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Angela Lloyd recently tasted the wines coming up the CWG 2006 auction; they made for an interesting comparison with the Platter five-star line up judged a couple of days later
Members of the Cape Winemakers Guild are among the Cape’s foremost winemaking talent. It used to be that they represented the total crème de la crème; no longer, there’s just as much noteworthy expertise outside the Guild. Even so, their annual auction line up should provide a view in microcosm of the current quality state of South African wine. Their choice – made by the members themselves at a blind tasting – gained extra perspective this year when, a couple of days after the pre-auction tasting, the Platter panel, of which I’m a member, gathered to select this year’s five star wines. For this, the potential starry ones are initially selected by each Platter taster who submits wines from producers he or she has been responsible for tasting and writing up. A blind tasting follows this at which the group as a whole decides which should get the nod. As the five star wines are probably to be announced only at the launch of the 2007 guide later this year, it’s not possible to give further information on wines neither nominated nor successful candidates, except to confirm an impressive tally of 25. So the following comments are generalities. Even allowing for the limitations imposed by CWG membership, it was fascinating to see the difference and similarities in tastes between the two groups.
Turning to white The CWG is increasingly dipping its collective toes into white wine territory, a positive move that has taken hold over the past few auctions, albeit in a minor way. While it is no surprise to see chardonnay heading the list, semillon gets two chances to shine this year. In partnership with its natural cohort, sauvignon blanc, Bruce Jack’s Flagstone Weather Girl 2006 does everything to further the growing reputation of Elim as prime cool-climate country for this duo. Its focused mineral intensity provides a refreshing quality not normally associated with 14% alcohol. Charles Hopkins’ De Grendel Koetshuis Semillon 2006 from this new Durbanville producer is also linear but gains girth and depth of flavour from a barrel-fermented portion. It should knock another nail in the coffin of developers who keenly eye the vine-decked hills of Durbanville for their own, less attractive purposes. Both wines should benefit from a few years’ aging. Some auctions past, Graham Beck’s Peter Ferreira offered an oaked riesling; sadly, it was before its time and received poor support. Hopefully auction aficionados are now more open minded and will get justifiably excited about the Hartenberg Dry Weisser Riesling 2005. Although the wine was fermented in fourth-fill barriques, Carl Schultz has managed to retain enough of riesling’s core identity without there being any possibility of confusing it with its German or Alsace counterparts. My gustatory imagination tells me it will go down a treat with richer fish and Thai dishes. The Platter gang are more expansive and generous in their idea of what constitutes the Cape’s best whites; a generous dollop of sauvignon blancs, a selection of dry or off-dry chenin blancs and warmer clime white blends, all increasingly important from both quality and quantity points of view, were nominated for five stars but, apart from a single sauvignon, these styles do not feature on the CWG auction. I wonder why? With such sauvignon luminaries as Steenberg’s John Loubser in the CWG ranks, it’s interesting to note no submission from him was selected this year. And Vergelegen's André van Rensburg only had a Chardonnay accepted this year (the only auction wine not available for tasting at this line-up).
Shiraz, of course No surprise that quantitatively shiraz takes pride of place with both the CWG and Platter; there the commonality ends. The styles they propose are quite different. The CWG tasting panel seems, sadly, still over-impressed by heavily oaked and extracted shiraz, probably the reason why there’s no Boekenhoutskloof. For the CWG Auction, Niels Verburg’s Luddite Dos Años Shiraz 2004 and Bernhard Veller’s Nitida Shiraz 2004 do capture the less wooded, finer and drier style the majority of Platter tasters appear to prefer – although the five star line up also contained one or two oaky monsters: time will tell whether grape or oak has prevailed on Platter. Where the consumer eye of the Platter tasters (only a couple are involved with winemaking) matches that of the CWG is in cabernets, blends and Port-styles. If it’s elegance and a track record for maturing you’re after, look no further on the auction than the Cabernets from Etienne le Riche (2003) and Jeremy Walker’s Grangehurst (2000), while the Kanonkop 1991 (in effect the Paul Sauer blend) deftly illustrates that some Cape wines really do mature. As far as Cape Vintage goes, Boplaas 2004 appears to be the wine of the moment with Anton Bredell not disappointing either; his Bredell’s Desert Dessert 2004 is aptly named and worthy of tucking away. The nature of wine is that others will find appeal in wines that disappointed me. Thus the CWG auction doubtless will have something for everyone; let’s hope the Platter five star line-up does too.
This year’s CWG Auction will be held on Saturday 7th October 2006 at The Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West, from 09h00. Over 2500 six-bottle cases, comprising between 30 and 40 different wines will be on offer - a total of about 700 lots varying in size between 12 and 48 bottles. • For further details, click here for the CWG website
WINES ON OFFER AT THE 2006 NEDBANK CWG AUCTION
Boplaas
Potstill Brandy 1996
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Parading
the auction hopefuls 21 August
2006