My Favourite Things...to Drink

A list which will continue to grow (and grow and grow), but here are a few of my favourite of The Wines thus far. I won't give them star ratings because they're all super stars to me.


MCC:

• Rhebokskloof MCC - This is a real wow-factor MCC. I tasted it & wanted to run away with the bottle. It's quite an emotionally trying MCC because it's so good you want to share the experience with others but you also really really don't want to share it. The only way to avoid the conflict is to have 2 bottles. Each.

WHITE:

• Boekenhoutskloof Wolftrap - both the red (Syrah, Mouvdre, Viognier) & white (Chenin, Grenache, Viognier) wolves make for very pleasant company. They're properly tasty wines & great for any occasion. And pretty affordable to boot.
• Yardstick's Marvelous Ka-Pow - this was one of my first wine-loves. Chenin, Chardonnay, Viognier = bloody marvelousness in a glass. 
• Marklew Chardonnay - my nose loves this wine, almost more than my mouth loves the taste. It brings back summer day smiles of cold melon on the balcony. I do love this wine a small bit.
• Eagles' Nest 2010 Viognier - my first love.  It's not available for sale anymore but I have a sneaky bottle tucked away in The Cupboard of The Good Wine - I'm constantly torn between saving it for a few good years & just ripping out the cork & hugging it.
• Sterhuis Chardonnay - so much of sweetheart love for this wine. The nose melts my heart.
• Spier Reserve Chenin Blanc - this is a BIG wine but it needs to be to encompass all of the goodness. A truly enjoyable gem of a wine.
• Waverley Hills VSC - Viognier, Semillon, Chardonnay - filled with fruity loveliness.
• Painted Wolf Roussanne 2011 - this wine makes you smile when you sip it. It tastes of goodness & happiness .
• The Winery of Good Hope Old Vine Chenin 2012 - smells of crustless cucumber sandwiches at High Tea, tasted of savoury kiwi, passion fruit & guava with a sherbety mouthfeel. A gem with sushi.
• Tormentoso Bush Vine Chenin - 

RED:

• Collaboration Cinsault - this is cupcakes & hugs in a bottle - it feels like it's hugging you all the way from your mouth right down into your tummy.

A Tasting Menu of Wines - to Start

Herewith commences the first account of the first tasting of The Wine (& the first attempt at tasting notes)

* I rate things in stars - my rating system depends entirely on how much I like the wine at the time & is influenced strongly by my mood & the wines I'm tasting in relation. "/" means half :)

WHITE:

·         Eagles’ Nest Sauvignon Blanc 2010: Rounded & less acidic than normal sauv. (*)

·         Tormentoso Chenin Blanc 2012: Yum! American Oak. Coconutty, vanilla. Evil fish label (**)

·         Leeuwenkuil Reserve White 2011: Chenin + 4 others. Peachy, savoury, French oak; each variety fermented separately. Gooseberries & pith (/*)

·         Longridge Chardonnay 2008: Moss, pre-biodynamic, old fridge, worms. French oak. Grapes –> barrel –> bottle. Savoury butteriness, woody (/*)
*I have since come to love this wine - beginners' nose knows little!

ROSE:

·         Noble Hill Rose 2012: Mourvedre grape . Pretty. Tea-time dry wine. Less gay than normal rose. Smells like candyfloss – tastes like the stick. A la Waterfrod Rose Mary. (*) – Only available @ &Union

RED:

·         Collaboration Cinsault (cin-so) 2011: 2 chefs + a winemaker. Unwooded, meaty smell. Wow! Soft, serve chilled. ” Beautiful piece of fillet, rare with salad & balsamic vinegar” (**)

·         Tormentoso Mourvedre 2010: American oak, common in Shiraz blends, softer, smokey, horse-riding, metallic (try Beaumont’s Mourvedre) (*)

·         Pepin-Conde Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: Common wine-maker with wine above. “House wine”, smells fancy, beautiful French & American oak, tomatoes, cigar lounge wine, pencil case, huggable (*/*)

Notes for those not so in the Know:

·         Minerality = wet rock

·         Chill reds for 15 – 20 min before serving

·         Don’t serve whites too cold!