South African Wine + Surf Trip
Western Cape, South Africa
Tasted Saturday, May 17, 2014 - Sunday, June 1, 2014 by isaacjamesbaker with 841 views
Introduction
My favorite things in life are: surfing, wine and my new wife. So the two of us are spending two weeks touring the Western Cape. I surfed as much as possible, while she did non-surfing-related things. Luckily, we both love wine and food, so we fit a lot of that in. The greatest trip of my life, and I'll be back to South African again for sure.
Flight 1 - Random Wines In Transit (9 Notes)
While traveling the country for almost three weeks, I tasted only South African wines. Not a single Frenchie or American. Some duds, but some solid ones.
Flight 2 - Cape Peninsula (6 Notes)
While lodging and surfing the Cape Peninsula, we drank some solid South African wines.
Flight 3 - Groot Constantia (9 Notes)
Groot Constantia boasts being the oldest wine estate in the Southern Hemisphere. I haven%92t yet conducted research to verify that, but it seems like a legit claim, considering this Cape Dutch estate was founded in 1685. The estate itself is absolutely gorgeous, with mountains on three sides and sloping hills into False Bay on the other. Tasting wine is cheap, 30 Rand or about $3, and hefty pours. Come hungry, because the restaurant on-site is quite good and very reasonable. There%92s also a museum on the property, some nice trails to walk and cellar tours designed for those hop-on, hop-off bus tourists or your in-laws. The Constantia wine route is loaded with spots, and it was an easy drive from our rental house in the hills above Hout Bay.%0d%0a%0d%0aGroot Constantia produces around half a million cases a year, mostly for markets in the U.K. and Germany, although a small amount of their Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz makes it to the U.S. They focus mostly on red wines, but they produce a range of whites and a sweet wine as well. Thematically, Groot Constantia%92s wines are fresh, juicy and easy to drink, although some of the reds could age for a while.
Flight 4 - Hamilton Russell (6 Notes)
My wife and I made the trek from Hout Bay to Hermanus and were excited to stop at Hamilton Russell Winery. Unfortunately, the tasting room was closed for renovations. Saddened, we made our way down the road to Southern Right, which turned out to be a sister winery. We got to taste the Southern Right label, a few Hamilton Russells and some Ashbourne wines all by ourselves on a beautifully sunny winter day. Both Southern Right and Hamilton Russell are in gorgeous locations, and we saw a troop of about 40 baboons on our way out so we spent a good half-hour just watching and photographing them. A memorable tasting indeed! And the wines were amazing.
Flight 5 - Random Wines in Hermanus & Stellenbosch (8 Notes)
These are wines we picked up and drank or sipped at restaurants. Some goodies in here for sure...
Flight 6 - Middelvlei Estate (5 Notes)
The first winery I visited in Stellenbosch was the Middelvlei wine estate. My wife wanted to shop at a local "slow food" market nearby, so we ate some great food and walked around before skipping down the road to this small wine estate tucked away behind rolling hills. This winery is now in its third generation after a long history of being a farm and then selling grapes to other producers. Nothing really wowed me, but all of the wines were perfectly serviceable and fun, easy to drink and very reasonably priced. The Cabernet and Shiraz were quite good and capable of development in the cellar.%0d%0a%0d%0aMiddelvlei doesn%92t export to the United States; they deal mostly in Northern Europe. If you%92re in Stellenbosch, it%92s a pretty spot located in an old barn. Less commercial, more rustic and the winery has three dogs: a giant old mastiff, a towering great dane and a tiny wiener dog, who are all very friendly.
Flight 7 - Audacia (5 Notes)
Another accidental tasting. This winery also hosted a market my wife wanted to visit. I spent a half-hour in the tasting room bullshitting with the dude at the bar about wine and surfing. Most of the wines were just fun, but I was really impressed with the flagship wine, a Cabernet Franc, which I think deserves some serious attention. Audacia's wine have a silky, forward, open style, with notes of cola and sweet fruit. They produce only red wines and in relatively small amounts.
Flight 8 - Lanzerac (4 Notes)
Like every winery in Stellenbosch, another beautiful location, full of history and charm. Classic Cape Dutch architecture, beautiful grounds and tasting room, and the staff was helpful. The wines were all quite solid, but nothing that screamed: %93Buy me and bring me back to the States!%94
Flight 9 - Stark-Condé (6 Notes)
I knew I had to visit Stark-Condé, and I'm so glad I did. The mountainous views are epic, and the tasting room is located on a small island gazebo in the middle of a pond, surrounded by weeping willows and quacking ducks. The wines, of course, were impressive and ageworthy, although I didn't get to taste the Three Pines series. If you're visiting Stellenbosch, this stop is an absolute necessity.
Flight 10 - Vilafonté (2 Notes)
Vilafonté is a coordinated effort between South African Mike Ratcliffe and Californian Zelma Long. Mike is a active international wine communities and he runs his family’s Warwick Estate in Stellenbosch. California pioneer Zelma Long worked as enologist for Robert Modavi in the 70s, Simi in the 80s, and currently owns several of her own Sonoma projects. Together they’ve created something marvelous.
With their diverse and extensive backgrounds, the Vilafonté team keeps a narrow focus. The project produces only two wines, both red Bordeaux blends. The Series M is based on Malbec and the Series C is based on Cabernet.
Last week I drove to the Vilafonté winery, located in a former distillery on the edge of Stellenbosch, to meet with Sofia Hawkins, who manages sales and Vilafonte’s wine club. I tasted the 2011 vintage of both wines while chatting with Sofia about the vineyards, the founders’ vision for the wines and more general impressions of the Stellenbosch wine culture. The 2011s were equally stunning and elegant. Both are beautiful at a young age — aeration is a must, decanting highly recommended — but they will develop all sorts of nuance and complexity in the cellar.
Flight 11 - Warwick (9 Notes)
My wife and I had a long conversation with Mike Ratcliffe, who manages this family estate. The high-end Cabs and Bordeaux blends are awesome and worthy of some time in the cellar. An all-around great experience, I highly recommend visiting this estate and savoring their wines.
Flight 12 - Muratie (6 Notes)
You can search near and far, but you may not find such a quaint, rustic winery and tasting room. The cement vats are cracked and caked with old grape must. The floorboards are worn smooth from decades of wear, a chaotic netting of spiderwebs hangs all around. The wines boast a similar charm, not bombastic and flamboyant, but they show a rustic, handmade quality. This place offers well-made, delicious, ageworthy wines and a unique experience. Highly recommended.
Flight 13 - De Morgenzon (7 Notes)
Carl van der Merwe, winemaker and general manager, led a tasting of DeMorgenzon’s wines for my wife and I. We had a great time tasting and talking and afterward he showed us around the winery and vineyards. It’s a gorgeous spot and the wines are consistently good.
2013 Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Bayten 87 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia
(5/17/2014)
Aromas of slate, lemon, honeysuckle, some spicy mineral notes as well. Super tangy on the palate with gooseberry and lemon peel flavors. Mineral and grass notes rush across the palate, and there’s a slight lemon-nutty note on the finish.
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2012 Porcupine Ridge Syrah 85 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region
(5/17/2014)
Aromas of deep raspberry, lots of pepper, smoke and cedar. Silky on the palate with berry fruit, backed up by smoke (lots), cedar and earthy, woodsy notes. Juicy, with a spice-toned finish.
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2013 Reyneke Vine Hugger Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 86 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
(5/17/2014)
Aromas of cassis and cracked pepper. Full and velvety with lots of cassis, blackberry and blueberry. Fun and ripe, some earthy, woody notes as well.
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2012 Cape Spring Pinotage 79 Points
South Africa, Western Cape
(5/17/2014)
Plummy, tart, tangy, dry tannins, medium acid, some bloody and metallic notes. Fun, but kind of weird.
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2010 Nitida Cabernet Sauvignon 90 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Tygerberg, Durbanville
(5/27/2014)
Aromas of red and black currants, mulberries, laced with cedar, eucalyptus, sweet herbs and some Kalamata olives, opens up a lot after two hours to show more floral and herbal tones. Fresh and restrained on the palate, with medium+ acid and velvety tannins. The blackberry and mulberry fruit is both ripe and tart, and it’s backed up by notes of mint, eucalyptus, pencil shavings, olive brine, lavender and pot smoke. Salami and broth notes come out more with time. Complex and evolving, more approachable now but, like many Cabs I’ve tasted on this trip, could develop more in the cellar. I’d like to try it again in three years.
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2011 Val de Vie GVC 90 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley
(5/27/2014)
When our host at Old Joe’s Kaia pulled out this blend of Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Clairette, I was stoked. The wine is so unique and fresh and complex. Nose is lovely, with orange blossom and seashells from the Grenache Blanc, some floral and peach and orange peel from the Viognier. Lush yet totally mineral-driven on the palate, with creamy white peach, sharp orange peel, all sorts of floral tones. Lots of seashells and lingering minerals. I had this with some springbok carpaccio and Cape Malay style chicken, and the pairing was awesome, even though seafood would be the natural choice. Elegance and fine dining out in the bush!
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2013 Robertson Winery Pinotage 77 Points
South Africa, Western Cape
(5/28/2014)
Fresh and bright red berries, some smoke on the nose. Palate shows light tannins, medium acid, an easy-drinking simple style. Juicy red fruit, earth tones, some smoke. Not complicated, a bit bitter on the finish, but OK.
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2013 Franschhoek Cellar Chardonnay Our Town Hall 84 Points
South Africa, Coastal Region, Franschhoek Valley
(5/30/2014)
Golden colored. Golden apples, apricot, guava some honey and butter. Quite creamy and buttery on the palate, unwooded so no oak, but lots of cream. Bruised yellow apple, tons of guava nectar, some mango and apricot. Lacking in a bit of acid for my tastes, but a decent, fruit-forward Chardonnay that hit the spot on a hot day in the bush.
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2013 Robertson Winery Chardonnay 82 Points
South Africa
(5/29/2014)
Smells of melon, creamy peach nectar and guava and some hazelnut. Plump and fruit-forward with generous peach and guava nectar flavors, some underlying cracked nutshell and honey, baked apple. Simple, forward, easy, good wine to sip after a long day on safari.
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