RECENT RELEASES
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Recent releases for early winter
(2)
Wines from
Delheim, Groote Post, Klein Genot, Saxenburg
Delheim
Wines This is not a wine newly invented to cater for the ever-growing demand for rosés – it was first made in 1976 by then winemaker Otto Hellmer (who apparently yearned for the light reds from his Pfalz homeland). And the pink from this well-known Stellenbosch winery has been pressed from pinotage ever since. A splash of floral muscat is a new feature of this dry-ish watermelon-coloured wine, now bottled under screwcap – making it even more suitable for picnics. AL would have liked a little more fruit, but we all found it pleasant enough for uncomplicated, early drinking. – IM
Groote Post Groote Post is possibly best known for its Sauvignon Blancs, particularly the Reserve, which revel in capsicum, dusty fynbos and mineral notes and are clearly very happy with the coolish climate prevailing on the slopes of Groote Post’s 4000 hectare Darling spread (of which 2000 are formally committed to indegenous fynbos and renosterveld). But if you are a fan of the main white Bordeaux grape but are looking for additional flavours to excite your palate, you’d not go wrong investing in a bottle or two of Groote Post’s barrel-fermented tribute to the main white grape of Burgundy. Only 80% new French oak is used during the fermentation process for the Chardonnay, and this relative restraint is rewarded on the nose with subtle creamy notes complementing, not dominating, forthcoming lemon and lime aromas. The palate is plump with chardonnay’s viscosity and oak’s butteriness yet, thanks to a vibrant acidity, it is not cloying. There’s also a slight sweet hiccup on the finish, thanks to some residual sugar, which some might find detracts from its charm. TJ and AL were indeed less enthusiastic than IM and me, saying that they found the acidity slightly coarse and the lingering sweetness decidedly off-putting. When it came to the Pinot Noir, however, consensus reigned. All liked its pale hue and raspberry and strawberry aromas, but found the a bitter aftertaste which was attribuited to the wood. Given that only 30% of the wine was oaked in new barrels, the remainder going into second fill, this seemed incongruous, except that no-one found any fruit concentration on the palate to counter even slight oaking, and did note that the exceptionally pale colour had hinted at a lack of fruit intensity. Some stalky greenstick character also hinted at less than satisfactory ripeness. I took the bottle home and, two nights after the new releases tasting, found a glass of the wine far more pleasant when sipped with dinner. The second glass, this time without food, unfortunately, still showed intolerable levels of bitterness and went unfinished. – CvZ
Klein
Genot These are the maiden releases of an estate in Franschhoek which already has some renown as a ‘boutique guesthouse’ . Angie and Joey Diamond, who bought the property in 2000, are working for equal success for their wines, with the useful expertise of Paul Wallace in the 20 hectares of vineyards and Mark Carmichael-Green in the cellar (a neighbouring one, that is, until their own is built). The solid redness of the range is perhaps a surprise for Franschhoek, which is better known for its white wines, and the vines are still too young to deliver their best – while there’s plenty going for the wines, there is little real intensity or depth. They generally show sweet, ripe fruit, however, though both the Merlot and the Cabernet have herbal twists which make a positive contribution. The Merlot is fruity and likeable, though a touch thin; flavourful and – as they say – ‘easy-drinking’. Similarly light-centred, and also with well-handled wood influence, the Shiraz is richer, with warm rather rough tannins and a fresh acidity. IM was a little harsher in her judgement than the rest of us in this case; but we were agreed that the Cab was the weakest of the four wines: more overtly tannic, a little awkward and rustic. Perhaps it suffered from the best barrels going off to join cabernet franc in the Black Swan blend, where it pleasantly mingles blackcurrent with the franc’s touch of leafiness and perfume. Again there is ripe, sweet, fresh berry fruit on the pleasantly rounded palate. The finish is rather marked by dry oak tannin – in fact Cvz thought the oaking rather too obtrusive throughout the wine. But generally the wines are sensitively handled and do not push their ambitions too far beyond the vineyard’s capacities: it will be interesting to see this range develop as those vineyards mature. – TJ
Saxenburg Nico van der Merwe has presided over the cellar at this Kuils River property since the end of 1990, a long time in an industry where ‘musical chairs' is the norm for winemakers. Such lengthy tenure inspires confidence in his knowledge of both vineyards and area, including those from brought-in fruit, and subsequent integrity of the wine. This has been frequently recognised in the awards won by this cellar down the years. Consistency has been another positive factor, though it has to be said the recent move to condense the range has shown benefits, with the Guinea Fowl Red mopping up wines not deemed worthy of the Private Collection varietal range. The latest combines merlot, shiraz and cabernet in a well-rounded, supple-fruited wine that's easy yet satisfying. A year in used oak realises just the right harmony. For current enjoyment, rather open well in advance or decant the wine, since we had some initial concerns about overdone tannins – a day later they weren't troublesome at all. We agreed there's been a notable, positive shift in style throughout the PC range, best summed up by greater freshness and better fruit definition. In the Chardonnay this is partially thanks to the more elegant 2006 vintage. Green-edged brilliance, purity of citrus blossom fragrance and fresh flavours all generate appeal. Oak, fruit and leesy richness have been handled with a light touch though a sense of residual sweetness goes a little beyond emphasising fruit. IM was less convinced about the wine's harmony; a little more ageing may alter her views. A concern we have about the reds and their future potential is their high alcohols (an aspect van der Merwe acknowledges); organoleptically, the acid levels too seem a little out of kilter, but re-visiting the wines over a day or so, they are more harmonious. That said, as a vintage, we don't feel 2004 reds will be as long-lived as 2003. The Pinotage, from four year old vines, shows pure spice and cherry fruits with smoky bacon features. Fresh and ripely juicy, the trademark tannins lend a bite to the finish but without bitterness. Fruit for the balance of the reds is drawn from mature vines, a benefit that doesn't prevent the Merlot initially showing a touch of greenness; though, after a couple of days, it ended up being the most enjoyable to drink now. The Cabernet can best be described as having a modern face within a traditional South African profile, fruitwise a mix of bright cassis with walnuts. A rich, warm, generous mouthfeel with good concentration and balance is matched with sound tannin structure but watch out for a takeover by 15% alcohol. Shiraz has long been Saxenburg's trump card; this celebrates subtle oak and softer tannins. IM and I championed its bright spice, red fruits and textured feel, though not unaware of the elevated alcohol. It was too powerful and acidic for TJ, while a ‘greenstick bitterness' worried CvZ. Again, this wine will require careful monitoring to drink before an imbalance starts to show. – AL
Solms-Delta In his piece
in Icons 2007 (the book of the Trophy WIne Show) the British
judge Neil Beckett (enthusiastically) describes the wines of Solms-Delta
as the ‘most unusual’ he came across on his visit to the Cape.The Amalie
white blend
participates at the modest end of this radical unusualness, but it is
also full of character and interest as well as eminent drinkability. It
blends grenache blanc (produced in the standard way) with viognier that
comes from the semi-dried grapes of bunches that have been ‘strangled’
on the vine in the way that winemaker Hilko Hegewisch and
neuroscientist-famer Mark Solms are continuing to experiment with – and
produce excellent wines from. This is the second vintage of Amalie. The
viognier shows though in the aromas and on the palate with a peachy
perfume that is, happily, subtle enough to allow other – wild and
scrubby – notes to show too. It’s a powerful, concentrated wine (verging
on being too powerful for some of us) but also restrained, with a
richness well supported by a fine acidity and good, appropriate oaking.
Already integrated and drinking well, the wine should benefit from a
further year or two in the bottle.
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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 IM – Guest taster Ingrid Motteux, Cape-based 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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