Be A MAN

MAN VINTNERS

The promise of a tasting of my favourite Evil Fish Wines along with the Wine of the Three Initials is a tasting I would not miss for all the Sauvignon in the world.

WHITE:

• MAN Chardonnay (2011): Bush vine, 20 – 40% barrel ferment in new American oak, 6 – 7 months, batonage. Orange creams, crumbled shortbread, Eet-Sum-More’s, buttered orange pith (**)

• Tormentoso Chenin Blanc (2010): 1977 vines, American oak. Buttered almond biscuits, buttery onrange, rich & full but zesty, like lemon curd tennis biscuit cups covered with soft cream, like swimming in a cloud of creamy lemon curd. (***)

• Tormentoso Chenin Blanc (2012): Crisp buttered apple, litchi, pithy, stronger, light butter, runny fruit butter, buttered sharpness, want to age it! (I may even try!) (*)

RED:

• Tormentoso Mourvedre (2010):  15% new oak, 100% wooded, 15 months in American oak. Buttery chocolate brownies, spiced dense chocolate cake with a crushed tennis biscuit base, spices wrapped up in marshmallow. Serve with game meat such as kudu. (*)

• Tormentoso Mourvedre (2012): 7% new oak. Nutmeg cherry tart, Kirsch, Amaretto, sharper & fresher, lurking curry at the back of the throat, pencilly meat.

• Tormentoso Syrah/Mourvedre (2009): Syrah from Paarl, 85% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre. Creamed black wine gums, honeyed pencil lead, chocolatey smoked lead, VERY rich, cream on dense chocolate tart, smattering of spice. (*)

• Tormentoso Syrah/Mourvedre (2011): 87% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre. Jammy Christmas cake, Christmas tiramisu, slight waxiness, mouth coating, chalky tannins, chewy, drunk baked spiced berries, lentil soup-like heaviness.

Trivia on Tormentoso:

• MAN’s 3^rd label is blends only – only for export (Chenin/Viognier & Syrah/Mourvedre/Viognier/Cinsault)
• “Mourvedre has a bit of grrr”
• Only Mourvedre vineyard in the region (trellised but unirrigated)
• 1 of 8 single vineyard Mourvedres produced
• Online store just launched
• 98% produced for export
• Source from 30 growers (mostly Paarl/Stellenbosch)
• Mase = cinnamon on crack, rectangular smell
• All wines are single vineyard
• Mourvedre is hard to colour due to its thin skin
• Mourvedre = motaro in Spain