Otters Clawing Horny Owls

LOTHIAN VINEYARDS

The tasting featured a wine named Horny Owl as well as two showings of yet another varietal I am only now becoming familiar with – safe to say, an interesting experience all round.

WHITE:

• “Otter’s Claw” Sauvignon Blanc (2011): Fresh & slightly sharp, sour zesty lemon, lemony asparagus, shredded green peppers, sharp cheesey pineapple, passion fruit.

• Riesling (2012): Litchis & white peaches, banana, salty, cheek tingling, strawberry & banana smoothie, banana toffees, sharp salted granadilla.

• Riesling (2011): Oiled peaches, sea sand & gravel, bitter pith, Vaseline, pithy diesel, salted unripe peaches, lurking honey water. 7 – 10 years aging potential.

• Chardonnay (2012): 20% new oak for 8 months. Vanilla & banana custard, honeysuckle, slightly pithy honey, orange marmalade on a scone with cream, salted popcorn kernels (*)

• *Chardonnay (2012): We tried an oxidized bottle as well – orangey banana, subtle & soft, flat.

RED:

• Pinot Noir (2012): Cinnamon buns & violets, strawberry milkshakes, dhal with berry sauce, woolly, lingering banana.

• “Horny Owl” Shiraz (2012): Swartland Shiraz & Elgin Viognier. Spicy beetroot & hints of wet biltong, very ripe cherries, rich, full & smooth, breathing in chalk dust, slightly meaty mushrooms in vinegar.

Learning Lothian:

• Otter’s Claw & Chardonnay are the 2^nd released vintages of the varietals
• Otter’s Claw  - name refers to the clawless otter.
• Chardonnay ’12 scored 92 points on Robert Parker
• Pinot Noir is like an iron fist in a velvet glove
• Horny owl named after 2 Cape Horned Owls “fooling around” while the farm house was being built.
• “The horny owl waits for no one”
• Date of pruning to date of harvest – 180 days by Burgundy standards
• 145 days by SA standard
• Average at Lothian = 165 days
• Lost 3 000 bottles of Pinot Noir to bottle faults
• Elgin wine industry is 15 years old
• Riesling = King’s choice
• A Riesling was the most expensive wine ever sold
• Riesling is never made in new oak