RECENT RELEASES
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Recent releases: October (1)
Wines from Blaauwklippen, Catherine Marshall, Constantia Uitsig, Durbanville Hills, Meerlust, Simonsig, Spookfontein, The Winery of Good Hope
Blaauwklippen • Zinfandel 2005 R90 15 This property on the foothills of the Helderberg is indelibly associated with zinfandel, the variety's reputation being established when it won the inaugural Diner's Club Winemaker of the Year Award in 1980 for the farm's first winemaker, Walter Finlayson. It has made regular appearances in Blaauwklippen's portfolio since then, though zinfandel remains a rarity in South African wineries' portfolios. Rare, different and distinctive: this example illustrates the variety's typical high-toned, intense raspberry/cherry fragrance and natural high acid, which gives it a lean, fresh feel. Balance is achieved thanks to good concentration of sweet fruit and a slight sweetness from oak maturation, though 14 months in barriques has rounded the more aggressive edges rather than adding too much flavour. Nevertheless, this, like zinfandels generally, will be better appreciated when partnered by a hearty tomato-based pasta or similar dish. – AL
Catherine Marshall • Sauvignon Blanc 2007 R55 15.5 • Pinot Noir 2006 R92 16 • Syrah-Mourvèdre 2005 R126 16 • Syrah 2005 R86 16 Ten years back Cathy Marshall and friends got together to form the modest Barefoot Wine Company, which became BWC when the American winery of the extended name leaned on them. Now, much bigger and pretty successful, the company has been re-branded with the name of the excellent winemaker, which provides the dominant wording on the delightfully fresh and different labels. It works for sales, apparently – but the quality of the wines must help too. The ripe-flavoured Sauvignon comes from Durbanville grapes – not overtly fruity, though with good passionfruit concentration and an interesting touch of blackcurrant, it’s a good food wine, with its fine balance of bursting, ripe acidity. The moderate 12.5% alcohol is an added bonus. Lightish alcohol is also a feature of the elegant Syrah-Mourvèdre – let’s hope there are going to be more winemakers returning to earlier picking and thus avoiding both ultra-ripe flavours and massive alcohols; with decent viticulture there’s no need for green characters, as this blend shows, though it's from warm-country Swartland (the 13% mourvèdre component) and Paarl (the majority shiraz). It’s an easy-going, fresh wine, well structured, with some dry tannins and good sweet fruit, and, thanks to older barrels, no interference from oak flavours. It was suggested that it's not for long ageing, and certainly drinks well already. The Syrah is from Paarl fruit, and some smoky, burnt-toast notes (along with roasted herbs) point to the third portion of new barrels. Just a little more alcoholic than the blend, it is also flavoursome, elegant and fresh, and perhaps richer. The Pinot Noir met with great enthusiasm for its pleasantness and its good varietal character – red berry fruit and a liittle earthiness and perfume, and structured more by acidity than by tannins. Seriously wooded though it is, it comes across as an unpretentious, immensely drinkable wine, more earth-bound (even rustic) than ethereal in its styling, and well-priced compared with some of the grand (and not-so grand) pinots on the market. – TJ
Constantia Uitsig • Sauvignon Blanc 2007 R75 16.5 • Chardonnay 2007 R58.50 14.5 • Semillon 2006 R109 17 • White 2006 R109 17.5 • Constantia Red 2004 R117 (f) 16 Viticulturist-turned-winemaker André Rousseau still hauls his fine Constantia fruit to neighbouring Steenberg every harvest to transform it into wine. All whites are bottled under screwcap, and his fresh, appealing Sauvignon Blanc will offer consumers plenty of flavour and character. Snow pea and fig aromas are followed by rich flavours, balanced by mouth-watering acidity and a minerally finish. AL relishes the stimulating intensity and restrained fruit, while a less positive TJ would prefer more focus. Usually a hit, the unwooded Chardonnay disappoints this vintage, lacking its characteristic intensity and charm. A couple of months on the lees fails to add dimension to the simple quince and guava flavours, and the overt yeastiness leads us to suspect there might a closure problem (all the Uitsig white wines are bottled under screwcap, and have been for a while, so there’s no lack of experience, however, which can sometimes lead to bottling problems for winemakers used to corks). Initially unenthusiastic (and out of synch with the other tasters) about the bold oak and seemingly sweet confected character of the Semillon, I tasted it the following day, only to be blown away by the complex nutty, lemon and honeysuckle aromas, concentrated, rich and pithy citrus flavours balanced by fine acidity, and firmly structured by this and the seven months older French oak. Delicious now, and worth keeping a few years, as it will gain further complexity. But best leave it a few years, or decant it vigorously in youth. Equally impressive, the elegantly powerful semillon-dominated (70%) Bordeaux-style blend, simply called White, is given a good measure of firm freshness by the agreeably integrated sauvignon component. Tropicality on the entry lends accessibility, though this is followed by steely reserve and structure from an oaking regime similar to the semillon, with determined acidity carrying through to a zesty lemon finish. The wine is reticent at present, and we all feel it will benefit from further time in the bottle.
The plushly textured merlot, cabernet
(sauvignon and franc) 50:40:10 blend (rather cheekily given the name of
the valley) exhibits distinctly minty and herb aromas with sweet, spicy
red and black fruit on both nose and palate – kept in check by firm,
ripe, integrated tannins from 15 months in French oak, 70% new. Though
accessible now, especially with food, it has medium-term potential for
cellaring.
Durbanville Hills • Sauvignon Blanc 2007 R40 14.5 On the several occasions we have rated this high-volume, entry-level wine, we have noted its consistency and pleasurable drinking. This latest offering gives no reason to change our opinion, though we do note that the price has risen well beyond the level of a good value rating, which we once felt this deserved. Doubtless this is caused through supply and demand, especially with a reduced sauvignon crop this year. Winemaker Martin Moore describes this label as a ‘crowd-pleaser', but it has plenty of interesting varietal vigour and stimulating cool climate greengage, lemon grass fragrance. Similar lively fruity acids are balanced by good richness and weight, providing an incisively clean, sustained finish. Characterful without being over the top, it will make an excellent partner to a variety of dishes. It's worth noting that locally, cork remains the closure of choice: apparently the cellar's research revealed that South African consumers prefer this closure to the screwcap. – AL
Meerlust I approached this cab with trepidation: after all, on my recent visits to Meerlust, the horse has bitten me and the big, hairy dog marked his territory on my just-lovingly-washed-and-polished car. Would this be another Meerlust encounter where I'd come off second best? I should have had no fear and, in truth I had none, because this venerable property has always treated its grapes, its wines and its fans with dignity and restraint. Just three years old, there are indications that this particular offering is beginning to benefit from bottle age: it is claret red – not pinotage purple – and has a comforting leather and spice hint to its gentle cassis nose. Impressive and enticing as the bouquet is, it is the palate that really earns this wine its high rating. Here, it shows firm cabernet grape tannin backbone, taut tannins from 18 months in French oak (80% new) add breadth and additional structure on to which the restrained yet expressive fruit can hang. We agree it is more influenced by classic Bordeaux than New World but, given its 14.5% alc and fruit purity, perhaps a modern classic would be a better description. This wine will grace any table now but certainly will show more complexity with a further four-plus years in the cellar. – CvZ
Simonsig • Sunbird Sauvignon Blanc 2007 R45 13.5 The large, well-established and well-reputed Simonsig estate in Stellenbosch has got a nice clean, new label for wines like this nice clean, new sauvignon. Having said that, there’s not a great deal to add. It’s a pleasant, fresh, well-made wine, with typical sauvignon character, which should neither disappoint nor utterly thrill anyone. – TJ
Spookfontein • Merlot Rosé 2006 R30 13 • Merlot 2004 R60 (f) 13 This new property, situated in the Hemel en Aarde Valley, is among the first to produce wines under the name of one of the three wards declared for the larger valley system there – in this case, WO Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley. Close to 11 hectares of merlot, cabernets sauvignon and franc and pinot noir were established at the beginning of the millennium; this duo, from a single block, represent the maiden releases. The Rosé was made by incumbent winemaker Craig Sheard, while the red was the responsibility of Hannes Storm (Hamilton Russell's current winemaker) during his time at Sumaridge. The Rosé shows some development and we find it strange that such a simple style should have been released with a year in the bottle. A vivid cherry pink, it has a confected nose of crushed strawberries and cream but without much vitality, a feature that is also dimmed by noticeable residual sugar. The red wine acknowledges an alcohol of 13.7% though it looks and tastes much riper than that reading normally implies, the dark fruits accompanied by tarry tones from 20 months in small French oak. A harsh thread of acid contrasts and stands apart from the fruit ripeness, and, as CvZ avers, ‘isn't refreshing'. We suggest opening sooner rather than later. – AL
The
Winery of Good Hope
• Vinum Africa Chenin Blanc
2006 R50
15.5 The Vinum Africa example, too, has the structure and intensity for cellaring. A small portion of the juice (5%) was fermented and matured for 10 months in mainly new Burgundian oak. Also from old bush vines and a cool Helderberg vineyard, it is intensely long, with complex vanilla, fynbos and mountain side scrub aromas and flavours. I find it a well integrated and classy drink; though others think the oak a little overwhelming for the fruit. Both wines bear an unobtrusive 14% alc. While agreeing they will benefit from bottle aging, perhaps closer to three rather than six years is more realistic a period. – CvZ
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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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