Perhaps I’ve seen too much lately of Fifty Shades of Grey but I am definitely in the mood for lurve at the moment. No need to wait for Valentine’s Day or other commercial nastiness – when you’re over 40, you take what comes, whenever it comes. If you know what I mean.
So right NOW is when I’m in the mood for seduction, moonlight, roses, candles and (of course) delicious wine. If all this is making you shriek out “Yes, yes, yes!” then stop watching the Meg Ryan movies, get yourselves to the shops and try one of these wines, all recently sent to me for review. Hope you have an orgasmic weekend!
Peter Brum Goldsparkler, Sekt (R143 via www.jaydexdistribution.com )
A touch of kitsch and glitz to start the selection – this is a semi-sweet sparkling wine from Germany which contains real gold flakes! Look – it’s not serious or heavyweight – but neither is love, life and laughter, so if this is the kind of thing that pops your cork, pop a bottle this weekend!
J C Le Roux Scintilla 2003 (R150 cellar door)
Is there anything sexier than a man drawing his sword? I think not, and that was what greeted me on my return from Mauritius last week. I’m talking sabrage people – honestly, your minds! And this was the wine he did it with – the flagship from J.C. le Roux. 75% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot, a wondrous, creamy 7 years on the lees, toasty, yeasty, citrusy heaven.
Lemberg Viognier 2011 (R75 cellar door)
“ILYTTDFOATCCSH” – my parents’ secret code which translates as “I’ll love you till the desert freezes over and the camels come skating home”. Well, that day may have arrived because here I am recommending a Viognier – not normally a variety I much enjoy. But I really enjoyed this one. Very well-made with no fat oiliness or excessive alcohol, just fresh apple-y/peachy fruit and a clean finish. Delish!
Zandvliet Chardonnay 2011 (R 57 cellar door)
The older I get, the more I like wines that aren’t showy or tarty – you know, the equivalent of someone wearing a belt masquerading as a skirt. Instead, give me something quietly elegant or demurely discreet, but still packing a punch of passion underneath. This wine has all that and more – balance, yellow fruit, lively acidity and length.
Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 (R160 at selected retailers)
Any man who wooed me with this wine would be guaranteed to get lucky! Because just seeing the name on the bottle is like seeing a passport to pleasure, knowing that you are about to drink one of SA’s finest wines. Etienne le Riche has been the King of Cab forever and this new release maintains the high standards – polished, black fruit with demure oak and a rich creamy length.
Claime d’Or Cabernet Franc 2008 (R190 cellar door)
Because we all need a touch of spice in our lives don’t we darlings? Something outside the norm of Cab Sauv. Something with a touch of the exotic. Something intense and thrilling. Then try a Cabernet Franc – SA’s most exciting black grape. This one has all the black fruit you’d expect from a cab with a spicy, tantalising herbal edge which lifts it above the norm.
La Motte Hanneli R 2007 (R806 cellar door)
Can you get anything more romantic than opera? Remember the scene from ‘Pretty Woman’ when they go to the Met? Who can forget it, so why not remind yourself by playing a little music by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg and sipping the wine named after her at the same time? This is an elegant, sophisticated Rhône blend packed with spice and made for the long haul. Sounds like a marriage made in heaven to me!
Badsberg Red Muscadel 2011 (R46 cellar door)
Hey – if sweet nothings work for you, then there ain’t nothing sweeter than this wine. Badsberg are still basking in the glow of Platter’s White Wine of the Year for their Badslese, but if you missed that, then try this mouthful of raisins, hazelnuts and caramel instead. Cries out for a log fire and a shaggy rug. Or do I mean a rugged…… ?