Wine of Origin Malgas- South Africa's Monopole

Hey Everyone,

We all like a product with a point of difference. Bordeaux blends focussed on Cabernet Franc (Raats) or even a country's only Biodynamic winery and that is exactly what I came to South Africa to find. The last winery I am going to write about specifically is not so much a winery but a wine farm. Also, it is a South African monopole. To give that term some meaning, a monopole is a winery that is alone in it's appellation; one of a kind. Château Grillet, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti are among the most famous monopoles, with wines fetching astronomic prices.

Here in Malgas, where the Breede River cuts a tooth-shaped course towards Cape Infanta there is no wine route. No wine bars or tasting rooms for miles and no restaurants along this beautiful African river contribute to the remote feeling of the place. The paved road ends about halfway through the journey (it seems) and eventually you arrive at a small farm with the only grapes you've seen in a hundred kilometres. Here is the origin of one of my favourite South African wines and to get here was an incredible journey.

The Breede River lends it's name to the wine; 'Sijnn' from the Khoisan language. The place is very special, and shows a visionary wine-style that revolves around the iron-rich ancient river stones that make up the top layer of soil; the spitting image of Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, and the shale base. The wines are beautifully made and tasting through the forthcoming vintages and some experimental bottlings, I can say that this farm, after turning plenty of heads will not be resting on it's laurels.

What was most exciting for me was to see the emergence over time of a distinct Sijnn flavour. The way that Reyneke and Raats have achieved a recogniseable texture and flavour profile, so has Sijnn in the most recent vintages. Tasting some of the older vintages, it is great to see that they are evolving so well, with the maiden 2007 maturing like of the greats of the Rhône, but the 2011's in the white, red and Cabernetshowed the coming of age of the vines and the true expression of the soil and place.

The Cabernet, bottled in small quantities showed big fruit and mineral as well as some pretty chunky texture more like a Napa Cabernet though with a hint of herbal quality that I find distinctly South African. The 2011, however shows classic Cabernet qualities taking a back seat to aromas of olives, fynbos and pepper.

The Low Profile (intended as a supporting act for the Red) is a surprisingly serious wine with seductive richness, lighter fresh herbs and very pure fruit. There is a layering of garrigue and fynbos, but in reality, this wine is all about complex, rich fruits. Very nice stuff!

The whites have eveolved nicely, and the 2011 is again the best of the line up for me. I am curious to see what becomes of the 2012 as it develops in bottle, but the culture of evolution here in Malgas has led David Trafford to plant some Roussane to see how it works in the white blend. As I love Roussane, I am excited to see how this works with the Chenin Blanc and Viognier in the blend.

For all this talk about the varieties planted at Sijnn, I want to quote what someone said whilst tasting the wines at Malgas- "It's not the varieties that make the wine unique; it's the place." I think that that should be the approach everyone takes when tasting Sijnn, because it is too easy to look at the back label and read off the hybrid Rhône-Douro blend and credit that with the uniqueness of the wine. It erally is all about the place.

This is my last post from the bottom of the world and tomorrow I will be flying back up the length of this continent to St. Andrews and I hope that I've helped to whet your appetite for some delicious South African wines! They truly are amazing!

Much Love,

George- WynExplorer

 

Posted with Blogsy

Heaven on Earth- Hemel-En-Aarde

Hey everyone,

It's a rainy day at Reyneke and I'm happy to be inside writing to you rather than out in this preview of a Cape winter. I'm still catching up on my doings so todays post is again about the past week.

Journeying eastwards along the coast from Somerset West you pass along what I consider to be the most beautiful coast line in the entire world. I am comfortable with that statement because South Africa is a land of superlatives. As a wine country, it has been argued that this is the most dramatic for its landscapes and the south coast is among the most stunning places here. Great mountains rise up swiftly from the sea where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean and creates the lugubrious climate that defines the Cape.

The mountains continue along the coast with dramatic cliffs and tidy fishing villages, including the town of Hermanus which sits at the foot of the Hemel-En-Aarde valley. Afrikaans for Heaven on Earth, this stunningly beautiful valley is a funnel for the cooling winds coming off False Bay and the Oceans to the south allowing for a dramatically cooler climate compared to the farm lands just north in Overberg. As a result, the climate and the wines are almost a polar opposite from those of the Swartland (which I will talk about in my next post!) where the land is burnt by the sun and the wines are much bigger and Rhône-like in comparison with the delicate Burgundian cultivars in this valley.

Plenty of famous names dot the road up the valley with big hitters such as Hamilton Russel and Bouchard-Finlayson being the most familiar to the international market, and both known primarily for their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay bottlings (varieties both know as difficult to grow in most of South Africa). They excel in producing pleasant, complex and alluring Pinots to the point were wine-geeks the world over regularly feature them in that most controversial of tastings- the France v New World Taste Off! In fact Hamilton Russel has been said to resemble Olivier Leflaive with their estate Chardonnay.

Moving up the valley to the Upper Hemel-En-Aarde (and continuing with the double-barreled names) is Newton-Johnston. St. Andrews is lucky to have been visited in the past by Bevan Newton-Johnston when he came to talk about his wines and I have to say that I went in pretty much convinced already, as well as happy to have a chance to chat with Bevan and meet his winemaking brother Gordon.

The winery itself is the brainchild of our old friend at Kleinood, Gerard de Villiers and you can see his trade marks everywhere in the nearly invisible, unintrusive but thoroughly efficient machinery that help this small winery run at full capacity to produce excellent wines.

Now I confess that I am no great lover of Pinot Noir (generally I don't understand why it gets all the press as the 'best grape') but I really enjoy it for its merits as an intricate, floral and bright fruity red and appreciate its response to the ageing process. Here, however I saw some really fascinating Pinot! And because of just how much we tasted, I will give a quick succession of tasting notes for brevity's sake and just give you the bare bones of what I liked the most...

Sauvignon Blanc- Made in a softened, round style of Sauvignon. Not quite as big and zesty as Life from Stone or most Kiwi Sauvignon, but in general pleasant for the price. 75/100

Resonance Semillon/Sauvignon- Nice texture with bits of pepper on the finish. I am finiding that I prefer my Sauvignon when it's treated like Bordeaux Sauvignon and thats whats happened here. Touches of orange blossom come through on the finish. 80/100

South End Chardonnay- Rich with ripe fruit, red apples and pears. Very linear with nice acidity but with a full and balanced character. Not a bad entry level Chardonnay! Punches above its weight. 83/100

Family Vineyards Chardonnay- Very elegant! More Meursault than Mâcon with a beautifully tight herbal character that fills in excellently in lieu of a fatty oak style. Bits of orange peel and a nice kick of toast on the finish. 88/100

Felicité Pinot Noir- Newton-Johnston's more entry level Pinot Noir. Just as pale as the rest of the Pinot range but lacking the complexity and vibrance. Touches of funkiness weave in and out of raspberries and lead the palate to a straightforward, easy-going completion. Not bad.- 82/100

Single Vineyard Mrs. M. Pinot Noir- Coming from a sandy soil this shows a bright floral perfume, almost reminiscent of campari after a helthy dose of soda. very easy to appreciate, very difficult to spit out!- 85/100

Single Vineyard Block 6 Pinot Noir- More colour with a richer, darker fruit presence, maintaining the fruit all the way through to the finish. Wilted flower petals add to the richness while the acidity and light tannins carry the wine with great elegants and class. One of my favourite Pinots... ever! They've managed to execute a balanced, fully dry red wine in South Africa at 12.9%! Thats awesome.- 94/100

Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2012- Very rich, full bodied and moreish. Nose of deep blackberries and possibly some garrigue(?) and a finishing hit of light woodiness. Very round and very nice!- 90/100

The Hemel-En-Aarde is really all about the Pinot and the Chardonnay (in my mind). If any part of south africa can pull off these varieties, it is here. I really like Hamilton Russel and I absolutely love Newton-Johnson. their wines are so lovingly crafted as they are in all the best wineries and I think that they are execellent value for top-class wines!

Next I'll be writing about my very brief visit to the newest viticultural ward in South Africa and the monopole creating a big stir and turning a lot of heads looking eastwards; Sijnn.

Much Love,

George

 

Posted with Blogsy

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

 

Posted with Blogsy

Fighting Vines- Raats Family Wines

Hey Everybody,

Today I visited two wineries and though my first of the day, an abrupt, very business-like encounter at Kanonkop was less than thrilling, my second visit was far more to my liking. My journey took me a different direction out of Stellenbosch than my previous adventures and I found myself along the much more rural and remote Vlaeberg Road, a big difference from the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West. On the approach to Raats I noticed the soils between the vines was much paler than in the Blaauwklippen area.

When I arrived at the winery, I already knew a bit about the Raats wines. I knew that they specialised in two varieties; Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc and had a small range of wines at differing price points, from everyday quaffers and braai-wines to serious bottlings built to whether the test of time and drink in a decade or so. What I did not know was their reasoning for choosing this sight in particular, and that I had seen a valuable clue on the drive in. For owner Bruwer Raats, it's all about the soil. After years working around the world including stints in Italy, France and Spain and some time spent at the famous Cakebread Cellars in Napa Valley he knows a thing or two about dirt.

The plots he has chosen include two distinct and inconic soils. The first, decomposed dolomite granite created in the same period of volcanic volatility that created both the jagged peaks of the Helderbeg and the rolling hills that surround Raats, gives a bright minerality to the Chenin Blanc and Cabernet that I can hardly compare to anywhere else in the world. Not even Chablis regularly offers so much of a minerally profile. The second soil, found more commonly in the Western cape is Table Mountain Sandstone, so named because it is the building block of one of the world's most recogniseable mountains. Breaking apart one of these sand stones, you can see that under the dry, sandy exterior there is a moist core even on a sunny hot day. This soil retains moisture beautifully allowing the winery to forego irrigation entirely.

Another thing that struck me was the vine training. They stood vertically, not horizontally; a method I know to be used in places where acreage is so limited that this allows vintners to maximise their use of the available land. Chris, the publicity manager for Raats told me that these were in essence bush vines that had been encouraged to grow up a wooden post, but in fact the grapes were just as glose to the ground as any other bush vine and that the training method is meant to encourage competition amongst the vines. It was remarkable to imagine it; the vines planted so closely together would have roots going down several meters, fighting for precious ground water.

Here I could see the personality of the vines. Though the competition was fierce, the Chenin Blanc seemed to be making the effort to look polite and gentlemanly above ground even as their roots tore each other apart under the ground. The Cabernet Franc, however, made no such pretenses. Unkind and fickle to winemakers, it is even more savage among it's own kind with branches reaching over each other, strangling smaller vines with some big, bushy tyrants clearly dominating their own neigbourhoods like gangsters.

All this competition however, had it's justification in a darwinist approach to winemaking. The strongest vines produce the most fragrant, phenolic grapes and the best wines. I tried five wines from the Raats portfolio and found no fault with any of them, from their basic Chenin and Cabernet, through to their two serious bordeaux blends. I thought the Old-Vine Chenin was minerally and massively acidic, inviting a good five years of aging, while the Dolomite Cabernet Franc exhibited great minerality for such and affordable red wine.

The two premium red, the Red Jasper and the Family Cabernet Franc were stunning wines. Big and full bodied with plenty of chunky tannins and great complexity, whilst still showing Cabernet Franc's great touch of elegance and class. I look forward to seeing them in the UK along with 'de Compostella'; the collaboration wine between Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve.

I liked all the Raats wines and would drink them all happily and greedily and I was loathe to leave and return to my car, but I think Chris was bound to enjoy the left overs later and that can come as consolation to an extent. Further comfort can be found it the hope that in the not too distant future the Raats wines will decorate the wine list in St. Andrews!

Much Love,

George

 

Posted with Blogsy