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

Here Where Dragons Be

MAN Vintners & Tormentoso

The evil fish wine (a.k.a Tormentoso) has been a favourite of mine from the very beginning. I was all too happy to delve once again into the depths where there be dragons to sample more of their fare.

WHITE:

·         MAN Vintners Padstal Chardonnay (2012): Buttered peaches, honeyed carrots, peaches & honey, smoked silk, apricot, nectarines, apricot White Rock cheese. Ages well (4-6 years). 20% 225l American oak barrels. (*)

·         Tormentoso Old Vine Chenin Blanc (2012): Apricot White Rock cheese, buttered scones & marmalade, rich, silk, cashew cream, apricot marmalade, flapjacks with marmalade, cream & butter, overwhipped cream butter mouthfeel. 1977 vines. (**)

RED:

·         Tormentoso Mourvedre (2010): Pink pepper, peppered candy floss, pink berries, glazed pepper, honeyed gammon, toasted coconut, soft, rich, round. American oak. (**)

·         Tormentoso Bush Vine Pinotage (2010): Toasted coconut marshmallows, honeyed muesli, Hertzog cookies, strawberry Poptarts, marshmallow softness but textured, strawberry baked pudding doused in cream. (*)

·         Tormentoso Syrah/Mourvedre (2010): 13% Mourvedre. Spicy plum pudding, honeyed venison, creamy cake, black forest trifle, comforting, alcohol on a Christmas pudding. (***)

·         Tormentoso Cabernet Sauvignon (2010): French oak. Strawberry sherbet & glitter, dark cherries, creamy & buttery, rich, silky, black cherries & cream, croissants with cream & charcuterie, crème brulee, very rich. (**/)

·         Tormentoso Cabernet Sauvignon (2011): Incredible! Buttery & soft. Cork vs screwcap as per 2010. (***)

Venting about Vines:

·         Cab sauv is the latest ripener – changed to Mourvedre on the farm

·         MAN named after the 3 shareholders’ wives – Marie, Annette, Nicky

·         No tasting room currently (2013)

·         Sea monsters on the labels are inspired by those featured on old explorers’ maps

·         “Here be dragons” on the caps

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!