Delightful Dornier

Dornier

An educational tasting involving learning not only about more examples of The Good Wine, but also fascinating facts about lesser wines.

WHITE:

• Cocoa Hill Bush Vine Chenin Blanc (2013): Green apple, pineapples, vague Chevin, sprightly, white peach, acidic.

• Semillon Reserve (2011): 1^st fill oak, fermented on the lees in tank. Buttered roses, shortbread & caramel, perfumey jasmine, floral dolmades, orange rind in butter, orangey Hollandaise, lurking maple syrup. (**)

ROSE:

• Cocoa Hill Rose (2013): 100% Merlot, Blanc de Noir style, 4 months on lees. Soft pink peppercorns, strawberry & salmon, soft pink balsamic strawberry Chevin drizzle, marshmallow meringue. (*)

RED:

• Cocoa Hill Red (2013): 50% Merlot, 40% Shiraz, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Cab. Smoked dark chocolate, soft with a midget kick in the back, dusty pepper, wet biltong, mushroom soil.

• Malbec Reserve (2011): Toasted coffee cherries, baked cherry tart with chocolate/coffee digestive biscuit crust, initially sour but smooths out, yoghurt tannins, blue cheese with tangy berry coulis, gay cat tongue.

• Donatus Red (2009): 84% Cab, 8% Malbec, 8% Cab Franc, 50% French oak, 16 months. Fragrant blueberries, blueberry muffins, drinking  coffee mousse clouds, lurking youngberry coulis with chocolate shavings.(**)

Dotings from Dornier:

• Cellar roof is shaped to imitate the Stellenbosch mountains.
• The bottom the label mirrors the roof.
• Bodega (Spanish for wine cellar) – Restaurant at the farm
• Donatus is a family uncle, the name means donation
• Tassenberg is 45% Argentinean Malbec
• Semillon is the mushroom of wines – if you treat it like shit, it grows well
• No single Semillon was produced in 2012/2013
• Cocoa Hill name relates back to a story of a pirate who was the first to plant grapes at the back of the farm’s hill.
• Dornier was a German aircraft manufacturer during the war. 

The Wine From The Beginning

De Grendel:

De Grendel was in fact, the very first wine farm I ever did visit. Since then, I have returned on numerous occasions but only on the most recent visit was I finally in a position to really enjoy The Wines on offer, and lovely wines they were.

MCC:

• MCC Brut (2011): Rye, saltiness, dry wafer tickles, dried apricot cream crackers.

WHITE:

• Pinot Gris (2012): Wheat, grass, cream crackers, smooth, light goat’s cream cheese

• Sauvignon Blanc (2013): Nutty, creamy acid, guava.

• Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc (2013): Longer lees contact, 30% Darling grapes, roast cashews, full, creamy with lurking sharpness.

• Winifred (2011): 48% Chard, 29% Semillon, 23% Viognier. Chard & Viognier – 3 months in new oak. Toasted butterscotch cashew brittle, slightly sharp.

• Viognier (2012): 50% new oak for 3 months. Vanilla, apricot, dusty cashews, flat (*)

ROSE:

• Rose (2013): Cab Sauv/Pinotage. Turkish delight, pink, sweet milk goat’s cheese (*)

RED:

• Pinot Noir (2010): 12 months in French oak, 2^nd & 3^rd fill/ Smokey cherries, earthy, creamy, chocolatey (*)

• Merlot (2010): 13 months in French oak. Sour berries, soft curry, creamy, round, rich, soft tannins.

• Shiraz (2012): 1/3 American oak, 2/3 French, 13 months. Smoked cherry biltong, strawberry, spice, sweetness.

• Rubaiyat (2013): 87% Cab Sauv (37 year old bush vine), 9% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Smoked chocolate, tart cherries, smoked mozzarella (**)

DESSERT:

• Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest: Produced once every 4 years. Sour grapes, dried apricots, light & runny (**)

Details on De Grendel:

• Rubaiyat is a range of 16^th century poems, 1 is printed on the label each year
• Poems are 4 lines long which represent the 4 varietals in the blend

Now That's Real Wine

Reyneke

For me, being an avid lover of The Chardonnay, this tasting did not, at the outset, garner any particular enthusiasm beyond the general level of wine-related excitement. This did, however, change rather quickly. This became a rather momentous tasting, in fact. On this day, let it be recorded, that I discovered my Chardonnay of the Sauvignon world! Let the account commence:

WHITE:

• Sauvignon Blanc (2013): 6 months in2nd fill French oak, 14 days to ferment. Limey cheese, lemon asparagus, creamy, asparagus in mac & cheese with sharp cheddar, goat’s cheese. (*)

• Reserve White (2011): 12 months in new oak, expression of terroir vs varietal, 100% Sauvignon Blanc, single block. Jasmine, Viognier/Chard nose, orange blossoms in butter, it’s a Sauv???!!! Sweet, creamy, maple butter on flapjacks with marmalade zest, grapefruit cream, fresh but creamy like lemon curd ice cream.(**)

RED:

• Syrah (2012): Fermented in concrete tanks, whole bunch, quarter of tank is made up of trodden fruit, aging in 5 – 6 year old oak. Spicy violets and gummy bears, spicy Cinsault, very seasoned biltong, soft on the lips but chalky, creamy ground peppered berries, punchy white pepper up the nose followed by cream.

• Pinotage (2011): Aged in large format barrels (shoe barrels). Dried coriander pork belly, pork tagine, sundried berry jus, lurking lavender, sharp strong espresso, coffee berries with naartjie, lavender gummy bear bath fizz.(*)

• Cornerstone (2011): 45% Cab,36% Merlot, 19% Cab Franc, biggest production on the farm. Red wine granny soap (in a good way), spiced lavender powder, smooth, cuminy, red wine curry sauce, like the inside of my tummy after eating curry & drinking red wine.

• Reserve Red (2010) Pre-Release: 52% Syrah, 48% Cab, 300l & 225l barrels, 14% new oak. Meaty chocolate cake, caramel icing on meaty spice cake, fresh, lurking toasted coconut, spicy rye toast with fruity berry jam, ideal cooled, tentacle mouth feel, sparkling water freshness.

Realities of Reyneke:

• 35ha of vines
• Bio-dynamic
• “Sauvignon does not have to be a salad”
• “Sauvignon without the make-up”
• New Zealand, Australia & California make a similar style of Sauvignon Blanc (fume blanc)
• Claret – classic Bordeaux blend softened for English tastes
• Vin d’Soiffe – thirsty wine
• Pinotage is fermented as whole bunches in a tank with carbon dioxide (no oxygen as carbon dioxide pushes all of the oxygen out of the tank) – leads to carbonic maceration/anaerobic fermentation.
• The above method is more delicate and creates softness.
• Wine-o-pops – grapes in carbonic maceration
• Profit from the Cornerstone range pays for the bonds & mortgages for the farm workers (who are the cornerstone of the farm).
• In future, it will pay for the tertiary education of the staff’s children.
• Pinotage is the youngest varietal on the farm.
• Reyneke Pinotage is the only certified bio-dynamic Pinotage in the world.
• Minerality or flint comes from the “living soil”.
• Stems in the Syrah result in a leaner, longer, edgier wine

Milling Over Wine

Milling Over Wine: Wine at the Mill ‘13

Being offered the opportunity to consume a by no means negligible variety of some of the finest the Cape has to offer upon a sunny Sunday afternoon is certainly not an occasion to raise ones nose at – rather, raise one’s glass. And I duly did.

Adventuring off to an Old Mill once renowned for its biscuits upon a summery noon-day, I was delighted (and suitably overwhelmed) to discover all of the treasures on offer for us Lovers of The Good Wine to taste.

After much deliberation, I determined to begin at the beginning – not the beginning of the tasting tables but at the beginning of my journey into The Good Wine. We began with a Marvellous tasting of a strikingly labelled blended offerings. Turning the traditional tasting order on it’s head, we began with a blend of red with an aptly red label paired with spicy Chorizo. Then we made our way to the slightly more reserved & clinical blue blend of reds paired with ostrich biltong. We ended our Marvellous journey with the white blend paired with Grueyere. This particular Marvel   has been a firm favourite of mine from the start. Safe to say, it still is.

·       Marvellous Shazam (2011): 83% Syrah, 9% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre, 3% Viognier. Spicy, spiced cherries, smokey, soft tannins (*)

·       Marvellous Kaboom (2010): Cabernet Sauvignon (45%), Merlot (25%), Petit Verdot (17%), Malbed (8%), Cabernet Franc (5%). Green pepper, thick skinned plums, refined.

·       Marvellous Kapow (2012): Chenin Blanc (60%), Chardonnay (30%), Viognier (10%): Yum! Soft & creamy, light happiness in springtime, creamy pineapple (*)

After a lovely chat about the Marvel that is wine, we took a step to the left to compare vintages of Cape Rock’s GRV along with the first Rose of the day. Both GRV’s were rather lively, interesting characters with surprisingly varied personalities.

·       Cape Rock GRV (2012): 5 months in old French oak. Sweet salmon, sushi mayo, savoury, creamy.

·       Cape Rock GRV (2013): 4 months in oak. Punchy fruit, cheesey, livelier.

·       Rose (2013): Mourvdre, Grenache, Syrah, Carnigan. Savoury berries, full cheese.

Next, we visited the lovely Iona & her dear daughter Sophie.

·       Iona Chardonnay (2012): 90% oak. Sweet honeysuckle, light summer cream. (*)

·       Sophie Rose: Cotton candy & strawberries, creamy meatiness.

Savouring a last sip of Sophie, we took another short step to the left to find the familiar labels (and faces) of Beaumont, whose Chenin I have particularly fond memories of from an evening revolving around wood treating & facial hair attended earlier in the year.

·       Beaumont Chenin Blanc (2013): Light, pineapple, feta on pineapple, broad & full.

·       Beaumont Hope Marguerite (2012): Barrel fermented. Young girl in a floaty white dress, smooth, fairytale music (**)

·       Goutte d’Or:  (dessert wine)Like sipping sappy syrup

·       Raoul’s Rose (2013): 40 year old Tinta & Merlot, baslet press. Crisp red apple & watermelon, spritzy. Named after Sebastian Beaumont’s father.

From Beaumont we were oppad to sample Opstal.

Opstal Carl Everson Chenin: Sweet honeysuckle & jasmine, could drink it through the nose.

Opstal Blush (2013): Syrah, Viognier Rose. Bulgarian yoghurt, feta, structured but easy drinking.

 Opstal Dessert Chardonnay: Treacle, molassesy

The only way to recover from voluptuous, viscous desserty delights is, of course, with bubbles. Bubbles made by true French folk (although NOT with French grapes nor in the French region of Champagne), are simply a treat regardless of their official name.

·       Chabivin Zero Dosage (2010): Pinot Noir, Chardonnay. Very ripe apples, salted apples.

·       Chabivin Cuvee Jean Michelle (2008): Pinot Noir, Petit Meunier. Savoury, tuna

·       Chabivin Rose (2011): Pinot Noir. Tinned lentils & chickpeas, sour jelly tots.

·       Chabivin Aclemile (2005): 6 years fermentation. Honeyed melon & salticrax (*)

Bubbling over with fanciful French philosophy, we steered over to discover new vines (for me obviously since the rest of the world is apparently rather familiar with the offering – so much so it has been ranked 19^th in the world for the Chardonnay I believe) from Hamilton Russel.

·       Southern Right Ashbourne (2008): 80% Sauvignon, 20% Chardonnay. Aged in clay. Thick saltiness

·       Hamilton Russel Chardonnay (2012): 9 ½ months in oak. Honeyed guava, fresh, lemony, acidic

At this point, the decision as to what to taste next was much less dictated by familiarity or new discoveries, but my our exceedingly empty tummies leading us in the direction of an unruly bunch of Cowboys serving tasty tummy-tickling treats. However, we were able to resist the temptation of pork belly sandwiches long enough to squeeze in a last few tastes.

·       Oak Valley Chardonnay (2012): Toasty honey rye, textured

·       Nativo  Chenin Viognier (2012): Hay & happiness, liquid molasses (**)

·       Aurelia MCC: 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 2 years on lees. Nik Naks

Clearly by this time, I was spending far more time, as is my custom, either chatting mindlessly to the selection of kind People of The Wine or drooling slightly as we inched our way closer to the pork. However, we persevered (as we waited for the queue to dissipate).

·       Signal Hill Grenache Blanc: Toasted peanuts with salt & caramel.

·       Vondeling Chardonnay: Smokey fruit, smoked meat & cheese

·       Vondeling Babiana (2010: Toasted buttery rye (*)

By this point we were in the queue for sustenance as well as cold alcohol-free refreshments. After a brief shady respite, we returned to our wining. It is safe to say that, by this point, I was far less committed to note-taking and far more confident in my ability to make a few scribbles in my own indecipherable brand of shorthand, most of which I shall never ever be able to read until the day I have mastered the art of interpreting Hieroglyphics. Until then, I shall share some (increasingly brief) distinguishable highlights:

·       Domain Des Deux Claudia (2008 or 2005?): 76% Chardonnay, 24% Pinot Noir.  3 ½ years on lees, Granny Smith apples in cream, coconut ice.

·       Domain Des Deux Rose of Sharon (2008): 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. Slightly warm

·       Domain Des Deux Chardonnay (2010): 38% new wood. Woody jasmine, smooth, happy, peachy (*)

·       Morgenster Rose:  San Giovese. Light, slight cheese, green peppers & rice

·       Anura Chardonnay: Fresh, peachy, slightly savoury

·       Lemberg Shiraz Rose: Creamy feta on watermelon

·       De Waal Chenin (2013): Old hard Cheddar

·       Nitida Riesling: Green peppers & honey, tangy green peppery honey

·       Nitida Matriarch: 50% Pinot Noir, 50% Chardonnay. Fresh citrus

·       Nitida Coronata (2012): 50% Sauvignon, 50% Semillon. Green pepper, full, like drinking apricot gravy

·       Nititda Modjadji (2013): Semillon. River after rain, quince & guava

·       Usana Chenin (2012): 8 months in oak. Buttered rye, mollassesy French toast, orange rind

·       Post House Stamp of Chenin (2012): Happiness & fruit & spice

·       Saltare MCC: 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 2 years on lees, zero dosage. Caramelized orange with honey & rye, olive oil, mulberry

·       Silverthorn Green Man MCC: 12 months on lees, 100% Chardonnay. Goats cheese, full fleshed, light, buttery

·       Silverthorn Lover Boy MCC (this is the most rational interpretation of my handwriting I can fathom) (2009): 50% Chardonnay, 4^th fill. Rye, light lemonness, cream cheese & lightness

·       Silverthorn Rose (NV): Shiraz, savoury sushi mayo, fizzy Gruyere.

At this point, my interest in note taking disintegrated entirely in favour of happiness, fizz, smiles and home.

I would recommend attending the next.

Lusty Lemberg

Lemberg

When one gets into the drinking of The Wine, one initially feels one knows nothing. After some time, you begin to feel as though you are finding your way & possibly even becoming somewhat knowledgable. Then you meet Harslevelu. 

WHITE:

• Lemberg Harslevelu (2012):  Peanut butter, orange, naartjie pith, big, full, lingering sweetness, buttered caramel popcorn, savoury, Viognier volume. 300 bottles produced, first vintage in  29 years since first release. (*)

• Lemberg Lady (2012): 22% Harslevelu, 57% Viognier, 10% Semillon, 11% Sauv. Creamy, orange honeysuckle, orange rind bitterness, lurking honey, caramelized honey oranges. Could stand to be a cup size bigger. 4000 bottles produced. (**)

RED:

• Lemberg Pinot Noir (2012): Wet biltong, lurking Stopayne, sandy spices, “ground” tannins, warming, comforting, light, like homey food, strong salty cheese flavour, almost like cheese Doritos, like eating a Dorito that’s been dropped in sand. (*)

• Lemberg Spencer (2011): Pinotage. Coffee berries, sweet smokiness, smoked glazed gammon soup, soft tannin, nice company wine. 20 months in 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd fill French oak. Named after the owners’ previous bulldog. (**)

Whispers about Wine:

• Harslevelu is a Hungarian varietal
• “What varietal does Harslevelu taste like? It tastes like Harslevelu”
• Lammershoek is the only other farm in SA growing Harslevelu
• Vineyards planted in 1978
• Lady is Lemberg’s first white blend
• “I don’t drink out of the bottle unless it’s a magnum”

Meeting Marianne

Marianne

Normally, I find myself shying away from tasting solely The Red Wine. In this case, the only alternative would have been The Sauvignon Blanc. I was more than satisfied with just The Red Wine.

RED:

• Marianne Cape Blend (2009): 34% Pinotage, 36% Merlot & Cab, 14% Shiraz. Meaty red wine vinegar, spice & caramel, full, creamy, soft, cardamom, marshmallows, warms down the throat, fennel seed, silky. (**)

• Marianne Cabernet Sauvignon (2009): Biltong with baconiness, white pepper lurking, tanniny, dark plums, smokey, like nibbling a cigar.  40% new French oak for 16 months

• Marianne Merlot (2009): Plum jam, honeyed marzipan, tanniny, full, soupy texture, rich, lurking nutmeg & turmeric, mouth watering, savouriness, salty bean soup.

• Marianne Shiraz (2009): Only wine at the tasting that has been released. Violet, Jaffa cakes, fresh but full, lemon curdy, structured, smokey pepper lurking at the end, peas & beans cooked in red wine gravy, rich but spicy, balsamic mushrooms, light gazpacho, beef stew with unthickened tomato gravy, mouth watering, savoury blue bells.

• Marianne Floreal (2009): 40% Cab, 40% Merlot, 20% Shiraz. Honeysuckle, blueberry jam, honey, soft, lightly whisked cream – thick but drinkable, buttery but structured, I’d like to float in it, runny buttered caramel with spice. (***)

Musings on Marianne:

•       Sauvignon Blanc is the only white
•         Owner of the farm lives in France & wine from each barrel for the Floreal is sent to him & he blends the wine
•         Wines from the hot  Stellenbosch area usually have 15 – 15,5% alcohol
•         Francois Haasbroek from Waterford is the new winemaker
•         Marianne is a French symbol of equality & liberty
•         Marianne is featured on the front cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida album cover
•         Floreal is the 5^th month on the republican calendar
•         Approximately R100 for an 8 vintage tasting at the farm

Lovely Lismore

Lismore

One of my favourite things about South Africa has become it's ability to grow The Good Grapes almost anywhere. These particular Good Grapes hailed from Greyton.

WHITE:

• Lismore Sauvignon Blanc (2011): limey guava, subtle smokiness, gentle, smokey Camembert, lurking litchi, savoury crackers, orangey, a little Viogniery. Barrel fermented, older 300 l barrels.

• Lismore Chardonnay (2011): honeysuckle dipped in caramel, caramel-filled biscuits on nose & palate, rich Millionaire’s shortbread sans chocolate with a tinge of orange, rich. 11 months in barrel (**)

• Lismore Viognier (2011):  Mocha fudge, reminds me of the paraffin used for oil bubbles, oily richness, dried peaches, mouth watering, gets softer & easier as it breathes, very rich, small portions only! (*)

RED:

• Lismore Syrah (2006): Red berries, green peppercorns, rare red meat, soft, salty biltong, dried coriander, rich, pair with seared steak with lots of pepper & rocket salad, smokiness, gets spicier as it breathes. Grapes bought from Darling & Beaumont (Bot River)

Winery Wisdom:

• Lismore is the only farm in Greyton
• Sauv has a sense of place – the taste represents the region
• Syrah “tells you  where it’s from”
• Terroir is reminiscent of the Rhone Valley
• Wait at least 2 years from harvest before releasing wines
• Lismore – Gaelic for bountiful garden
• 4 -6 000 bottles of Viognier
• 3 000 bottles of Chardonnay
• 35 000 bottles per year in total
• Low pH limits malolactic fermentation

A Novice on Nitida

Nitida

I have discovered I am not particularly partial to The Grapes from the Northern Region (otherwise referred to as Durbanville) - as yet. This tasting was a step in my self-appointed mission of finding a reason to like the area.

WHITE:

• Nitida Riesling (2013): Pineappley, green apple, green beans, soft, savoury, less acidic than the nose, lurking coriander, veal stroganoff, salty.

• Nitida Chardonnay (2013):  Diemersdal grapes. Fresh pineapple, sweetness, acidic, sharp soft cheese, like a young Chenin, unfinished creaminess.

RED:

• Nitida Cabernet Sauvignon (2011): Cinnamon, nutmeg, berry crumble, shaved chocolate, salty soup, lovely texture, like hugs in your mouth, cuddly mouth feel, rich. (*)

• Nitida Calligraphy (2011): 55% Merlot, 27% Cab Franc, 10% Cab Sauv, 8% Petit Verdot. Creamy cheddar with berry jam, strong coffee grinds, lightly salty, black cherries, chocolate coated coffee beans. Blended 1 month before bottling, fermented in separate barrels, hand sorted.

Notes on Nitida:

•       2013 vintage was bottled a week prior to the tasting
•        Durbanville  is the second oldest wine route in SA
•         Botritis is noble rot
•         Late Harvest becomes Noble Late Harvest when vines have Botritis
•         “Drinking wine is a lot like dating”
•         Canopy management = removing excess leaves to expose berries to the sun
•         Wine estate = only use own grapes
•         Wine farm = buy in some/all grapes
•         “Nice shirt – it’s a skull dressed as a baby smoking – cute”