RECENT RELEASES
Return to
the Recent releases archives index
Return to
the Grape home page
|
Midsummer wine (1)
Wines from
Haskell Vineyards,
JC Le Roux,
Landskroon,
Haskell
Vineyards International businessman Preston Haskell acquired Dombeya several years ago, convinced of its potential given the illustrious reputation of the property’s neighbours: Stellenzicht, Alto, Bilton Rust en Vrede, and Ernie Els. Of the vines – current plantings include cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz and chardonnay – the chardonnay is the oldest, planted in 1988. The cellar, which has an 80-ton capacity, is firmly under the experienced and watchful eye of Rianie Strydom, who spent 10 years at Morgenhof honing her craft. The Dombeya label is intended as the ‘foundation’ offering: that means wines intended for drinking as soon as they’re bottled. The intention, however, is that the Dombeya range will constantly over-deliver at its price point, paving the way for the 2009/2010 launch of a ‘Haskell icon’ range. IM thought the 2005 Chardonnay didn’t achieve this objective. She found the wine overly ripe and weighed down by oppressive peach and naartjie aromas and flavours. The rest of us are more positive, praising the lemon-lime and elderflower bouquet and refreshing acidity. The fruit is dominant in a New World style and there is a slightly sweet finish. But, thanks to partial oaking there are no over-riding vanilla and toast elements. Instead, the wine presents as a very pleasant cohesive whole. TJ, in particular, was charmed. Unfortunately, the team finds less charm in the 2004 blend – including its name (‘amalgam’ has connotations of the mixture dentists use to fill cavities!). On the positive side, the wine is intense and concentrated with complex berry flavours from its 37% shiraz, 33% merlot and 14% cabernet sauvignon. It is obviously New World, and those who revel in grippy tannin, plush fruit and sweet vanilla will enjoy it now, probably with food to counter its power. We, however, think the oak is presently too dominant on both the nose and the palate. With all structural elements in place for a few years' bottle aging, we would prefer to see it on restaurant tables and retailer shelves around 2009. But that wouldn’t be good for cash flow…. What should be is a name change; from the 2005 vintage, this blend will be named Samara. — CvZ
JC Le Roux Would that more wineries would release wines when they’re no longer in infantile teething mode. Although, admittedly, we haven’t always found that the older cap classique bubblies from JC le Roux show as much actual development as they show old age. But this Rosé is good drinking (AL demurring somewhat from this judgement), with a mature bouquet, and a satisfying savoury-sweetfruit character. Not exactly complex wine, but interesting enough, fresh and lively, with an appealing appley acidity on the finish. The pale salmon colour is not too girlish, either – so even though the press release punts it as ideal for a girls’ night out, there’s no reason why it should embarrass the more sophisticated man … would be great after rugby practice. — TJ
Landskroon The first immigrant members of the de Villiers family, three brothers, arrived in the Cape with a group of French Huguenots in 1689. One of those brothers founded Boschendal and it was a descendant of his, Paul de Villiers, who purchased Landskroon in 1874 and started wine farming on these south-west facing slopes of Paarl Mountain. Today, the fifth generation of Paul de Villiers continues the family's winemaking tradition. This steadiness of succession and name is reflected in the reliable range of wines, a range that captures consumer appreciation for such reliability and value – though has yet to capture the elusive attention of commentators as a perceived ‘top’ winery. This is not to say the wines are old-fashioned: the medals adorning the above wines attest to a modern, quality profile, but – and most agreeably – there is no exaggeration of style. Whether or not one likes the marked American oak influence (vanilla and coconut and a sweetish finish) on the Shiraz, it is balanced by other features better associated with the variety, such as spice and supple tannins. The positive freshness and medium body assist in providing an overall comfortable and popular style that delivers on its promises. Although there was no serious dissention around the final agreed score, TJ and CvZ were more positive and IM less so. We all enjoyed the Reserve, a blend of 50% shiraz, 34% merlot, 6% cabernet sauvignon and interesting and influential 10% touriga nacional. Whilst, in the Landskroon mould, there is no overstatement, it is a more serious wine than the Shiraz, with a firmer structure that should stand it in good stead over the next three to five years. This and well-integrated oaking – a mix of American, Hungarian and French – are balanced by attractive floral, spice and `port' fragrance and flavours providing real character throughout each sip. ‘So pleasant and unpretentious' summarised TJ; the rest of us concurred. – AL
Meerendal The consortium of local businessmen who purchased Meerendal a few years ago have set their sights on securing this Durbanville property a place at the top end of the local wine spectrum. Industry stalwart and marketer Bennie Howard has clearly been busy strategising, developing a couple of new labels to fly the Meerendal flag: the bin-numbered “M” range and the even pricier top-tier Heritage label, both launched to coincide with the 305th anniversary of the farm. The barrel-fermented Bin 242 Sauvignon Blanc was the only one of this trio made from start to finish by Karl Lambour during his short tenure from July 2005 until September 2006, whereafter Liza Goodwin stepped in as cellarmaster. 4 000 bottles of this pale gold, weighty food wine were made from the pick of the sauvignon crop. There is little varietal character evident (more a ‘wooded white’ than a sauvignon, reflected AL). Spicy vanilla and confected fruit aromas precede more complex, broad flavours, balanced by grapefruit acidity which persists to a sweetish finish. Sufficient structure and acidity will preserve the wine in bottle for a few years. Bin 159 (the number being the original title deed of the farm granted to Jan Meerland in 1702) is the label reserved for the red deemed the best of the vintage. Elected from the 2005 vintage were 450 cases of opaque, ruby-black shiraz which spent 15 months in new French oak – reflected in abundant mocha and dark chocolate notes which mingle comfortably with spicy red berry and herb aromas. Sweet, dense fruit and accompanying high (15.1%) alcohol on entry are sufficiently lifted by skillfully adjusted acidity. AL and CvZ were more seduced by shiraz’s characteristic lilies, red fruit and spices than TJ and IM, and they were also more positive about the potential longevity of this very young wine. Meerendal bottled their first pinotage in 1969 (a bottle is lined-up for opening in 2009, its 40th anniversary coinciding with 350 years of winemaking in the Cape), and developed a substantial following over the years, which is why the grape has taken the ultimate spot under the heritage label – which, together with the “M” range is lavishly embellished (front, back and top) with coronets, or perhaps crowns – a reference to the then Princess Elizabeth's visit to Meerendal in 1947, which is certainly making an enormous lot out of a slender connection!). Pinotage from a (certified) single vineyard of bushvines planted in 1955, and yielding just 3 tons a hectare, was picked fully ripe and fermented in open kuipe before maturing in all-new French oak. It was bottled 16 months later in over a kilogram of glass bottle. The wine inside exhibits a youthful magenta rim, baked cherry aromas and cranberry flavours. A light spritz on our bottle wasn't helped by the additional punch of acidity that follows, though this probably aims to lend elegance to a wine we felt relies too heavily on oak for its claims to seriousness. The others were more hopeful (though not altogether confident) than I was about the wine’s future, given its youth and good provenance, though none were sufficiently convinced by any of the range to recommend that readers empty their wallets. – IM
Morgenhof
Anne Cointreau’s Stellenbosch farm on the foothills of the Simonsberg spans an altitude of 345 metres; the 37-year old chenin vines are planted 300m above sea level and yield a meagre three to four tons from each hectare. From these, winemaker Jacques Cilliers has produced a seriously-styled chenin, showing varietal trueness in its honeyed waxy and floral aromas, concentrated stone fruit and apple flavours, also a backbone of considerable acidity. This lends a fine, focused, though perhaps too alcoholic, finish. Eight months in (French, of course) barrels imparts a limpid gold colour, breadth and structure. TJ and CvZ, finding it rather more alcoholic and heavy-going, weren’t quite as charmed as AL and I were – we envision a few years of enjoyment ahead of it, especially with suitable dishes. – IM • Morgenhof 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 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 |
|
|
|
||
