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Seven summer sauvignon blancs 20 November 2006 From Avondale, Clos Malverne, Constantia Uitsig, De Grendel, Hidden Valley, Longridge and South Hill
It's no surprise to learn the grapes for this gently expressive sauvignon are sourced not from the hot, Paarl valley-based Avondale farm but from cooler Devon Valley and Faure sites in the Stellenbosch region. A reflection of the positive 2006 vintage lies in its appealing fresh, green-tinged hue and fruit purity, the varietal tropical tones presented with moderation rather than overly pushy and aggressive. Welcome moderation is also found in the 13% alcohol; this balances and sets off the zippy, juicy flavours and clean-cut finish. Don't expect great complexity or staying power, rather find satisfaction in its honest straightforwardness. – AL
This maiden vintage comes from a single vineyard block originally planted to pinotage, but was grafted over to the `savage white' in 2004. According to owner Seymour Pritchard, the vineyard’s location alongside the largest dam in Stellenbosch’s Devon Valley is a major contributor to the quality of the grapes. ‘This dam evaporates during the summer months causing an extremely cool micro-climate, especially at night’, he says. ‘The site is often blanketed in mist on spring and summer mornings, which extends the ripening period.’ This first crop collected a Diamond Award on the 2006 Winemakers Choice Awards, and Pritchard is confident it’s the property’s best sauvignon vintage to date. We find some truth in his claim: the wine is delicate water-white with restrained grassy aromas, fresh Granny Smith apple flavours and a long, decently dry finish. It also has, thanks to one month’s lees contact, a subtle grip. AL is less impressed, finding the acid and sugar currently rather disjointed. All-in-all, this vineyard probably needs a few years to begin delivering the intensity we have come to expect from local sauvignon blancs. Until then, drink up soon with the sea’s harvest. – CvZ
Skilled viticulturist André Rousseau rears his grapes in the lower part of the Constantia Valley and makes the wines (with the aid of John Loubser) a little further along sauvignon valley at Steenberg Vineyards. Pale straw in colour, it is made in a relatively unassertive style, reflecting the fig and gooseberry end of sauvignon’s ripeness spectrum. Pleasing grapefruit and granadilla flavours are drawn through to a focused finish by a thread of balanced, savoury acidity. Elegant and unshowy, this wine provides a satisfying, food-friendly style, which, kept fresh under screwcap, would be best enjoyed within a couple of years. – IM
De Grendel is another newcomer choosing the screwcap closure, and the impressive contents should satisfy even the most die-hard cork enthusiast. Part of the Durbanville Ward, this property benefits from vineyards which not only lie 125 to 350 metres above sea level, but also all face onto the Atlantic with its cooling effects courtesy of the Benguela current. This benefit is further harnessed through the use of satellite images which monitor the grapes and allow for batch harvesting at optimum ripeness. This year, several pickings were required, each being vinified separately before blending. The end result is a sleek and sophisticated yet entirely approachable wine. It radiates freshness, from its cool, green glint to the heady, mineral aromas and vigorous yet polished mouthfeel. Such impact is achieved at an untiring 13% alcohol. While IM again feels it lacks a little concentration, the rest of us think it's great now and believe it should continue to satisfy over the next year or two. – AL
Entrepreneur (and qualified winemaker to boot) Dave Hidden has had a busy 10 years. Not only has he rapidly pursued his ‘wine’ dream and acquired three separate vineyards to fuel this dream; his first purchase in Devon Valley, his most recent at the southern tip of the African continent, Cape Agulhas and one high on the Helderberg mountain range, where he recently constructed a 220 tonne state-of-the-art wine cellar. The fruit for Hidden Valley Sauvignon Blanc comes from this site. Delicious now, this wine nevertheless has the structure to develop in bottle for up to three years. Its defined minerality underscored by impressive fruit richness is very appealing, as is its forthcoming ‘sweaty armpit’ and New Zealand-inspired tin pea nose (appropriate given winemaker Chris Kelly’s origins). Even AL, known for her dislike of ‘armpit’, was forgiving in the face of the wine’s presence and bracing 7.3 g/l acidity. With only 1.6 g/l residual sugar to cushion the impact, the affect is initially almost searing but then the mouth-filling flavours take over to provide a lingering citrus finish. Accordingly, this Michelangelo Gold winner needs food, a fact confirmed by how well it performed a few hours later with a gentle Thai chicken curry. - CvZ
This is the maiden vintage of a wine that joins Longridge Winery’s existing stable of single variety bottlings. Fruit from 9-year old bush and trellised vines was handled reductively prior and during fermentation to preserve freshness. A three-month post-fermentation rest on its primarly lees provides additional flavours and palate weight. All of this pleased the judges at this year’s SA Young Wine Show and they awarded the wine a Gold medal, but it failed overall to attract our favour; AL and TJ in particular found it slightly sweaty and tropical with an unpleasant sweetish finish and, yes, it does have 5.1 g/l residual sugar. CvZ and IM found more to like – good fruit intensity and grapefruit acidity to offset the residual sugar, and complex aromas of white asparagus and green pepper. Even so, it lacks complexity and is more of a summer sipper than a cellar cert. Drink up this summer to enjoy the primary characters. – CvZ
South Hill, a new property in high-lying Elgin, is run by hospitality-industry couple Kevin and Denise King.Their first wine, made by rookie incumbent Sean Skibbe, is a most promising debut. An initial slight reductive whiff, possibly due to the use of screwcap rather than cork, blows off with some air in no time, revealing a fine, contained purity of gooseberry/greengage aromas laced with flinty freshness. Flavourwise, the steely, pebbly theme is complemented by plentiful refreshing vigour and minerally drive. But there is nothing aggressive or harsh: lees ageing has ensured a weighty, expansive mouthfeel with a clean, rich and dry conclusion. IM's reservation about sufficient concentration leaves her slightly less enthusiastic than the rest of us. – AL
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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 Tasters
TJ – Tim James IM – Guest taster Ingrid Motteux, wine consultant; taster for the Platter Guide For more information regarding the tasting procedures, tasters, etc, see the Recent releases contents page |
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Avondale