Want to join in the fun? Here are the wines we tasted and some cool
things to drop into conversation at your next dinner party.
Porcupine
Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2009 R36.99 from Ultra Liquor, Pick n Pay and
other major retailers.
The second label wine from stellar winery, Boekenhoutskloof, the whole
Porcupine Ridge range offers amazing value for money. This wine was light and
fragrant on the nose with citrus notes. The acidity is nicely balanced – not
too teeth-tingly – and the wine has a nice ‘weight’ to it, which is a
combination of alcohol and mouthfeel. Sauvignon Blanc and goats’ cheese is a classic combination but the
honeyed figs in our recipe really threw this out of kilter. Matching it
with
the green Thai curry was a surprise but ended up being a beautiful
combination.
Dinner Party
drop-in line – “I see that part-owner and cellarmaster, Marc Kent
has just bought an organic farm out in Swartland – I wonder what he’s going to
do with that?”
Bon Cap
Organic Chardonnay 2007 RRP R60 direct from cellar 023 626-1628
Made on the oldest and largest family-owned organic farm in South Africa,
this chardonnay spent 4 months in new oak barrels and is a deliciously
integrated example of a wooded chardonnay. All of us were blown away by the
well-balanced flavours of creamy oak/fresh yellow fruit and tangy acidity. Chardonnay is a great food partner – unwooded versions are always
crowd-pleasers if you have a mix of wood and non-wood lovers amongst
you. The beauty
of this wine is that it is so well-balanced with none of the flavours
dominating which makes it a great match for full-bodied dishes of
chicken or
fish.
Dinner Party
drop-in line – “Did you know that the Bon Cap label has information
on it in Braille?”
Niel Joubert
Viognier 2007 RRP R42 selected Spars and other specialist
retailers.
An off-dry Viognier with simple but delicate peachiness balanced with nice
acidity and a honeyed finish. 10% of the wine was oaked which gives it added
richness as opposed to oaky flavours. This version is great value for money as Viognier
is a tricky grape to grow and many wine farms price it accordingly. Viognier is an excellent match for spicy food – in particular Cape Malay
dishes which features fruits such as apricots and raisins. This off-dry
version
went well with several of the dishes on offer and was my particular
favourite
with the green Thai curry.
Dinner Party
drop-in line – “Daan Joubert is the third generation of his family
to farm in the Klein Simonsvlei farm in Paarl.”
Middelvlei
Pinotage 2007 RRP R80 from specialist
retailers.
Situated in the Devon Valley, Middelvlei is renowned for its Pinotages
and Cape Blends. This one is a very fruity example with lots of blackberries
and blueberries . The tannins are soft and gentle although this is an easier
wine to have with food than on its own. Pinotage is a natural partner for South African game – and not just from a
nationalistic point of view either! Dark fruits and spice are handled
well by
this variety and there is an essential rusticity and earthiness to
Pinotage
which makes it great with ostrich/springbok/kudu/whatever.
Dinner Party
drop-in line – “Did you
know that Middelvlei has three wallabies on the farm?”
Hazendal
Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 RRP R70 from
Spar, Picardi Rebel
Owned by Russian Dr Mark Voloshon, Hazendal has a distinctly European
twist to it. This wine is 55% Shiraz and 45% Cabernet and is packed with spicy
berries with a chocolate undertone. Soft and elegant, I think this will be good
for the next few years.This wine was a great drinker on its own but failed to really wow us
when
we tried it with any of the dishes. Until we came to the chocolate
ganache and
raspberries when we found the identical flavours in the wine and
polished off
the whole bottle!
Dinner Party
drop-in line – “The only place in South Africa where you can find
a Faberge egg!”
Stark-Condé
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 RRP R110 from specialist retailers.
American José Condé is a designer by trade but has spent the last ten
years crafting fine reds on his farm in Jonkershoek. This wine contains tiny
amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and is crafted for the long term
with dark cassis fruits balanced by elegant structure and endless length. Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic partner for lamb – and after trying this
wine, I wished we had chosen the Lamb Knuckle stew! This was easily the
classiest wine of the night with lots of length, interest and flavour
but didn’t
particularly wow us with any of the dishes on offer that night. I would
love to
hear from anyone who tries it with the lamb though!
Dinner Party
drop-in line – “Did you know that the winery name comes from the
surnames of José and his wife?”