Thursday 9 February 2012

The Best Kept Secret In The Boland

It has been a while since my last entry, but circumstances made it impossible for me to update the blog. At least I’m back, and with no less than two 5 star wines to tell you about. So hold on tight, ‘cause this one ‘aint for the faint of heart!
The two estates I am focussing on are Bosman and Boschkloof vineyards.

Bosman Family Vineyards (www.bosmanwines.com) are in the heart of the Wellington wine route and has a very rich history of family winemaking intertwined with a great sense of economic empowerment focussing on the surrounding community, coupled with a high ecological awareness. This was a promising start, but are wines any good? To say that they produce good wines would be the understatement of the year!!!

Sur Lie Chenin Blanc 2011: The Family Selection is the entry level wines, but I have to admit that the wines are a bit better than entry level wines… The Chenin Blanc will only cost you R50 per bottle, and it has a lot of potential. It is a fatty wine, with apricot, peaches, and biscuits on the palate. It has a nice acidity to it, and I believe it will only get better with age. At this point in time I will give it a rating of 3, but give a year and that will definitely be higher.

Mont Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011: The Sauvignon Blanc took me by surprise. Fresh asparagus on the nose follows through on the palate, and is complimented by mineral, flinty characteristics, and just a hint of guava. I was most pleased by the high acidity shown by this wine! At R50 a bottle I can say with a fair bit of confidence that this is the best value for money white wine at the moment. It gets 3.5.

Optenhorst Chenin Blanc 2010: O my holy cow!!! This is most probably the best (or at least one of the best) white wines I have enjoyed in my life. Oaked for 9 months, this is one of the most complex, and at the same time pleasing, wines I have had the privilege of drinking. On the nose you get honeysuckle, hints of apricots, and canned pineapples. Some of the oak flavours compliment the fruit, but it is on the palate where the oak shines through. The mid-palate is where the two combine to leave you thinking and rethinking this massive crash of flavours happening in your mouth. The follow through just keeps on giving and giving, and you start to wonder if you ever want to drink anything else again. And the answer is definitely no. If I had a choice I would drink this every day of every month of every year! It costs R175 per bottle, and is with out a shadow of a doubt deserving of the first 5 star rating in the white wine category.

Adama Red 2009: This Shiraz-based blend was the first of the red wines tasted. It is a classic with solid meaty and pepper flavours first up in the palate, followed by some juicy currents and plums softening it to ensure a full bodied wine. I thought that the price is also very fair at R95 per bottle. This was just a sign of what was still to come… 3.5.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2007: This is great example of a classic Cab with an edge. You have a lot of dark currents and some pencil shavings on the nose, and the currents are very prominent on the palate as well. Having laid the ground work, the way is paved for brilliant green, herbaceous flavours flowing on the nose and the palate. This makes for a great wine. There are still some tannins to play with, and this will keep on getting better for another number of years. It weighs in at R120 per bottle, and gets a rating of 4.

Pinotage 2009: Wellington is known for its extreme heat, but it is also known for its Pinotage, and Bosman Family Vineyards does not disappoint. This is a serious wine! Juicy berries, raspberries, caramelized banana, vanilla, and some currents all want to please and pleasure you at the same time. This is the definition of a sexy wine. It always leaves you wanting more, and believe me, once you’ve had a sip, you will keep on coming back for more!! R185 per bottle, and a rating of 4.5, ensured that I ended off on a very high note!

Next up is Boschkloof Wines (http://www.boschkloofwines.com/). Situated on the
Polkadraai Road
just outside Stellenbosch, Jacques Borman and his son, Reenen, are creating some of the most beautiful wines in the Stellenbosch wine district. Having been winemaker at La Motte for 20 years, Jacques knows what he is doing, and is building up the Boschkloof name in some fashion! You simply have to go and experience the atmosphere and the superb hospitality.

Sauvignon Blanc 2011: The Sauvignon Blanc is a breath of fresh air being a more fruit driven white. You’ll find passion fruit and gooseberries on the nose, complimented with guava flavours on the palate. It has good acidity, but it does not scream and shout. It simply joins in with the fruit to create a flowing harmony. It is good value for money at R54 per bottle, and it gets a rating of 3.

Chardonnay 2010: The Chardonnay is characterised by the balance between the oak and the fruit of the wine. Neither one talks louder than the other; it is more like a well rehearsed duet. Lemon and citrus zest combines with soft undertones of buttery vanilla. If you like your Chardonnay tasting like a block of butter, this one is not for you. But this is exactly why I believe this wine to be very good, because it tries to let the grapes do the lead vocals with the oak merely singing backup in the background. It costs R64 per bottle, and gets a rating of 3.5.

Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2009: In terms of value for money red wines, you will not find anything which will beat this blend. It is more than just a value for money wine, because it is still a serious wine. On the nose you find chocolate, plum, and mulberry flavours, which really follow through on the palate, leaving you with just a hint of vanilla on the aftertaste. There are still some tannins, but it is soft tannins. This means that it drinks brilliantly at the moment, but it will only get better with time! It costs a mere R54 per bottle, and gets a rating of 3.5.

Merlot 2007: The Merlot is drinking quite beautifully at the moment. It is a complex wine, not one of the lightweight merlots which you find so often in the Stellenbosch area. Soft plums of the nose are complimented with hints of cloves and cinnamon, chocolate, and walnuts. It has a seriously big finish to add that final knockout punch. As I have said, it is drinking beautifully, but if you want to know what this wine is really about, you have to age it at least 3 more years. It costs R79 per bottle (which is once again a steal) and gets a rating of 4.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2008: The Cab is characterised by intense dark currents and cloves, and just a hint of pepper as well, and this is just on the nose. On the palate the spices take a back seat to the currents and the tannins. This is once again a big, full bodied wine, and I hope you are picking up the pattern here… It costs R84 per bottle, and is once more worthy of a rating of 4.

Syrah 2009: I am a massive fan of this wine. It overflows with the complexity of the flavours, with mocha, and perfumy flavours on the nose, this is met by spices and dark berries on the palate. There is a good amount of tannins, but once again it is fine tannins, so it is not in your face. It just reminds you that it is there… I costs R98 per bottle and gets a rating of 4.5.

Conclusion 2009: This has to be the Holy Grail of red wines! The 2009 vintage of this Bordeaux blend is everything that you will ever look to find in a wine, and so much more. Immediately the herbaceous, green aromas which the Cabernet Franc brings to the table strike you. Then, slowly but surely, plums and currents start to emerge, but not so as to push the herbaceous notes out of the picture. The mid-palate and finish will not disappoint you; in fact, it will be one of the best mid-palate wines you will ever taste. It has loads of soft tannins, making my mouth water with the image of what this wine will taste like in 7-10 years time. It will cost you R190 per bottle, and I will pay this time and time again!! This is definitely the best red wine I have had the honour of drinking. This is my first 5 star red wine!!!

I was very fortunate to taste the awesome wines of Bosman Family Vineyards and Boschkloof wines. I strongly urge you to take the time and head on over to taste some of the wine that will change you interpretation of what great wines really taste like! Until next time (hopefully sooner rather than later), enjoy Pounding Grape!!!