Kleine Zalze Family Reserve 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

It is such a pity that the average wine consumer in South Africa insists on drinking their Sauvignon Blanc as soon as it is released regardless of the quality of the wine. There are some excellent Sauvignon Blancs, white wines for that matter, that we are drinking far too young.

The Kleine Zalze 2010 Family Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is a prime example of such a wine. The grapes are selected from five different regions, with only the absolute best quality making the cut for the Family Reserve. On the nose I found tinned peas, tinned asparagus, just a hint of Cape gooseberries. The palate has a beautiful salty minerality, combined with green figs, and a solid acidity which ensures that wine is not flabby at all. This is truly one of the best South African Sauvignon Blancs I have had in a while. It shows some of the qualities you would expect from a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. It truly is a remarkable wine, and if anything this wine is still not at its optimal drinking window.

18.5

Jordon 2009 Chardonnay

With White Bordeaux blends you have Duncan Savage. When it comes to Pinotage you have Abrie Beeslaar. When I think of Shiraz it has to be Jacques Borman. And when it comes to Chardonnay there can only be one... Gary Jordan. His track record speaks for itself, which is why I was very excited to find a lonely bottle of the Jordan 2009 Chardonnay hiding on the shelf of the Tops near my house. Needless to say I immediately bought it to try the evening.

It’s weird, but when someone does something absolutely brilliant, for many of us our first reaction is to laugh. And it is the same with this wine. As soon as I brought the glass to my nose I couldn’t help but laugh. Roasted coconut, cooked pears and baked apples on the nose. A hint of pineapple on the palate, citrus fruit and beautifully integrated oak gives you a big, round palate, and with the acidity still in place this wine could easily age another couple of years. I bought it for R110, and I think it is an absolute steal! Another great wine by the master of Chardonnay.

17+

Botanica 2011 Chenin Blanc

Why is it that some music is just better than the rest in a specific genre? I am currently listening to some blues, and the fact of the matter is that Muddy Waters, Clapton, and BB King are just a cut above the rest. And it doesn’t matter if another musician is technically just as good as the above mentioned Bluesmen, but the music they produce is for some reason just not a thing of legends.

I feel the same way about wine; some are just better than others, and that will always be the case. It is still very early to start labelling the Bonatica Chenin Blanc as a legendary wine, but the signs are there to suggest that this might just become one of those wines. The 2011 vintage shows tropical and citrus notes, with pineapple, peach and apricot to be found on the nose. The palate is full and complex with great oak integration (50% of the wine was matured in 400 liter barrels for 9 months). Hints of marzipan, citrus, and minerality on the palate will keep you sipping away all night long. A good acidity adds structure to the wine and will ensure that it ages for some time to come. It retails for about R140 per bottle. It is a massively good wine, and might just be a legend of Chenin Blanc in time to come.

17.5+