Kloovenburg Shiraz 2011 R120 from the farm
Did you make it to the
Olive Festival at Riebeek Kasteel this weekend? If so, chances are you’d have
enjoyed something from this lovely family-run olive and wine estate. Me – I
always enjoy the wine more than the olives (quelle surprise) and I rate this
wine mostly because it hasn’t jumped on the Swartland band-wagon and increased
its price, rather staying good value and honest with straightforward black
fruit, silky tannins and a lengthy finish. Yum.
Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 R120 from the Bergkelder
This arrived on my
doorstep accompanied by a nifty little box of gourmet salt which is quite cool.
It’s also a good idea to put salt with such a big oomphy wine as this one as
salt softens the tannins and makes the wine even more more-ish than it already
is. This is a great food wine – cries out for casseroles, curries and roasts –
with elegance, fragrance and charm in abundance.
La Motte Shiraz 2010 R131 from the farm
‘An utterly delicious
wine.’ That was the verdict of my WSET Level 2 course who tried it with me some
weeks ago, in fact, they enjoyed it so much, I had some difficulty persuading
them to put it down and move onto the next one. This has got some lovely
additions in the form of tiny amounts of Grenache, Tempranillo, Cinsault and
Carignan giving it a real Mediterranean flavour. Soft, silky tannins, elegant
and lengthy finish and it is – as the students said – utterly delicious.
Haute Cabrière Pinot Noir 2009 R170 from the farm
This is a great
autumnal drink – it makes you think of leaves falling, long walks in the woods
and home for mushrooms on toast. Or maybe that’s just me – anyway, it’s the
lightest of my five wines but still gives you a mouthfilling glug of berries
and cherries with soft silky tannins and hints of earthy, forest floor. If it’s
a sunny autumn day, then chill it. Otherwise, cook up something fun and funky
and enjoy.
Oldenburg Vineyards Rhodium 2010 R330 from the farm
Finally! I’ve been
pestering Simon Thompson, winemaker at Oldenburg, to make a blend for a couple
of years now so I was delighted to be invited to the unveiling of Rhodium a
couple of weeks ago. This is 50% Merlot with the balance made up of 10% Malbec
(a small but vitally important element) and 40% of that Banghoek favourite,
Cabernet Franc. It’s elegance personified with black fruits twisted up inside
smooth, creamy oak and a long finish. Well worth the wait!