The ten year challenge 29 May 2008

Many Cape reds of 1998 are more disappointing than was expected, says Angela Lloyd

When attaining their tenth year, many of the wine world's great red wines would be regarded as youngsters. In contrast, when a South African red wine reaches double figures, it is unofficially regarded as coming of age. This arbitrarily chosen figure sounds satisfyingly rounded, complete; no matter if some that should don't make it and others sail gloriously on for much longer, once double digits are reached, it's time for a review.

It's an exercise my husband Mark and I have undertake in worthy vintages such as 1982, always with wines we've bought on release and nurtured in our cellar since. More recently,1998 – reds in particular – promised excellent potential early on, several receiving multiple awards, both locally and internationally. It might have been a vintage which signalled in earnest the era of high alcohols but the best wines appeared well constructed and concentrated and appropriate contenders for the ten year test – besides there was a wide range in the cellar.

This posed its own problem – which to leave out; eventually numbers were narrowed to a baker's dozen and a dozen keen takers – including winemakers, sommeliers and other well-experienced palates – gathered to taste the line up blind.

It wouldn't be a Lloyd tasting without a little twist – just for fun (though guests usually say the fun's all ours while they sweat!). On this occasion, once we'd finished tasting everyone received a crib sheet and was asked to match wines on the list (organised alphabetically) to numbers in the line up (organised randomly). As hoped, matchmaking wasn't easy and excessively difficult in some cases (Cordoba Crescendo was nominated in virtually every spot bar #1!) but thanks to the Jordan Chardonnay (from a magnum), we all got one right – the remainder being red!  

Despite the hot, dry vintage, in which whites generally didn't shine, this wine has held up well, except for a bit of a finishing alcoholic burn; its larger format is probably a factor in its favour. The colour's fresh and brilliant, the varietal fruit solid and true; it's still very drinkable, if lacking the excitement of complexity (Gary and Kathy Jordan, who were present, commented that the 1996 is much more interesting, though two years older) – and it was this shortcoming that characterised the majority of the wines.

Significantly, the favourites by far were Thelema Cabernet and Kanonkop Paul Sauer, both of which  showed elements of complexity rather than just aging; these two have enjoyed established reputations over many years and certainly neither 1998 is about to fall over. They were also among the most readily recognised – as was the KWV Perold, but for the more negative reasons of being drenched in American oak but little else. Other wines that acquitted themselves well, receiving the tasters' nod were Boekenhoutskloof Syrah, Spice Route Syrah and Veenwouden Classic; the latter two held well over the next 48 hours – one reason the Boekenhoutskloof didn't was that it was finished the first evening! Another bottle opened a few days' later showed it's best not to leave it open overnight.

For those wines which hadn't stood the test of time, it was a reminder how oak can flatter in youth, but without sufficient fruit concentration, will show their true, rather skeletal colours with age.

On the evening, I was more disappointed than the rest with the results, probably because they were our wines. Subsequently, we've tried some second bottles and other wines that didn't make it into the line up. Included in the latter were the Jordan and Rust en Vrede Cabernets; both seemed in better shape than their respective flagship blends but absolutely ready now. Others confirmed their blind tasting performance.

Ten years sounds like a holy grail, but it should not be followed without question; drinking wines on the way up is the much better option than on the slide down.

Alphabetical list of wines tasted

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah – first from single Wellington vyd; all used Fr oak matured, 18 mths; 14.8% alc. Platter 4.5. Price on release : R90

Cordoba Crescendo – 65/35 cab franc/merlot; 18 mths new Fr oak; 13.8% alc. Platter 4.5  'Allow for 10 years before touching', implored Chris Keet, 'will then give the total pleasure it was created for.' 500 cases R90

Delheim Vera Cruz Shiraz – from Vera Cruz estate vyds. 15 mths Fr oak. 13.5% alc. IWSC gold, Platter 5 R85

Jordan Chardonnay (magnum) – Mix clones, coopers, yeasts, new/used barrels; 7 mths on lees. 4 Platter. SAA R90

Jordan Cobblers Hill – maiden vintage under this name. 'Designed to be ultimate expression of best vyd of vintage.' 53/47 cab s/merlot. 18 mths 100% new Taransaud barrels; unfined/unfiltered. 14.5% alc. Platter 4, Wine 4.5 R90

Kanonkop Paul Sauer – 80/10/10 cab s, cab f, merlot. 25 mths new Nevers barriques. 13.8% alc. 5 Platter, 5 Wine, TWS Trophy. R100

KWV Perold – shiraz from Op die Berg single vineyard on Paarl Mountain. 28 mths in100% new 300 litre Am oak, 14.5% alc. 'I think that this vintage is even better than the first vintage and will ensure excellent bottle maturation of at least ten years.' Sterik de wet, KWV chief winemaker. 3500 bottles. Not submitted to Platter. R700

Rust en Vrede Estate – 53/29/18 cab s/ shiraz/ merlot, 18 mths new Fr/Am oak. 13.5% alc. Vinified by Dewaldt Heyns (Saronsberg) and finished by Louis Strydom, 'Delicious in infancy, more so towards 06-08'. Platter 5, Wine 4.5 R200

Spice Route Syrah  – Maiden vintage and Eben Sadie's first Swartland syrah. 14% alc. 16 mths Fr oak, 35% new. Platter 4.5, Wine 4.5 R150

Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon –  inc splash merlot, 14% alc, 18 mths Fr oak, 40% new. Platter 4. R80

Veenwouden Classic – Cab s/merlot/cab f/malbec 50/36/12/2. 2 yrs Fr oak, 80% new. 14% alc.  '9-12 yrs probably' 2000 cases, Platter 5, Gold Bdx International Challenge du Vin,  Air France Classic Wine Trophy. R135

Vergelegen Vergelegen – André van Rensburg's first vintage. Cab s/merlot/cab franc 75/20/5; 22 mths, 100% new Fr oak. 13.8% alc. 2000 cases. 'Will give enormous pleasure 15-20 yrs from now' –  Platter 2001. Platter 5,  Pichon Lalande trophy best Bdx red blend IWSC, SAA R125

Welgemeend Estate Reserve – 20^th anniversary vintage, released the year Billy died. Cab s/merlot/cab f 36/40/24. Fr oak, 30% new, 18 mths. Platter 4.5  'Alc unusually bold at nearly 13%, reflecting hot vintage.' R42