A
firm favourite amongst my adventuring to sample The Good Wine is a visit to the
lovely Constantia Valley. Here I am sure to find not only a number of prime
examples of The Good Wine but also endless fairytale-esque settings in which to
sip said wine. On this particular adventure, we began the day at my oldest
favourite, Eagle’s Nest:
Eagle’s Nest Sauvignon Blanc (2011): 5 months on lees. Lightly
roasted green pepper, orange pith, light & soft.
Eagle’s Nest Little Eagle Rose (2013):
100%
Merlot. Raspberry mousse, red juice in a blue cup, runny brie with hints of
raspberry. (*)
Eagle’s Nest Viognier (2013): 10% tank ferment, 2nd
& 3rd fill French & Hungarian oak, fortnightly batonage.
Petunia & jasmine, Aunty Elsa’s powder, flowers in a white room with gossamer
curtains floating in the breeze, great Gatsby drawing room scene, honeysuckle
honey, orange syrup, stewed apricot. (**)
Eagle’s Nest Merlot (2009): 24 months in 2nd,
3rd & 4th fill French oak. Sour cherries, slightly
rusty prunes, soft milky tea tannins, black cherry smoke.
Eagle’s Nest Shiraz (2010): 18 months in oak. Smoked
chocolate biltong, chalk tannins, soft sawdusty, cherry reduction, balsamic
glazed rare steak.
From
here, we wended our way down the next road to one of the larger farms, namely
Groot Constantia, to sample their wares:
Groot Constantia Blanc de Noir (2013):
60%
Merlot, 40% Cab Sauv – 2 hours of skin contact, tank ferment. Green pepper,
granadilla, white peaches, light fizz, gentle acid, sour green apples, sharp
white cheese.
Groot Constantia Semillon Sauvignon
Blanc (2013): 60% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon Blanc. Salted cashews & dried guava
rolls, cheesey baked pineapple pudding, light fizz, lime pith, lime brie.
Groot Constantia Rood (2011): 36% Merlot, 26% Cab Sauv,
21% Cab Franc, 15% Shiraz, 2% Pinotage, 12 months in 2nd & 3rd
French oak. Sandy saw dust, prickly gummy bears, sharp cigar cuttings, bitter
cough mix.
Groot Constantia Gouveneurs Reserve
(2011): 54%
Cab Franc, 36% Merlot, 10% Cab Sauv, 13 months 1st fill French oak.
Nutmeg & Christmas pudding, smoked cherry tobacco, burnt tea tannins.
Groot Constantia Cape Ruby (2012): Touriga Nacional, 1st,
2nd, 3rd & 4th fill, fortified with
brandy. Smoked dried cherries.
By
now, stomachs were beginning to rumble and attention spans beginning to wander.
In light thereof, we chose Constantia Uitsig & their River Cafe as our next
destination. Upon arrival on a beautiful weekend afternoon without having had
the foresight to announce our arrival in advance, we were unfortunately not
able to acquire a table in the dining area upon arrival & thus were forced
to continue our tasting of The Wine. This, dear readers, is where the level of
danger in this adventure increased exponentially with the offer by a very brave
winemaker for me, an admittedly unco-ordinated and clumsy individual, to chop
the top off of a bottle of MCC. Most surprisingly, no humans, animals, material
objects or minerals were harmed in the process which, as an aside, was most
successful.
Constantia Uitsig MCC Blanc de Blanc
Brut (2010): 100% Chardonnay, 3 years on lees, 30% barrel ferment (base wine) in 225l
barrels for 3 weeks, 6 000 bottles produced, bubbles amplify wood flavour.
Salty Wheatsworth, tinned asparagus, rye crumble, fresh & light.
Constantia Uitsig Unwooded Chardonnay
(2013): Nutty brie, Nik Naks &
pesto, lime pith & cream crackers, creamy cheesey white peach pudding.
Constantia Uitsig Sauvignon Blanc
(2013): Sharp
Cheddar asparagus, creamy asparagus lasagne.
Constantia Uitsig Constantia White Blend (2012): 65% Semillon, 35% Sauv
Blanc. Aromat with white cheese & white peach. Salted dried peaches.
Constantia Uitsig Semillon (2011): Roasted green pepper,
orange pith, powder tannins, residual acid.
Constantia Uitsig Constantia Red
(2011): 53%
Merlot, 38% Cab Sauv, 9% Cab Franc. Salted cinnamon, bacon flavoured scones,
silky with a gentle velvet glove punch.
From
here the cheese and crackers beckoned and brought a peaceful, languorous close
to a lovely afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment