RECENT RELEASES
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Recent releases for autumn
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Wines from Bein, Bilton, Bouchard Finlayson, Durbanville Hills, Du Toitskloof, Eikendal, Hermit on the Hill, and Landskroon
Bein Wine Ingrid and Luca Bein emigrated from Switzerland and undertook winemaking degrees at the University of Stellenbosch in 1999. Both with veterinary backgrounds, their passion for winemaking began a little later in life than most. Their plan to produce fine wine was moulded on their love for Bordeaux’s Château Petrus, prompting them to plant merlot on their Polkadraai farm. The Little Merlot has been introduced as a vehicle for young vine fruit; this maiden vintage includes a small percentage of bought in petit verdot. The nose is herbaceous with a hint of spice and some plummy notes. I was disturbed by a ‘greenness' that carried through to the palate – but it didn’t disturbed the rest of the panel. On the other hand, its tannic edge and firm acidity makes it a rather more serious wine for me than for the others; I would expect improvement over the next few years. TJ enjoyed the unpretentiousness, and JP its ‘drinkability’. A good companion to a chop and potato salad, anyway. The flagship Merlot is certainly a step up. The nose is massively appealing with coffee, fruitcake and baked plums with complementary spicy oak. Still youthfully closed, there is good rich round fruit underneath. Again, I found a herbaceous edge, but here it seemed to me to add to the complexity. AL commented on the wine's seamlessness, though JP was worried by a ‘spiky acidity’. A few years will tell whether this remains a detraction. — RP
This Stellenbosch winery continues to grow – to frequent acclaim. Winemaker Rudi de Wet has been in charge of the cellar (with Giorgio dalla Cia as a no-doubt useful advisor) only since late 2005, and has introduced a new Sauvignon Blanc as well as this Pinotage, which won trophies at both the SA and Stellenbosch Young Wine Shows. It’s a very assured piece of winemaking, cleverly balancing forward ripe, plummy fruitiness and some more serious vinosity partly expressed through a certain gaminess. While big in flavour and softly firm structure, it’s not over the top, although the wood does at this stage tend to be too assertive over the jammy fruit. Perhaps there’s not a lot of real concentration beneath the showiness, but it seems intended to give fruity pleasure in its youth; this it does, and it should last a few years and perhaps grow more interesting, though AL doubts its seriousness and recommends early drinking. — TJ
Bouchard Finlayson An interesting wine from pinot noir grandmaster Peter Finlayson, who believes that the 2005 vintage is on par with the highly regarded 2001 and 1997. The focus and dedication Finlayson brings to this most sexy grape variety is reflected in his effort here. With rich, fat aromas of kirsch liqueur and fine red fruits combined with a touch of funky barnyard and a light medicinal bouquet, the wine is clearly made in the classical Burgundian style we’ve come to expect from this label. There’s a rich mouthfeel, with a perfumed taste of violets – though perhaps a bit too much oak for the amount of fruit on offer. The underlying minerality cools off the slightly heated fruit. The wine has lots of character but for real excitement and heaven on earth, I miss some transparent and pure fruit in this rustic style pinot. — JP
Durbanville Hills Merlot’s reputation in the US has suffered a good deal from adverse comments in the film Sideways, and, frankly, most critics in South Africa look at the local examples pretty quizically too – though the style of merlots here has never been quite of the squishy softness that characterises so many Californians of this variety. Here, the trouble is often a hard greenness sitting uneasily with ripe flavours. Unfortunately, this prestigious bottling from Durbanville Hills fits too well into the stereotype. The grapes are from a ‘cool, south-facing slope, chosen for the sound structure the grapes impart to the wine’, we’re told. Well, there is evidence of ripeness in the soft, supple tannins and a certain sweetness; there is also, following on the green-mintiness accompanying the chocolate notes, a rather tart acidity somewhat at odds with the ripeness. JP particularly came down on the angularity of the wine, and others also found a an unsatisfactory sweet-sour quality. The name of this range, incidentally, refers to the indigenous renosterveld of the area – vegation that the winery is doing a great deal to preserve. We tend to admire also what cellarmaster Martin Moore is achieving at this large concern, but this bottle disappointed. — TJ
Du
Toitskloof Fifty six days from harvesting to screwcapped bottle: that's how short a time it took for this Rawsonville winery to have the first 2007 sauvignon available to winelovers both curious and impatient to know what the latest crop tastes like. Unsurprisingly it is very young and fresh (which is how it should be enjoyed, no keeping recommended), an initial ‘sweaty armpit' reductive note blowing off after a day and revealing more sauvignon varietal character – figs, tropical fruits – than when first opened. Some peardrop estery notes still remain to remind how really fresh out of fermentation it is, but they don’t detract. Pleasingly medium bodied, with refreshing acid and a finish that seems to benefit from a gram or two of sugar, both TJ and RP describe this as the ‘essence of a quaffer'. It shouldn't disappoint Du Toitskloof fans and will attract newcomers to further explore a range recognised for offering great value. — AL
Eikendal Eikendal has just celebrated its 25th anniversary. Its reputation for producing sound quality from its Stellenbosch vineyards can only be enhanced by this wine – a fine effort in a more-than-difficult vintage. It’s a late release (most other 2002s are mercifully off the shelves already), and perhaps they were dithering – but if so they needn’t have worried. The wine showed very well, with tones of chocolate, tomato bush and smoky red fruit. It is well balanced, with a firm structure supporting the flavours, and altogether appeals as a friendly wine, ready for drinking now (it would be a good food partner). If Eikendal would remember to add a bit more character and uniqueness, to add to the basic decent quality, it would make for an even better wine. — JP
Hermit on the Hill
Winewriters have often dabbled - some more seriously than others - with winemaking, but it's difficult to think of wine PROs laying bare their winemaking skills bare to the critical public (Emile Joubert's Galjoengat Pinotage/Chenin remains among friends only!). Here’s Pieter de Waal, PR for the Durbanville Wine Route, though. This Syrah, described as ‘a fun project', is carried out in cooperation with Paarl producer Clive Kerr of Coleraine – which is also where the shiraz grapes come from. As much as the name and story on the label are a play on the Hermitage appellation in the Rhône, where syrah is the only red grape, this wine blends in 15% mourvèdre. In the South African context it's a ripe, very soft wine with snatches of dark fruit and black pepper peeping through the rather obvious oak. Given some 24 hours of air, the fruit - now with some refreshing red notes - and oak do forge a more compatible relationship, though the drying tannins we noted when the wine was first opened suggest it will best be enjoyed this coming winter in the company of some hearty dish. — AL
Landskroon
We were enthusiastic recently about some red wines from this well-established and modest Paarl producer, but are a little less so about these two fortifieds. Words are, admittedly, lacking to describe the Jerepico’s mouth-explosion of cloying sweetness bursting with lime and honeysuckle – simple aromas, with a complicating strange sense of chemicals. It would be fascinating to taste this wine when it is five decades old, to see if it does develop any complexity. Meanwhile, perhaps pour on ice-cream, or sip carefully. As for the Port, it’s very Cape-traditional in style, with plenty of sugar and a lowish alcohol, though made from a Portuguese mix of souzão and tintas barroca and roriz. ‘A reflection of proud tradition in every bottle’, it says on the Landskroon website. Well, some people reckon tradition is yesterday’s innovation, and others think tradition is the mistakes of the past. Whichever your attitude, tradition here delivered some complexity of bouquet, with a beautiful sense of chocolate, crème de cassis and black fruits. In the mouth, though, the tannins were a bit coarse and the finish rather short. I also picked up some funky (dirty) oxidative character – tradition, or a lapse of cellar management. But pleasant winter-warming stuff, however. — JP |
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 RP – Guest taster Roland Peens, MW student and retailer at the WIne Cellar, Observatory, Cape Town For more information regarding the tasting procedures, tasters, etc, see the Recent releases contents page
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