South African Reds
Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA
Tasted Saturday, September 8, 2018 by srh with 108 views
Flight 1 (6 Notes)
Closing
My first sustained contact with S. African wines, & an eye-opener it was! They've a character that struck me as being unlike any of the other major growing areas: Fruit, certainly, but not in the LEAST "overblown", & with a structure that while NOT "Old World", reminded me more of the Old than the New World. In short, IMPRESSIVE bang for the buck!! :)
2013 Ernie Els Merlot
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
N: RIPE berries with notes of pyrazines & something medicinal?
P: Med body; RNDISH entry met by some puckerish astringency which only somewhat resolves by the LONG, very, VERY slightly bitter finish with a certain swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Deserves/NEEDS into '20, then making its 10th. My VG+. [This vendor's $17.95 is more than $8 < wine-searcher's only currently posted entry!]
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2014 Meerlust Rubicon
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
67% C.S, 14% Merlot, 12% C.F., & 7% Petit Verdot, ea from its own vyd/soil type -- & harvested/fermented separately. Aged "a total of 20 mos in 67% new FR Nevers oak with 33% 2nd fill Nevers & Alliers barrels." 14.1% ABV, 2.2 g/l R.S., 5.91 g/l T.A., & 3.51 pH; 1,153 cs imported
N: CLOSED; Seems RIPE with earthy/smoky notes; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt, which keeps in contact with that frt as the puckerish astringency morphs into a LONG, very, VERY slightly bitterswt finish with an notes of tanginess to the very, VERY fine tannins. NEEDS through '19, then approaching its 10th? My EXC-. 94+ pts Wine Safari, 90 WS, & 17/20 Jancis Robinson. [This vendor's $26.95 is $2 < its closest current wine-searcher competitor.]
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2013 Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
"Harvest commenced on 5th March. Grapes were harvested between 24.8°B and 25.8°B with a total acid of 7.1 g/l and a pH of 3.5.
"Fermentation initiated in s/s tanks. The crushed grapes underwent a series of pump overs until dry. Further maceration was allowed before drawing off & light pressing. Malolactic fermentation was completed in FR oak barrels. The wine spent 18 mos in 25% n 1st fill FR oak barrels. Bottled in December 2014;" 14.0% ABV, 2.5 g/l R.S., 6.1 g/l T.A., & 3.7 pH.
N: Slightly closed; Ripe berries, poss earth & pyrazines; Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a PUCKERISH astringency which holds the sense of initial frt as it fairly seamlessly transitions into a LONG, VERY slightly tart finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. NEEDS through '19, then making its 10th. My EXC-/EXC, though folks who aren't as fond of high acidity as I wouldn't EVEN rate it that highly. 91 pts Tim Atkin. [This vendor's $21.95 is VERY competitive.]
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2016 Kanonkop Pinotage
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
100% Pinotage, dry-farmed, from up to 63 yr old bush vines grown in decomposed granite & Hutton soils; Fermented in open top concrete fermenters @ 28 C; Aged for 18 mos in 225L FR oak barrels (75% new, 25% 2nd fill); 14.6% ABV, 2.7 g/L R.S., 5.7 g/L T.A., & 3.58 pH; 80,000 bottles produced
N: An ATTRACTIVE ripeness, but tough to parse; Intensity lurking!
P: Med body; Rndish entry with NICE, almost swtish frt counterbalanced by an acidity which pretty much defines the wine as it morphs into a LONG, tangy finish with a swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. DESERVES a yr or so, then drinking for 3 yrs more? My EXC-/EXC. 93 pts Suckling & 91 Vinous. [This vendor's $34.95 puts it in the top quartile of wine-searcher's entries.]
Note: I did NOT notice a RADICAL loss of flavor/intensity in the finish perceived by an EXPERIENCED fellow taster.
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2014 Mulderbosch Faithful Hound
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch
32% CF, 26% CS, 19% Merlot, 16% Malbec, & 7% Petit Verdot; "The fermentation process is initiated by naturally occurring yeast, & finished by a selected strain, added during the course of fermentation. Gentle extraction & long maceration time are the hallmarks of the winemaking style." Aged 18 mos in FR oak, 30% new, the remainder 2nd and 3rd fill;
N: Closed; Ripe olallieberries? Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE frt which quite remains through the puckerish astringency which morphs into a LONG, tangy finish with a swtness (& only OCCASIONALLY, a very, VERY slight bitterness) to the very, VERY fine tannins. NEEDS another 2 yrs (poss more), then making its 10th. My EXC-, arguably more for the QPR of this vendor's $16.95, which puts it in the Top 15% of wine-searcher's fairly large # of postings. 92 pts Vinous, 90 WA, & Gold @ '16 Hong Kong Int'l Wine & Spirit Comp.
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2016 Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block
South Africa, Coastal Region, Swartland
Syrah (79%), Grenache (11%), C.S. (6%), Cinsault (3%), & Viognier (1%); "The Grenache was matured in 600L barrels to retain its unmistakable fruity aromas & vibrancy. The wine matures in 1st (all of the C.S.), 2nd, & 3rd fill FR oak barrels as well as 2500L FR oak foudres for 16 mos before it undergoes a light egg-white fining & filtration. 1,979 barriques were selected for our 2016 vintage." 14.39% ABV, 3.36 g/l R.S., 4.18 g/l T.A., & 3.73 pH; 4,300 cases imported.
N: Closed; Ripe berries with notes of, yes, choc, poss pyrazines? Intensity lurking?
P: Med body; NICE, almost swtish frt fairly quickly met by puckerish astringency which DOES quite resolve by the LONG, BALANCED finish with a refined swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. NEEDS through '21, then drinking for 4 yrs more. My EXC-/EXC. 92 pts Vinous. [This vendor's $28.95 is @ the VERY top of wine-searcher's 2nd quartile.]
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