Hot, Hotter, Hottest... What comes next?

It looks like another scorching day in the Western Cape, and my white wine supply has taken quite a knock during the past week. This meant that I had to go looking for something to take my mind off this (seemingly) never ending reign of the sun. Consequently, I was off to Oldenburg and Delheim, in the hope of finding something that will tickle my taste buds, and hopefully cool me down at the same time.

Oldenburg (http://www.oldenburgvineyards.com/) is one of South Africa’s top boutique wineries. Not only do they have some great wines, but the setting is absolutely breathtaking! They are situated on the Helshoogte-pass, on the Zevenwacht road, and it takes a while to get there. Not because they are a long way from the turn-off, but purely because you can’t stop looking at all the beauty around you. The tasting room is built facing the mountains and the vineyards. It is built in a very modern style, but it isn’t pretentious. Marietjie is the cellar door manager, and she will ensure that you have a great time! She makes you feel right at home, knows all there is to know about their wines, and focuses all of her energy on the people who walk through their doors.

Chenin Blanc 2011: The Chenin Blanc was oaked for nine months in French oak barrels, and the toasted flavours present themselves beautifully on the nose and the palate. This is complemented by the tropical fruit flavours, pineapple being the leader of the pack. On the aftertaste you get hints of vanilla and toasted almonds. Being a boutique vineyard, the prices are higher than your run of the mill estate, and this one weighs in at R118 per bottle. In my opinion, it is just a bit on the young side and still needs time to develop. It gets 3.

Chardonnay 2010: Oaked for nine months, the Chardonnay shows what could happen if you let your white wine age for a while. Hints of apricots and citrus zest is accompanied by butter and coconut flavours. A great integration of oak and fruit gives you a wine which you would want to have plenty a glass of. Like the Chenin Blanc, it also costs R118 per bottle, but in my opinion, this is the better buy. I’ll give it 4.

Cabernet Franc 2009: I am also very excited when I find a Cabernet Franc on a tasting sheet, especially if it is available for tasting. There are not many estates which produce a 100% Cabernet Franc. Some others are Warwick, Hermanuspietersfontein, Alluvia, to name a few. The reason I love it so much, is because Cabernet Franc is a bit more complex, purely because we don’t know it very well in South Africa. The nose is very herbaceous, with subtle hints of ripe cherries emerging almost as an afterthought. On the palate the green, herbaceous flavours take a back seat to the cherries and some lovely currents. I would not rate it as my favourite Cabernet Franc, but it is pretty damn good! It costs R182 per bottle, and gets a rating of 4.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: This is a classic Cab. It spent 15 months in the barrel, 20% new oak, and is everything you want in a Cab. Hints of mint on the nose, and then a massive amount of currents come bursting on to the scene. It is still a bit young, but given some time, it will be one to remember. Once again it costs R182 per bottle, and it also gets a rating of 4.

Shiraz 2009: This was the pick of the reds for me. It spent 17 months in both French and American oak, so there is the complexity one looks to find in a good wine. There is some mocha flavours on the nose, being partnered by hints of spice. On the palate you’ll find quite a bit of berries, soft christmas cake spices, and the mocha following through. It is very, very good wine, all be it that it is still young. This will age beautifully, and will develop into an awesome wine! It costs R182 per bottle, and, at this point in time, I will give it 4.

The setting at Delheim is beautiful. You walk through the lovely gardens before entering the tasting room, and by then you’re in such a great mood already that nothing can get you down; or so I thought… I haven’t been there for a while, and the tasting room has not changed. The atmosphere is still pleasant, and the cobwebs in the window brings a great character to the tasting room. You do not get a great deal of personal attention, but this is what we have come to expect from the so-called “mainstream” estates. Now we get to the wines…

Heerenwijn 2011: This is the entry-level white wine. It is a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40& Chenin Blanc. There are hints of pineapple flavours on the nose and the palate, and some fresh apple, but not much more than that. It is not a great wine, but it isn’t the worst that I’ve tasted. It costs R42 (which is too much), and gets a rating of 2.5.

Chardonnay 2010: This Chardonnay is lightly oaked, and presents with hints of apricot and butter, but once again there is no body behind the wine. I don’t know if the bottle which I tasted was open for a couple of days, but I was not overly impressed. It costs R62 per bottle, which is, once again, overpriced. It also gets 2.5.

Chardonnay Sur Lie 2010: This was a much better wine. It spent 11 months in the barrel, and that is a very long time. You’ll find that both on the nose and the palate the flavours are dominated by the oak. A lot of butter, vanilla, and toasted almond flavours shine through, but not much fruit. I know there are people who enjoy this style of Chardonnay, but I am not one of them. However, it is still a very good wine. It costs R130 per bottle, and I will give it a rating of 3.5.

Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz 2010: This entry-level red wine costs R42 per bottle, and I was excited about that, seeing that I’m always on the look out for great value for money wines. However, this is not one of them. There is a lot of fruit on the nose, but on the palate it just tastes like a cheap wine. This is not a wine which I will remember for the right reasons… It gets a rating somewhere under 2.

Pinotage 2010: The pinotage was a country mile better than the blend. On the nose there was a lot of berries, plums, and just a hint of vanilla. The palate is dominated by fruit, with mulberries standing out, complemented by a good aftertaste. At R89 per bottle the price is not bad, but there are other wines which I would prefer above this one. It gets 3.

Vera Cruz Shiraz 2007: This is the flagship of the estate, and at R245 per bottle, it had to be good, and it did not disappoint. Oaked for 15 months in mostly new barrels, you will find a great deal of mocha and plums on the nose. There are hints of spice on the nose and the palate, and the intense mocha and plums continue on the palate. The tannins have settled down a bit, although there are still plenty to ensure that you can still age it for a few years. The pick of the wines at Delheim, and it gets 4.

That’s it for this entry. I’m off to Boschkloof today, so you can expect to learn all about them in the upcoming entry. Remember, the only way survive this heat, is to keep on Pounding Grape!!!   

I'v got soul, but I'm not a singer...

So, the holidays are done and dusted, and it’s back to reality. Hopefully I can cheer you up a bit by bringing you the good news that all you need to relax is a bottle of wine and some friends. And what better estates to do that than Warwick and Lievland!!

I was there on Thursday to taste some wines and to get a feeling of how they do it.

For those of you who do not know anything about Lievland, it is a very small estate out on the R44 on your way to Paarl from Stellenbosch. When I say small, I mean really small. There are cows and sheep grazing not too far from the tasting area, and a few ducks splash around in the pond nearby. This makes for a very relaxing time indeed. The tasting itself is also very informal, with the assistant giving you the bottles and you helping yourself. All this almost made up for the fact that she didn’t really know anything about wine…

Sauvignon Blanc 2011: The Sauvignon Blanc was not amazing. It had hints of tropical fruit, and a bit of Golden Delicious apple on the palate, but at the end of the day there was no depth or follow through on either the nose or the palate. It isn’t a horrible wine at all, but for R50 there are a number of other Sauvignon Blancs that I would rather buy. It gets 2.5.

Lievlander 2008: The Lievlander is a delightful blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Shiraz. There are loads of ripe berries on the nose, complimented by hints of cherries and some nice peppery spices. On the palate you find more of the same, with the Shiraz coming through a bit more to give a nice peppery, savoury, aftertaste. The price makes it taste even better! At R50 a bottle this wine can do no wrong. It gets a solid 3.

Shiraz 2005: The Shiraz was the pick of the wines at Lievland. There are quite a bit of spice on the nose and the palate, with the soft cherry flavours just to even out the spices slightly. There is still a little bit of tannins, but most of them have softened by now. It costs R100 per bottle, which is not bad for a flagship wine, but I do not think it is twice as good as the Lievlander. After tasting the Lievlander I was expecting a great booming Shiraz to end off on a good note, but it was a bit of an anticlimax. I rate it at 3.5.

The second stop was Warwick (http://www.warwickwine.com/). I have always been a big fan of their wines, and in the last year and a half, they have really put in an effort to renovate the whole tasting area. The outcome is that there is now a small deli to go with the beautifully rebuilt tasting room. For those of you who do know the estate, do not worry, the great deck is still outside overlooking the pond. In addition to this you can now order gourmet picnics to enjoy as well.

I have to say, the service was a bit slow at times. I know that it is the peak of the season for the wine estates, but if you know this is the case, rather have too many people on staff than to have a few running around the whole time. Having said this, they are very friendly, know their wines, and luckily I was not in any rush. So I had a great time - it has to be said!

Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc 2011: It is a great summer wine. It’s a full wine with tropical flavours, green apples, and gooseberries on the nose. This follows through on the palate. It has really good acidity, which I always enjoy. At R95 per bottle it is not cheap by any means, but it is a quality wine! I’ll give it 3.5.

Chardonnay 2010: The Chardonnay is oaked for 10 months in French oak barrels, and the oak is very prominent on the nose and the palate, but thankfully it is not overpowering. You’ll find some peaches complimented by the vanilla and almond flavours given by the oak. This is a big wine, and I would say one to pair with food. It costs R135 per bottle, and gets a rating of 3.5.

The First Lady Cabernet Sauvignon 2010: The First Lady is made in honour of Norma Radcliff, the owner and first wine maker of the estate. She was also the first female wine maker in South Africa. This is another one of my favourites. When you don’t know what to buy, this never disappoints! There are a lot of currants and oak on the nose. The currants continue in abundance on the palate, and the tannins are very present. At R60 per bottle, I believe that it is really good value for money, and you still get a well rounded, full bodied wine. 3.

‘Old Bush Vine’ Pinotage 2010: If you do not know this by now, I am a big fan of Pinotage. Thus I am always hoping to find a good one to enjoy, or just look at… The ‘Old Bush Vine’ did not disappoint. It has a variety of flavours on the nose ranging from berries to some dark chocolate, and just a hint of vanilla. The vanilla comes through a bit better on the palate, and these flavours are joined by a lot of tannins. The wine is still very young, so you expect that to be the case. It is a very good wine, but I also believe that it will develop even more over the next few years, getting better and better. R95 is not a bad price for what you get, and it deserves (at this point) a rating of 3.5.

Three Cape Ladies 2009: The Three Cape Ladies is a Cape Blend with almost a third of the blend made up of Pinotage. Currants and berries are pleasing on the nose, with mulberries popping up on the palate. The wine has a very good oak structure which combines well with the fruit to ensure that it will age beautifully. R115 per bottle is once again a fair price in my opinion, especially if you plan on aging it for a while. If you are going to let it mature for a couple of years, you will not be disappointed! It gets 3.5.

Trilogy 2008: The Trilogy is the flagship of the estate, and sells for R240 per bottle. I know that it is a lot of money for a bottle of wine, but oh my goodness it is a great wine!! It is a Bordeaux Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, and it is a classic.

The Cabernet Sauvignon provides an abundance of currants, softer berries are brought to the table by the Merlot, and the Cabernet Franc adds some greener flavours to ensure that this wine is as full bodied as it can possibly be! The Trilogy is not some pop singer whose voice disappears into the masses; no, it has volume, body, and a lot of soul!! It is the Tom Jones of wines. By far the best wine that I’ve tasted between the two estates and it gets a rating of 4.5.

That’s it for this addition. If you have any suggestions or requests for which estates to visit, please leave a comment. I will try to post another entry this week, but until then, follow the action on Twitter: @Pounding_Grape. I am following some interesting people and wine estates as well, so go and check it out!

Till next time, enjoy pounding grape!!!