Some
reds for drinking, or keeping – or perhaps avoiding
2 December 2005
Avondale
• Rosé 2005 13
• Graham Reserve 2001 15
The pale coppery-red Rosé will be a pleasant and unpretentious
companion for summer lunches or sipping during the lingering evenings.
Made from muscat de Frontignan, it is unsurprisingly grapey, with just a
little unpronounced sweetness to add to the fresh, cheerful charm. The
Graham Reserve is an altogether more ambitious offering from this
large Paarl farm: it’s a selection of the best reds of the vintage, and
includes
shiraz, cabs sauvignon and franc, and merlot. A lot of
fruit ripeness obvious in the flavours – as well as in the high alcohol
which does stand out rather – but the shiraz shows through attractively
with a lily character giving a slightly and pleasingly vegetal edge.
Overall a big, rather sturdy, even chewy wine, whose firmness and
seriousness IM particularly respected; but we did find the oak (over 80%
new) rather excessive, unnecessarily providing some additional tannic
dryness as well as a touch of bitterness. A double-gold medal from
Veritas shows that some judges have been more impressed than we were. No
hurry to drink this – it should mellow over a few years. – TJ
Website
De
Toren
• Fusion V 2003
R205
16.5
This wine
will no doubt fly off the shelves, as the latest edition of one of the
public’s evergreen favourites – this vintage having already been voted
Best Red at the Cape Town Winex show. And it’s easy to see why it
impresses and pleases without intimidating: it’s sleek and stylish, with
the rich extracted fruit well balanced by a good, informing acidity.
Everything speaks of great care and dedication – and it’s worth
remembering that the Stellenbosch winery’s name comes from the tower and
lift that allows gravity to do the work that pumps do in most cellars.
(The V part of the name, of course, refers to the five Bordeaux
varieties that go unpumped and unpummelled.) In short, a fine modern
wine with plenty of pure-fruited charm in its youth but the structure to
carry it very well, and allow some development, for a good few years (as
its satisfactory evolution over three days in an opened bottle
testifies). Some cavillers, perhaps, might be willing to swop a bit of
the suave sweetness for a little more youthful, characterful bite. –
TJ
Website
Idiom
• Shiraz 2003
R96 (f)
10
• Sangiovese 2004
R120 (f)
12.5
• Zinfandel 2004
R120 (f)
11.5
• Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Cabernet Franc 2004
R96 (f)
13.5
The grapes contributing to the Idiom range are sourced
from Alberto Bottega’s young Da Capo vineyards in Stellenbosch (Sir
Lowry’s Pass) and vinified in his Whalehaven cellar by Paul Engelbrecht
(ex Blaauwklippen) with Giorgio dalla Cia advising. As noted in
previous reviews of wines in the range, we had enjoyed the Shiraz-Mourvèdre-Viognier
2004 (scoring it 15.5**) and found good things in the Viognier 2004, but
these rather disappointed us. We opened both of our sample bottles of
the Shiraz 2003 (comprising the same varieties as the SMV, though with
shiraz predominating by a greater margin); both bottles we found faulty,
with funky elastoplast aromas depressing the fruit and spoiling the
wine.
The Sangiovese fared better, demonstrating the typical tar, prune
and tea leaves character of the Italian variety – though the heavy use
of American oak (50% new) would find little sympathy in even the most
modern parts of Tuscany. Ripe mulberry and vanilla aromas heralded the
oak-dominated, sweetly overripe palate, with its 15% alcohol giving a
hot finish, and its youthful spritziness and poorly integrated acid. The
Zinfandel shows in pretty much the same vein, though AL did commend the
tart raspberry zin character. Best received, though also rather sweet
and over-acidified, was the rather simple bordeaux-style blend (57%
cabernet sauvignon, with merlot and cab franc) matured in 75% new French
and Hungarian oak. It achieved moderate success in the Veritas and
Michelangelo competions (third-level silver medals at both), and the
Platter taster liked it enough for four stars, but we saw no reason to
raise our score even on a later re-tasting. Sadly, our overall
impression of these reds was of ripeness pushed to an extreme we didn’t
enjoy, of overoaking and overpricing.
— IM
Website
Ken Forrester
• Shiraz Grenache 2003 R54
13.5
Ken Forrester is particularly proud of the grenache vineyards
contributing to this Stellenbosch WO offering. They’re almost 50 years
old, the only bearing grenache in the district, says Ken, and produce
just on 2 tons of fruit per hectare. The shiraz vines are slightly more
vigorous, 6 tons/ha – but then they’re 20 years younger than their
partners. Together, they combine harmoniously to deliver a very ‘proper’
drink. All the elements are in place; a mélange of red berries, spice
and vanilla from nine months in oak (5% new American, the rest 2nd
and 3rd fill French), an integrated 14% alcohol and an
interesting tannic grip on the finish. This would make a wonderful foil
for rich stews, osso bucco, even duck confit. It’s just not very
exciting on its own. – CvZ
Website
Morgenster
• The Summer House 2002
R52
15
!!!
Producers
with cabernet or bordeaux-style blends especially have approached the
difficult 2002 vintage in a variety of ways. Some released their wine as
usual, others ‘declassified’ into a second label, while few released
nothing. Morgenster has a different answer. There’s no flagship
Morgenster blend, but rather than channel the whole crop into the second
label, Lourens River Valley, a further selection was made; this ‘third’
wine is released as The Summer House label. The name refers to the dream
of the then owner, the Cape governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel, to
build a summer house on the Schaapenberg. From that mountain lookouts
could see ships blown off-course into False Bay allowing van der Stel’s
produce to be rushed to them before anyone else’s! Current owner Giulio
Bertrand should not have to resort to desperate strategies to sell this
wine; not only is it well priced, but delivers with aplomb. There has
been no attempt to over-extract or over-oak the wine, so, despite its
advanced bricking ruby colour, there is both satisfying fruit and flesh,
mainly merlot (53%) with a balanced nip of cab sauvignon tannin (33%;
the balance being cab franc and a tiny bit of petit verdot); it’s a
touch green but delivering freshness rather than any sense of rawness.
Rounded off with a savoury flourish, the Summer House is probably at its
plateau of maturity, but while there’s no point in hoping for further
development, there’s equally no need to open it in any great hurry. –
AL
Website
M’hudi
• Pinotage 2004
R35 (from Villiera)
13.5
This third member of the new M’hudi range (the Chenin Blanc and
Sauvignon Blanc were reviewed previously)
shows off the modern, exuberant face of pinotage. The grapes in this
case were sourced from the Koelenhof area, as the Rangaka’s own
vineyards were still under re-construction. As the wine’s bold purple
violet hue suggests, this is a youngster and an unabashed fruity one,
though of a ripe, sweet type rather than estery. The modern style
continues with ripe, soft tannins, gentle acidity and a well-judged
measure of American and French oak that adds a complementary smoky whiff
to the sweet, red fruits. It is a more commercial style (which TJ would
find hard to drink more than a glass or so of) but well made and is sure
to prove popular with those who enjoy their reds fresh and ready to
drink. – AL
Ridgeback
• His Master’s Choice 2004
R105 (f)
15
Sited on the North Agter-Paarl Road to take in the views of the Limiet
Mountains in the distance, Ridgeback is one of Paarl’s high-fliers
despite having bottled its first vintage less than five years ago.
Winemaker Cathy Marshall, unashamedly a Rhône Ranger, dreamt
of making a syrah/viognier blend from the moment she began experimenting
with the white variety in 2003. This maiden His Master’s Choice contains
only 8% viognier, the skins of which were, however, fermented with the
syrah grapes. Perhaps this is what makes its bouquet so overwhelming?
Certainly, there are the lilies typically associated with syrah but the
blowsy, frivolous perfume and apricots of viognier are too
inappropriately dominant. The palate is refreshing, with loads of
strawberries, and the oak component (14 months in 95% new French
barrels) provides an elegant framework. Alcohol, too, at 13.5%, is
respectable. This is a noble first effort; future vintages should reach
greater heights as the vineyard and winemaking teams come to grips with
both the style and the fine vineyards they have access to. – CvZ
Website
Southern
Right
• Pinotage 2004
R90
16.5
A significant landmark is reached with the release of this 2004 Pinotage;
for the first time in the label’s ten year history, all the fruit comes
from the Southern Right vineyards (adjacent to sister-property, Hamilton
Russell in the Hemel en Aarde valley). This, as well as Anthony Hamilton
Russell’s rigorous low-yield policy, no doubt accounts for a drop in
production of nearly half on 2003. As with the HRV wines, the goal for
Southern Right wines is classic, a route which led to the vines being
planted on low-vigour, clay-rich soil. With ripeness being achieved at
lower sugar levels, Anthony and winemaker, Hannes Storm, hope for an
alcohol between 13 and 14%. This clocks in just over 14%; both I and IM
still find a fresh, pure, pinot-like nose, good depth of rich, well-oaked
flavours with fine, insistent pinotage tannins bolstering a dry finish.
Although only 20% of the oak is new, its dominance worried CvZ, while TJ
found the wine altogether too powerful and overbearing and rated it
lower. But it is a youngster; another four or five years should see some
positive development. – AL
Wildekrans
• Caresse Marine Red Blend 2004 R35
14.4
!!!
• Caresse
Marine Merlot 2004 R35
13
Wildekrans is to be found in the Bot River Valley, where its vineyards
and grapes fall into the Walker Bay district. Owner/winemaker Bruce
Elkin’s philosophy is to produce wines that reflect the personality of
the farm. ‘I would like winemaking to be part of a simpler,
uncomplicated way of life’, he says. ‘Uncomplicated’ is an apt
description for wines in his Caresse Marine range, which was launched in
1995 to satisfy a demand for ‘quaffing wine that offers great value
without compromising quality’ (to quote Bruce again). The Cape Red Blend
earns our collective thumbs up in that department. From pinotage (61%),
shiraz (22%), merlot (16%) and a droplet of cabernet sauvignon, it is
fruity, sappy and balanced with a refreshing acidity that brightens its
finish. Best of all, it comes with a screwcap for easy access and
assured freshness. The Merlot – bottled under cork, so perhaps intended
to be taken a little more seriously – is not as charming. We mostly
thought the oak flavours just a little too sweet, the fruit a little too
ripe and the tannins a lot too woody. IM spoke out in its defence as ‘a
wine I’d happily quaff with a hearty, meaty dinner’. – CvZ
Website
Spier
• Private Collection Pinotage 2003
R95 retail
16.5
Private Collection represents historic Stellenbosch farm Spier’s
top-tier of their four ranges, all part of the sizeable parent company,
Westcorp. Chief winemaker Frans Smit favours a mix of French and
American barrels for all reds in this range. This IWSC gold winner has a
deep core, youthfully purple rim, and complex red fruit and farmyard
aromas, displaying all the serious notes of the example from Kanonkop.
Solid, rich berry and cherry fruit flavours are set by firm oak tannins,
which contribute to the suppleness and compact structure, and persist
throughout the long, savoury finish. Less impressed with the wine was
CvZ who found too much oak char and a bitterness on the finish.
Approachable now, but will reward cellaring for a further 4-6 years.
—IM
Website
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