Getting Integrated with Coronata

Nitida Coronata Vertical Tasting

It is always a treat to discover the evolution of wines – and a vertical tasting of Nitida’s Coronata was no exception. Not being a very avid fan of the Durbanville region traditionally and also not traditionally being a lover of Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon as varietals in general, I approached the day with reserved enthusiasm. By the end, however, a new favourite was firmly secured.

On a lovely sunny Saturday morning, we seated ourselves outside of the winery awaiting the dear wine maker to explain his crafts. We learned of the extent (or lack thereof) of the operations on the farm (one of the oldest of the region) and the potential to lose large amounts of precious grapes due to howling winds in the region. Then we moved on to the truly interesting part – the wine.

• Coronata (2007): 60% Sauv, 40% Semillon. Semillon barrel fermented & batonaged. Bacon, salted asparagus, smooth, roasted green pepper, bacon Aromat.

• Coronata (2008): 70% Sauv, 30% Semillon. Roasted peppers, soft & smooth with a sneaky acid at the back of the throat.

• Coronata (2009): Roast green vegetables, cheekier, waxy, pithy, lurking naartjie pip.

• Coronata Integration (2009): Blended & barrelled before bottling. Honeyed asparagus, pretty vegetables, a bunch of veggie flowers. (*)

• Coronata Integration (2010): Asparagus dipped in caramel, veggie cotton candy, zesty & pithy, sugared cauliflower.

• Coronata Integration (2011): Green Sparkles, boiled sugar, slightly burnt sugar syrup, licking lime pith.

• Coronata Integration (2012): Sniffing paper, licking the back board of a new exam pad, unripe quince, “tastes like private pool water – not public pool”.

From the table, we ventured into the rather tiny batcave-esque home of the latest vintage of the Coronata Integration which we tasted from the barrel.

• Coronata Integration (2013): 50/50 Sauv/Semillon. Quince, passion fruit, liquorice bay leaves, black Sparkles, blackcurrant.

Having tasted our way through the entire Coronata offering, we were prepared to venture off into the valley to sample offerings from neighbouring farms. The lovely winemaker, however, had other ideas and proceeded to generously offer us tastings of the remaining range of Nitida wines.

• Sauvignon Blanc (2012): Super limey Sparkles, sharp, acidy

• Riesling (2013): Peachy Lipice, sharp unripe peach pips.

• Semillon (2013): Lightly oily peaches & orange pith.

From here on, note lost priority in comparison to the consumption of wine and a very merry day was had by all.