Pursuing the line of elegance 18 May 2007

Foreign judges position the Cape’s wines interestingly in the international line-up, reports Tim James, who attended a Trophy Wine Show feedback session

Remember that old idea that good Cape wine’s strength lies in it being somewhere between the established winegrowing/making ideas and practices of Old World (classic European) and New World (fruity, powerful blockbusters)? It never seems to have been thought a really marketable concept by the powers that be – though it seems to be both a true and an appealing thought, even if apparently not self-assertive enough.

Implicit support for such a characterisation got some support from some British winewriters recently visiting South Africa to judge in big competition line-ups. Not, certainly, from Robert Joseph of the Swiss International Airlines Awards, who seems to judge all wines from the position that Australia is marvellous, and others only marvellous insofar as they approach that style (hence, for example his regret, as recorded in one of Christian Eedes’s recent Gulp!s, that South African winemakers seemed sadly reluctant to make Barossa-style shiraz, aiming rather at a more European style which he deems inappropriate.)

The arguably even more eminent trio who came out to judge on the Trophy Wine Show (Neil Beckett, Jancis Robinson (right) and Steven Spurrier) were rather more appreciative of the Cape’s distance from Australia. After the competition they spoke to the media and a number of winemakers (all participants were invited to attend this feedback session; it is rather depressing that comparatively few took advantage of a valuable opportunity to ask questions and listen to some interesting points of view).

Jancis Robinson was the first to give some overall impressions of what she had tasted (though not necessarily smelled, given her fluey state). Her first positive thought was that, compared with her last visit some three years back, there was a low proportion of wines with faults amongst those she’d judged this year: the level of winemaking competence is now higher. There were also fewer ‘exaggerated’ or ‘over the top’ wines – fewer, she felt, than in most other New World countries. A ‘refreshing acidity’ is a valuable local characteristic. This is no doubt an important basis for her feelings about South African white wines, of which, she said, she’s always been a fan. They have, she said, ‘balance, personality and ageability’ to a great extent than most other countries outside Europe (and there was agreement amongst the visitors that, for example, the best local chardonnays matured and kept much better than most New World examples). She was much impressed with the range of Bordeaux-style blends she tasted, incidentally.

Neil Beckett and Steven Spurrier reinforced this judgement. Spurrier (right) was pleased that the trophy-winners were ‘not too blockbusterish’; the better wines he’d sampled had a greater ‘line of elegance’ and more elements of  ‘European style’ than was generally found in California or Australia, for example. Beckett (below left) was, firstly, gratified to be surprised at the sparkling wines he judged – finding them more refreshing than most New World examples (though they need to spend more time on lees, he thought); and a few of the sweet wines were ‘genuinely world class’. Generally in the wines he found ‘exuberance – but some restraint’ – though he warned that elegance must come from the vineyards, and not be attempted by acid adjustments to overripe fruit.

Shiraz

There are always questions and comments about shiraz at such events – not surprisingly given that it was the largest category of wines tasted at the competition, and that so many producers see shiraz as the key red grape for South Africa. Rather too many, suggested Jancis Robinson. How could so very many producers have vineyard sites suitable for the grape? It is a case where, she suggested, fashion and ambition have overtaken logic.

The result was a disappointing category, as all the panel were apparently agreed, including  local winemaker Chris Williams (whose The Foundry Syrah is widely regarded as one of the best local examples – whether it was in this competition he didn’t mention). He pointed firstly to winemaking faults: too often, he said, the fruit didn’t have the density and richness to handle the wood and the extraction that were thrown at it. Problems he identified included the youth of most vines and poor site selection. (It was pointed out from the audience, however, that probably of all the categories in the competition, shiraz suffered most from a lack of entries from the Cape’s top producers, given both their small releases and their sales success, as well as a sense of security that didn’t need bolstering by medals).

The interesting debate around shiraz aside, all in all this was a positive international endorsement of the direction taken by the Cape’s top wines, and encouragement for those who seek to temper what Neil Beckett called (and welcomed as) exuberance, with restraint and elegance.

• The results of the Trophy Wine Show will be announced on 4 June.