Thursday, August 24, 2023

SA Terroir Awards 2023 at Lanzerac

The South African Terroir Wine Awards competition is the brainchild of Marius Labuschagne,
renowned wine writer and marketer from Durbanville

It was created in 2005 to define the various terroir types of the Cape
and then award specific wines as being the best examples in that terroir
The awards highlight our many different wine growing areas

Terroir is where elements like soil, climate and altitude come together
to result in the radically different tastes and characters of wines grown in the same area or region
South Africa can be proud of the wines it produces and of the top quality terroir that is cultivated
It shows in those wines

The 2023 Terroir Awards were presented at a lunch at the historic Lanzerac Wine Estate in Stellenbosch

It was a lovely late winter day and the squirrels were dining on buried acorns

We met in the hotel foyer and were welcomed with a glass of Lanzerac Cap Classique

Canapés were served. These were topped with smoked salmon mousse 

Two tables of white wines and two of red wines that were entered into the competition were there for us to taste
And we found lots to like
The elegant 2020 Chardonnay from Almenkerk in Elgin, the classy Old Road Stone Trail 2019 Chenin from Franschhoek
Bergsig's (Wellington) Patmos 2021 Chenin Blanc so impressed and enchanted
that we hoped we would have it with lunch, and we did
Arbeidsgenot in Malmesbury (Swartland) produced such a good Verdelho that Lynne wrote 'Buy' in her notes
And, again, for the Roodezandt Blushing Bride rosé from McGregor
This doesn't happen very often in competitions. So Terroir really matters when it shows on the palate

Arancini rice balls 

Beetroot and cream cheese

The wines were conventionally arranged, starting with a dry Sauvignon Blanc
and finishing with a dessert wine, so you could taste in a circle

The red wine table
This turned into a speed tasting as there were so many to sample
The Rietvallei 2019 (Robertson) Cabernet Franc had us in raptures,
such good quality, fruit, wood and a true expression of this charming grape
La Vierge Apogée Pinot Noir is a good Upper Hemel & Aarde Pinot
and Martin Meinert's 2018 Merlot (Devon Valley Stellenbosch)
with roses, cherries and incense oak which follows through on the palate, has real quality
And on they came

A lot of preparation... Bennie Howard checking that it is all in place

Tables set and ready for the lunch during which the awards would be presented

and a selection of wines entered into the competition which we could try with lunch

Chefs preparing canapés in the open kitchen

"Which wine shall we try with the starter?"

And we are off. Bennie Howard gets the proceedings underway. These awards were first held in 2006
And he gave us one of his famous quotes:
"Drink wine and be saved. The answer may not be at the bottom of the bottle, but do check"

Chairman Christo Pienaar welcomed us to the 18th presentation of the Terroir Awards
and named all their sponsors: SA Litho, Winfield United, Ontbyt Sake

2023 SA Terroir Trophy Winners
Trophy for SA Terroir Top Wine: 2018 Alto Cabernet Sauvignon
Trophy for SA Terroir Top Producer: Rietvallei Wine Estate
Trophy for SA Terroir Top Wine Estate: Rietvallei Wine Estate
Trophy for SA Terroir Top Single Vineyard Wine: 2020 Almenkerk Chardonnay (wooded)
Trophy for SA Terroir Top Area: Malmesbury
To see all the awards in detail click on this link 
http://terroirwineawards.co.za/

Jeff Grier was one of the judges this year, together with Elunda Basson, Conrad Louw, Anton Swart and Janine van Zyl


The presentation of a Certificate of Recognition to the Wine and Spirit Board and the Wine of Origin Scheme
for the work they do certifying the terroir and the wines
 2023 is the 50th Anniversary of the Wine of Origin scheme

The starter; a corn chowder with flamed smoked snoek, marinated mussels and a cauliflower arancini,
topped with a red onion relish, fresh coriander and cucumber
We had the Patmos Chenin and it was the perfect match

Dawrian Salies, representing sponsor SA Litho

Two National Winner certificates for Benguela Cove for their Semillon and their Noble Late Harvest. 
Received by Michelle Waldeck, Junior Winemaker at Benguela Cove
and presented by Louis Mclaren of Kyknet programme Ontbytsake

De Wet Lategan of Bergsig Estate in Breedekloof
received two awards for their Chenin Blanc and Weisser Reisling

Kobus Burger of Rietvallei with two awards for his excellent Cabernet Franc and his Red Blend

The main course; a tender beef fillet and a braised beef cheek, a Grana Padano cheese layered potato slice,
charred onion, a dab of spinach purée and a delicious concentrated beef jus

Daniela Jansen, winemaker at Saronsberg in Tulbagh, with awards for their Grenache and Mourvèdre

and Jaco Brand, Cellarmaster at Meerhof in Riebeek Valley received three awards
for his Arbeitsgenot (Malmesbury) Grenache Blanc, Verdelho and Roussanne

A very happy Joris van Almenkerk with a joyous Bennie Howard

receiving his Trophy for SA Terroir Top Single Vineyard Wine: 2020 Almenkerk Chardonnay (wooded) from Elgin

Kobus Burger of Rietvallei with his trophy. He received two:
the  Trophy for SA Terroir Top Producer and 
Trophy for SA Terroir Top Wine Estate
We sat with him at lunch and there was much celebrating

Jaco Brand received the Trophy for SA Terroir Top Area: Malmesbury

Bertho van der Westhuizen of Alto in Stellenbosch received the Trophy for SA Terroir Top Wine
2018 Alto Cabernet Sauvignon

The four trophy winners

Dessert was a honey poached pear, with a lovely salted caramel ice cream, candied nuts, and an almond mousse
A good way to end the happy day


The kitchen staff came out to be congratulated on a great meal

Executive Chef Stephen Fraser

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

Posted by MENU at 12:52 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

David & Nadia tasting at Culture Wine Bar

A chance to taste the newly released 2022 vintage Swartland wines of David and Nadia Sadie was exciting
It was arranged at the Culture Club venue in Grub and Vine in Cape Town by Karen Visser of Great Domaines

The lineup of the 2022 David and Nadia Vintage release for the Great Domaines trade tasting

David and Nadia Sadie farm at Paardebosch Farm on Paardeberg Mountain

The tasting was well attended by members of the wine trade and media

The wines we were to taste. It was a really impressive view of what good winemaking can produce

Wine being poured by Karin Visser of Great Domaines wines.  Impressive glasses for the tasting

David and Nadia also poured

All the wines are grown in the Swartland from several different sites
There was a discussion about corks and they now prefer to use 100% Diam, which gives them good results

We began with the Chenin Blanc and Aristargos
The 2022 Chenin has 20% new oak the wine is from old vines. It's a classic Swartland Chenin
Clean fruit on the nose, some ripeness
Lovely layered fruit on the palate which is a blend of tropical and golden fruit, with a long finish
Aristargos is an unusual blend of Chenin Blanc , Semillon, Claret Blanche and Verdelho
All pickings are timed differently
Vanilla oak, greyness from the semillon, minerality and good peach and apricot fruit on the nose
Superb on the palate with integrated fruit, it is exciting and goes on and on, with good acidity and in full balance
A food wine and rather Southern French in character

Hoësteen 2022 Chenin Blanc is complex on the nose with hints of lees/wood. From clay slopes in Malmesbury
Clean, crisp and full with long flavours, a little chalky tannin, another great food wine
2021 was the most extreme vintage with heat waves and they lost 10 to 15% of the crop
All the grapes come from dryland farms
Rondevlei 2022 Chenin Blanc comes from a single vineyard in Malmesbury West, a flat oasis
Made in concrete, with a portion in barrel. Richness of fruit, a whiff of oak. Golden and complex, it draws you in
On the palate, clean fruit, great structure, good acid balance with limes appearing on the end with dark oak

Platbos 2022 Chenin Blanc is from 3.7 hectares, their biggest vineyard
They are grafting and replanting on old neglected vineyards
An ethereal nose, golden fruit with wood supporting, very different, very good
Clean and crisp with underlying richness and fullness in layers
Skaliekop 2022 Chenin Blanc has mature fruit and vanilla oak on the nose
Ripe loquat fruit with more crisp lime on the end palate, with some pastry

Grenache Noir 2022 is made in concrete and older barrels
Wildness on the nose, it wants to break free with mulberry and morello cherry fruit and a whiff of dark oak
It fills the palate with lovely red berry fruit, some soft chalky tannins and a good fruit acid balance,
a long finish with some salty licorice on the end
Epidios 2021 is a blend of Grenache noir 38%, Syrah 36%, Pinotage 10%, Carignan 9%, Cinsault 7%
An interesting nose as vanilla appears first, then the Pinotage & Cinsault showing their Pinot like character,
with cherry and raspberry, then darker fruit and spice from the Syrah
Chalk and fruit circle the palate with pepper, sour cherry, rhubarb and mulberry, with more chalk on the end

An exceptional, educational and exciting tasting of well-made wines
Thank you both Sadies and Karin for arranging it

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

Posted by MENU at 6:08 pm 0 comments
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