Eikendal’s Nico Grobler is a huge fan of Burgundy and makes no secret of it. Chardonnay is his passion and it now also enjoys greater emphasis at Eikendal. Marketing manager Stuart Buchan isn’t complaining either: the sales of their unwooded Chardonnay, Janina, is fast gaining on that of their Sauvignon Blanc, while it’s impossible to get hold of a bottle of their wooded version.
Nico aims to produce “focussed Chardonnays, with crispness, good length and balance” – in other words, wines that are not dominated by new oak. The Burgundian influence is also prevalent in the vineyards, where guyot vine trellising is replacing the conventional vertical shoot positioning system in new plantings. According to Nico, this will lead to natural balance in the vineyards – which should also make a difference in the glass.
Sémillon production was ceased and Chenin Blanc vines have also been removed, while the Sauvignon Blanc grapes are mainly bought in from Lutzville, which puts the white focus solely on Chard. And with the renewed market interest shown in this varietal, their timing isn’t bad at all.
Die afgelope week het moer gereeld opgekom in my gesprekke in en om die wynland. Gelukkig is dit die beter tipe moer – wynmoer, oftewel lees, soos engelssprekendes en snobs daarna verwys.
Wynmoer is basies die fyn sediment wat in mos of pasgegiste wyne voorkom. Dit speel ’n geweldige rol in die beskerming of preservering van wyn en dra ook by tot geur en mondgevoel.
Dis daarom dat daar gereeld op proenotas aangedui word: “the wine spent time on the lees”. By ‘n onlangse WynLand proe het dit vorendag gekom dat die land se grootste grootmaat wynkopers net blink wyne, of wyne waarvan die moer reeds verwyder is, as monsters vir tenders aanvaar.
Hoewel dit skynbaar ’n veilige beleid is, kan hierdie tog die kwaliteit van grotervolume wyn kniehalter. In dieselfde asem, vereis die Wyn en Spiritusraad ook dat alle wyne helder is om gesertifiseer te kan word – al is dit grootmaat wyn.
Daar is egter toenemend kelders wat grootmaat wyne met wynmoer uitvoer en hierdie wyne kan gesertifiseer word as die nodige dokumentasie saam met die wynmonsters ingedien word.
Few other wine regions boast the ability to reinvent themselves like the Swartland. The Cape’s breadbasket went from being considered too hot for serious wine production to becoming the talk of the town and the base of eccentric wine cowboys, who were out to conquer the wine world with their characterful and bold blends.
Every cowboy has a softer side and on a recent trip to the Swartland, I noticed that the latest trend is to prove that the same vines that produce full and impressive showstoppers can also wow with elegant and fruity wines at very decent prices. Pioneer Eben Sadie’s most recent duo of Sequillo wines showed a very definite shift to freshness, while the Kloof Street wines by the magnificent Mullineux’s are equally elegant and refined.
The funky labels of Lammershoek’s “Lam” range are also an indication that while these wines used to have a cult following, the region is opening up to the broader market, without compromising the out-of-the-box image and wine style. Chris Mullineux explains that there is a definite demand for wines with a lower alcohol and more freshness. “Luckily, this is something that the Swartland can offer: more fruit-driven whites and reds that still have that typical Swartland spice.”
Perhaps the most significant aspect of this new Swartland phenomenon is the price of most of these ‘second label’ gems. As with the top of the range wines, Eben leads pricing at R130 for the Sequillo White and Red – which can only be bought in cases – while the Kloof Street Chenin Blanc and Rouge are sold at R60 and R65 respectively. The Lam range comprises a white blend, Pinotage, Syrah and rosé, all at R60 per bottle. All the full weekend tickets for next weekend’s Swartland Revolution are now sold out, but for those that have missed the boat, the Swartland’s ongoing revolution will continue to surprise.
* There is unlimited space for people to come to the Swartland Revolution Street Party on Saturday afternoon. At R50pp you can taste 14 local wineries’ wines. Visit www.theswartlandrevolution.com for more info.
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