Seeing Stars – for years!

Sterhuis Vertical

There are no reason for words beyond Chardonnay vertical. Happiest human on earth.

WHITE:

• Chardonnay (2004): 1^st vintage from the farm, 5 bottles remaining, 100% new oak. Drunk orange blossoms, grapefruit marmalade, dark chocolate baked orange, orange honey, Granny in a wine, delicious & sweet but ballsy. (*****)

• Chardonnay (2006): Char-grilled peaches, cheese biscuits with apricot jam, caramelized jam, baked white peaches, tangy honey, slightly overbaked rusks. (**)

• Chardonnay (2008): 50% new oak, ½ malolacticc ferment.  Salted butterscotch, bicarby honeycomb, fresh, grainy, limey, baked buttered lime, sharp.

• Chardonnay (2009): 60% new oak. Dried apricot & rye, lemon Super C’s, gossamer fizz, pithy sherbet, pretty but cheeky, litchi-tizer. (**)

• Chardonnay (2010): 40% new oak, 30% 2^nd fill, 30% 3^rd fill. Fresh & sharp, jasmine, orange blossom honey, buttery honey cake, sugar syrup, floral, sweethearts (***)

• Chardonnay (2011): 40% new oak. Litchi jelly, fizzy lemon sherbet, lemon meringue sherbet, sugared pith, orange marmalade cotton candy, needs to age. (***)

• Chardonnay (2012): 40% new oak. Sugared grapefruit, honey-glazed grapefruit, syrup marmalade, sticky sweetness, needs age. (**)

Notes:

• Tagline translates to “there’s no easy way from the earth to the stars”
• “How much Chardonnay is grown on the farm? Not enough!”
• Lawnmower = Burgundy tractor
• 2010 – 2012 – used traditional Burgundy method for oaking
• 2009 Chardonnay – “Stand back, I don’t know how big it’s going to get”
• Soil in Western Cape is older than that of many regions in France
• Combination of yeasts in wines give complexity
• 2004 – 2009 – library stock

A Spring In My Sip

7 Springs Vineyards

One of the most very festive of the wine tastings I have attended in quite some time – I learned much, including that the flavour of Pinot Noir can be compared to “slapping a strawberry” and that it takes a lot of beer to make good wine.

WHITE:

• Unoaked Chardonnay (2012): 5 months on lees. Fresh green apples, crisp, lurking toasted butter, white peach, soft & full, lurking acidity, lime butter. (**)

• Chardonnay (2011): Buttered toasted hot cross buns with candied orange rind, Jason’s Bakery hot cross buns, orange zest, marmalade. (***)

• Sauvignon Blanc (2012): Chewy peach candy, peach Jelly Babies, peach juice concentrate, peach & apricot juice, background acid, pair with thai green curry, pineapple juice. (**)

RED:

• Pinot Noir (2012): Jam marinated mushrooms, bakes raspberry jam, soft & silky, strong black tea, spicy, turmeric, cardamom, sour cherry, sherry essence, “slap in the face with a strawberry”. (**)
• Syrah (2012): Sweet cherry tart, strawberry tart with cream & vanilla, black forest cake, stewed peaches & apricots, sharp balsamic-ness, sour, tart.

Notes:
·       “Everyone’s nose smells different”
·       Hermanus = Little Burgundy
·       “Drink all the Cab you want when you’re dead”
·       “Cheery cherries”
·       “Greengage? It’s a jelly”
·       Winemaker started at 7 Springs in 2010.
·       Travelled to learn to make wine: California for Chard,  Oregon for Pinot Noir, France for Syrah, SA for Sauv Blanc.

Befriending Finlayson

Having grown into a rather enthusiastic (and frequent) consumer of The Wine, it was inevitable that I had heard much of the highly regarded wines crafted by Mr Peter Finlayson out in the valley of Heaven & Earth. Recently, I was privileged to partake in a thorough introduction to the fabled Finlayson.

The Setting: Kyoto Sushi Garden

FLIGHT 1: SAUVIGNON BLANC

Paired with: Yellowtail ceviche

• Bouchard Finlayson Sauvignon Blanc (2007): Lime juice, zesty, soft & full, unexpectedly round & creamy, pith, dusty asparagus, rounds out.

• Bouchard Finlayson Sauvignon Blanc (2009): Oily lemon skin, lighter, just disappears in your mouth, lemon jellies, creams out as it breathes.

• Bouchard Finlayson Sauvignon Blanc Reserve (2009): 14% Semillon. Citronella oil, yellow Fruity Chews, sprightly, spritzy, pop of pepper at the end, savoury subtlety.

FLIGHT 2: PINOT NOIR

Paired with: Tuna tartare

• Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir (2010): Red mushroom broth, fermenting strawberries, light but full soup, brown onion soup.

• Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak (2011): Baked chocolate mousse, aniseed, creamy but slight Velcro tannin, spicy end.

• Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir (2012): Strawberry oil, nutmeg, tannic, metallic, Christmas strawberries.

FLIGHT 3: HANNIBAL

Paired with: Tempura sweet potato, spinach & broccoli stem with teppenyaki sauce

• Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal (2010): 50% Sangiovese, 10% Nebbiolo. Creamed strawberry broth, white onion soup powder, very salty cheese, big & mouth filling, chalk powder tannins

• Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal (2011): 50% Sangiovese, 10% Nebbiolo. Cherry chocolate, onion stew, creamy, comforting, pouring cream.

• Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal (2012): 39% Sangiovese, 10% Nebbiolo. Bovril soup, spiced roses, savoury spiced cream, powder tannin, Christmasy.

FLIGHT 4: CHARDONNAY

Paired with: Miso soup with mixed mushrooms & noodles

• Bouchard Finlayson Sans Barrique Chardonnay (2008): Sans = without, barrique = wood, 100% unwooded. Fermented green apples, sour apple juice, pear ferment, over ripe prickly pears.

• Bouchard Finlayson Kaaimansgat Limited Chardonnay (2009): Crocodile’s Lair, name of vineyard grapes are sourced from in Villiersdorp, 25% new wood. Nutmeg brioche, French toast, fresh but round. (**)

• Bouchard Finlayson Missionvale Chardonnay (2011): Bottled in magnum, 30% new wood, own vines, Missonvale is the location of the vineyard – location of an old mission hospital. Orange spiced blossom butter, slight oiliness, orange pith, round & soft, downy, comforting intellectual company. (*)

NOTES:

• Sauvignon spends 3 – 4 month on primary lees
• Pinot Noir: 30% each of 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd fill barrel
• Hannibal is a Sangiovese led blend.
• Hannibal blend usually includes Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Mourvedre & Shiraz
• Pinot Noir is planted 9 000 vines per hectare – increases leaf surface area of vineyards – “Everything that goes into the wine comes from the leaves”
• Increased leaf surface area = increased intensity & flavour concentration
• Spacing of vines is dictated by the width of the tractor used on the farm
• Farm has heavy clay soil – use of a tractor would compact the soil
• First vines planted in 1990
• “Pinot Noir is a white wine grape variety that only produces red wine in good conditions”
• “Growing Pinot Noir is like growing mushrooms – you just have to get the conditions right”
• “There’s a difference between red wine & black wine”
• “Pinophiliac – it’s a rare blood type”
• Sangiovese makes up 10% of total planting in Italy