Cool Wine Tasting Group - Bordeaux Whites and Red Style

A wine group based in Elgin that looks at comparing different wines with Elgin equivalents - Most of the time...

• 2010 Steenberg Magna Carta 85 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Cape Peninsula, Constantia

  (Tasted Blind) Mid lemon in colour, the nose exhibits a blend of orange peel, greengage, cut grass, tarragon and sage blended with a little orange oil, light honey and body odour/sweat.
  While there is a ripe profile, the palate has a crisp acidity, and juicy texture and is full of energy. There is plenty of fruit and some light, toasty oak. Long in length, the wine is slightly tiring, closing with mint bonbon characters and a distracting note of orange juice.
  Blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. Barrel-fermented before being blended and matured in neutral 500-litre puncheons for 11 months.

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• 2009 Strandveld Vineyards Adamastor 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Cape Agulhas, Elim

  (Tasted Blind) Mid lemon in colour, the nose is a little restrained with notes of dry chalky dust, grapefruit, sherbet lemon, tarragon, sage, and a wisp of smoke and flint. The palate mirrors the nose, displaying prominent bracing acidity, a lemon pith texture, and saline quality with wonderful freshness and vibrancy, all with a light oak nuance with that breadth and creamy insertion of Semillon. As it closes, the wine offers some nettle and methoxy pyrazines while showing some evolution with smoke and asparagus. The ripeness of fruit pushed more to SA, and it had less tightness to confirm, yet the acidity suggested cooler SA.

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• 2008 Oak Valley The OV 89 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) It is mid-lemon in colour, and the nose is very smoky and distinctly ammoniac with savoury qualities, suggesting the presence of used older wood. As it opened, it revealed some white grapefruit, sage and yuzu fruit. The palate has a smoky edge with a bright and juicy acidity complemented by the wood spices and this ammoniac, boxwood element. Fresh lemon zest and sage morph to an intriguing buchu quality and there are some leesy notes too. Already developing, the wine is for drinking now.
  Under screwcap, perhaps enhances the reduction. A blend of SB & Semillon

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• 2007 Château Côte Montpezat Cuvée Compostelle Blanc 82 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

  (Tasted Blind) It is mid-yellow in colour and starting to show signs of age. On the nose, it is slightly maderized, with oxidation creeping in, soaking up the wine's vitality. Hints of caramel and toffee, along with sotolon notes, indicate that the wine is declining. The wine reflects the nose on the palate, lacking vitality and falling flat on the finish. It is clear that the wine came from decent material but has seen better days, now showing its age poorly.

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• 2006 Iona Sauvignon Blanc Elgin 88 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Light yellow/straw in colour. Savoury, flint, chalky nose with quite a smoky overlay that parts slowly to reveal sherbet lemon, Meadow flowers and a hint of something tropical. The palate entry is gently fragrant with bright acidity, edgy texture and fresh white fruits. It hasn't much weight but has a sweeter note and richness in the mid-palate to point to SA with a squeeze of lemon juice. The wine has pleasant saline oyster shell notes with marigolds. Yet a ripe mango note and a sudden puff of smoke distract slightly on the back palate, indicating more evolution than was first envisaged.

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• 2000 Paul Cluver Cabernet Sauvignon 91 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Mid garnet in colour with a light orange rim. A bouquet of tobacco, blackcurrant, and lemon with a savoury nuance.
  There is a complex, brooding fruit character, bright and focused. This is a brooding entry with a rich, chewy texture with liquorice root, green almond, tar, and loganberry. Bright and focused, the wine has a good dollop of Merlot, adding roundness, a savoury kick with powdery tannins, and a lively acidity, giving some edges. It's a smart wine with some complexity.

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• 2001 Jordan Winery (Jardin) Cobblers Hill 92 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Deep red to black colour extending to the rim. Ripe, soft aromas of raspberry, blackcurrant, and cherry, with a sweet oak influence and smoky, mineral qualities. A rich and round entry with a sweet, textured mouthfeel and with prominent wood spices, chocolate, and cocoa powder on the mid-palate before it unfolds gives a bold, fleshy character that is warming and enjoyable but lacks a distinctive sense of place. Lovely blackcurrant, mineral, and some hung meat add complexity whilst the wine has a long length yet with a warm backlash (high alcohol) on the finish. Sandy tannins give additional structure, and the wine improves in the glass, revealing the clarity of the fruit to push it up a notch.
  15% ABV, Bordeaux-style blend dominated by Cabernet Franc, matured for 22 months in French oak.

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• 2002 Iona Cabernet Sauvignon dun-i 86 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Deep ruby red. Overt aromas of raspberry preserve and cough syrup on the nose. The palate mirrors this pronounced jammy style, and the upfront fruit reminds me of Chile in its clarity. Ripe and juicy with a fleshy texture, the wine is modern and one-dimensional. Some herbal edges of mint emerge, as do smoky elements, to add further interest to the copious fruit. Chalky tannins edge this straightforward wine that lingers on the finish.
  Sourced from three-year-old vines. 13% ABV.

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• 2008 Belfield Cabernet Sauvignon Magnifica Elgin 85 Points

  South Africa, Cape South Coast, Elgin

  (Tasted Blind) Deep black red to purple. A brooding ripe fruited nose packed with blackcurrant and red berries and a hint of volatile acidity (VA), yet it doesn't distract from the wine's overall ripe and bold character. A richly textured entry, the wine has sweet ripe fruits with that in-your-face style that screams New World. Full-bodied, with mild acidity, the emphasis is on bold fruits with a chocolate quality and cocoa powder dusting that adds some interest, yet the wine lacks structural integrity. The mid-palate is notably sweet, and the alcohol protrudes, producing a sweet and sour finish. Altogether, it feels pondering and heavy.
  13% ABV; 2.6g/L RS.

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• 2009 Glenelly Estate Lady May 87 Points

  South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

  (Tasted Blind) Mid crimson in colour. An ethereal fragrance greets the nose, including blackberry, blackcurrant, red cherries, and a hint of tanned leather, Assam tea, and smoke. A vibrant, juicy entry with a lively acidity, the wine has a somewhat smoky, burnt note towards the mid-palate and the high alcohol unfortunately dominates, rendering the wine somewhat ponderous and accentuating a bitter-sweet note. The tannins, meanwhile, are grippy and compact, and a minty edge adds some freshness. Indeed, a brighter New World character, possibly from South Africa, with some charm, yet that hot glycerol and singed charcoal finish remains a significant presence.
  Blend of 90% CS; 10% PV. 14.5% ABV.

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