South African wine tour - Day three

Stellenbosch
Tasted Monday, September 24, 2018 by chatters with 209 views

Introduction

And so things start to get serious as I pick up the car and head off to the Stellenbosch wine region

Flight 1 - Bracket one - Kaapzicht (15 Notes)

Even though the girl serving me was quite knowledgeable, charming and recommended Hartenberg to me which was just as well as the Kaapzicht wines were far less impressive...

Flight 2 - Bracket two - Hartenberg (17 Notes)

What a pretty winery. And this was a very stimulating tasting. I didn't expect to see Riesling here and was pleasantly surprised by the three on show. I felt Shiraz was the strongest varietal on show, which was also a bit of a surprise

  • 2017 Hartenberg Sauvignon Blanc

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Bottelary

    A little cream cheese, fresh herb especially Oregano, green capsicum, herbaceous and a little green apple. There is a slightly smoky note to the palate, fruit flavours similar to the nose with a little asparagus bitterness to the finish.

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  • 2016 Hartenberg Riesling Occasional

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Medium minus intensity aromas that are a little meaty with muted finger lime and green apple. Juicy with lime and green apple on the palate with some breadth to the mid palate. Travels long. Hmm

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  • 2016 Hartenberg Riesling

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Lime over lemon with a little fresh herbs. Not as overtly citrus as an Aussie Riesling or as overtly fruity as a German. Dry but with fruit sweetness; it shows a little soft citrus. Juicy with a little breadth to the mid palate, again. Interesting.

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  • 2011 Hartenberg Riesling Tenacity

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch, Bottelary

    Polished, with cream, green apple and honey over lemon and, again, a touch of fresh herbs. In the mouth it's juicy and tangy with some burr to the mid palate, long and structured. The fruit and honey are a little muted though this is rather good.

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  • 2016 Hartenberg Chardonnay

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Medium minus intensity aromas of a little struck match, over peach and sweet spices, slightly earthy notes a little butter. Juicy, fruit forward and almost off dry on the palate, a little butter and some mid palate burr but it's a little short.

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  • 2015 Hartenberg Chardonnay The Eleanor

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Oak, butter, peach; worked, a little toasted nuts. Ripe but with some citrus notes here to complement the stone fruit. Plenty of butter, toasted notes. All travels long with a little alcohol warmth. Hmm

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  • 2016 Hartenberg Shiraz Doorkeeper

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Wait…what's this? Whole bunch? Stalks? Jubey blackberry and bonfire ash, toast, slight spice. Juicy, fleshy, savoury with slightly sour black frits and some peppery alcohol warmth on the finish. Tannins are drying out the front of my mouth and gums and talc textured. Mmm, interesting.

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  • 2016 Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Biscuit, anonymous black hued fruits on both nose and palate, not much else going on for me. Meh.

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  • 2015 Hartenberg Merlot

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Black and red plum, sweet spice, cedar, a little cream, toast and a tiny herbaceous note. Less pleasant on the palate; more red fruit (which is slightly unripe) with tight grippy tannins that are drying and close things down leaving alcohol warmth on the finish. Meh

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  • 2015 Hartenberg Shiraz

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Meaty blackberry and pepper, sweet spice and very slight leather. Berries and pepper, gritty, slightly chalky tannins. Hmm.

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  • 2015 Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Blackcurrant, slightly sweaty with a little rubber as well and a herbaceous background. Juicy, tangy, more unripe than I would like, tannins are a little dislocated from the wine in a not very nice way.

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  • 2006 Hartenberg Merlot

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Plums, leather, sweet spice, a little cigar box…juicy, densely fleshy, soft silky tannins create an impression of chamois leather, muted plums but this very nicely balanced. Long finish, good.

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  • 2006 Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Medium plus intensity aromas, initially it's almost reductive but with agitation this reveals black and red currant, plenty of sweet and savoury spice and a little balsamic. Tightly tannic and the fruit is a little too red spectrum on the palate for my taste but this is well made.

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  • 2015 Hartenberg The Megan

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Red and black berry, toast, very cote rotie, pretty, feminine but with a slightly herbaceous note. Jubey with a little black tea joining the red and black fruits, tannins are silky and t finishes a little warm. Young so time required but pretty good.

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  • 2015 Hartenberg The MacKenzie

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Blackcurrant, plums, sweet spice, cedar and a little cocoa powder. Juicier and fleshier than I would have expected. There is a little sourness to the fruit, tannins are drying. It's a bit disjointed for me on the palate - the nose showed better, if you will.

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  • 2014 Hartenberg Shiraz The Stork

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Jubey blackberry compote, dense, a little reductive. Less reductive on the palate, young with pretty blackberry fruits and spice. All bound together and interwoven with silky tannic grip. Really lovely.

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  • 2014 Hartenberg Shiraz Gravel Hill

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Savoury, meaty, black fruits, smells dense and so it proves on the palate. Obviously well made (and young) but it's just a bit too big for me and overblown…On another day I might like this though…

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Flight 3 - Bracket three - Demorgenzon (12 Notes)

Hmm, a touch commercial for me but another huge stately pile in massive (and beautiful) grounds. The entry level wines showed, for the most part, better than the, ostensible, reserve stuff…

Flight 4 - Bracket four - Supps at the Fat Butcher (2 Notes)

Started off with Skaapstertfies (lamb tails, apparently) which was yummy followed by a lovely (and perfectly cooked) rare fillet steak and parmesan mash…restaurant was a touch posher than I thought it would be but service was good and it was an easy walk.

  • 2009 Nico van der Merwe Wines Mas Nicolas

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

    Rich, ripe blackcurrant and berry backed by a little leather, liquorice, earthy, sweet spice cedar and vanilla. Bit of a beast despite decanting through an aerator) but more French than American oak I suspect. When this was poured I decided to retire to a safe distance (and quaff the cleansing ale I'd been craving in the interim) until the food arrived. When it did 30 minutes later this rather monolithic wine showed no signs of development on the nose. On the palate it's much of a muchness; savoury but ripe, leathery tannins are slightly flour textured but all travels long. Not really sure what will happen with age; it's balanced in it's brutality. Hmm.

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  • 2015 Constantia Glen Five

    South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

    Blackcurrant, biscuit, toast, blackberry and plum. Fleshy juicy, easy and quaffable in a generously fruity way, talc textured tannins lend a savoury quality. Nice.

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Closing

big day despite only three wineries…possibly because it was my first time driving in South Africa...totally different experience tasting here as opposed to Australia, possibly because everyone pays for tasting; something that is slowly getting introduced in e.g. the Hunter valley.

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