incense wood, layers of dark berry fruit on the nose, sweet berries on the palate,
lighter than expected and juicy and asking for food
Ad Wegner of GetWine with James Downes of Shannon
The Shannon Oscar Browne Chardonnay 2020 is new; a first picking from the fourth year of the vines
Elegant, with a whiff of good French oak, then perfume, then fruit;slightly etherial and enticing
Round on the palate, clean crisp limes and lemon, then a whiff of stone fruit and a finish of golden oak. Delicious
The Shannon Rockview Ridge Pinot Noir 2019 is perfumed, elegant, with pencil shavings and berry fruit,
on the palate, soft strawberry & raspberry fruit in layers, supported by good wood and a long finish
Lynne has a word to describe the Shannon Mount Bullet Merlot 2019 A.maz.ing!
Soft and shy on the nose at first then incense wood and fruit comes out to play
Lovely soft chalky tannins and pure essence of cherries and raspberries. Classy, elegant, textured,
just what a Merlot should be
James Downes showing his Merlot to Gus Allen of Constantia Glen
The Constantia Glen TWO 2020 is as expected, so elegant and full of great fruit,
delicious to drink and as an accompaniment to good food
Annemie Adriaanse representing Edgebaston Wines
Mandy Giddey of Makro with Tracy James-Elphick of Vinimark
Neil Ellis' new budget range of West Coast Sauvignon Blanc
It is a classic Sauvignon Blanc from the West Coast, crisp and complex with a real hint of sea breeze
Neil Ellis with his daughter Margot
and his new wallet-friendly Rosé
Zia van Rooyen du Toit, Sales & Marketing Director at Lanzerac Wine Estate with Francois du Toit
Samantha O'Keefe of Lismore Estate with James Pietersen of The Wine Cellar
The food flowed throughout the tasting and was rather good
A final appearance of Glenelly cellarmaster Luke O’Cuinneagain before he starts in his new position at Vergelegen
The Glenelly Estate Reserve Red 2016 is our sort of complex red wine blend
A whiff of Cabernet Franc on the nose, lovely savoury umami flavours on the palate with deep, dark berry fruit
The Glenelly Lady May 2016 echoes the elegance of Glenelly owner Madame May-Eliane de Lencquesaing
A classic Bordeaux blend, with a little ripeness from the South African terroir,
lovely fruit, great wooding and soft tannins and definitely a keeper
Pretty little bites
Serrano ham and edible pansies, which Lynne cannot bear to eat as they are so pretty
Oh, those enormous prawns! and some quiches
Woolworths wine selector Rob Gower with Bosman Wines marketing manager Anthony van Schalkwyk
and cellarmaster Corlea Fourie
We loved the Bosman Upper Hemel and Aarde Sauvignon Blanc,
so classic with lovely green capsicum and elderflower on the nose and palate, crisp and refreshing
Head to head with Johan Reyneke
His stand was so busy. Lynne only managed to taste three white wines
His ripe and rich Organic Chenin Blanc 2021 has lovely stewed apple and apricot fruit
The Organic Sauvignon Blanc is complex and layered with good wood on the end
The Biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc 2021 has smoke and pleasant hints of fruit on the nose
It opens up on the palate and enchants with long fruit flavours, good grip of tannins and is full of quality and possibility
Sticky steak kebabs and a smiling server
Irene de Fleuriot, winemaker and General Manager of La Bri
Christo le Riche, who stepped into father Etienne’s big shoes at Le Riche and has filled them very well
Sophia Hawkins showing the pre-release Vilafonte Series C
There were many more great wines which we scored highly, like the Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2019 which is perfumed with raspberries, flavours of red and black berries in intense layers and some chocolate and licorice on the end. A blockbuster but needs time
The Boekenhoutskloof 2019 Syrah has a very pretty nose, quite enticing. Lynne would wear it as a perfume! Good red berry fruit, tooth gripping tannins with the fruit following through with freshness, spice, pepper and raspberries
The Creation Viognier 2022 says "bring on summer!" Peach and other stone fruit on the nose, then crisp lime and warm fruit combines to a lovely full palate with an end of a summer fruit salad
The De Morgenzon Reserve Syrah 2017 has elegance, fine pencil shaving wood, perfume and soft pepper, and coriander spice on the nose. Sweet fruit beguiles and fills the palate, some grippy chalky tannins, then the fruit returns with long flavours and spice on the end
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