A Very Impressive (Oak) Valley

Oak Valley

At the beginning of this particular tasting, I was rather impressed by the variation of wines on offer – mostly the decade old Sauvignon Blanc. By the end of the tasting, I had discovered a sanctuary in times of zombie apocalypse.

WHITE:

• Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc (2003): Shortbread, lemon asparagus, cold litchis, butterscotch, soft green peppers, lemon buttered asparagus, soft whipped cream weight (*)

• Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc (2012):  12 months on lees, 10% Semillon, 2^nd & 3^rd fill barrels. Green pepper Skittles, white Sparkles, strong soft white cheese rind, sweet acidy Camembert, lemon zest & pith butter.

• Oak Valley Chardonnay (2009): 30% new oak. Butterscotch shortbread, honey cake, Prince Charming, marry me wine, soft & charming but cheeky, lemon cheesecake, creamy orange marmalade. (***)

• Chardonnay (2012):  Yeasty rye, waxy oranges, turmeric rice with orange zest, very orangey cottage cheese icing. (*)

Oddities of the Oak (Valley):

• 4 men guard the Pinot Noir vineyard
• 5^th generation of family on the farm
• Highest vineyard in Elgin
• Coolest wine region in Elgin
• Cooler climate of the area leads to better bottle aging for Sauv Blanc
• Sell Sauv Blanc & Merlot grapes to Mulderbosch
• 1^st farm to plant fruit trees in Elgin
• 5 000 oak trees on farm
• Free range piggery – feed acorns to the pigs
• Livestock – Wagyu
• “Feed them grapes, they’ll be marinated from birth”
• Supply apples & pears to Tru Cape
• Biggest producer & wholesaler of flowers in Western Cape (supply Woolworths)
• “If there’s a zombie invasion, you’d be safe at Oak Valley”
• ’92 – Oldest Chard vines