South Africa - Cape Wine Festival
Posted - October 16 2008
By Daenna Van Mulligen

As far as large festivals go Cape Wine is an
extremely well designed show.
When you place hundreds of producers in a room - in this case the Cape Town Convention Center - and herd thousands more tasters through, The most important thing is layout. The venue was easy to maneuver, the glassware was plentiful and high quality and spit buckets were everywhere.
Every two years the Cape Wine Festival takes place in Cape Town alternating years with the Wines of South Africa Mega Tasting in London. In 2009 the Mega Tasting will take place October 13-14th.
London is great, but I was eager to visit Cape Wine Festival, not just to taste the wines but to understand more about South Africa - its regions, its people and its terroir. I was not disappointed - except for a lack of time to expand my travel territory I saw a good chunk on South Africa (including the president stepping down) from Constantia near the Cape Point to Johannesburg then east to a Game Reserve next to Kruger National Park. Of course all this solidified my desire to return some day soon. But as we are talking wine I wanted to touch on a number of wines I tasted during Cape Wine Festival - many of which are not available here in Canada, but some that are. You'll probably recognize some of these producers and I hope you'll have the opportunity to taste some of them yourself.
If not in SA, then maybe in your own home...

Stellenbosch

Lomond Pincushion Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 with bright passion fruit, elderberry flowers and cut grass aromas. Crisp on the entry with a soft creamy texture, snappy citrus and green flavours with a mouth-watering, zesty finish. From a vineyard in Cape Agulhas - cool climate.

Ixia Rose, 2007 is a pretty blend of Muscat Ottonel, Colombard and Shiraz and har aromas of summer berries, peach skin and exotic floral notes. Off-dry with candy floss and sweet berry flavours finishing with nice acidity.

Le Bonnheur 'Prima', 2006 is very Bordelaise in style - primarily Merlot with 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Spiced tobacco, red berry fruit, bell pepper and graphite. Layers of fruit, spice, tobacco, leather and a woodsy-undergrowth tone balanced acidity and fine, lingering tannins.
 

Plaisir de Merle 'Grand Plaisir', 2005 is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz and Merlot. Always a favorite SA producer of mine this wine comes from Simonsberg-Paarl and is opulent and masculine, dark fruit, earth, spice, cedar and pencil shavings. The palate is lush - spice layers, chocolate, ripe fruits, cedar and loads of fresh acidity with ripe tannins.


Graceland Vineyards 'Strawberry Fields', 2006 is a new label for Graceland kinda girlie but the wine inside is surprisingly ripe and bold - blueberries, blackberries and spice, ripe juicy and fresh on the palate. primarily Cabernet with Shiraz.

Ken Forrester "Petit" Pinotage, 2006 this entry level unwooded Pinotage is a fresh example that may be exactly what consumers need to cut their Pinotage teeth on like the KWV Cafe Culture. Cherry, vanilla and sweet light spices with eaarthy undertones. The mouth-feel is soft, it's light-medium bodied on the entry and grows more meaty and powerful on the finish - spiced with gripping youthful tannins.

Ken Forrester "The FMC", 2007 may be the best oaked Chenin I tasted on this trip (and there were a lot). The FMC comes from a single block of bush vine Chenin 35 years old. Aromas are tropical and ripe - exotic blossoms, honey, vanilla and caramel. Rich on the palate, mouth-filling creamy fruit with integrated oak spice. Partially botrytis affected berries and a shopping 14,5% alcohol.


Ken Forrester "The Gypsy" 2005
is a luscious blend of Syrah and Mourvedre
(seeing quite a bit of that popping up in SA these days).
Elegant, fragrant floral, ripe berry fruit and
 mulled spices with vanilla and chocolate tones. Smooth on the entry, the mid-palate grows slightly dusty - spiced and earthy - the finish shows powerful tannins and lingering smoked flavours.

Meerlust 'Rubicon', 2004 is Cabernet, Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Bordeaux-style with red fruit, earth, minerals and farmyard aromas with strawberry undertones. Leather, earth and reserved fruit on the palate, good acidity and soft tannins.

Mont Destin "Destiny" Shiraz, 2006 - Mont Destin is a very small winery that focuses on powerhouse wines and romantic packaging. The extraction in their wines is unreal. Powerful cherry and dark berry aromas, spice and pepper - dried fruits. Broad and muscular on the palate with ripe fruit and ripe, powerful tannins.

Ruste en Vrede 'Estate', 2004 is 60% Cabernet with 30% Shiraz and 10% Merlot. Its a dark, earthy wine with bittersweet chocolate, plums and currents, 'eather, spice and cedar aromas. The palate is ripe and creamy, rounded and
peppery with ripe tannins and lingering spice.

Ernie Els, 2004 is Cabernet based with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Intense and smoky with saddle leather, char and dark fruit. The palate bursts with sweet potent flavours - fruit, dried fruits, smoked meat and spice. Muscular.

Spier Private Collection Chenin Blanc, 2007 - shows buttery citrus, and tree fruit aromas. Rounded and creamy on the palate (fermentation in 400L barrels and left on the lees for nine months) with a crisp finish.

Spier Frans K Smit, 2004 - Spier is the most awarded winery in South Africa and they have a jaw-dropping amount of wines under the Spier umbrella. Spier will be attending the 2009 Vancouver International Wine Festival where you'll be able to taste a number of their wines. The Frans K. Smith is a very limited wine, made under the name of Spier's winemaker Frans Smith. This is a powerful wine made from Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Green apple peel aromas, spice, chocolate and opulent fruit, lush and full on the palate. Seamless with integrated tannins.

Paarl

Bellingham  "The Fair Maiden", 2008 -
Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Rousanne and Verdelho is a ripe, tropical Rhone-style white, rubber, candied lemon and ginger with crisp citrus and floral notes. Smooth and ripe on the palate , spiced and lively.

Bellingham "The Bernard Series" Chenin Blanc, 2007 this is a great old vine Chenin with (supposed to be coming to BC in spring 2009) bright fruit aromas - pear and lychee, exotic floral and vanilla with hints of oak spice and caramel and a hint of banana. Creamy peaches, citrus and lingering spice on the palate with mouth-watering acidity.

Bellingham Shiraz "Fusion Range" with a splash of Viognier, 2006 a medium-full bodied red with gorgeous sweet raspberry aromas tobacco, pepper and mixed spice box. Rounded and fresh on the palate, a combined old-new world style with loads of fresh berry on the palate, heavily spice laden.

Fairview Chenin Blanc, 2008 vibrant citrus peel, lychee and candied aromas with banana tones and minerals. fresh and fruity on the palate an easy sipper.

Fairview Petite Sirah, 2007 is a 100% Petite Sirah with luscious blueberry and mulberry aromas laden with rich spice and a rich mouth-feel this wine is delicious.

Fairview "Cyril Back" 2006 is 100% Shiraz. Silky, concentrated and ripe with layers of opulent fruit, spice and chocolate. Very good!


Elgin (Overberg)

Elgin Valley Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 -a small winery looking for representation in Canada their screw-capped Sauvignon Blanc has sweet aromas - tropical fruit, peach, pear and melon with undertones of minerality. Crisp and clean on the palate, snappy acidity with grapefruity/pomelo like flavours.

South Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 - cassis and black currents - typical Cabernet aromas - some bell pepper and graphite, earthy and minerally with savoury tones on the palate and a fresh finish. South Hill is also a small winery looking for representation in Canada

Olifants River

Cederberg Chenin Blanc, 2008
hails from the highest vineyard in all of South Africa according to Cederberg. It show bright orchard fruit aromas with tropical undertones, honey blossoms and pomelo citrus notes. Creamy on the palate from 5months of lees contact - rich and ripe but with a snappy, clean finish.

Cederburg 5 Generations Cabernet, 2005 also has 10% Merlot and aromas of cedar box, cassis, leather and spices. Smooth and mouth-filling, muscular fruit and flavours with drying tannins on the finish.

Cederberg Bukettraube, 2008 is one of two Bukettraube wines at the Cape Wine Festival - an aromatic German varietal is is highly aromatic - flaunting pretty floral, peach and grapey aromas. Off-dry to sweet on the palate with minerals, candied citrus rind, ginger and spice layers, vibrant acidity on the finish cleans up nicely.


Waterfront in Cape Town

To read my introduction on South Africa click here

To read about Pinotage click here

To read about KWV, Glen Carlou and Nederburg click here

To read WineDiva reviews on SA wines available in Canada click here

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