4 minute read
NEW VINTAGE WINES for autumn
The following selection of new vintage wines all have two things in common: they are wholly unique and covetable and make for the perfect accompaniment to the season, whether it’s those gorgeous, warm autumnal days or delectably cool evenings. Here are some new vintage wines you simply must pair with your
autumn. BY THEA BECKMAN
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KANU ANGELINA GOLD CAP CLASSIQUE
Angelina Gold Cap Classique contains very real (and perfectly edible) 24-carat gold flakes! Crafted by winemaker and cellar master Johan Grimbeek, this Pinot Noir MCC is a rich salmon in colour, highlighted even further by the fine gold flakes held in suspension. On the nose, the wine exhibits crisp and refreshing notes of red berry fruit, crunchy red apple, and delicate candyfloss, while the palate delivers persistent red fruit, malted barley, wild strawberries, and toasty undertones with an extended finish. And as if the gold wasn’t glitzy enough, a lightemitting diode has been mounted to the underside of the bottle. Switch it on and watch the gold flakes light up and sparkle.
R1 200 per bottle
SURVIVOR SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021
A cooler start to the harvest season and a delay in slow ripening by three to four weeks has culminated in what is being heralded as an excellent vintage of Survivor Sauvignon Blanc. Made by the Overhex Winery, the grapes for this particular wine were sourced from the cool climate Elgin Valley, known for producing outstanding wines of crisp acidity, subtle minerality and pure fruit flavours. This provenance, combined with an extended ripening period and the wine-making skill at Overhex, has birthed a gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc of lively character, dripping with notes of sun-ripened gooseberry and freshly crushed herbs.
R150 per bottle
JORDAN TIMEPIECE CHENIN BLANC 2019
Planted in 1983 by winemaker Ted Jordan, the heritage vines on Jordan Wine Estate have witnessed generations of winemakers and farmhands working the soils upon which they grow. And now the Stellenbosch estate is paying homage to these Old Vine Project-certified vineyards with its Timepiece range; the first release is the 2019 Chenin Blanc. Fermented and matured in older French oak barrels and clay amphorae, which enhances the complexity of flavours from the estate’s older vineyards, this wine exhibits a bright acidity, delightful aromas of wild celery, quince and orchard fruits, and a savoury finish.
R360 per bottle
STEENBERG RUBY ROSÉ 2021
To say that a wine smells like summer in a bottle may be a cliché, but when you have aromatics of strawberry sherbet, rose petals, watermelon, fresh garden herbs and blueberry coulis bursting out your glass, such a cliché can be forgiven; especially since these vivacious aromas are followed by a refreshing palate of juicy summer melon, berries and spiced peaches. This is exactly what Steenberg’s new vintage of dry, fruit-forward Ruby Rosé serves up, wrapped in a new, more elegant label. Crafted from 100% Syrah grapes by cellar master Elunda Basson, this pale coral rosé is, I’m not sorry to say, the epitome of summer!
R105 per bottle
SPIER NOBLE SONG SHIRAZ 2018
Spier is quite probably one of the most recognised names in the South African wine industry. Its many accessible and premium wines are a staple of countless wine lists. Now, winemakers Johan Jordaan and Heidi Dietstein have added the Noble Song Shiraz 2018 to Spier’s repetoire. With no added sulphur, it is sure to be a welcome option for the conscious consumer or anyone with a sensitivity to sulphur. Made from 20-year-old vines grown on the sun-beaten outskirts of Paarl, this medium-to-full-bodied wine delivers dark, brooding flavours of mulberry, spicy plum and subtle vanilla underscored by velvety smooth tannin. It’s a fruity, rich and young wine that’s best enjoyed after decanting. The range includes a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinotage.
R150 per bottle
From the award-winning cellars of Hazendal comes the 2021 vintage of the voluptuous and deliciously moreish Christoffel Hazenwinkel Blanc de Noir 2021. Epically talented winemaker and viticulturist Clarise Sciocatti-Langeveldt is to blame for this 100% Shiraz Blanc de Noir, made from grapes grown on the flanks of Stellenbosch’s Bottelary Hills. A pale salmon pink in colour, the wine delivers floral notes of rose petal and citrus blossom and, on the palate, a fruit basket of flavours: freshly picked strawberries, raspberries, peach, pear, apple, mango, pineapple, melon and nectarines, all balanced most beautifully by a refreshing acidity and creamy finish.
R125 per bottle
DE GRENDEL KOETSHUIS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021
The De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc borrows its name from the Afrikaans word for ‘coach house’ because the vineyard from which its Sémillon grapes were sourced is located right next to an old coach house, where the wagons of bygone centuries were kept. It’s a testament to the sweeping history of De Grendel, which celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2020. The Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2021 is made predominantly from high-quality vineyards in Lutzville and Darling but includes a small batch of Sémillon from De Grendel’s own vineyards in Durbanville. Pale straw in colour, this multidimensional wine boasts a fresh and invigorating nose of sour pineapple, honeydew cantaloupe, pears, and an underlying creamy richness from extended lees contact.
