RECENT RELEASES
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Recent releases for autumn
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Wines from Jacobsdal, Monis, Morgenster, Paul Cluver, Simonsig, Stellenzicht, Vins d'Orrance
Jacobsdal Estate
Jacobsdal
is thought of as a pinotage specialist, but this Cab has acquired
something of a reputation – most recently in Canada, apparently. The
approach of Cornelius Dumas, and son Hannes, is, as they claim,
traditional and artisanal – with dryland-grown grapes fermented without
yeast inoculation in open-top cement tanks. In fact, we thought, this
wine was rather old fashioned – with some of the associated virtues of
elegant vinosity and firm structure rather than fruity explosions and
overripe squishiness, but also perhaps a little hard along with its
savoury freshnesss. The cab character comes through well with
blackcurrent notes, but there seemed no great depth of fruit. Further,
the all-new oak (not very artisanal, perhaps!), which first announces
itself with aromas of tobacco and spice, seems a little over-done,
contributing to the hardness already noted, and a drying finish. For
those who fondly recall the older-style Bergkelder wines, this will be a
treat – and, in fact, it should be a good food wine – which we have
perhaps rated ungenerously. It should also last for quite a few years,
though whether it will mature well is another matter.
— TJ
It is with a fine wine such as Sherry (including the
‘real’ one from southern Spain) that the need for inspired marketing is
particularly clear. Sherry has been languishing in a decanter on
grandma's sideboard for far too long, its stuffy image detracting from
some brilliant wines in varied styles and thoroughly versatile with
food. The Jerezanos have been trying to make sherry sexier and more
appealing, especially to the younger set. Now Monis, a long-time
producer of local Sherry styles, is doing likewise (see our
earlier review of their standard
lines) – without mentioning the word Sherry on the label, of course, in
line with EU demands. The bottle here is long, slim, dark and elegant (though
unnervingly similar to many containing new-wave olive oils!) with
silk-screened lettering. ‘Serve chilled' urges the neck tag – but even
then, unfortunately, do not expect the contents to resemble ‘the
authentic Spanish Manzanilla style' the press release claims as the
method of production. The difference is hardly surprising – the variety
used here is chenin blanc rather than Spain’s palamino, for a start. We
found little of the nutty, aldehydic flor character associated with
classic fino sherries; there appears to be an unusual hint of varnishy
oak and noticeable oxidation. The wine is dry, and the standard
post-fermentation fortification taking the alcohol level to 15.5% is
smoothly integrated and doesn't disturb a general impression of
lightness. While it might not thrill lovers of the Real Thing, it is a
pleasant drink, and reasonably priced. It would be a good accompaniment
to many foods (it’s scarcely more alcoholic than many straight wines,
after all) and certainly shouldn't be left in the fridge for any length
of time – let alone on grandma’s sideboard. —
AL + see comment at end
The 2002 version of this newish label (the estate’s
flagship first appeared with 2000) was released under another name, but
the latest release, from the excellent 2003 vintage, compensates
admirers of the earlier wines for the wait – as it’s surely the finest
to date. This understated wine is made mostly from cabernets franc and
sauvignon grown on cool Helderberg slopes, these giving it an elegantly
forceful and minerally structure, with the franc contributing
characteristic leafy notes which add to the tension and incipient
complexity of the whole. The 30% or so merlot (a proportion down quite
substantially from 2001’s) adds richness and beguiling softness. There’s
a good deal of structure to this wine, supporting a good deal of flavour
intensity. Although the tannins are silkily suave, they should not be
underestimated, and they, together with a fine acidity and, above all, a
balance of all the components, should help carry this wine to maturity
five to ten years hence. That balance includes, incidentally, an alcohol
of around 13.5% and well-integrated oak (mostly new). After the tasting,
I sampled the wine over three evenings and if anything it improved
continually with exposure to the air – probably a testament to its
future. It would be something of a waste of potential (and, frankly, of
money) to drink this wine now – but if you are impatient, at least
decant it vigorously a few hours before serving.
— TJ Paul Cluver Taking advantage of Elgin's cooler, highland vineyards, this producer has been in the vanguard of what seems to be a bit of a riesling revival, and has been doing it great service both with a dry-tasting (though officially off-dry) version as well as the much-acclaimed botrytised dessert wine. The former is screwcapped, and the 2006 comes in a slightly shorter bottle, which will please restaurateurs and other who battled to fit the 2005 into the fridge. If we are slightly disappointed with the latest releases of this duo, it is only because such high standards have been set in previous vintages. The off-dry wine (a blend of wine fermented dry with wine whose ferment was halted with 17 grams of sugar remaining), reveals clean, vigorous limey aromas with a hint of botrytis, all elegant and agreeable. As youthful rieslings often do, it appears quite tight and delicate and RP wondered if it needs two years or so to open. JP (with great experience of German riesling) is doubtful, finding it lacks density and drive. Indeed our main disappointment derives from the lack of finishing thrill. As the wine didn't gain much over two days, it will probably be at its most enjoyable within two years. We made some similar comments about the Noble Late Harvest, whose finish we found a little too sweet and a little too tame. Positively, the botrytis is well judged not to swamp riesling's trademark spice and pepper, and RP commented on the pure, clean lines, which seem undisturbed by older oak maturation for half the wine. Winemaker Andries Burger is optimistic that this 2006 will perform as well as his other winners; time will tell and maybe we'll be proved wrong. Pinot Noir really is a minx and even with practice, if
the vintage doesn't play ball, neither does pinot. ‘Pinot should be
sexy', asserts JP; ‘this doesn't have it'. 2004 was a hot vintage, not
really suited to sexy pinot. This has some black cherry and forest floor
development with a little juiciness, but overall has a rather alcoholic
harshness and lacks freshness. It might benefit from a year or two but
probably no longer. — AL
During my student days, when I was seeking something above the standard plonk, I used to savour a bottle of Adelberg much to the envy of my friends. Not too much has changed in the interim - except perhaps for the screwcap closures and my drinking habits! This pair of bargain wines from the large and well-reputed Stellenbosch winery remain easy-drinking Bordeaux-style blends. The white is a blend of 68% sauvignon blanc and 32% semillon, both unoaked. The aromas of a wine in this style could do with some more fruit: tt’s a little dull until semillon's waxy edges appear. The palate starts off fresh with a creamy core, but TJ and AL then found a distracting phenolic finish. The texture and defining acid will make it better with food. This is not made in a style to keep, and might well have shown better during the year of the vintage. The red Adelberg drew a lot more positive comments.
The dominant (60%) cabernet sauvignon is dominant on the nose and in the
blend, while merlot adds some attractive sweet fruits. The wine is full
and punchy in a commercial style. We enjoyed the soft ripe fruit and the
satisfactory integration: a wine with sufficient character to be prized
by even today's students. — RP This lesser-priced (though not exactly cheap) range
from this substantial Stellenbosch winery aims at approachability – and
the rich, big Barossa-styled Shiraz is for people who might enjoy
drinking their wine with a spoon. With its forward fruit and copious
oaking the wine can remind you (if you’re not a fan of the style) of a
bodybuilder who has taken too many steriods. The gamy chocolate nose
doesn’t inspire – with a lack of complexity and a heat-wave from
elevated alcohol. But it’s an enjoyable drink of decent commercial
quality, the rich sweet fruit is nicely balanced with an edge of
greenness, and easily recognisable (reminding me that ten years back I
was very fond of old style Rioja where I could easy identify vanilla and
coconut from the American oak). All this over the muscular structure. A
good partner for spare ribs and other braai
indulgences. — JP Vins D’Orrance Christophe Durand was born and raised in France – in a Calvados-producing family –and moved to Cape Town in 1995. Early involvement importing wine barrels and being a partner in Alex Dale's The Winery, eventually led to Durand taking the big step of starting his own winemaking business: the first vintage of Vins D'Orrance was in 2001. Both these wines are produced in tiny quantities and their handcrafted nature shines through.The 2006 Chardonnay, fermented in 80 percent new oak, is left on the lees for 11 months. It proved fairly controversial here. For some, a pure mineral and limey character seems well supported by the oak, and the wine shows some tightness, lessened only by a just noticeable 3.5 g/l sugar, which accentuates the incipient succulence and richness. JP and I believe time will increase complexity and possibly justify a higher score; TJ, though, thought the wine oaky, sweet and simple, and AL found a lack of intensity. We were all in agreement, though, in praise for the
Syrah, named after Durand's daughter. The immediate attraction is in the
elegant and pure floral notes, recalling northern Rhône syrahs. Wild
herbs, cured game, lilies and black olives were some of the characters
following through to the palate. The structure is stylish and well
balanced with the ripe fruit; the tannins firm but not over-intrusive;
the oaking is similarly sympathetic (though TJ thought it a bit much)
adding a hint of spice to that of the fruit. A 100% syrah that is
complete in itself – definitely no need for viognier to heighten the
aromatics, as fashionably happens too often these days. Over the three
days folowing the tasting, the wine maintained fabulous freshness whilst
integrating and providing excellent concentration and overall balance: a
good sign for its future.
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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 for these wines
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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COMMENT
From Jake Parrott (a US importer of SA wines) |
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