Luxury White Wine - A Test of the Taste Buds

Being a fan of The White Wine as a general rule, the opportunity to participate in a white wine "taste off" at the highly esteemed Wine Cellar was very much right up my alley! Listed in order of tasting are the wines which were sipped upon tentatively, analysed, guessed about, compared and ranked. Alongside my scores out of 10 are my rankings out of 12, next to those are the official rankings for the tasting groups in both JHB & CT.

• Steenberg Magna Carta (2012): R 550, 60% Sauvignon Blanc & 40% Semillon. Asparagus, zesty, pineapple, green Wine Gums, lemon on asparagus, milky sourness, shary (4/10) (11/12) (11/12)
• Vergelegen GVB (2012): Grown, vinified, bottled. R 355, 56% Sauvignon Blanc, 44% Semillon. Savoury, salted cheese & bacon quiche, lurking baked green-ness, bacon butter, soft but tangy, less aggressive, could stand to age. (5/10) (10/12)(10/12)
• Hamilton Russel Chardonnay (2014): R 305. Tangy old dishwater, inside of a diving kit, rubbery,tangy, lime juice, weird sweetness under the acidity. (4/10) (12/12) (6/12)
• Crystallum Clay Shales (2013): All natural ferment, R 350, Chardonnay - sold out. Dusty mothballs, shy, soft baked pithiness with a touch of honey. (6/10) (7/12) (2/12)
• Sadie Family Palladius (2012): R 515, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Semillon Gris, Semillon Blanc and Palomino. Gummy greenness, lemon drops, velvet perfume, strong pith, peach pips in honey, baked vanilla pudding. (6.5/10) (8/12) (5/12)
• Ken Forrester FMC (2012): Forrester Maynard Chenin. R 395. Pond water, mud under willows, dustiness, unexpectedly punchy, pretty polite girl with a sharp tongue, honeysuckle sweetness with a slight spice. (7/10) (5/12) (1/12)
• Uva Mira Chardonnay (2012): R 630. Coconut, orange blossom granola, spot of cinnamon, lemon tart, linear, sharp freshness (*) (8/10) (6/12) (4/12)
• Fynbos Capensis (2013): Anthony Beck & Barbera Back, Jackson Family Wine, 100% oak on new vintage, Chardonnay, unreleased at time of tasting, R 950. Bacon Kips, bacon croissants, crispy pastry, smokey softness with underlying freshness, spot of pith. (7/10) (4/12) (9/12)
• Alheit Magnetic North Mountain Makstok (2013): R 450 - R 850, Chenin Blanc. Nutmes, cinnamon & honey oats, sago pudding, cosy & comforting, granny hugs (**) (9/10) (2/12) (12/12)
• Mullineux Quartz (2013): R435, Chenin Blanc. Shy, crisp asparagus & broccoli, sugared flowers, fresh but pithy, depth (**) (8/10) (9/12) (7/12)
• Jordan 9 Yards Chardonnay (2013): R 330. Straw & tinned peas, roundness, vaseliney roundness, baked peaches, creamy but fresh & rich. (**) (9/10) (1/12) (3/12)
• Longridge Ou Steen (2013): R 315, Chenin Blanc. Oily Riesling, Lismore-esque Viognier, sweet with underlying spice, masala. (8.5/10) (3/12) (8/12)

Swartland Series: Part 3 - Expert Opinions

Callie Louw – Porseleinberg

Andrea & Chris Mullineux – Mullineux Family Wines

Eben Sadie – Sadie Family Wines

Adi Badenhorst – AA Badenhorst Wines

For our last venture into the wines of the local lands, we were faced with the Revolutionaries of the area comparing their own offerings to wines of days past that had inspired them along their way. Spanning everything from the oldest wine of the festival to colloquial quips, the tasting was a perfect representation of just what it is these Revolutionaries have set out to achieve with their beloved valley.

• Vergenoegd Cabernet Sauvignon (1972): “Die wyn is befok”. Peppered lavender, sweet cinnamon berry syrup, soft, melt-in-your-mouth, ending of soft spice. (**)

• Porseleinberg Cabernet Sauvignon (2011): Tart cherry, smokey, smoked chicken, dissolves, ticklish tannins.

• Chateau Rayas Chateau Neuf du Pape (2000): Nutmeg & cumin roast cauliflower, thinking wine, soft tannins, smokey.

• Mullineux Granite Syrah (2010): Corned silverside, green olives, capers, savoury, slight balsamic.

• Domaine Gauby Muntada (2011): Blackened capsicum, yellow peppercorns, savoury lavender, soft, peachy red meat, light with powder puff tannins.

• Sadie Family Columella (2011): Salted caramel butter, light peppermint, rich, full & creamy with coarse powder tannins.

• Domaine De Montbourgeau vin Joune L’Etoile (2006): Sauvignon Blanc. Salted orange caramel fudge, orange liqueur, nutmeg cream, sharp naartjie, drunken oranges.

• AA Badenhorst Funky White NV: 6 years under flor. Drunk orange caramel, baked oranges, allspice, orange rind baked into Christmas pudding.

A titch of Tasting in Tulbagh

On another incredible wine-fuelled adventure we embarked, sadly not onboard the Magic Tour Bus as per our usual modus operandi but on a small independent excursion with my very own trusty steed, Little Lilly.
Despite the lack of a Magic Tour Bus, we could not sacrifice the Baked Goods from the best source of the Baked Goods in the land - there is certainly no better way to prepare for the consumption of The Wine than consumption of The Pastries.

Off we set in the direction of Tulbagh to find more examples of the finest of The Wines. We did, however, make a rather lengthy pit-stop in Riebeek Kasteel where we were promised we would find some of THE finest examples of The Good Wine - and there we did.

We began with a tasting of the Wines of Mullineux (once we managed to find it - exactly across the road from the Royal Hotel as we had been instructed but somehow managed to misinterpret) in a cellar filled with fascinating implements for the making of The Wine. The Wines themselves were most lovely - being an unashamed lover of The Wooded Wines, I did most enjoy the Mullineux White (2012), but that was closely followed by both of the Kloof Street offerings & the Mullinuex Syrah. Showing an exemplary level of kindness, we were also treated to a sampling of The Straw Wine, which is always a welcome indulgence.

From Mullineux we ventured to a lovely store filled with treasures old & new - the old being the decor, the new being the wine, after a brief stop at the local farm stall.
In this loveliest of emporiums of The Wines of the region, we were treated to Santa Clara Chenins 1 & 12 - the numbering system of naming these wines certainly had me most confused by the end of the endeavour & resulted in one having to point at the bottle you liked in order to be directed to the stock for purchase. We also enjoyed samples of Farm 1120's Pinotage (pin-a-ta-gee) - of which a bottle may have found it's way home with us along with an untasted but ever so appealing bottle of Babylon's Peak Viognier Roussanne - being a display of 2 of my favourite varietals lovingly combined into a single bottle, it was love at first sight when I spotted this jewel across the room - one hopes this one shall live up to the high expectations (and small daydreams) I have developed of it since.

Once we extricated ourselves from the emporium, the adventure continued to actual Tulbagh where I for one, was most excited to visit the home of the Twee Jonge Gezellen. After a brisk walk up the stairs in the pouring rain,we sadly discovered the Gezellen of the House to be, well, out of the house.

Tracing our steps back a few paces, we ventured in upon the cozy firerlit lounge of Mont Pellier where, while the excellent wines were enjoed, the pet pup, Theo, certainly stole the day (and narrowly escaped being stolen himself). Whilst tasting, we befriened some lovely folk who enjoyed the Gewurtztummer, Theo's Syncrony, Chardonnay, Chenin, Cab Sauv, Shiraz & Port with us by the fireside.

From here, off we took for the last leg of the adventure - the long-awaited trip to Waverley Hills, whose wines I've been introduced to on previous occasions & was not at all unhappy about getting more familiar with. From toasty bubbles by a toassty fire to the ever-lovely VSC, Cab/Merlot & Cab/Shiraz blends, all were greatly enjoyed as was the very very delicious fresh-out-the oven pizzas - more than enough reason for a day trip out their way. Needless to say, a bottle of the VSC made it home along with some jolly good wine jellies.

All in all, a successful day all round - especially so for my wine rack.