Racing off to the 2011 Vinimark and Wine Worx trade fair at the flashy One and Only Hotel at the Waterfront the thought crossed my mind that chewing an antacid tablet was perhaps not the best preparation for a tasting. But the fact that the wines stood up to the antacid tablet stood testimony to the quality of the wines. Overall, on both the white and red wine side the wines were of a fairly high standard. Certain issues regarding continued SA red wine styles did stand out in my mind though.
Going through my series of notes in the booklet some of the following wines stood out. The Flagstone Freerun Sauvignon Blanc 2010 showed good balance and typical gooseberries and guava. The Word of Mouth Viognier 2008 had a lovely typical viognier nose with all the peaches and floral tones that a fine viognier should have and a good palate. I was really impressed with the Flagstone viognier!
Moving onto to the much vaunted Boekenhoutskloof and their trendy Chocolate Block 2010 a nice bouquet but the palate still tight and slightly bitter. (perhaps the antacid tablet- not joking showing how variable wine tasting can be.) The Wolftrap Red 2010 had a good nose and a lovely soft palate and more than a third of the price of the Chocolate Block.
One of my two wines of the evening was the Cape Vintage Reserve Port 2007 from De Krans Winery. Delicious! How can I else describe it? Intense, rich, powerful and very sweet! Another favorite for the evening was the Glen Carlou Chardonnay 2010 from Paarl. A lovely creamy nose and ditto for the palate. One of the few wines that had an excellent follow on from nose to palate. I really enjoyed its creamy and fragrant qualities and its continuity from nose to palate displayed something missing in many SA wines.
Moving on to the classical, cabernet masters Le Riche wines. I was surprised at the softness on the palate of their cabernet sauvignon 2008. But I do not see this style as a sell out from their quite tight, tannic cabernets of the past. They need their cash flow and they have their cabernet sauvignon reserve, far superior and very classical. But you need something to drink young and their first cab is the perfect elegant, easy drinking cab.
Now Rustenberg. The John x Merriman was the only wine that I had one reservation about. It is a beautiful, rich wine with elegant tannins as the notes say but in such a high tier wine I would like to have seen more powerful tannins and more weight on the wine. Don’t get me wrong it is a beautiful wine but in a top level first growth such as Rustenberg I want to see more weight and power in their top wines.
Another highly regarded producer, red and particularly merlot specialists Veenwouden. Their more easy drinking Vivat Bachus 2010 had a nice fragrance with a very soft, accessible palate. The merlot reserve 2009 is quiet at present with the nose shy and the palate still closed but the classic 2007 is good, a very powerful and tight wine.
Finally, Shannon Vineyards from Elgin. A very gifted and young producer and definitely a star for the future. Their Mount Bullet 2009 is tighter than the lovely 2008. But their Rockview Ridge pinot noir 2009 has a lovely, perfumed and complex nose and good palate.
Obviously, space prevents me from writing about everyone but overall the standard was high both on the whites and reds with some of South Africa’s leading producers both young and old being represented. A very enjoyable event.
