IRINA VON HOLDT REPORTS ON

Summer’s golden days are past and it’s hello to WINter’S cold – a fine time for some special WINter WarmerS

By IrIna von Holdt CWM

Glorious summer sunshine is now a mere memory––we basked in its golden glow then, hardly noticing, evenings saw us reaching for a jersey. Winter comes barely perceptibly at first, almost by stealth, tip-toeing upon us until that day when we close the curtains early, light the fires and cook something hearty and warming. It’s the quiet season, or is it?

With long evenings and little to do, now’s the time for getting together around a noisy table and, if possible, catching up with family and friends. Now’s the time for slow cooking accompanied by wines that we can take our time to taste and appreciate. So, here is a collection of wines to warm the cockles of the heart.

A WINe Winter’s tale

Chardonnay EvEry day

If ever there was a winter-weight white this is it. Rich and flavourful, it does not even need to be too chilled to show at its best. Perfect for many pastas and white meats, heavier versions will even accompany a steak. One needs to pay attention, though, because there are many Chardonnays…

“I like the diversity—some buttery ripe ones, others steely and lean,” from Winnie. Now that’s the point, you should choose carefully otherwise you may get a steely Chardonnay to go with that steak. Not so good.

Clive is specific. “I like those with minerality,” he says, “There are some Robertson wines here, they have that minerality which I adore. And I like toasty oak but, of course, it has to be in balance.”

“And the different kinds of oak,” says Christine appreciatively. “They’ve handled it all so well.”

“A lot of delightfully complex wines,” adds Dave. “Lots of flavours coming at me from all angles.”

“Most of these are high in alcohol,” notes Greg. That translates into properly ripened grapes, always good for flavour.

“I was thrilled,” says Irina. “Real quality. Real style. And the type of individuality I prize highly. So often we taste a whole bunch of wines that seem to have all come out of the same tank.”

We get into a discussion about the fruit

quality. Christine says the high quality shone through in both the wooded and unwooded wines. Broadly speaking, the flavours have fallen into two main fruit groups – stone fruits or citrus. You may find the odd melon or kiwi there, too. But you’re much more likely to find lemon, clementines, or orange marmalade with the fresh acidity that seems to give good focus. Stone fruits like yellow peach, on the other hand, give a good, fleshy character to the wine, which is equally attractive, but different in character as well as flavour.

At another tasting, we single out the unoaked wines for praise. “I’m impressed by these,” says Colin. “They’re not fancy, but they’re very nice and likeable. I didn’t rate the oaked ones too highly today.”

Newbie taster, Malu Lambert perks up: “I like the textures of the unwoodeds; they’re so refreshing.”

Winnie sums up, “A lot of different styles. We could even do a whole meal of several courses each paired with a different Chard—from light and slender to the richer, riper styles.”

See, they can even go with steak.

And All ThAT ShirAz

Summing up the wines from four separate tastings, that is 80 wines, is difficult because each tasting develops a character of its own and that makes each different. At one tasting we are full of praise, at another, it’s a letdown. To make it worse, we have some ardent fans of Shiraz, so when it goes badly the disappointment in the tasting room is palpable and seems like a personal insult.

Firstly, the faults. Greg notes, “Some almost overripe, some are vegetal, but mostly average.” To a serious fan, “average” is very damning.

“Found a few ‘ou man gesiggie’ wines which I find unpleasant,” says Clive. “I like savoury styles, then I get excited. Where’s the pepper and the leather?”

Things improve rapidly at further tastings and we hear only praise.

Malu becomes truly voluble (wine does that!). “There’s a whole spectrum here,” she says. “All those flavours—leather, black olives, iron filings, and the diverse styles. And I like the clear definition of those styles—nothing muddied here,” she says with a smile.

Colin agrees. “I’ve been poorly disappointed with Shiraz,” he says. “Not so much today.”

We have found wines that are pleasant, quaffable and well balanced. Christine praises the ripeness, smoke, fruit and liquorice.

Claude feels there’s a lot to be said for just “lekker Shiraz” that is pleasing and easy to drink.

We all agree, but also agree that surely Shiraz is capable of more, much much more? And so we come to our final tasting.

“Star tasting,” from an excited Irina, normally mean with Reserve scores, is handing them out freely.

“Spiced chocolate” from Clive.

“Coffee adds something rather than taking anything away,” says Margaret.

“Hot buttered toast,” from another excited voice.

Winnie gives a more measured comment. “A nice display of what Shiraz can do,” she says. “No extracted or porty styles. Here are wines with real style.”

And then… “I’m still disappointed,” says Colin. “I’m aware of the heights Shiraz can attain and many of these wines could/should be a lot better.”

So the bar should be set still higher. It’s clear we are missing a number of big guns in this category, some truly Wow! wines. C’mon winemakers, help us out here.

Time for UnUSUAl redS

Now here is an oddball category that always interests us and often delivers some delightful surprises. We’re seeing some intriguing varieties from Italy – Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and newest of all, Nero d’Avola. The SA wine industry has geared up to deal with climate warming so there’s no point in looking at introducing varieties from cool northern climes. We’ll be seeing more varieties from the hotter climates surrounding the Mediterranean and that have stood the test of time. Spain’s Garnacha, known here as Grenache (via France), is being seen more and more, while Malbec (also known as Cot) from the Bordeaux region where it has all but disappeared has been here for a while and is showing well. The meme, “ABC” (anything but Chardonnay or Cabernet)

Wines TasTed by The Panel

Chardonnay

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Chamonix Chardonnay 2017 also liked: Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Chardonnay 2016, Lismore Chardonnay 2016, Simonsig Chardonnay 2017, Stellenbosch Family Wines Chardonnay 2015

Wines listed in alphabetiCal

order: Constantia Uitsig Unwooded Chardonnay 2017, De Wet Chardonnay 2018, Dombeya Chardonnay 2017, Durbanville Hills Chardonnay 2017, Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2017, Glen Carlou Unwooded Chardonnay 2018, Kranskop Chardonnay 2018, Plaisir de Merle Chardonnay 2017, Rietvallei Burger Family Chardonnay 2018, Rietvallei Classic Chardonnay 2018, Rietvallei Natural Chardonnay 2018, Signal Gun Unwooded Chardonnay 2017, Simonsvlei Chardonnay 2017, Tugela River Chardonnay 2016, Warwick Uitkyk Chardonnay 2017

sWeet Wines

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Kranskop Viognier Noble Late Harvest 2017 also liked: Delheim Spatzendreck 2017, GlenWood Noblesse 2014, Meerhof Mooistrooi Straw Wine 2018, Thelema Vin de Hez 2015

Wines listed in alphabetiCal

order: Angels Tears Moscato Blanc 2018, Bayede! Princess Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2017, Bosman Soet Steen 2016, De Wetshof Riesling 2017, Nederburg Heritage Heroes The Beautiful Lady Gewürztraminer 2016, Nuy Colombar 2018, Overhex Balance Semi Sweet Muscat 2018, Paul Cluver Gewürztraminer 2016, Perderberg Soft Smooth White 2018, Peter Falke FF Chardonnay 2017, Simonsig Gewürztraminer 2018, Villiera Jasmine 2018, Zandvliet Muscat 2018, Zandvliet My Best Friend Semi Sweet 2018, Zevenwacht 7even Bouquet Blanc 2018

took hold a few years ago, too, to hurry things along.

A word of advice—grapes from warmer climates tend to have thicker skins to protect the contents of the berry from the hot sun, and thicker skins mean tougher tannins. So always note tannin levels with the new reds—a good guide to your enjoyment.

But let’s talk speci cs.

“ ere are more and more Grenaches,” says Claude. “Today we tasted six, but they are like six very di erent wines.”

“Yes, I couldn’t pick up any distinctive varietal character from these,” says Irina. “But maybe it’s young vine syndrome, or just lack of experience with the variety. I think it will improve.”

For older tasters, it’s strange to see Cinsaut listed among Unusual Reds, as up to about 30 years ago we had oceans of wine from this grape. e new wines are disappointing, but Clive reckons the variety should be made in Châteauneuf-style.

“But there it’s always blended,” argues Irina. We decide it’s best used as a blending partner rather than a stand-alone wine.

But the variety seems it has found a fan in Malu, “It’s supposed to be juicy and fruity,” she says, “and these had bounce and verve.”

Clive likes Mourvèdre. “It’s great when it’s savoury or spicy. en it’s delicious.”

Christine warns about faults. “Some of these Mourvèdres are over-extracted and hard. I had eight low scores,” she says, and then adds, “but the Cabernet Francs are always the stars of the show.”

Here we all agree, the Cab Francs are the best. eir quality shines through and, o en not far behind, are the Malbecs. So once again the Bordeaux varieties top the list. Reasons are not hard to nd—both Malbec and Cab Franc are not new here, and the vineyards are mature and well established. e wines need to be made in a style that our winemakers are familiar with— rm, intense and well oaked. Add to that a classic variety, if not a top-tier classic like Cabernet Sauvignon, but certainly classic, then you’re well on your way to some very ne wine.

Unusual Reds is an exciting category so keep watching—we will be seeing more varieties from Spain, Italy and even Greece or still further a eld.

THEM swEETs

We all love a treat, something special, the cherry on the top, and that treat is most o en something sweet. Yes, there are people who, for some reason or other, steer clear of sweetness. ey fall into a sad little group, but most people like the odd sweet treat. e message here is a little goes a long way— along with most nice things in life, including alcohol, a little is good for you, but too much can be really bad. Remember too, some of the most iconic wines in the world are sweet—think of rare Sauternes, Tokai and ice wine. Highly respected the world over, and sought a er, they command huge prices and moreover are able to age almost inde nitely. So never look down on the sweeties, they’re magic.

Fortunately, South Africa is well endowed with sweet wines—from the fabled Constantias of old, right down to today’s communion or nagmaalwyn, we have a long history and love a air with sweet wine. Our brilliant sunshine plumps up the sugars in the grapes and allows us to make the richest, sweetest nectars in the world. e good news is that because it’s so easy here the wines are a steal, coming in at the most a ordable prices. So it’s win-win all the way.

So what does the picky panel think?

Christine is quick o the mark. “When the sugars get to over 20 grams per litre they come into their own.”

Unusual Reds is an EXCITING CATEGORY so keep watching

Wines TasTed by The Panel

shiraZ

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Dunstone Stones in the Sun Syrah 2017 also liked: Bader & Walter Shiraz 2015, Dornier Siren Syrah 2016, Dunstone Shiraz 2016, Waverley Hills CW Reserve Shiraz 2015

Wines listed in alphabetiCal order:

Bizoe Estalét Syrah 2015, Bruce Jack Shiraz 2018, Fable Mountain Shiraz 2014, Glen Carlou Shiraz 2015, Glenelly Shiraz 2012, Glenelly Shiraz 2013, Leopard's Leap Shiraz 2016, Marklew Shiraz 2017, Muratie Ronnie Melck Shiraz 2016, Ormonde Barrel Selected Shiraz 2014, Simonsig Mr Borio Shiraz 2016, Van Loveren Christina Reserve Shiraz 2016, Van Loveren Tangled Tree Spicy Shiraz 2017, Vergenoegd Low Shiraz 2015, Vondeling Baldrick Shiraz 2017

unusual reds

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Rietvallei JMB Cabernet Franc 2015 also liked: Bushmanspad Cabernet Franc 2015, Bushmanspad Malbec 2017, Hillcrest Saartjie Single Vineyard 2017, Whalehaven Cabernet Franc 2012

Wines listed in alphabetiCal order:

Bosman Twyfeling Cinsault 2016, B Vintners Black Bream Pinot Noir 2016, De Krans Touriga Nacional 2017, Glenelly Glass Collection Cabernet Franc 2016, Hillcrest Saartjie Single Vineyard 2017, Idiom Heritage Series Rosso 2016, Illimis Cinsault 2016, KWV The Mentors Grenache Noir 2015, Mount Rozier The Red Snapper 2018, Old Road Pardonnez Moi 2018, Stellenrust Cabernet Franc 2015, Tanagra Cabernet Franc 2016, Tierhoek Grenache 2016, Van Loveren Blue Velvet Pinot Noir 2017, Whalehaven Cabernet Franc 2013

There’ll be a golden harvesT after the pandemic

Hear, hear! Many of our cheaper off-dry and Late Harvest wines are made simply by adding sugar to dry white wines. The sugar comes in the form of ‘sweet reserve’, a concentrated grape syrup specifically made for this purpose. Only sweeteners made from grapes are allowed to be used for wine, so not so much as a single crystal of Huletts Soft Brown.

Unfortunately, the addition of sweet reserve bombs out natural aromas along the way. At higher sugar levels legislation does not allow any addition of sweeteners so all the sweetness must come directly from those grapes used to make the wine— properly sun-ripened grapes. The difference between the two is major.

Winnie speaks up. “I like the Rieslings,” she says, “they are the most balanced wines.”

“And the Gewürztraminers,” opines Christine.

Malu chimes in: “It’s the aromatic varieties that are the best.”

“But today the muscats (among the most aromatic of wines) are very disappointing and I always look forward to them,” grumbles Irina.

Even David, wellknown as a lover of all sweeties, looks crestfallen as he says, “Mostly boring, nice Gewürz and lovely marmalade Chenin, but otherwise boring.”

Now, this is serious—disappointing sweet wines? It doesn’t happen, can’t happen. We decide it must have been a casualty of Covid-19 and we should wait it out.

There’ll be a golden harvest after the pandemic. Can’t wait.

To purchase these wines and more, head to our website www.wineofthemonth.co.za

Our Pride & Joy The Story of Bellevue 1953 Pinotage In 1953, together with Paul Sauer from Kanonkop, PK Morkel was one of the first few farmers to plant Pinotage on a commercial scale. His bold step paid off, when Bellevue’s Pinotage was awarded the Genl. Smuts Trophy in 1959, becoming the best young wine in the South African National Young Wine Show. To salute PK Morkel’s vision, Bellevue takes utmost care of the 1953 Pinotage block which is still in full production. It remains the pride and joy of Bellevue and a very special wine is made from this block, called “The 1953” Pinotage. “The 1953” Pinotage shows maraschino cherry and ripe plum flavours on the nose complemented by a silk tannin structure and long, lingering finish. Try the 2017 vintage 1953 Pinotage in the tasting room at Bellevue Wine Estate on Bottelary Road.