Foreign fling

Cathy van Zyl MW looks at foreign wines available in South Africa

Index to previous columns
Listing of local distributors and importers of non-SA wines
Listing of retailers carrying non-SA wines

Wines of Bruno Prats 15 March 2007

• Vina Aquitania Sol del Sol 2004, around £15

• Vina Aquitania Lazuli 2002, around £25

• Chryseia 2003, around £30

• Chryseia 2000, around £30

• Château Cos d'Estournel 1996, £75

• Château Cos d'Estournel 1990, £155

• Château Cos d'Estournel 1988, £70

• Château Cos d'Estournel 1986, £110

For availability, contact the importers, Wine Cellar: Email:  roland@winecellar.coza, Websiste: www.winecellar.co.za. Prices given are ex-London – add around 20% for transport, duty and VAT

It is fair to say that Bruno Prats is one of world’s most respected winemakers. During his almost 30 years as winemaker and owner-manager of Cos d’Estournel in St-Estèphe, he was largely responsible for the Bordeaux property’s rise to ‘Super Second’ status.

And, despite the fact that he is no longer at the helm of one of the most glamorous of Bordeaux’s châteaux (he sold Cos late in 1998), he continues to win over the taste buds, hearts and minds of wine lovers around the world with his empathetic approach in the vineyards and deft touch in the cellar when it comes to his joint venture wines from Portugal, Chile and South Africa.

Or does he?

I was invited to taste the product of Prats’ global forays at David Brice’s Wine Cellar. Just for the record, there is a Symington-Prats initiative in Portugal’s Douro called Chryseia; the Paul Pontellier-Prats-Felipe de Solminihac-Ghislain de Montgolfier joint venture in Chile, Viña Aquitania; and the Lowell Jooste-Hubert de Boüard-Prats adventure in South Africa, Anwilka. It’s not enough to say I was excited by the prospect; wild horses couldn’t keep me away.

At the end of the tasting, my over-riding impression was of Prats’ absolute respect for country of origin, so the answer to my question is an unequivocal ‘yes’.

The two Anwilka wines on show (I put my thoughts on the wine in a recent blog entry) showed as distinctly South African, and the Chryseia, while it had the finesse and structure of a good wine from Bordeaux, revelled in its indigenous grape varieties.

Similarly, the mature vintages of Cos brought forth ‘this could only be …’ mutterings from the tasters sitting on either side of me (Bordeauxphiles Jannie Hofmeyr and Tim James) and the single variety cabernet sauvignon – sweet fruited and soft tannined – was quintessential Chile; too ripe and cassis-laden to be Old World, too soft to be Australian or South African, and not sufficiently and expansively oaked to be Californian.

Unlike so many of the acclaimed flying winemakers, Prats seems to craft wines that are true to their terroir.  Let’s face it, most highly-paid consultants claim to do likewise but, when you taste their wines, they appear more clone than individual, regardless of where the grapes were grown.

Of course, tasting the four Cos wines highlighted just why the property deserves its ‘Super Second’ status. All four of the wines – the youngest 11 years old and the oldest 21 – were elegant, balanced and complex. The 1996 also marked a slight change in style; up until then Prats had, as most all in Bordeaux, used a large percentage of new oak, often one hundred percent. Eleven years ago, he decided ‘less is more’ and decreased the new wood portion to 65 percent; it didn’t take long before much of the rest of Bordeaux was doing similarly.

As honoured as I was to taste the four clarets, my wine of the evening was the 2000 Chryseia, made from grapes that have traditionally been reserved for port. Yes, I did score it lower than the Cos 1996, 1990 and 1986 but I was charmed by the way the Portuguese wine retained its identity while still striving to be the best that it could be. It didn’t hide behind oak or excessive ripeness, it didn’t expostulate or pretend; it just was.

And, at the end of the day, isn’t that what makes very good wines great?

Vina Aquitania Sol del Sol 2004
From 100% chardonnay grown in the very cool Malleco Valley, which is on the same latitude as New Zealand’s North Island. Bright and appealing with lovely citrus tones, nuts, crisp acidity, firm alcohol and integrated oak. Score 16

Vina Aquitania Lazuli 2002
From the Maipo Valley and 100% cabernet sauvignon, this has intense black fruit pastilles or cassis now with hints of mint and paw-paw, soft tannins and integrated alcohol. Much lighter in style than the Anwilka, Prats would drink this over lunch instead of a white wine, for a change. Score 15.

Chryseia 2003
Douro means ‘golden’ in Portuguese, and so too does Chryseia in Greek. The wine is made primarily made from touriga nacional (for complexity and finesse) and touriga francesa (for tannin). Also used are tinta roriz (tempranillo) and tinto cão; the proportions vary with each harvest. This vintage had a lovely bright and deep colour, mixed red berry nose revved up with spicy, green tea aromas and a little damp earth. The palate had sour cherries and a firm finish. Score 16

Chryseia 2000
This maiden vintage was lively, perfumed with roses and melons, and beginning to mature. It had an ethereal quality to its finish, lovely succulent tannins and balanced 13.5% alcohol. Score 17

Cos d'Estournel 1996
Cos is traditionally a cabernet sauvignon dominated blend, with merlot usually playing a secondary role. In 1996, a very good year with some showers during harvesting, the blend was 65% cabernet and 35% merlot. Despite this being a cabernet year (Prats felt the merlot was a little over ripe), the wine had a wonderful ‘cool’ feeling. The bouquet exuded dried herbs, camphor, melon and savory notes while the palate was balanced, integrated and elegant. Should improve for at least another decade. Score 18

Cos d'Estournel 1990
One of the stellar vintages of the decade. Herby (with some melon), less savory than the 1990, less camphor, grippier thanks to the higher new oak component (90%), meatier (perhaps because of the higher than usual merlot content – 40%) a little harder on the finish; still gorgeous and balanced. Drinking beautifully but should develop greater complexity with at least another five years in the cellar. Score 18

Cos d'Estournel 1988
A typical, very good vintage with a dry ripening season. This bottle (70% cabernet, 30% merlot) was initially marred by a slightly ‘miff’ character on the nose, but it blew off fairly rapidly to reveal a mint/eucalypt character, iron and steel, soft red fruits, Bovril nose. It is drinking beautifully now but should improve for five-plus years. Score 17