Tuesday, February 20, 2024

The Melting Pot at Oak Valley revisited

 Another overseas visitor, so another visit to The Melting Pot in Elgin for lunch,
this time by the pool as it was a gloriously warm day



The Hydrangeas were in full bloom

Our excellent Sommelier, Kwanele Mhlobo, brought us a tasting of two Oak Valley Wines
The Stone and Steel Riesling has ripeness on the nose with perfume and good stone fruit
Rounded on the palate with initial sweetness then crunchy acidity. Not a sign of terpenes, a lovely food wine
Beneath the Clouds Chardonnay has lime/lemon freshness on the nose and on the palate,
a cool climate and very enjoyable Chardonnay
The Groenlandberg Chardonnay has a hint of smoke from the 27% oak contact in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels
Rounded on the palate, deep layers of good lime and lemon fruit with wood supporting
And then we were offered a real treat, a taste of the 2018
A hint of smoke, apricot, peach, persimmon on the nose
Richness, a lovely texture on the palate crisp; oily, and full
almost as if  it were Semillon, on both nose and palate, with great fruit
A classic, showing what some age does to this wine

Next The Oak Valley Pinot Noir, Sound of Silence which has lovely cherry, berry fruit on the nose
and follows through on the palate
Ripe berry fruit repeats on the palate in layers. Drinking well now
The Groenlandberg Pinot has had 30% oak and is smoky and herbaceous on the nose
with mulberry, plum and cherry
An elegant wine, with good tannins, made to last with lots of oak and good fruit
Finally, the 2022 Leap of Faith Merlot. Rose petals, red cherry red plum on the nose
Good supporting wood nice warmth and great fruit repeated, juicy and succulent, a major wine for food

We had a lovely selection of small plate dishes and the Mezze platter shown here

Chef has changed the menu slightly for the season and we really enjoyed the changes,
although we did miss the dumplings, which he assures us will return later in the year

Yellowtail sashimi topped with mint

Fish Taco

West Coast Mussels.  It was another memorable lunch


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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Michael Olivier RIP

Michael Olivier was responsible for many memorable meals enjoyed at important times in John's life. He has special memories of meals at Lanzerac when visiting the Cape from the big dusty city in the North, on family holidays and on his honeymoon with Pam in 1974. Michael re-introduced him to classic Cape food; a waterblommetjie bredie he produced at Paddagang in Tulbagh was an inspiration in the mid 1980s, after he had “semigrated’ from Johannesburg and come to live in Kenilworth. The restaurant Michael and Maddie ran near to his home for several, but too few years, Parks in Wynberg, became our “local” and saw many family celebrations – John's 50th birthday and his mother’s 80th among others and then, a special memory, his first date with Lynne on her birthday near the end of the last century
Since then, we have met sporadically, sadly seldom since he and Maddie moved north and then returned to the Cape. Now, after a period of ill-health, he has left us for the big kitchen in infinity and we will miss him and his big smile. Our thoughts are with Maddie and their children and grandchildren. Memories of him will live on.
A Memorial for Michael  was held at Vergenoegd Löw The Wine Estate in the Helderberg on Sunday 7th January. A large number of friends gathered to celebrate the life of a gentleman who was a consummate chef and restaurateur, a well-respected wine writer and the author of half a dozen books

A short memorial service with verbal tributes by Michael's brother, hotelier Nicky Fitzgerald and Johan Malan of Simonsig was followed by a gathering on the lawn outside Bertus Basson's Clara's Barn restaurant, which Bertus was generous enough to donate without charge for the duration of the gathering. The people who came brought a large quantity of food and a suitable wonderful selection of wines. It was truly a celebration of a life very well lived. A fitting memorial to a man who should not be forgotten


Just one table of the amazing spread


Many personal friends of Michael and Maddy and many industry people attended



Friends chatting to Maddy after the memorial service


Somerset West town councillor Norman MacFarlane and his wife Elspeth

Pearl Oliver and Michael Bampfield Duggan, both wine industry friends of Michael


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Lunch at Bientang's Cave, Hermanus

 Another visit to Hermanus and a beautiful morning meant a walk on one of the loveliest beaches in the region

No wind and the perfect temperature had this Monday morning off to a good start.

Sea birds on the estuary at Prawn Flats

And after the walk, lunch at Bientang's Cave, to introduce yet another of our British friends to this gem

It is so popular in summer that you have to book and the table we had was only available at 2pm,
but we were very happy to while away the afternoon with good food

And great views.  You may just be able to see the lighthouse at the lands end at Cape Agulhas
which is the southernmost point of Africa
No whale spotting this time, but we heard that a huge shoal of mackerel was spotted the following week
and many diving birds were feasting on them

One of the great Hemel and Aarde wines to enjoy with seafood, their Blanc de Mer,
a blend of Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay and a drop of Sauvignon Blanc
perfume of the sea, crisp, zesty and long, it defines expectations and is very affordable

Our lovely smiling waitress 

Two of us opted for the Seafood Potjie, jam packed with fresh mussels, prawns, fish and calamari
Served with rice and bread

and John had the Cape Malay Seafood curry, good prawns and chicken, a bit bland and with far too much turmeric,
served with rice and a poppadum

The tide going out and gulls searching for food in the algae on the rocks


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Wine tasting at Buitenverwachting

A friend visiting from the UK wanted to visit Constantia
and we decided that a tasting at Buitenverwachting

 would be a good start

Sarah, a recent ID graduate, now at Discovery in Johannesburg, was our wine server and very good at it too! 

Two glasses of Chardonnay on the counter. This wine really impressed
Fresh, with a classic Chardonnay nose, wood just supporting, with minerality and roundness on the classy palate
White peach, lemon and citrus with long flavours
We did a thorough tasting, sharing our different choices and having differing experiences but all were good
You pay R100 to taste five wines and we all ordered different wines and shared them
so we tasted almost everything on the extensive menu

A first for Constantia, 2021 Pioneer Chenin Blanc from 5 year old bush vines
Smoke on the nose, with golden fruit, which repeats on the palate with cling peach and definite Chenin ripe fruit
Worth bottling, can't wait to see how it ages

Hussey's Vlei is definitely our favourite Constantia Sauvignon Blanc. It's from a single block
This vintage 2022 is still a bit shy on the nose but full of delight on the palate with layers of classic fruit,
crisp English gooseberries, lime, stone fruit with lovely green capsicum notes
to remind one how wonderful cool country Sauvignon Blanc can be

If you are a fan of Gewurztraminer, this one is for you
Buitenverwachting G 2020 has the classic Turkish Delight rose petal nose
Clean, fresh, long crisp flavours on the rose palate; so enjoyable. It shouts for spicy food

Buitenverwachting's MPV stands for a blend of 70% Merlot, 30% Petite Verdot and what an enticing blend this makes
Violets, incense wood from the long barrel maturation and then cherry,
it was the best nose of the day, a wine you want to dive into
Soft tannins, full on fruit with layers of cherry and dark berries
The perfect accompaniment to Lamb, Springbok, Duck and Mediterranean meat dishes

Third time Lucky 2020 is Cellarmaster Brad Paton's best version of Viognier
which, unusually, is given 10 months in Acacia barrels
Sweet fruit, perfume and wood on the nose, peaches and cream, lime crispness and white peach
with long flavours all in balance, a great food wine

  We also tasted the Rough Diamond, a blend of 60% Malbec and 40% Petit Verdot
Richness and fullness then savouriness on the nose
Silky on the full palate, cassis, cherry, pomegranate, loooong flavors with salty minerality on the end
So enjoyable, another that calls for red meat NOW!  

And then we were allowed a special tasting (Thank You Lars) from an open bottle
Buitenverwachting's Double Cab; 80% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon which is only made in certain years
Built to last. 37 months in new French oak, classic Cab Franc savouriness on the nose,
with black and red cherries, incense oak
Rounded, complete and beautiful with layered flavours of cherry cassis blueberries plus warmth
Chalky tannins, grippy on the teeth with licorice and black tea on the end
The wood is holding this together for future enjoyment but not interfering. WOW

We could not taste the 1762 this time, but we have at award ceremonies in the recent past, where it keeps winning awards
Named for the first year in which vines were planted in Constantia
In our opinion, one of the very best Constantia sweet wines, with layers of quality, complexity and sheer Class
With elegance, ripe golden fruit, big flavours and lasting potential
Made from 100% Muscat de Frontignan, it won best Dessert Wine in the Investec Trophy Awards 2023
It's also a Platter 5 star wine

Where to lunch after an epic tasting like this, well how about simple fish and chips at Dunes on the beach at Hout Bay. In the teeth of a South Easter, sandblasting us, we got seats inside

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Wine tasting at Simonsig

A Sunday trip to Stellenbosch for our friend from the UK nearly proved abortive
The first wine farm we went to no longer sells wine, just beer!
The second and third were closed (seems to be a growing thing in that area)
so we headed for one we knew would produce the goods and be open - Simonsig
Warmly welcomed by Paulina Pietersen

 She introduced us to the many varied tasting options on their menu

Lynne and Terry with our vast collection of tasting glasses. We all did different tastings
Lynne felt she needed a challenge and opted for the blind tasting and found it a bit challenging; the wines were excellent
The  Langbult Steen/Chenin with its layers of nectarine and citrus was delicious
The  flavours of the Sunbird Sauvignon Blanc livened up our palates
The Pick of the Bunch Pinotage, with cherry, smoke and richness on the nose, is soft and silky
with cherry, plum and pepper; it has some chalky tannins
and the Tiara Bordeaux Blend was so recognisable in its quality and class; so well made and enjoyable

We also opted to have their Ploughman's Platter for our late lunch and what a feast it is with excellent charcuterie, good cheeses and excellent fresh and still warm farm bread
We could also taste the Redhill Pinotage and the Merindol Syrah with lunch, both superb wines

A Cellar Door

The Gabled end of one of the farm buildings

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Tasting and lunch at Newton Johnson

Staying in the Hemel and Aarde in Summer is such a great place to be
All the roads are accessible now, so the valley is there for you to explore
We were there for four days so we relaxed, slept well, did some major bird watching
from the stoep of the cottage we stay at and, of course, made appointments to visit some of our favourite wine farms
and the one with the best views and, in our estimation, some of the best wines is Newton Johnson
It is a while since we visited their restaurant and thought it would be the perfect place to have a tasting
followed by Sunday lunch

The tasting room has expanded and is very comfortable, with those great views
We had previously arranged with Lisa in the tasting room to do the tasting and,
although she was taking a very deserved break that weekend,
the two young men running the tasting room did us proud
especially Liam Cloete, who was so well-informed

What a perfect name for a good Rosé.  We serve Rosé to all of our friends who come to visit us in the summer
 South African Rosés are delicious as an aperitif or with food
Those we buy are dry, but full of red berry fruit, complex, and delicious
Newton Johnson Rosé 2023, made from Pinot Noir, has cherry and vanilla ice cream on the nose,
with richness and depth on the palate with lovely red cherry berry fruit; almost a red wine
So easy to drink and  very affordable at R120 a bottle
 We then tasted the Albarinho. This warm country grape, native to Spain and Portugal,
is being planted in several SA wine areas because of the warming of the climate
These were the first vines brought into the country. We love it
Lees, nectarine, melon and apple blossom on the full nose
A glimmer of sun and hot soil on the palate, nectarine, orange peel, sharp quince to balance the palate
Juicy and satisfying, it is a great wine with food

This Pinot noir vineyard, source of some of their grapes, is directly below the building
The South End Chardonnay 2022 has some new French oak contact and has smoke, some minerality, and fresh citrus on the attractive nose
Fullness on the palate, sunshine, lovely citrus  flavours, lots of minerality with some flint and complexity
The Family Vineyards Chardonnay ramps up the experience
with a whiff of smoke, golden fruit, vanilla and spice
It is full and rounded on the palate
with ginger, spice, nectarine and other stone fruit
With long flavours and good wood just supporting, this is built to last and mature well


Full Stop Rock is a total raspberry bomb on the nose with spice and wood
White pepper and spice, meaty Mourvedre, leathery Shiraz then raspberries and chocolate on the long end
A successful blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre, Falkirk 2021 Grenache is new to us
Wood, violets, cassis, raspberry with depth and concentration of fruit with a savoury end. Really good
The 2021 Falkirk Syrah has smoke, shy berry fruit and balsam
Rich berry fruit with good spice and fruit and acid in balance

The 2022 Family Vineyard Pinot Noir was next and is the reason we love the Newton Johnson Pinots so much
This was Lynne's best red wine tasted in 2023. It is an impressive wine
Smoke, richness, lovely berries, a hint of bacon and minerality on the nose. Delicious on the silky palate
Minerality follows the intense red berry fruit in layers, good tannins and a touch of wood on the elegant end
This is built to last, but is drinking so well now. It was an epic tasting so we headed in to lunch

The concise and tempting menu is well priced

Dessert and beverages

Chef Tullishe le Roux is well known in the industry and we enjoyed her food very much..

The spotless and well organized open kitchen

A table at the window to get more of those views

Another great Newton Johnson Pinot to try with our lunch, filled with raspberry and red berry fruits
Such elegance and flavour, much contentment was had. It paired well with everything

A starter of Ham Hock Terrine, sweet mustard and Sauerkraut
The terrine was reminiscent of the Jambon Persillé that is so popular in Burgundy, delicious

A delicate and astoundingly good Chicken liver parfait served with sticky onion marmalade and toasted baguette

Lynne loves Asian and chose this fish dish, Filipino Sinigang of Kingklip in a Tamarind broth with  vegetables,
served with sticky rice, something new and very enjoyable

The tender Confit Duck leg was served with sweet potato, a feta salad, lemon and ginger

A Beef Hamburger topped with Cheddar cheese and serve with fat crisp chips

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