Late summer drinking
– mosly whites from
Constantia Uitsig, Elberti, Groote Post, Hamilton Russell, Lomond
16 February 2006

Constantia Uitsig
• Chardonnay 2005 R50 !!! 15
• Constantia White Blend 2004 R95 17

I associate one word with Constantia Uitsig be it the property itself, its restaurants, its wines and their packaging – ‘elegance’. And this screwcapped duo give no reason to change my view. The Chardonnay is one of the best advertisements around for unoaked versions of this variety. On the nose, it is gently aromatic with peaches, candied almonds and acacia blossoms; the palate bursts with juicy acidity and vibrant fruit, tempered by just a hint of pithyness from three months’ lees contact. Its 14% alcohol goes undetected, and its finish lingers.

Oak, however, has played a major role in forming the White Blend; its 40% sauvignon blanc portion was barrel-fermented while the semillon was aged for around 4 months in 2^nd and 3^rd fill French barriques, before the blend spent 5 months in older wood.. As a result, vanilla aromas initially dominate the bouquet but soon give way to lanolin, straw and lemon blossom. The oak, too, is evident on the palate, giving it a glossy, buttery flavour and texture and a sweet impression on the citrus finish, helped by 4.5 grams per litre g/l residual sugar. Tasted a few days later, the wine had become more closely knit and appeared more focused, which pushed its score upwards. A few years of bottle maturation should be useful and rewarding. Both wines have the structure and flavours to accompany food; indeed, Constantia Uitsig claims the White Blend was created specifically for its restaurant tables. —CvZ
Website
• See comment at end

Elberti
• Dawning Sauvignon Blanc 2005 R35.35 14
• Dawning Syrah Malbec 2005 R35.25 !!! 14
• Dawning Merlot 2003 R27.75 !!! 13.5
• Dawning Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 R30.75 14
Elberti Wines is a new company with its premises in Somerset West. Father Eppie Steyn takes care of logistics, marketing co-ordination and administration while son Pieter makes the wine. The intention is to eventually develop three ranges – Cape Cana, the flagship range which will be bottled under cork; Sojourn – middle of the road in terms of price, bottled under screwcap and destined for the USA and Canadian market; and Dawning – entry level wines, also bottled under cork and which we tasted here. All four wines are well priced, though we thought the Merlot particularly good value. Inky with a cerise rim, it is somewhat feral but also with vanilla, lavender and plums. The palate is nicely balanced, with a crisp acidity and approachable tannins. Clearly styled for approachability, the wine spent 14 months in new Hungarian oak, as did the Cabernet Sauvignon. This, too, has slight animal aromas, red meat and red fruit characters. While the wine’s residual sugar of 2.5 grams per litre l is slightly lower than the other two reds, it leaves a sweet impression on the aftertaste. AL and IM found it high-toned and with a hint of a spritz on the palate. The Syrah Malbec also received a vigorous nod: quaffable, rustic, unoaked and with soft juicy fruit on both the nose and palate, it reminds TJ of a nice Côtes du Ventoux. We all agreed the industry needs more of this kind of wine at this kind of price in its arsenal. But the only white in the range, the Sauvignon Blanc, prompted the question ‘Do we really need another well-made, pretty but unexciting sauvignon on our shelves?’ This one is grassy and refreshing but lacking in intensity and finishing a tad short. All-in-all, not a bad start for father and son. —CvZ

Groote Post
• Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2005 R75 16.5
• Shiraz 2003 R67(f) 15
Proximity to the Atlantic and close attention to viticulture have ensured this Darling winery a sound reputation for intense sauvignons. The maiden 2005 Reserve bottling has been sealed with a glass Vinolock closure, successfully retaining the pungent aromas of tinned peas – more reminiscent of some Constantia and Cape Point wines than the usually more moderately herbaceous Groote Post sauvignons. Winemaker Lukas Wentzel has successfully optimised the concentrated, candied citrus peel flavours and vibrant natural acidity, which balances the more weighty mid-palate, and follows through to a long and lively finish, at the same time keeping the alcohol at a moderate 13.5%. There is sufficient depth and complexity for this wine to develop well with at least another year in bottle, when it would begin to come into its own.

The Shiraz (recently awarded 4½ stars in Wine magazine) spent 15 months in half-new French (80%) and American oak. Exhibiting an intensely coloured core, and youthful ruby rim, the vivid, fleshy, red berry and spice flavours are well-balanced by ample tannins and acidity, though the alcohol of 14.5% mars an otherwise decent finish. TJ felt more positively about the wine, while AL thought it too soft and lacking in structure for a higher score. —IM
Website

Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Chardonnay 2005 R180 (f) 16.5
A track record and consistency are valuable and scarce assets among South African wines. From the maiden 1983 (then labelled Premier Vin Blanc for legal reasons) and through the tenure of this Hemel en Aarde farm’s four winemakers, HRV Chardonnay has held a steady course, any differences resulting more from the interest of vintage variation than swings in stylistic approach. On this basis, it’s difficult to describe the price tag as aspirational. We all remarked on the extreme youth of this latest vintage; toasty oak, rather more than usual, and fruit have yet to harmonise and the wine has the edginess of an unformed youngster. A day later the traditional minerally vibrance became more evident, with incipient richness surrounding the firm, dry core. IM was less convinced but prepared to give the wine the benefit of the doubt due to its track record. While 2005 possibly isn’t one of the great vintages, it should still provide recognisable HRV character and satisfaction in the medium term. —AL

Lomond
• Sugarbush Sauvignon Blanc 2005 R80 16.5
• Pincushion Sauvignon Blanc 2005 R80 15.5
Located in South Africa’s newest Wine of Origin appellation, Cape Agulhas, these ocean-cooled vineyards were spared the fires that recently ravaged the region. They are equally owned by Distell and Lomond properties (shareholders include a property developer, a couple of fruit farmers as well as veteran wine industry marketer Gerrie Wagener – now Morgenster MD), while Distell’s Kobus Gerber still vinifies these grapes, previously used for Fleur du Cap’s reputable Unfiltered range. [See correction from Gerry Wagener in Comments below.]

Launched at Wosa’s 2005 London mega tasting, these two single-vineyard sauvignons, from adjacent blocks (total production a modest 5000 litres), aim to emphasise the diversity of terroir – relying on this point of difference to aid sales in a competitive ultra-premium category. The handsome Anthony Lane-designed labels (styled in single-malt vein) are identical but for the vineyard names, chosen for the surrounding fynbos: Sugarbush (described here as ripe and tropical) and Pincushion (fresh herbaceous).

We found exactly the opposite characteristics in the wines! The Sugarbush, unlike the image conjured by its name, was by far the more leanly herbaceous, with pronounced, strikingly fresh, cool-climate sauvignon aromas, attractive minerality, and intense fruit – complemented by a lively whoosh of acidity through to the long finish.

The supposedly herbaceous Pincushion offered a much rounder, softer impression, with none of the sweaty sauvignon character of the Sugarbush. The fruit intensity and more measured acidity – somewhat in abeyance during the tasting – showed more forcefully the following day. AL & CvZ noted their dissent in the scoring of this controversial wine, both feeling the wine to be rather dilute and lacking varietal character. Apart from a sweeter finish on the Pincushion, both wines managed to successfully conceal their whopping 14.5% alcohol. —IM
Website

Scoring

Grape’s interpretation of the 20-point rating scale

0-10: Faulty or just unpleasant

10.5-11.5: Dull, uninteresting but sound

12-13.5: Pleasant enough, decent but basically simple quaffer

14-15.5: Good and enjoyable, but no real excitement

16-16.5 Very good wine, offering something special

17-17.5 Fine and beautiful world-class wine, among the best in SA

18-20  Truly excellent, some even among the world’s finest

!!! indicates especially good value

Prices
Prices given are approximate retail in South Africa, except where indicated as ex-farm by (f)

Tasters

TJ – Tim James
AL – Angela Lloyd
IM – Ingrid Motteux
CvZ – Cathy van Zyl

Comments

From Anetha Homan of Constantia Uitsig:
In light of the success we've had over the last three vintages with our wines in screw cap, we have already made enquiries for Constantia Uitsig to join the International Screwcap Initiative.  We look forward to adding our weight behind the marketing, research and endorsement of screw caps.

From Gerrie Wagener:
II would like to point out that I am not (and have never been) involved in any way what so ever with Lomond and that I am most certainly not a shareholder. I am a very small shareholder in a much smaller venture south of Elim called Agulhas Wines, producer of First Sighting wines. I trust that the description of me as a 'veteran' does not refer to my gray hair but to the many years in the wine industry!
Our apologies, young Gerrie – Ingrid Motteux had got confused by all the excitement in these cool-climate areas....