IRINA VON HOLDT REPORTS ON

Drinkingin the Sun

Our tastings of wines that are perfectly suited for summer—light-hearted and juicy, but always delivering a good punch of flavour

By IrIna von Holdt CWM

Glorious summer—the great South African fun in the sun time is finally here. Let’s admit it—it’s been a gloomy year, but let some warm, golden sunshine spill in and in no time at all the whole picture brightens up— literally and figuratively.

The essential sun—giver of warmth and light, our very source of life—ripens every crop, especially our all-important fruit and grapes, endowing them with luscious sweetness and, very importantly for our wines, gives our sunny SA wines the fullness and generosity for which they are known.

A friend’s greeting is, “May you always walk in sunshine.” What a wonderful thought—so let’s enjoy the sun, of course with a glass of cool wine in one hand.

Bring on the BuBBly

We are so lucky here in the southern hemisphere—our sunny summers include the celebrations of Christmas and New Year. It’s the time to always have a bottle of MCC in the fridge—being caught without chilled bubbly is a serious social no-no. And a dashed nuisance.

Can we ever be disappointed by bubbly? Yes, well, the picky panel can, and at the big annual tasting there are concerns. The wines are fun and well made, delivering billions of bubbles, but there’s more to MCC than that.

“There’s a lot here that is delicious and fruity. I expected, though, to find far more Reserve wines, and that’s a pity,” says Christine.

“I found a lot of freshness and lively acidity, but not too much depth and complexity,” adds Claude.

“Actually a bit disappointing,” says Dave. Well, he said it.

Before it could go downhill any further, Christine adds tersely, “For me, they were mostly aperitif styles, not celebratory styles.”

We notice some wines with lots of frothy mousse. Are they actually MCCs? Yes, they are, but it’s unusual. The distinction between fizzy and frothy, a characteristic of cheaper, carbonated sparkling wines, or the elegant tingling fine mousse that is the defining character

of MCC is fundamental.

It means the wine has spent less time on the lees during the second fermentation and also a reason for the lack of complexity that worried Claude. A minimum of 18 months on the lees is recommended, but serious producers will keep their wines on the lees for upwards of three years. Though it does add to the cost, it must be said.

We move on to the sparkling rosés. For some panellists, these are the stars of the show.

“The rosés are delicate and elegant at the same time, and the mousse is beautiful and fine,” says Clive. He should know, having worked some years at Villiera, famous for their MCCs.

The rosés seduce with their appealing primary fruit flavours of strawberry and raspberry and their fine, lively mousse… and no one even mentioned their beautiful colours.

We wind up with a further comment from Claude about how very few of the wines had received any oak treatment. True, maybe because of financial constraints due to the pandemic, which would also explain the lack of extra time on the lees. Money talks.

Clive mentions that those wines with sugars below 10g./L had most probably not received any dosage.

“Another pity,” says Christine. “It would have added more interest, more dimension.”

No question—as a group, the rosés are the highlight of the tasting, with a few notable exceptions. It’s nice to know that those who like to make fun of pink bubblies—“Girl’s wine, bimbo’s wine!” are missing out because of a silly prejudice. Rosé MCC is a serious, stylish wine and, as a lover of bubbly, should be in your cellar.

A SeA of SAuvignon BlAncS

Does this variety reflect the generosity of the sun? It certainly can, but, sadly, often doesn’t. What it does right now, however, is enjoy centrestage in the spotlight. Hugely fashionable, and always in demand, but our panel has to work hard to find worthy Sauvignons from a veritable sea of wannabes.

Over many tastings, the criticisms revolve around two main issues—lack of varietal character and lack of balance.

In order to develop its true varietal character, Sauvignon vines need to be planted in suitable areas, specifically cool areas. This may be a large generally-cool area such as Constantia, or it could be a specific windy, south-facing vineyard near the top of a slope. The grapes then need to ripen fully to develop their character. Lacking a perfect site, a way around this problem is to harvest a vineyard in two or three pickings— early grapes for lightness and aroma, the next picking (a week or so later) for proper ripeness and character, and

Wines TasTed by The Panel

MCC

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Alvi’s Drift Brut Nature MCC NV

Also liked: Benguela Cove Joie de Vivre Brut 2017, Kleine Zalze Brut NV, Kleine Zalze Vintage Brut 2015, L’Ormarins Blanc de Blanc 2015

Wines listed in AlphAbetiCAl order:

Alvi’s Drift Brut MCC NV, Asara Cap Classique 2017, Darling Blanc de Blanc 2019, Kleine Zlaze Vintage Brut Rosé NV, L’Ormarins Brut Classique Rosé NV, L’Ormarins Vintage Brut Rosé 2016, Paul Rene Chardonnay Brut 2017, Rijks MCC Brut 2015, Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut 2014, Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut 2019, Simonsig Kaapse Vonkel Brut Rosé 2019, Spier Cap Classique Brut Rosé 2019, Steenberg Lady R Cap Classique NV, Thelema MCC 2016, Villiera Tradition Brut NV

sAuvignon blAnC

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Highlands Road Sauvignon Blanc 2019

Also liked:

DMZ Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Clos Malverne Devonet Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Le Bonheur Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2019, Montagu Sauvignon Blanc 2020

Wines listed in AlphAbetiCAl order:

Blue Crane Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Christina Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Clarington Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Clos Malverne Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Delheim Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Haskell Dombeya Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Marklew Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Ridgeback Lion Hound Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Ridgeback Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Tangled Tree Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Rhino Run Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Van Loveren Sauvignon Blanc 2020

a third picking for weight and succulence.

The problem of lack of balance, however, is up to the skill of the winemaker and it’s a useful exercise for him, or her, to taste their wine critically against others. Laboratory tests are readily available, but nothing beats a good palate and putting your wines up against the best in the country. Blind, of course.

So what does the panel think? These are comments from multiple tastings as we trawled through many, many wines.

“The alcohol should be at least 12.5%. Those that are less are too plain and uninteresting,” says Colin.

Malu agrees. “Yes, they need a bit extra,” she says. “Something floral, or some mango, or nettles—if any of them that have those types of characteristics stand out.”

But Colin has not finished yet. “Some are so badly made I thought they are just rather plain old PGC’s (Premier Gran Crû). I’m not being hard on the wines; they are just not good.”

Then the old gripe. “Some are as acidic as battery acid,” from Greg.

“As the world’s biggest supporter of Sauvignon Blanc, I am disappointed,” says Winnie sadly. “They are just too mean and green.”

But it’s not all doom and gloom. We do find good wines.

“The properly ripe ones are OK,” says Winnie, “but the low alcohol ones are not, and it’s not necessarily just that because we’ve had quite a few low-alcohol Sauvignons over the years that we have liked.”

“These are not as mean as I remember,” says Margaret, who has returned to the tasting room after a long absence. “Nice to see not too many high acid wines here.”

Clive puts in a good word too. “From grapefruit to gooseberry,” he says, “we saw a whole spectrum of flavours.”

So it can be done.

Advice to winemakers: Give us some real flavour. It can be cool-climate green peppers, cut grass and herbs, or lovely ripe, more tropical passion fruit, asparagus and canned peas, all with an exciting sweet-sour twist and glittery mineral edge. Just so that we all know that it’s a Sauvignon and not a PGC.

More than a SuMMer Fling

Now, what could be more fun in the sun than a well-chilled rosé? The good news is that there are quite a few, but you need to decide what you want—an easy quaffer, or something with a bit

Wines TasTed by The Panel

Rosé

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Spier Signature Rosé 2019

Also liked: Eagle’s Nest Little Eagle Rosé 2020, Ken Forrester Rosé 2019, Spier Signature Rosé 2020, Waterkloof False Bay Rosé 2020

Wines listed in AlphAbetiCAl oRdeR:

Bergsig Shiraz Rosé 2019, Drift Far From The Crowd Rosé 2018, Ernst Gouws & Co Cab Franc Rosé 2019, Hidden Valley Hidden Treasure Rosé 2019, Landskroon Blanc De Noir 2020, Longridge The Emily Rosé 2018, Maastricht Rosé 2019, Niel Joubert Blanc de Noir 2020, Perdeberg SSR Rosé 2019, Pink Valley Rosé 2019, Quoin Rock Namysto Rosé 2019, South West Sweet Rosé 2019, Theuniskraal Moscato Rosé 2019, Webersberg Rosé 2019, Weltevrede Turkish Delight Rosé 2019

more weight and interest.

Firstly, some hot news about how they’re made. Generally, it’s a matter of harvesting black grapes, giving them a light crush and soaking them for a short while (a matter of only hours) so that the skins lightly tint the juice, then quickly separating skins and wine. The obvious way of tinting white wine with a shot of red is not usually done as it yields a rather inferior wine. There is a third method used frequently these days and that is the use of saigner. A French word meaning ‘to bleed’, it refers to the technique of drawing off some juice from black grapes after crushing and before fermentation. This has two benefits—firstly, it concentrates the final red wine, which is the main aim and then, secondly, it yields some rather nice rosé on the way, called saigné. It is giving rise to some seriously interesting blends that we are seeing for the first time, for example, a Syrah/Grenache/ Cinsaut blend.

“These are mainly easy and quaffable,” says Clive quite excitedly, “but when they have ripe peach and cherry then they’re really delicious,”

“When they’re made like white wines they miss out,” says Malu. “They must be made like rosés.”

“As a rule, they need to be blends,” says Colin, “as that adds to complexity. With the exception of Pinotage, that is, which does very well on its own. Also, the grapes must not be harvested too early.”

Clive remains happy. “I found raspberries, watermelons…”

Winnie homes in on a special wine: “I loved that Muscat de Frontignan.”

Irina agrees. “Me too,” she says. “I’m glad that someone had the guts to do something special.”

Winnie goes on, “I admire those who grow vineyards especially for rosé.”

Clive comes back to earth. “There are quite a few quaffing wines here,” he says then tunes out again.

“Well, that’s what it is,” says Claude emphatically.

Winnie disagrees. “No, no, it’s an opportunity to make a really good wine. There’s definitely a gap in the market for serious rosé.”

So when do we drink rosés?

“Lunchtime,” says Claude.

“Summertime!” says Colin.

A Summer red

Yes, modern Pinotage can be a summer wine when made in a lighter, juicier, savoury style with not too much oak. Of all reds, Pinotage has the most accessible and palate-friendly fruitiness. Yes, it can be rich and heavy, but it’s the very versatility of the variety that is part of its charm.

“I am pleasantly surprised—yeah, there are a few with rusty nails, but the best wines are excellent,” says Clive.

“Some of the lighter textured wines were tangy and fun. I like them,” says Irina.

Winnie joins in. “On the whole, very pleasant, but some coffee grounds, staves and those rusty nails. If using staves, don’t let it overshadow the

Wines TasTed by The Panel

Pinotage

Wine-of-the-Month

Club: Nieuwe Haarlem Pinotage 2019

also liked: Clos Malverne La Café Pinotage 2019, Doolhof Dark Lady Pinotage 2019, MAN Bosstok Pinotage 2019, Rhino Run Pinotage 2020

Wines listed in alPhabetiCal order:

Allée Bleue Pinotage 2018, Bellevue 1953 Pinotage 2017, Bellevue Pinotage 2016, Bellevue Reserve Pinotage 2016, Bosman Pinotage 2016, Clos Malverne Reserve Pinotage 2016, Darling Reserve Old Blocks Pinotage 2018, Doolhof Signature Pinotage 2018, Juno Pinotage 2019, Neethlingshof The Owl Post Pinotage 2018, Saronsberg Weathered Hands Pinotage 2019, Simonsig Redhill Pinotage 2018, Van Loveren African Java Pinotage 2020

fruit, then it works.”

“ e guys need to work more carefully with staves,” says Irina, “and let’s face it, staves make a lot of sense. e oaking needs to be handled with more thought and sensitivity, though; some of these are just so clumsy and obvious.”

Christine, however, is more critical. “I found very few that I liked,” she says. “ ere is competence and drinkability without being fantastic, nothing really outstanding.”

At further tastings it becomes clear that what we are actually looking for is the fabled Pinotage fruit. It has so imprinted itself on our minds that when we don’t nd it, we literally feel deprived.

Again Clive leads the charge. “I’m a fan of Pinotage,” he says, “but I’m o en disappointed. I like those with cherries, blackcurrants, mulberries and some oral notes, then I score them up.”

Malu has a point too. “Balance can be an issue,” she says. “Overripe fruit, or too much tannin, usually fruit tannin, and the less oak the better. It all obscures the fruit. We need more freshness.” en Claude joins in. “A number of stave wines here,” he says, “but the e ect must not be dominant. I like the paprika avours and the less oak, the better.”

We’ve all said it in di erent ways: we want more of that Pinotage fruit. en Greg drops a bombshell. “We’re getting used to a lot of entry-level wines and not the sort of wines that celebrate Pinotage as an SA red benchmark,” he says.

Hmm, true, there has indeed been a lack of stellar wines. Maybe they’re still in cask, delayed because of lockdown. But, hey, there’s nothing wrong with drinkability. Surely that’s the ultimate aim for all wine? We’ll drink to that.

And may you always walk in sunshine.

To purchase these wines and more, head to our website WWW.WINEOFTHEMONTH.CO.ZA

THE EYE OF THE BULL

Stellekaya’s Merlot 2019 is inspired by the brightest star in the Constellation Taurus—a giant red star called Aldebaran. Aldebaran is known as the “Eye of the Bull” and means “The Follower” in Arabic. This is because it appears to follow the Hyades star cluster that forms the head of the bull.

A bold medium-bodied red wine that is deep crimson in colour, Stellekaya’s Merlot 2018 showcases attractive dark berry fruit followed by delicious savoury and earthy notes. This signature Merlot is elegant with juicy soft tannins and has a good acidity present. Serve this wine alongside beef carpaccio, drizzled with homemade mayonnaise, topped with rocket and Parmesan shavings.