Recent releases: October (3)
19 October 2007

Wines from Graham Beck, Douglas Green, Journey's End and Steenberg

Graham Beck Wines
• Pinotage Rosé 2007 R40 14

• The Old Road Pinotage 2003 R135 16

We anticipated tasting a trio from Graham Beck Wines until, unfortunately, The Ridge Syrah 2002, at R160, proved to be badly corked. However, under screw cap – the first from this producer no less, the young Robertson Pinotage Rosé is fresh and clean, with creamy strawberry notes and just a hint of pinotage bitterness on its savory conclusion. Medium-bodied (13% alc) with a brisk acidity, it is very refreshing and makes an appealing and unpretentious summertime aperitif. Drink it before next year’s harvest to enjoy at its fruity best. By contrast, the red version is structured for 3-5 years’ cellaring. Named for a single vineyard planted on the Franschhoek property, it is plump with mulberries, strawberries, plums and spicy oak. We find it rich yet nicely balanced; it gives the impression of having all the personality and all the proverbial ‘goods’, yet being sufficiently well-mannered and brought up as to keep its exuberance, and 14.4% alc, in check. Almost a year in new and second fill French and American oak adds appealing toasty aromas and flavours; AL finds the latter a little too sweet for her palate, but agrees with the rest of us, this is a very decent dinner companion, and will be more so after ageing. – CvZ

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Douglas Green

• Chardonnay Colombard 2007 R25 13.5 !!!

• Cinsaut Pinotage 2006 R25 13

With this Diversity range, Wellington-based Douglas Green (which was the Cape’s first true negociant winery) aims ‘to capture the imagination of young female biased fashion conscious supermarket shoppers', and hopes that these wines ‘will certainly stand out … as the perfect accessory to the modern woman on a mission.' Well, DG will, we hope, be pleased to hear that Grape's somewhat older female and male panel also find the bright new packaging different and appealing. As we do the Chardonnay-Colombard blend. Although this takes the WO Western Cape appellation, it's a partnership most associated with the Robertson region; wherever the source, the match is equally happy. More vinous than fruity, the aromas are fresh, full with a gentle citrus lift and anticipate exactly the well-weighted, polished yet crisp flavours. Satisfying, easy drinking – or as TJ puts it, ‘an unbeatable petit vin (little wine)'. The red is in a crowd-pleaser style with some finishing sweetness and the sort of cinnamon spice, red fruit character one would expect from this combination. TJ was worried by acid unintegrated with the very ripe fruit, but partnered with suitably hearty fare, it should slip down easily enough. – AL

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Journey’s End

• Chardonnay 2005 R75 15.5

• Merlot 2005 R95 14.5

This small winery near Sir Lowry’s Pass has been owned since 1996 by Roger and Annie Gabb – the former a British wine distributor instrumental in creating the Kumala mega-brand. Journey’s End wines indeed featured at the summit of the Kumala range but are now going it alone. There are four Journey’s End wines (with a higher-level range apparently to be launched later this year). Of the two we sampled, with their excellent, minimalist labels, we preferred the Chardonnay. It’s oaky, showily attractive and lively, with appealing citrus and vanilla notes; there’s richness, but a good acidity to carry the fruit. Ready for drinking now, and should give satisfaction, we reckon.

The Merlot shows more development – in colour and character – than we’d have expected from a 2005 – perhaps through a cork fault it was a little more oxidised than it should have been, but we rather liked the earthy, herbal accents on the bouquet and palate, though the plummy aspect of the fruit became rather too sweet-sour red plum on the finish. The texture is heavy, the tannic structure rather sombre – not a joyous wine, this. Again there’s plenty of oak flavour evident – though IM was more positive about this and other aspects, and stressed the wine’s savoury, elegant aspects. – TJ

Steenberg Vineyards

• Sauvignon Blanc 2007 R72 15.5

• Semillon 2007 R130 17

• Nebbiolo 2006 R120 16

• Merlot 2006 R100 16

• Shiraz 2006 R100 15

• Catharina 2005 R130 (f) 16

Leaving Ruth Penfold, with five years winemaking experience at Steenberg, in charge of the coalface, cellarmaster John Loubser has taken up the reins as GM of this Constantia valley farm from retired Herman Hanekom.

The Loire Clone (though this moniker is no longer reflected on the smart new labels) Sauvignon shows less of its trademark herbaceousness than usual; instead a pineapple tropicality is balanced by lively lemon acidity, producing a trademark zinginess. On the day, it showed more poorly than expected, possibly due to the shock of recent bottling. Still, at a moderate 12.8% alcohol, it would make fine – if pricey – lunchtime drinking.

Fifteen year-old vines have yielded a concentrated, complex Semillon, currently dominated by smoky oak (from 5 weeks' fermentation in new French barrels) and dusty aromas. Rich lemon flavours, enhanced by a creamy texture from time on the lees, are balanced by mouth-watering, vibrant acidity, and steely, seriously structured length. Despite a moderate 3g/l residual sugar, TJ finds the sweet fruit richness a little overwhelming – but it’s a feature AL enjoys, feeling that time for the youthful components to meld is all that is needed.

At first rather unforthcoming and one-dimensional, the sufficiently ripely-fruited Nebbiolo showed more positively with time and food. Matured for a year in older oak, the wine has a distinctively fresh red berry fragrance, sweet and sour cherry flavours with sufficient grip and minerality to compensate for the lack of initial allure. A combination of soil, clones, cool winds and vineyard practices are said to be responsible for the familiar spearmint and eucalyptus character of Steenberg’s Merlot. This was a controversial wine which I find bright and elegant, with a solid core of red cherry fruit, while TJ dislikes its contradictory ripe aromas and green flavours. CvZ finds the tannins unforgiving and AL sees little to criticise apart from the lightness compared to the previous vintage.

The very youthful, spicy Shiraz explicitly flaunts aromas of smoky bacon, sweet red fruit, vanilla and roasted herbs. Given the level of dominance of the oaking (a year in 60:40 new French and American) and the wine’s recent removal from barrel, we all think it should really have been held back a further year before release, especially given its price.

Named after Steenberg’s first (17^th century) owner Catherina Ras, the exuberantly youthful merlot-led blend (hence the obvious mint and eucalypt) is elegant, yet rich and forceful. Cabernet (32%) adds earthiness and structure, while the 25% shiraz component brings abundant spicy dark fruit flavours. TJ and IM are more positive about the wine’s youth and vigour than AL and CvZ, who would have preferred more time in bottle before broaching. It has the structure for and will benefit from a few years' maturation. – IM • SEE COMMENT

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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
Prices given are approximate retail in South Africa, except where indicated as ex-farm by (f)

Tasters for these wines

TJ – Tim James
AL – Angela Lloyd
CvZ - Cathy van Zyl

IM – Regular 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

COMMENT

We would welcome adding your opinions of these wines