Important Update From the Founder
Read message >
South African wine tour - Day four
Stellenbosch
Tasted September 25, 2018 by chatters with 347 views
Introduction
Up at dawn's crack (well, that’s not entirely true…it was more relatively early) to hit a plethora of wine farms…Of course it helped that the weather was terrible which meant I was pretty much the only person in most places...
Flight 1 - Bracket one - Thelema (15 notes)
First cab off the rank was Thelema today…up into the clouds in the hills with mist and rain and low visibility and into a toasty warm modern tasting room with musty dogs. The 'premium' wines were probably the pick of the bunch…
White
2017 Thelema Sauvignon Blanc
Gooseberry, a little passion fruit and green capsicum, struck match. Bone dry , a little green capsicum and passion fruit. Finishes with some alcohol heat. Meh.
White
2017 Thelema Sauvignon Blanc Sutherland
Smells a little leesy and is more muted on the nose than the straight Thelema Sav Blanc. Aromas of a little cut grass and gooseberry with time and agitation. Fresh, easy, medium minus intensity flavours of a little green fruit.
White
2015 Thelema Chardonnay
Butter, toasted nuts, slightly meaty notes, a little lemon, cedar. More of the same on the palate, a little burr across the tongue, lees lend breadth, nicely balanced.
White
2017 Thelema Chardonnay Sutherland
Peach, slight struck match, lemon, more of the same on the palate. Acid/fruit balance is nicely done, it's a bit short but acceptable as a simple quaffer.
White
2015 Thelema Chardonnay Ed's Reserve
Butter, toast, cedar, cheesy lees, sweet spice over backed peaches & a little earthy quality. Ugh, it's a bit savoury and meaty on the palate, tannic burr, a little too much work for me and not enough fruit.
White
2015 Thelema Sutherland VR Viognier-Roussanne
A little nail varnish joins muted apricot, slight white stone fruit and bees wax. It's a bit savoury and textured on the palate. Meh.
White
2015 Thelema Riesling
Kerosene and wet stone and a little citrus. Juicy acidity but little else to distinguish this.
Red
2015 Thelema Pinot Noir Sutherland
Ripe berry and cherry, a little chocolate, sweet spice and a smidge of wood glue. It's a little bitter and wet on the palate, the fruit more savoury and less ripe, a little burr on the mid palate and front of mouth. <shrugs>
Red
2014 Thelema Shiraz
Slightly reductive, sightly unripe back berry, earth, meaty notes, a little dirty, some cream…In the mouth it' juicy, a little extracted, some earthy notes with black fruits, tannins are silky textured but drying. It's a bit out of whack for me..
Red
2014 Thelema Syrah Sutherland
Slightly jubey blackberry and blackcurrant a little peppered beef jerky. On the palate it's juicy, more peppery with soft, slightly drying, tannins and a creamy note to the finish. Okay.
Red
2015 Thelema Merlot Stellenbosch
Plums, leather, sweet spice over slight mint and plain chocolate. On the palate it's fairly innocuous; more wet than anything else with some sour black plums. Meh
Red
2015 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon
Slightly concentrated blackcurrant backed by mint/eucalyptus, cedar and sweet spice. Savoury and tight tannins compete with, but do not dominate, the black fruits and it has a bit of a Christmas cake quality on the finish, albeit with a dollop of mint ice cream over the top rather than brandy butter. Hmm.
Red
2014 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon Sutherland
Ripe blackcurrant that is jammy but with a dusty cocoa quality; quite simple though. On the palate it's juicy and, well, not very nice. Front of mouth tannins dry things out, fruit doesn't persist. Nah.
Red
2014 Thelema The Mint
Smells like a good quality, ripe (not overripe) Cabernet. Blackcurrant tending to Cassis, sweet spice, cedar and a little cigar box and eucalyptus. And it tastes just like a good quality Cabernet. Silky textured tannins are present but not overbearing, blackcurrant fruit slides to the savoury, a little mid palate scoop, approachable now but will, no doubt, improve with age. Very nice.
Red
2014 Thelema Rabelais
Slightly concentrated blackcurrant, Cassis, violets, dusty cedar, sweet spice, a little toast and biscuit. On the palate it proves to very very young. Tannins are fairly massive and wrestle, unfortunately too successfully, with the fruit. Come back in 5-10 years.
Flight 2 - Bracket two - Delaire Graff (12 notes)
An exceedingly showy cellar door with bucket loads of poshy la la gardens and expensive (and tasteless) object d'art underpinned the most pricey tasting I had on my entire hols…four of the whites and a couple of the reds were handy though not the premium stuff in this instance
Rosé
2018 Delaire Graff Cabernet Franc Rosé
Sulphur and strawberry, a tiny herbal note. It's got some mid palate burr and a strawberry and mint quality. Okay.
White
2017 Delaire Graff Sauvignon Blanc
Gooseberry underpinned by passion fruit, a little green capsicum. Hmm on the palate it's juicy but I think there is a little residual sugar here to help soften things. Also a touch of mid palate burr and a tiny spritz. Medium plus length.
White
2017 Delaire Graff Sauvignon Blanc Coastal Cuvée
Asparagus, green apple, fresh grass. Soft, approachable, a little apple and anonymous green citrus. Again a little burr on the mid palate. Rather enjoyable.
White
2016 Delaire Graff Chardonnay Summercourt
Leesy, cheesy notes, a little peach and slight toast, butter. Juicy, fleshy and fresh. Fruit is, perhaps, a little lacking but perfectly pleasant otherwise.
White
2017 Delaire Graff Chenin Blanc Swartland Reserve
Medium plus intensity aromas of lemon, honey, bees wax all present with a touch of oatmeal. On the palate it's lemon, but savoury , a little waxy textured, dense with an oatmeal quality. Very nice, well made.
White - Sparkling
N.V. Delaire Graff Sunrise Méthode Cap Classique
Lemon, unripe pineapple, a little toasted bread, tiny strawberry. On the palate it's quite sharp with a prickly mousse <shrugs> one of those indifferent well made sparkling wine that complete fails to engage me.
White
2015 Delaire Graff White Reserve
Herbaceous, fresh cut grass, wet hay, asparagus and a little gooseberry and muted cedar. On the palate it's more soft apple than green fruit but texture is paramount here; soft and engaging with some mid palate burr, creamy, rich and mineral. Nice.
White
2017 Delaire Graff Chardonnay Reserve Banghoek
Lemons, peaches, struck match, sweet spice, a little cheesy note, slight herbs. On the palate it's dry but fruit sweet and, for me, a little flabby. Hmm.
White
2016 Delaire Graff Chardonnay Terraced Block Reserve
Rich, oaked, I get a little buttery quality though I am assured Malolactic fermentation is supressed. Peaches, cream, sweet spice. On the palate it's freshly juicy and pretty handy, plenty of fruit here, balanced though, and difficult to spit. I'm still getting a little butter here but it's all very well handled. Yum.
Red
2016 Delaire Graff Shiraz
Blackberry and sweet spice, a little jubey note to the fruit. On the palate it's fresh, juicy with a tiny sour note to the black fruit which helps to support that freshness. Grippy, drying, though chamois soft tannins. Pretty handy for 145 Rand.
Red
2016 Delaire Graff Merlot Banghoek Reserve
Very slight cork taint. Spiced plums, a little leather and prunes. Big, juicy, plummy & pruny, that corky note doesn’t translate to the palate. Silky tannins and finishes with plenty of alcohol warmth. Nicely made but not for me.
Red
2016 Delaire Graff Botmaskop
Over concentrated blackcurrant, a little red berries and pencil shavings, plenty of oaky spice and cedar. Equally overblown cabernet on the palate, a little cool mint note as well. Tannins are surprisingly well controlled but I can't say I'm particularly enamoured.
Flight 3 - Bracket three - Warwick Estate (11 notes)
Back down the hill and up the road to Warwick Estate for an interesting selection of whites and reds and, for me, the best entry level Cabernet Sauvignon I had, in retrospect, on my entire trip…
White
2017 Warwick Estate Sauvignon Blanc The First Lady
A little green capsicum, nashi pear, clean, simple nose. And so it proves on the palate, dry with a touch of residual sugar, clean, well made. Forgettable.
White
2017 Warwick Estate Sauvignon Blanc Professor Black
Cream, a little grassy, a little mint, green capsicum, and tobacco leaf, funky lees and a tiny woody note. On the palate it's tangy and juicy, with sour green apple and fresh crushed herbs married to a little mid palate. Hmm.
Rosé
2018 Warwick Estate The First Lady Dry Rosé
Strawberry and raspberry that is a little jubey. On the palate the fruit is equally jubey flavoured but bone dry and a little sharp. Nah.
White
2018 Warwick Estate Chardonnay The First Lady
Toasted peaches, a little lemon and grapefruit. On the palate it's a little sour; definite grapefruit backed by lemon and peach. Meh.
White
2017 Warwick Estate Chardonnay The White Lady
Sweet spice, butter, sugared peaches and pineapple; quite tropical, toasted with a little wood glue. In the mouth it's a big, bolshy, buttery chardonnay, juicy (presumably through Tartaric addition) with some breadth across the mid-palate. Finishes a little warm. Kind of fun in a blousy way.
Red
2016 Warwick Estate Cabernet Sauvignon The First Lady
Pretty, jubey, blackcurrant and black tea backed by sweet spice and a little herbaceous underpin. Softly juicy, fleshy tannins are restrained, fruit travels, medium length, Really very good value at 90 Rand. Beautifully balanced. Smashable.
Red
2015 Warwick Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Blue Lady
New oak, Ripe blackcurrant tends to crème de Cassis backed by cedar, a little vanilla and milk chocolate; lovely overblown nose. All translates to the palate with plenty of drying, almost bitter, savoury tannins closing things down. Needs at least 5 years and probably more...
Red
2015 Warwick Estate Cabernet Franc
This is quite a ripe cab franc…blackcurrant over farty red berry, tiniest smidge of pencil shavings, toast and sweet spice. Juicy, red berries over blackcurrant, cream, huge drying grippy tannins knock the fruit about but it just about hangs in there. A bit simple and young. Hmm
Red
2015 Warwick Estate Syrah Black Lady
Slight rubber, black pepper, quite leathery and meaty over muted black berry fruit. Oooh, it's fairly unpleasant on the palate with massive tannins that dominate proceedings leaving a little sourly peppery spice on the finish. Nah
Red
2015 Warwick Estate Three Cape Ladies Cape Blend
Slightly burnt/ripe black fruits, sweet spice, dense, a little sweaty Ribena, toast. The juiciness feels a little forced, the black fruit is alcoholically warm, the tannins are relatively soft but drying. For me it's a bit out of whack.
Red
2014 Warwick Estate Trilogy
Jubey, concentrated cassis, a little meaty/savoury note, that is a touch off putting on the nose. Cedar, cream, spice, pencil shavings. Densely savoury black fruit, plentiful, chewy, chalky, drying tannins, Cedar. Bit of a beast but time will help. Hmm.
Flight 4 - Bracket four - Kanonkop (7 notes)
Ahh, well, I tried to get here on my first day in Stellenbosch but just missed closing time so went back again on my way to lunch…And I'm happy I made the effort; the standard and reserve Pinotage here were very good indeed and an education.
Rosé
2018 Kanonkop Pinotage Kadette Rosé
Slight rubber, cherry over red berries, savoury, spiced, a little mid palate grip, a bit wet. Meh.
Red
2017 Kanonkop Cape Blend Kadette
Leather and rubbery initially over black hued fruit, a little earthy and muddy as well. More of the same on the palate, initially juicy with chalky, drying tannins closing down the finish. Meh.
Red
2016 Kanonkop Pinotage Kadette
Slightly sweaty black fruit, a little rubber, earthy notes. Juicy, sweaty, black fruits, that rubber note not so prevalent on the palate. Fresh, drying but silky tannins. Okay.
Red
2016 Kanonkop Pinotage
Black hued fruit core, cream, slightly earthy spice, new oak. Extremely juicy, again black hued fruit married to new oak. Really nice and probably the best Pinotage I've had.
Red
2008 Kanonkop Pinotage
Oddly baked beans, a little tomato leaf and over black fruits, toast, slightly medicinal quality. Lovely fresh acidity, leathery, tight tannins though the fruit is faded here merely leaving a sense of structure…implies that they don't age for long...
Red
2016 Kanonkop Pinotage Black Label Reserve
From Coravin. Initially closed but, with time in glass, opens to reveal a blackcurrant and berry core backed by plums and sweet spice, again this is married to plenty of new oak. Juicy, fleshy, slightly savoury black hued fruits but also quite large, oaky, grippy tannins. fruit travels long hand in hand with this. Very good indeed and impressively expensive at 1750 Rand but, arguably, worth it. I withdraw my earlier comment about the straight 2016 Pinotage - this is the best Pinotage I've had and my expectations reset...
Red
2013 Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon
Slightly rubbery, blackcurrant, sweet spice, a little dusty oak, it has a little spiced, savoury, red currant note to the palate. Juicy, tight tannins, fruit doesn't persist. Meh for me.
Flight 5 - Bracket five - Stark Conde (8 notes)
More hills, this time slightly more south, and another immaculate winery. The two girls wanted me to soak up the ambience in the barrel room set aside for tasting; to be honest I'd rather have sat in the warm with them. The Elgin Pinot made me want to spend some time in that region myself and the Three Pines Cabernet was a good mid-priced wine.
White
2017 Stark-Condé Chenin Blanc Jan Lui's
A little spiced lemon and orange backed by dusty, dry spice and wood as well as some butter and honey. In the mouth it's juicy and a little sharp; served too cold for my liking. The fruit struggles on the palate against the oak with time and the application of warming hands began to improve but still a bit hmm for me.
Red
2016 Stark-Condé Pinot Noir Pepin Condé Elgin
Black cherry, five spice and a little earthiness…more of the same on the palate with a little black tea and a little tannic burr. Medium plus length. Good QPR at 125 Rand.
Red
2015 Stark-Condé Pinot Noir
Earthy, slightly dirty but with pretty, strawberry jam fruit. In the mouth that jammy strawberry fruit is joined by a little bitter coffee and herbaceous spices. Meh
Red
2015 Stark-Condé Syrah
Slightly confected blackberry over black pepper, a little dusty wood, plum & chocolate here as well. Juicy and savoury and a touch bitter, tannins are mouthcoating and chalky. Fruit is a little diminished but shows blackberry black by liquorice. Hmm
Red
2015 Stark-Condé Syrah Three Pines
Black pepper over blackberry, a little dusty, savoury spice. Extremely juicy, savoury, chalky drying tannins with black pepper, berries and Parma violets. Finishes spicy and long. Required for me.
Red
2016 Stark-Condé Cabernet Sauvignon
Pretty spiced blackcurrant, a little fruit crumble note as well, clean. On the palate it's more of the same; more spiced and savoury than I had expected from the nose with a little pyrazine joins the black fruit and gritty, grippy tannins. Hmm.
Red
2015 Stark-Condé Cabernet Sauvignon Three Pines
Wild blackcurrant, mint and pencil shavings, a little cedar. And the palate is a pretty much true reflection of the nose; it's juicy with drying tannins, rather nice. Balanced but defo too young: 4-6 years for me to just calm down but reasonable value at 360 Rand.
Red
2015 Stark-Condé Cabernet Sauvignon Oude Nektar
Toasted oak, muted fruit, chocolate, sweet spice, plums over blackcurrant tending to cassis, and Ribena with time and agitation. On the palate it's very young. Polished with tight, chalky tannins dry things out. The fruits is present but the tannins lend it a savoury, hard, edge that means things finish a little bitter for me. Hmm, time will help I suspect.
Flight 6 - Bracket six - Ken Forrester (7 notes)
I don't know why but I've always had a soft spot for this eponymous winery and it's owners role as Chenin champion. It was all a bit rustic and they had the builders in but half the wines (the Chenin half) were delightful.
White
2016 Ken Forrester Sauvignon Blanc Reserve
Cut grass, asparagus, green capsicum, a little pine as well. In the mouth it's green juicy, rather tart and tight. Not for me.
White
2016 Ken Forrester Fijndraai Van Coller Family Reserve
A little funky wild ferment, leesy and cheesy over apple and apricot, a little honey, honeysuckle and some savoury bees wax. On eh palate it's juicy but has a little alcohol heat on the finish. Flavours are the same as this nose but it's a touch more bitter. Hmm
White
2017 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Old Vine Reserve
Lemon and green apples, honey and honeysuckle, a little beeswax and butter. On the palate it's juicy and dry but with an initial impression of some residual sugar - probably from the honey, apple and lemon. Simple but nice with creamy texture and mid palate burr lending breadth.
White
2007 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Old Vine Reserve
Lemon, kerosene, honey, lanolin and bees wax on the nose. On the palate it's bone dry, honeyed apple, exceedingly juicy with some cream, butter and toast. Finishes with a little alcohol warmth. Nice, interesting, compelling…more Hunter than Loire for me.
1 person found this helpful
Comment
White
2015 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc Dirty Little Secret "one"
"Ooh, it is dirty! Wild ferment, lees stirring, skin contact, waxy lemons, floor polish, meaty, toasted buttered honey with lovely floral top notes. Mouth watering but not sharp acidity. Honeyed, quite rich, with some mid palate bur. Lovely, really rather special. It's a little expensive at 1050 Rand but I'd argue that it's worth it.
I was lucky enough to chat to Ken after my tasting and he confirmed my impressions about the wine making adding that he had also aged the wine in very old barrels. Apparently he made ten barrels but two failed due to stuck ferment and three turned into impressive vinegar - which might be the reason for the price."
I was lucky enough to chat to Ken after my tasting and he confirmed my impressions about the wine making adding that he had also aged the wine in very old barrels. Apparently he made ten barrels but two failed due to stuck ferment and three turned into impressive vinegar - which might be the reason for the price."
1 person found this helpful
Comment
White
2015 Ken Forrester Roussanne
Hmm, surprisingly buttery and rich, sweetly spiced, a little stone fruit and white fig backed by bees wax. Juicy, savoury, a little bitter on the finish but still with that stone fruit note. Apparently Malo was supressed. My nose has been lying to me quite a bit on this trip. Hmm.
White
2017 Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc The FMC
Yeah, okay, this smells how I expected. A little lemon but botrytised notes; apricots, a little cheesy lees, honey. That botrytised note is more obvious on the palate though the wine is bone dry. I really like this, quite lovely. Yum.
Flight 7 - Bracket seven - Supper at Spek and Bone (5 notes)
"With the first wine I had:
Butter roasted cauliflower (chimichurri, macadamia nuts, baby onion, goats cheese) - Very good
Butter Roti & Hummus (crisp chick peas, fennel) - Okay
With the next wine I had:
The best of Basson garden Jamestown leaves (yoghurt dressing, raw vegetables) - crunchy, slightly spiced and bitter, nice.
With the next two wines I had:
Bowl of bacon (maple basted, chilli mayo) - Glorious: heart attack in a bowl
Sautéed potato gnocchi (Huguenot sauce, bacon, peas) - warming and lovely
With the last wine I had:
Chalmar beef sirloin (ugly carrots, beef fat jus) - meat was a little boiled& over-salted but otherwise okay"
White
2017 The Fledge & Company Sauvignon Blanc Jikken Bareru Experimental Barrels
"Very much in the green capsicum, asparagus, gooseberry spice on the palate, it's softly acidic with some balancing residual sugar and a little grainy burr on the middle of the tongue. Hmm
Okay with Roti, good with the Cauliflower"
Okay with Roti, good with the Cauliflower"
White
2015 Sijnn Chenin Blanc Low Profile
"Oh ho! Skin contact methinks…a little almond oxidative note backed by sour(er than normal) lemon. Juicy, spiced and honeyed in the mouth. That oxidative nutty note here as well as a fair alcoholic heft and breadth.
Less successful with the remaining Cauliflower but okay with the salad. There was a bit left which proved a good match for the Gnocchi."
Less successful with the remaining Cauliflower but okay with the salad. There was a bit left which proved a good match for the Gnocchi."
Red
2014 Fist of Fancy Pinot Noir
"Red berry and cherry, plenty of sweet spice, a little chalky ashy note. On the palate it's more savoury with a little chalky tannic grip on the tongue. Finishes warm.
Not with the maple bacon and probably a little too lightweight for the Gnocchi"
Not with the maple bacon and probably a little too lightweight for the Gnocchi"
Red
2016 The Winery of Good Hope Pinot Noir
"Savoury, wild ferment funkiness, earthy, gamy, slight stalks and sour black cherry. Equally gamey, funky and savoury on the palate with a silky tannic burr. With time in the glass this starts showing some sweet dark hued fruit. Kind of nice.
Stands up to the maple bacon and gnocchi but still not a good match."
Stands up to the maple bacon and gnocchi but still not a good match."
Red
2014 Migliarina Wines Shiraz
"Savoury blackberry and black pepper, a little whole berry prettiness and some earthy notes as well as a little crushed rock. In the mouth it's savoury, tightly tannic, meaty and peppery. The tannins dominate proceedings. Needs protein.
Fortunately I had protein and it worked well with the beef."
Fortunately I had protein and it worked well with the beef."
Closing
Phew, a solid day's work and plenty of tasting undertaken. Quite a few high points today and not too many crazy lows...The supper at Spek and Bone (and excellent service from the staff and the chef) should also get a call out.