Bordeaux Tasting

Hey Everyone!

Long while since I posted to this or any blog but I'm happy to be doing so again! Today I'm writing about a wee tasting I put on for a few friends of mine as they prepare for a high profile tasting competition at the Residence de France in London a fortnight from now. The theme of the evening is Left Bank Bordeaux, including Médoc, Graves, Sauternes and Barsac. I took part in this tasting last year and despite doing somewhat poorly (then having my spirits lifted by a stunning meal and lovely wine) I feel that the exercise of analysing Bordeaux from a blind tasting perspective was very enlightening.

When training for blind tasting, you always look at the general styles of grapes and regions in the following manner: Syrah tastes of violets, but is fruiter in Australia and more briny in the Rhône and so on. Basically you paint a region with a broad brush and Bordeaux is the same. There is a character to Bordeaux that makes it unique from wine anywhere else in the world. I am fairly confident I could pick out a Pomerol in a line up of Merlots from the rest of the world, but when it comes to picking apart the differences between the various cabernet-based communes of the Left Bank things get a bit tricky. So today's tasting was aimed at four appellations and three vintages.

1. Chateau Le Pey 2010 Médoc- The nose was creamy, sweet salted caramel and milk chocolate followed by cherry and crème de cassis. The colour was youthfully red; no traces of ageing yet lighter than some of the older wines showing the wine to be less concentrated. The palate agreed with lighter tannins, less intense flavours and acidity. A pleasant wine, but not the product of great grapes.

2. Chateau de Cardaillan 2007 Graves- Deeper colour but with some brickish hues showing the affects of ageing. 2007 is an early drinking vintage so it follows that maturity was reached quickly in comparison with the older Fourcas-Dupré. The nose was marred by a slight cork-taint but the character showed through in a perfumed fruit nose

3. Chateau Fourcas-Dupré 2004 Listrac-Médoc- This one was difficult to describe. There was not a whole lot to distinguish it from general Bordeaux wine. It lacked the cocoa powder of St-Estephe, the perfume of Margaux or the woody cedar of Saint-Julien. It was a good wine, but there really wasn't a whole lot to tell us what exactly a Listrac-Médoc was like. That said, it was a lovely bottle of wine!

4. Chateau Martinens 2007 Margaux- Classic to Margaux, the nose showed plenty of floral aromatics, perfume (almost like Campari smelled from a distance) and something along the lines of kirsch liquer. The palate showed fine grained tannins and an elegant finish. A really great wine and amongst this line up, I think it showed as an amazing wine.

Overall, I find the concept of blind tasting a highly invigorating experience, especially when put into such a singular context as Left Bank Bordeaux. It also shows what a versatile region Bordeaux is for wine production. It's not a tired region only good for putting out overrated and expensive wines. Rather it does offer some good value and quality across the board. Especially in an age where so many new world wineries boast of their high altitude or extreme conditions, Bordeaux is temperate by comparison and never more than a few metres above sea level.

For whatever reason, wine from Bordeaux is often overlooked by the casual drinker, but it should not be. It offers good quality, easy drinking and food friendly wine at a reasonable price point. These four bottles showed particularly well, but there are countless others like them.

Much Love,

George

 

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Is the Trip Over?

Hey Everyone,

So I have been back for nearly two weeks and I find myself wondering what happens next for the WynExplorer.  Is this South African venture to be a one off?  Will I go back next year and consolidate whatever I have managed to achieve?  Shall I at least go and pop in again on the lovely folks at Reyneke (and bring them a better whisky!) to see what the wines are doing in the barrels?  Absolutely!  But that's not all...

My aim as WynExplorer was not merely to go and enjoy a romp through South Africa, enjoy the wine and food and return back to reality.  I went there for a reason.  A reason that must be replicated elsewhere around the world of wine if it is to have any significance.  I wanted to find the best and most interesting wines in the world and at minimum I have not yet failed, merely taught myself that the search will be unending; Blessed with two vintages each year (Northern and Southern Hemisphere) I will have to take my travels elsewhere and find more wines, more personalities to inspire and more excitement in the world of wine.

While I was in South Africa, I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people and passing days with wine makers who are tremendously devoted to their craft and possessing great vision for what they want to create.  They constantly challenge each other to create better and encourage the best in South African wine.  I know that, as awesome as this is, it cannot be a unique culture among winemakers.  I know that in any given wine region there must be communities of neighbouring winemakers who push each other and as a result their wines are better.

That is what I mean to find in the rest of the world and in South Africa I was fortunate enough to encounter it for the first time.  My challenge to myself now, is to go out into the rest of the world and find it wherever it exists.  Be that Napa Valley, the Rousillon or the Maule Valley, I can only say that I am excited for what exactly these explorations might yield.

I am looking to find wines that are of exceptional quality and come from the hands of a caring and dedicated winemaker, and I was lucky to find such wines in South Africa.  Raats, Reyneke and Sijnn all showed me the inxcredible things South Africa's vines can achieve, whether that is the execution of a classic style, the implementation of high farming standards and fine wine making or the experimentation with completely new soils and varieties to produce an instant classic.

Wherever I go next (and I'll be sure to tell you all first as soon as I know myself) I am sure I will find something incredible!

Much Love,
George

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

 

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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

 

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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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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

 

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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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And we're off!

Hi Everybody,

I am very excited today for today is finally the day I set off on my long anticipated journey. I am going to a country where the wine making tradition stretches back beyond the founding of America where quality and creativity conspire to yield wines of unique character and provenance. Some of the world's most beautiful natural landscapes, epic biodiversity and incredible history all come together in the country at the very southern tip of Africa.

Though the wine lands of South Africa are mostly concentrated in the area called the Western Cape, where cooling ocean breezes moderate the intense African sun to create excellent vine-growing conditions, this small region is a patchwork of many unique and wonderful Origins. Names such as Paarl, Swartland and Stellenbosch may already be familiar, along with the great historic appellations of Robertson and Constantia, but there are others that provide their own unique styles and adventurous perspectives. Regions like Hermanus to the south, Swellendam and Malgas to the east and others all add to the marvellous tapestry that is South Africa's national wine inheritance.

The goal for my trip to South Africa is not just to taste and write about delicious, interesting wines. It is far bigger than that. I want to close the gap between the wine drinker and the wine maker. A wine drinker who cares about what they drink should not have so many middlemen between them and the craftsman who creates the wine in the bottle. A great wine is like a tailored suit and the more contact between customer and tailor the better the fit will be. For wine drinkers in the UK I hope to make available the best and most interesting of South Africa. I want to find classic styles made to perfection, experimental wines that inspire and perhaps even accidents that turn out to be excellent one-offs.

I hope you follow me closely on my trip, I promise to keep writing if you'll all keep reading. If you want to get in touch with me and tell me what you think about my travels, want to share your own stories about wine or South Africa, or even just want to tell me where I can get a good steak in Stellie, send me an e-mail at contact@wynexplorer.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Much Love,

 

George

 

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