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Wines on Holiday (All South African, mainly MCC)
South Africa
Tasted November 16, 2009 by Russell Faulkner with 786 views
Introduction
Some impressions on wines drunk on holiday.
All except the Graham Beck wines (which were tasting pours) were full bottles, drunk over 2-3 hours, between two people, either with light food or alone. Whilst we visited 8 or so estates, we didn’t really do the full tastings, which were in the most part aimed at the passing tourist trade. Prices at the estate were rarely much less than retail (which was rarely more than 20% less than the wines sell for in the UK). However quite a few of the MCC wines are not available over here.
'Scores' are out of 5X, and are relative to the style of wine, XXXX would equate to a good modest NV Champagne.
Flight 1 - MCC (Methode Cap Classique) Wines (21 notes)
Rosé - Sparkling
2008 Ross Gower Pinot Noir Brut Rosé
Under short diam cork. Initially tightly wound and reductive, with lots of toast. Opened out to some nice sweet fruit, and toasty breadcrumb finish, doesn't lose that reductive nose though. XX(X)
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Jordan Winery (Jardin) Rosé
R240 (restaurant), unexciting, low acid and some berry fruit, quite dull. X
White - Sparkling
2005 Twee Jonge Gezellen Krone Borealis
R85, lovely tight extract, showing a little numb, likely due to the recentish disgorgement, and shows unconventially now. Well balanced acidity and high extract so will come round XXX(X).
White - Sparkling
2005 Graham Beck "Premier Cuvee" Brut Blanc de Blancs
R170, 50% aged in 10% new oak 205l barrels, 36month lees contact. A touch reductive, some tight fruit aroma, fine in the mouth, fresh and crisp but the fruit a little dull, and maybe a lack of depth.xxx. A bottle bought at the domaine and tried later showed better, more vibrant XXXX.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Graham Beck Brut Methode Cap Classique Chardonnay Pinot Noir
R90 (2005/6) 50:50 CH:PN, Some grapey pinot, a little ratafia like with some alcohol showing on the finish. Suffers from less acidity than the BdB highlighting the dull fruit. XX
Rosé - Sparkling
2007 Graham Beck Brut Rosé Vintage
R170 20:80 CH:PN (pressed together) Saignee, some overripe notes and lacks veuve. X(X)
Rosé - Sparkling
N.V. Graham Beck Brut Rosé
R90 55:45, aims for less than the vintage, and as a less complex wine performs better, lots of light summer fruit. XX.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Graham Beck MCC Bliss Demi Sec
R 90 50:50, Rounded and rich but retains some bite, surprisingly good, honied and uncomplicated but very nice. XX(X)
White - Sparkling
N.V. Pongrácz Methode Cap Classique Cuvée Brut
R85, quite full reductive heavy pinot, slightly metallic orange, lots of cherry apple but a corse texture let this down, Sema preferred it to the Desiderius. XX
White - Sparkling
2001 Pongrácz Desiderius
R200, bling bling Cristal style bottle. I suspect this was recently disgorged, the cork mushroomed immediately, and it had a really fresh bitter lemon soufflé nose and was full of autolysis, a slightly odd mix of fluffy chardonnay and dense pinot, this remained eggy throughout, showed much more density than most wines but was just a little clumsy. This held up better the next day where the NV had died off XXX(X)
White - Sparkling
2009 J.C. Le Roux Sauvignon Blanc Sparkling Wine
This was all over the place at R55, very grassy, palest lemon, “smells cheap, like vina sol” said Sema. Light in everyway, drinks easily but no impression left. I suspect its better than a still version of the same though. X
White - Sparkling
2000 J.C. Le Roux Pinot Noir Scintilla
R120, Nutty nose, some scrambled egg, quite neutral initially, some dense extract and a tight finish, maybe more to come? Shows the common fat fruit, but has crispness to the finish. XXX
White - Sparkling
N.V. Buitenverwachting Brut Cap Classique
Buitenverwachting Brut, R120, as with most, the mousse died away instantly on pouring, but this was very good. Cherry and apple, a lovelly expression of the riper fruit showing elegance and a hint of RS. This Constantia wine was quite different to the others thus far, a coarse mouthfeel my only negative comment given the ambition. XXXX(X).
White - Sparkling
2004 Twee Jonge Gezellen Krone Borealis
R90. Beautiful dry honey nose which follows through to a sweet and sour attack, dosage is high or at least there is RS in this, more conventional than the (RD) 06, a great easy drinker with enough complexity to hold attention, tastes borderline demi-sec but finished dry. XXXX
White - Sparkling
2006 Klein Constantia MCC Brut
R120, Riper citrus fruit, a hint of patisserie, vibrant and fresh. Tastes fo champagne cellars. I think this was stylistically the closest to champagne. XXXX
White - Sparkling
2007 Hout Bay Vineyards Brut
R120 Disgorged Oct 09. Some rawness post disgorgement aromas, really quite lean, good ingredients but needs time to settle down, will never wow though. XXX
Rosé - Sparkling
2002 Twee Jonge Gezellen Krone MCC Cuvée Rosé Brut
Very full fruity style, a hint of ratafia raspberry and oak, not too unlike Vilmart in style (though Sema disagreed). XXX
White - Sparkling
N.V. Constantia Uitsig Chardonnay Methode Cap Classique Blanc de Blanc Brut
R200, refined packaging. A light style but very well done, nice mousse, dry apricot on attack broadens to citrus with a tight punchy acidic finish, this has high ambitions and performs well. XXXX, drank better the next night, more classy and refined XXXX(X)
White - Sparkling
2004 Villiera Tradition Brut-Cap Classique
R110, Creamy, nice feel, dark citrus and honied toast, a bit heavy but a good wine. XXX
White - Sparkling
N.V. Villiera Chardonnay Brut Natural
R110 Bottled with no SO2, Slightly weird nose, white raisin, some fat on the midpalate contrasting with a skeletal finish, some obvious VA grows. XX
White - Sparkling
2003 Graham Beck Pinot Noir Cuvée Clive
R450. had UK importer labels, short cork. Soft creamy feel, quite light. Elegantly carries some grapefruit and light toast. Sits very well in the mouth, well balanced acidity, quite effortless compared with the others. Not particularly champagne like, it has a slightly flat fruit profile but you really have to look for it. Very polished. XXXX(X)
Flight 2 - Others (7 notes)
White
2009 Dornier Chenin Blanc
Posh bottle, diam cork. Lovely simple wine, high acid low fruit, a hint of ripeness. Much better than the pricy oaked version. R90. Their best wine I think, though we visited mainly for their pirate ship playground... XXX(X)
White - Sparkling
Red
2007 Anthonij Rupert Sangiovese Terra del Capo
R120 (restaurant), Nice and simple red fruit, firm acid and light tannins, does the job XX
Red
2005 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah
R215, Quite lovely restrained power, full, taut acidity, just a little bitter tannin on the finish that distracts, excellent hotter climate syrah, woodsmoke and just slightly dried fruit, well restrained. Felt the 14.5% alcohol though (afterwards) XXXX(X)
White
2008 Groot Constantia Sauvignon Blanc
R160 (restaurant), almost colourless, crisp and a bit grassy, in a calm way, some ripe notes. Nice enough XX(X)
White
2007 Klein Constantia Riesling
Klein Contantia Rhine Riesling 07 R80, A little hard to place, lighter than Alsace, rounder than many trocken, a nice wine if a little simple, but very morish. XXX
White - Sweet/Dessert
2006 Klein Constantia Riesling Noble Late Harvest
R100, 5x from Platter and bought on Keiths suggestion, comes in a 1/4 bottle, annoying wax capsuremanaged to find a dozen. Quite deep amber, very intense nose, icewine like. Most concentrated dense tarte tatin and apricot on the palate, acidity is a little light but this is not just power, it opens out on the palate. Not amazingly complex but a very good wine, a 1/4 bottle is a waste of glass though. XXXX(X)
Closing
Overall an interesting mix of wines, too many were let down by a coarse, sometimes harsh mousse, and a dullness to the fruit that I suspect comes from over ripeness.
Comparisons to champagne are inevitable, very few (if any) would pass off as champagne to experienced tasters, but a couple might, however there were some wines that are worth champagne money, and certainly the Krone wines are exceptional value at approx £8 a bottle. We were sorry not to have been able to visit Krone, despite being introduced, the distance was just too far.
The Contantia wines impressed the most, the cooler region, and wider expertise with white wines showing through. It does seem odd that some ‘farms’ are able to produce up to 12 different ‘cultivars’ on the same estate, and I can’t help wonder if they should specialise more.
Overall a great trip and some very good wines. I wish we could have tried more Syrah, maybe next time.