Catch Up! vol. 1

Hector- Guard Dog

Hey Everyone,

Heres a bit of a catch up on whats been happening over the past few days; I've been doing a lot lately! When last I updated this site, I had visited biodynamic producer Reyneke to the west of Stellenbosch. Things change so fast here that I am writing this to you from the office of the very same producer. It sounds like I've not accomplished even as much as getting back to my own flat to go to bed, but in fact there is much more that has happened between my two visits.

I paid a very interesting visit back to de Trafford and met a second time with our old friend Gerard at Kleinood, as well as visited Waterford Winery and legendary winemaker Kevin Arnold. I then went a bit further afield to the north and later to the east, but that will be covered on its own!

First things first; going to de Trafford a second time I was given the chance to try quite a few interesting vintages from this excellent winery. We delved into the library stock (after making it past the fearsome guard dog 'Hector'!) and arranged a flight of five vintages each of the Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Elevation as well as some Straw Wine and Chenin Blanc. As far back as 2004 for some of the wines, I saw the measure of quality that truly lies behind the label of every bottle of David Trafford's wines. Tasting through a vertical of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet going back to 2004, I didn't necessarily see how the wine ages (Most still have years to go!), but I did see vintage variation.

Its is always the mark of a classic winery when the same wine varies year to year, not sacrificing anything in quality, but embracing the unique qualities of each vintage. A common theme running through the 2009 wines, which was a phenomenal year for South Africa is a hint of smokey savouriness. This owes to the raging wildfires that ravaged the countryside near Stellenbosch and for many this was a disaster. Any grapes contaminated with smoke were eliminated and the crop suffered. Not so with de Trafford. The wines are big enough and structured enough to actually carry the smoke with surprising ease, integrating the flavour as an integral aspect of the overall character.

I was truly impressed by the quality and youthful vigor in the 2006 Syrah as well as the Merlot, and the 2005 Cabernet has been developing extremely well. I would be particularly happy if we could get some of these reserve vintages on the shelves in St. Andrews! Perhaps if we ask very nicely we will see some aged Syrah or Cabernet on our shelves...

Beyond that we tasted a few excellent vintages of the Elevation blend, a Bordeaux style assemblage that screamed class and style in every vintage. This is a perfect case in point that South Africa is able to put forward some proper fine wines (whatever 'fine' actually means) and for me, this will be an exciting wine to keep an eye on as it matures. If you ever decide to spring for some Elevation, or any de Trafford for that matter, I would try and go for a second bottle to just put away and forget about for a good decade and check in one night with a nice roast leg of lamb.

Tomorrow I'll be writing about my great experiences on the road as I journeyed through Paarl, the Swartland and down the coast to the southernmost tip of Africa (and beyond!) to Cape Agulhas.

Until then...

Much Love,

George

 

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Biodynamics in Action- Reyneke

Hey Everyone,

Today I went back towards Raats to visit another farm along the Polkesdraai Road. Reyneke is situated in what seems like a gated community of awesome wine. Several occupy the same driveway off the Polkedraai, including the not insignificant De Toren. Reyneke however, is much less known amongst international wine drinkers, though the recognition is growing and with it the loyal following. Platter's Guide gave the 2008 flagship Red a rare 5/5 star rating and the rest of the range consistently performs very highly in such ratings.

Head winemaker and owner Johann Reyneke only took over this operation about 15 years ago and in that time has fine tuned his product in accordance with biodynamic principles for his flagship red and white wines and maintains an organic classification for his entire range, even down to the entry level bottlings. While I do not pretend to really 'get' biodynamics as far as the quality of the wine is concerned, I have to say that the wines I tried were excellent.

The farm is located in a remarkable position. Sitting at the top of a hill to the west of Stellenbosch it commands incredible views north across a valley filled with vineyards and fruit farms, and to the south were the striking silhouette of Table Mountain looms in the haze next to the deep blue of False Bay and beyond, the Indian Ocean.

The proximity to the sea, with very little high ground in between means that this particular area of the Stellenbosch wine lands receives the moderating influence of the maritime breezes. More than the climate, Reyneke's vineyards are planted on the same seam of Table Mountain Sandstone that gives such excellent results at Raats just a kilometre or so down the road. An adventurous wine maker like Johann Reyneke is sure to put that excellent soil to good use.

With the sea breezes colling the vineyards, Reyneke can focus on an elegant style of Syrah, similar in feel to a Cornas in my opinion. Not as peppery as Crozes-Hermitage, not as intensely fruity as an Aussie Shiraz, it strikes a nice balance with dark, black berries and a tiny hint of cocoa (not chocolate) and spicy clove. The cooling climate also means that the berries ripen more evenly over a longer period of time meaning that the tannins are tightly woven with an acidity level that presents a wine intended for aging. The quality was so high that I would love to lay down a couple bottles and try them over the next five years and leave one to forget about until 2020!


The biodynamic white was one that was right up my alley; a barrel fermented and 12 month aged Sauvignon Blanc in the style of a white Pessac-Léognan. The oak, though present was so carefully applied and delicate that the clean, clear fruits of the Sauvignon came through with a tiny touch of struck flint. Again, this is a wine that has the legs to march on into the future for another four or five years getting only better and bolder. I would not be surprised if it could go further but I just don't know if I could wait!

The Cornerstone red blend, consisting of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc was another big, full on bottle that not only has the potential for aging but requires it to soften the impact of the tannins, acidity and massive fruit character. The encouraging part was that all these aspects of the wine were in balance. No one element stood over the others nor dominated. Balance in a wine such as this is reassuring at such a youthful stage and I am confident that after a few years it will become an exceptional red and will reward patient wine enthusiasts with a classy bottle of mature wine.

I really liked Reyneke. The wines were excellent and show a real adventurous edge to the wine maker's approach. They are intended for aging, meaning that Johann is banking on customers with foresight. Barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc is not a wine for the mass consumer. It takes time to acquire the taste and many examples out there simply aren't very good (I'm looking at you Cloudy Bay) so when a winemaker puts a lot of effort into the production of a proper example it shows that his work is a labour of love.

Tomorrow I shall be heading back to Kleinood and take a stroll through among the vines with Gerard de Villiers to see first hand how his methods are put into practice in the vineyards. Until then...

Much Love,

George

 

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Those Damn Baboons!- Keermont Wine Estate

Hey Everyone,

Today I am writing after one of my more thorough visits to a winery. Just down the 'road' from Kleinood (more of a rough dirt track) is the Keermont wine estate, situated far up the valley with one foot on the Helderberg and one foot on the Stellenbosch Berg with vineyards creeping well up the slopes.

Originally this was a bottling plant for natural spring water, though since becoming a winery the spring still serves as a source of irrigation water in dire circumstances and fills the jugs on tasting tables. At the top of the vineyards the reservoir is said to be about the best swimming pool on a hot day, with clean cool fresh water, and no doubt a great source of drinking water for the wildlife of the mountain.

Wine maker Alex Starey took me for a drive up the steep winding track that weaves through the vineyards on the Stellenbosch Berg and there we got a look at the kind of biodiversity the area can claim. A male baboon, likely with his family in tow scampered into the bushes, dropping a bunch of grapes as he fled. This is one of the not so subtle reminders that I am in a very different kind of wine region, where the animal hazards are unique, and not limited to bugs and birds.

All the same, the team here at Keermont maintain that this biodiversity is part of an important balance they must strike with the land they work. They limit irrigation, avoid fertilisers and don't put up the electric fences that some vineyards use to keep out the well organised baboon raiders. I think that this is an excellent approach to winemaking and most importantly of all, it turns out that the wine is very very good as well.

I tasted a good range of wines, and had the chance to try several vintages each of their Syrah and the white blend. This wasn't so much to show me the effects of time on the wine, though that w evident, but more to show me how Keermont is adjusting its style and fine-tuning it's still-new output. After all, the Keermont label is only five years old and they are still very much in the experimental stages. The white blend from 2009 was big and fully rich with honeyed Chenin characters that I can only compare to an off dry Vouvay, though I hesitate to compare between regions. The current 2011 is more restrained, a crisp, minerally blend of Chenin, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc with just a hint of oak, but avoiding the vanilla driven style that can be so tempting for a new operation.

The Syrah was excellent stuff with vintage variation on full display in the two bottlings I tried. The 2009 was chunky and tannic, with big fruit and big acidity meant for a bit of time resting in bottle, while the 2010 was more approachable in youth. Present but silky tannins meant for a very satisfying mouthfeel alongside the lovely nose of black cherries, violets and spices. Both were very beautiful examples of Syrah which show the potential of this marvellous variety. I have said more than once that I believe Syrah is the most inherently beautiful grape I've ever tried.

The tasting finished with a proprietary red blend based on Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah simply called the Keermont. It was a lovely Bordeaux style blend with great richness and spice and plenty of acid and fruit for a hearty meal. To finish off that meal there is the natural sweet Sauvignon Blanc, made from vine dried grapes. It was bright, clean and light with a nice peachy, cotton candy like sweetness that was ever so pleasant to drink.

Wile the wines I tried were excellent, and entirely merit the increased attention they are receiving, what made me most excited about Keermont is the the planning for the future. They are toying with single vineyard bottlings of Cabernet Franc which thrives so well on their slopes, they are planting new varieties, such as Roussanne and working with some Petit Verdot. All in all they have an adventurous spirit that is so valuable in a country like South Africa, and I believe that they have the potential to be (/are already) one of the great names in South African wines.

Much Love,

George

 

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Kleinood Wine Farm- Home of Tamboerskloof Wines

Tamboerskloof Syrah by Kleinood

Hey Everyone,

Today, among several producers visited, I stopped by Kleinood Wine Farm, not far along the Blaauwklippen Road from Dornier. I was lucky enough to meet with the owner of the operation, Gerard de Villiers, who not only runs Kleinood, but also designs wineries around the world. He has worked with such recognisable names as Nyetimber as well as plenty of other South African wineries and has a remarkably intellectual approach to everything he does.

Before I tasted any of his wines, I was shown around the winery. Not a huge winery by any means, but it maximises it's efficiency by using several devices of Gerard's own design. A remarkable system of pulleys and cranes attached to a runner around the ceiling means that the machinery, including the basket press itself can be lifted and moved around the winery floor with ease. Alongside this, the larger fermentation tanks, far too big to be punched down by hand have computer-operated punch-down mechanisms along for maximum extraction in the wines.

In addition to the space-age technologies in use on the winery floor, the selection of the grape varieties was the result of careful monitoring of the weather patterns and comparing them with those of other regions around the world. I saw incredibly detailed analyses of soil conditions, rainfall and annual climate mapping which indicated the definitive correllation between Kleinood and the Norther Rhône, in particular Côte-Rôtie. Therefore, they went to the Côte-Rôtie and got a hold of their Syrah clones to make sure everything went according to plan. The resulting red is a powerful, peppery and briney Syrah that I find infinitely attractive!

For the white they use Viognier and vinify in a method similar to Condrieu, though the end result is laced with bracing acidity and crisp minerality with hints, though no more of elegant oak-aging coming through. Gerard said that formerly the winery produced a much more buttery style of Viognier but have moved this year to a more restrained, poised interpretation. Future years will see the incorporation of a small amount of Roussanne to the end result. Though I could find no fault with the wine as it is now, I am confident that Gerard's decision is based on very sound scientific reasoning.

The use of oak is restrained. Though all the wine, aside from the very pleasant rosé is matured in barrel, most of it is older, large French oak barrels meant to soften and unite the flavours of the wine but not to confect them with buttery toastiness.

Wine is an art to a winemaker and Gerard feels no differently. For him however their is an artistic science that he puts into his work. He is not trying to cultivate an image of some idyllic rural farmhouse operation, because he doesn't have to. He is conducting a balancing act between his innovative techniques and his traditions in such effortless fashion that I marvel at the absence of pretense. Tamboerskloof wines, made by Kleinood are really very impressive!

Much Love,

George

 

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Second Visit- Annandale

Hey Everyone,

 

Today I stopped into the small boutique winery Annandale. Just off the R44 to the southwest of Stellenbosch you see a series of fields occupied not just by vines (though plenty of those), but by fine racing horses as well. That goes to explain the use of the horse's head as a device on the labels of Annandale's bottles. There are plenty of unique features to Annandale but before I go into that, I'll let my experience with the wine do the talking.

The first of five wines I tried was the Chalbert 2005 Merlot, bottled and named in honour of the wedding between Prince Albert and Charlene of Monaco at the couple's request. This wine was bottled after "only" six years of aging in French oak barrels (I say 'only" because it gets crazier) and reveals an example of Merlot that is full of bright sour cherries, well integrated tannins and bright acidity. I found it interesting that they started me off on their most expensive wine which sells for R300 per bottle at the cellar door. I enjoyed it and for the price found it to be perfectly acceptable, but it did not prepare me for the wines that came next! 85/100

The next wine, a straight Cabernet Sauvignon from 2004 is the current vintage of their entry level red wine. Here is where things started to get impressive. Big black currants and rich spice along with finely grained tannins and a beautifully harmonius complexity made for a delicious wine at a damn good price. Its not just that Annandale has made a good Cabernet here; there is a lot of method and a good bit of philospohy behind the wine for sure! 87/100

Following the delicious Cabernet comes the red blend; styled the "Cavalier 2004". A (southern hemisphere) Bordeaux-style blend of 40% Merlot, 25% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc along with a touch of Shiraz, this wine really struck me as a solid wine, one of my favourites so far on the trip. The tannins were big but not abrasive, the fruits were present but did not lead and the spices were opulent but not distasteful. I thought this was a very fine wine with a long life ahead of it despite being 9 years old already. 92/100

Next came the "baby" of the estate. A true labour of love, the Shiraz 2004 was really something else. It was very Rhone-like with a great purity of fruit that danced and sang with the aromas of white pepper and leather in a duet that I would liken to Tony Bennet and Lady Gaga's rendition of "the Lady is a Tramp." A classic voice and character harmonises with the sort that has an edge and spontaneity but a well-crafted style that just works so well. 95/100

The final wine I tried was the Annandale 2004 CVP, a fortified Shiraz aged in old brandy barrels dating to the 50's and 60's. It was very nice, with a pure fruit character and the aromas of a nutty tawny port without the booziness. Well balanced and easily ageworthy, I am very impressed. 87/100

With 8 years in single use french oak with a medium toast, this depicts the commitment Annandale makes to quality. You would expect 8 years in new toasted oak barrels to leave you with an overly oaky sweet and vanilla-laced compound of fruitless resin. Not so. It was balanced, elegant and so very well integrated. As Pierre told me, the extended period in oak allowed for the wine to develop as it would in over a decade in bottle.


It was not just the wines that impressed me at Annandale, bu the philospohy. The proprietor (despite his rugby fame) was born into wine. He has crafted a beautious business model which means that he need not worry about bottling his wines before they are ready, because he reserves most of his grapes to sell to a negociant owned by the Rothschilds. You could call the estate's bottled wines a hobby, but in reality, they are the passion, afforded by the negociant business. He doesn't need to make money on his wines and consequently, he barely does. They are stunning wines and despite the cost of keeping them in single use french barrels for 8 years, the end result is clearly the justification of his farm!

Pierre said that soup from a small pot tastes better than soup from a big pot and I have to agree. Annandale is serving small bowls of soup from a very small pot and only doing so when the ingredients are adequately stewed. That is what I want from this trip to South Africa. I want passion and perfection as well as true satisfaction in the owner.

 

I am very much impressed with Annandale and hope that there remains much for me to find on this journey. If not, I am sure I shall return very soon!

Much Love,

George

 

 

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Sijnn Wines

Hello Everybody,

Today I'm writing to you to talk about the sort of wines I am looking for. I'm not looking for wines that are mass produced nor am I looking for producers selling their wines for hundreds of pounds per bottle. Neither Yellow Tail nor Harlan Estate, nor do I want wines from those who are already well established in the world. I want to find wines that are affordable for anyone who wants to try a good bottle and is willing to spend perhaps a bit more to get a really cracking wine. I want wines that are entertainment in themselves. After all I would always rather spend £15 on a bottle of wine between two people than the same on two movie tickets.

So today I am beginning to taste wines along these lines which I can find in the UK and share my notes with you so that we can see what is here already before looking at what is left undiscovered in the rest of the world. The wine is a very small production from Malgas near Swellendam in South Africa. Situated along the banks of the Breede River, Sijnn (pron. 'sane') produces two wines that I regularly consider among my favourites. The white, a 53-47% blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier is a beautifully rich, lively and aromatic white wine that appeals to my love of the slightly oakier wines of the Rhône Valley, but with the added acidic edge of Chenin Blanc. It is versatile and food friendly and just very, very solid for those who want an all-rounder white wine.

The red, a unique blend of Rhône varietals Shiraz and Mourvèdre beefed up by Douro varieties Touriga Nacional and Trincadeira, is a massively aromatic wine with a beautifully balanced palate. Eschewing aromas of black cherries, red currants and strawberries all enveloped in a feral leather pouch with hints of dry cocoa power and licorice it is exactly the kind of full bodied red I look for. The palate carries on with the fruits as they give way to the cocoa and finishes with a long note of roasted coffee beans. The acid and the tannins are well matched to one another and though both are found here in abundance neither overwhelms the fruit and complexities of flavour.

Both of these wines are gorgeously complex and offer both novelty and overall satisfaction. They have a classic feel but they are not too ponderous on established wine styles, which I find greatly appealing. I love Rhône style wines and in essence thats what I find here, but I also see much more than that. I see an expansion upon the classics which keeps things interesting. You can look forever for a nice Shiraz but at the end of the day even the best shiraz will be what you expect it to be. I expected a Rhône style red from Sijnn when I first tried it, but that inherint difference gives these wines both an edge that makes me want to revisit them again and again. As both of these wines retail around £20 per bottle, they are not absurdly expensive for those looking to try something really interesting.

This is the sort of wine I am looking for when I travel to South Africa and I know that there will be others that appeal to traditional inclinations but surprise with a twist that just makes you smile. I want wine that is entertaining. I'll be trying things regularly in the next few weeks leading up to my trip to see what is already present and what can be added to the range of boutique wines available in Britain.

Much Love,

George

 

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