Sijnn 2008 – by the Malgas Maverick

by Edo Heyns

Architect, De Trafford Winery proprietor and wine-thought leader, David de Trafford, is a maverick. The short version of the Sijnn story is that he stumbled upon a piece of farmland with unique soil characteristics, while driving around with his wife on a weekend away and ended up being the pioneer of winegrowing in Malgas.

He says that he wasn’t too keen to expand his Stellenbosch property and thought that this unique spot could be “something different”. And how right he was!

Sijnn Wines was officially established in 2003 and with the vines maturing and David getting to grips with the terroir and varietals, the wines are seemingly improving with every vintage.

My favourite of the range and wine of the week is the Sijnn 2008, a Shiraz based blend, with Mourvèdre, Touriga Naçional, Trincadeira and Cabernet Sauvignon. This is one of those wines that you keep on sipping and tasting, trying to figure it out and eventually end up finishing the bottle!

Initial impressions are earthy, reminiscent of tea leaves. But then it surprises with remarkable freshness, a crisp fruitiness and dark berries. The different components are marvellously integrated, creating a layered and wonderfully complex wine. To add to this, it will definitely reward cellaring.

The Sijnn 2008 is intriguing, distinct, original and proof that David has found that something different.

Die dokter het gepraat!

deur Elona Nel

Dit is nou die Kaapse dokter, die geliefde suid-oostelike wind wat in die somer vanaf Valsbaai waai en wynmakers van oor tot oor laat glimlag. Tydens hierdie maand se Nuwewyn proe het Journey’s End se nuutste bries, The Cape Doctor Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, in my glas beland.

Dié nuwe vlagskip wyn, wat net in die beste jare geproduseer word, is die toonbeeld van elegansie en statuur en slegs 12 vate is daarvan gemaak. Dit is ʼn uitstekende voorbeeld van ʼn Cabernet Sauvignon, met kurwes op al die regte plekke. En alhoewel dit 22 maande in eikehout-vate spandeer het, speel die hout ʼn ondersteunende en nie oorweldigende rol nie.

Op die neus beïndruk geure van kruisement en soetrissie, gevolg deur swartbessies en potlood vylsels – met elke neus-vol kom ʼn nuwe geur na vore. Die kompleksiteit duur voort op die palet, waar sagte kruie en speserye soepel en sag met die vrug-element geïntegreer is. Dit eindig vol en vrugtig, met ʼn goeie, sagte struktuur en relatiewe lae alkohol van 13.5%.

Of die professor in Connecticut nou die navorsing wat dui op die gesondheidsvoordele van rooiwyn uit sy duim gesuig het of nie, is ek seker dat hierdie wyn enige skete of kwale sal kan reg dokter.

All cellars are created equal, but some are more equal than others. This is written on a black board inside The Wine Kollective shop in the heart of Riebeek-Kasteel. The Swartland boys and girls definitely believe in themselves and although considered by some as being somewhat arrogant, there is no denying that their self-confidence has paid off.

The Wine Kollective shop claims to be “solely dedicated to the special wines of the small, the famous and the utterly unknown wineries of the Swartland”. A bit of a marketing ploy, sure, but clever slogans and a poised attitude is part of the success of the region.

With a pinch of distinction, many cases of fabulous Chenin and perhaps a slight hint of arrogance, the Swartland has already taken off. This boldness is backed by innovative wines and the challenge is now to maintain this momentum.

Fire fighters and desperate vinegrowers had their hands full this weekend as dry conditions and strong winds made combatting a raging fire in the Slanghoek Valley an almost impossible task. At least 12 hectares of vineyards, consisting of Cinsault, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc and Red Hanepoot, were severely damaged. The fire is now under control in that valley, but it raged on in the Bainskloof area, towards Wellington.

Red Hanepoot

Vast stretches of alien vegetation, as well as fynbos was also destroyed.

Many of the grapes were almost ready to be harvested

The fire damaged vines, trellising material and irrigation equipment

Dit is maak of breek tyd – die afgelope seisoen se harde werk en bloed-sweet in die wingerde hang in die weegskaal. Die reuk van ryp druiwe vul die lug en wynmakers is tot verdere kennisgewing basies onbereikbaar.

Dave Hughes saam met Mandy Henry en Pierre Meintjies, bewaarders van die Quaich.

Soos die gebruik reeds vir eeue heen regoor die wêreld is, is dit toepaslik om die komende pars te seën. Wynlegende Dave Hughes is reeds vir talle jare betrokke by die jaarlikse wynmaker- en distilleerder-seëning van die pars, wat verlede week vir die 18de keer plaasgevind het by die Saint Nicholas Katolieke Kerk in Stellenbosch.

ʼn Byeenkoms wat bekend staan as die Feast of St Vincent of Saragossa, the Patron Saint of Wine Growers – en jaarliks regoor Europa gevier word – word hierdie heilige beskermheer op eie bodem geprys en geëer. Wynmakers bring ook hul eie offers, in die vorm van wyn natuurlik, wat aan die Stellenbosch Hospice-organisasie geskenk word.

Met parstyd op hande en die weer wat tog so onvoorspelbaar is, brande wat in Slanghoek, Stanford en Bainskloof verwoesting saai en hittegolwe wat die delikate geure in ʼn oogwink kan laat verdwyn, is dit werklik ʼn wonderwerk om ʼn goeie oes te hê. So in die woorde van Laurika Rauch se bekende en geliefde Mannetjies Roux liedjie, My oom het gesukkel op die plaas, want die son was te warm en die reën te skaars … en seën my ma, en seën my pa en my oom op sy plaas in Afrika.

Nope, I’m not referring to kinky dripping chocolate and strawberries dipped in cream stuff. (The photo is just here to boost the blog’s hits …) Gastro porn is a term used to describe photos of fancy food that are dominating cyberspace. We’ve all seen it: those eager eaters that take their smartphone chargers along just in case the battery runs out before pudding is served and photographed. Immediately.

Maybe it’s just me, but if an obsessive need to let the world know that you are eating foie gras/chalmar beef/Norwegian Salmon/KFC becomes an instinctive reaction, you are certainly starting to miss the finer nuances of life.

The same applies to snapping every fancy label you come across – probably the worst form of name dropping there is. Okay fine, if you’ve had a bottle of 1986 Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc and you feel it is of interest to the wine community to know that it is still awesome, I can live with that. This is the fine line between sharing and bragging.

My rule of thumb before tweeting or updating any of my 2 365 statuses, is to ask these three questions:

-          Does anyone care?

-          Could this cheer up someone’s day?

-          Will my pathetic Blackberry battery make it?

Silky smooth Shiraz

by Elona Nel

A Monday-night steak braai is always a good idea – especially when the holiday’s memories seem to want to give way under the pressure that the new year brings. So while marinating the meat in Sunday night’s leftover red wine, I decided it was time to dig into my cherished wine collection.

De Meye Shiraz 2006 fitted the bill and with its super soft and velvety texture, it actually reminds of a well-matured Free State steak. The nose is rich and powerful, with herbs, pepper and black fruit, which follows through on the palate. It has a good structure, with a soft, fresh, fruity side to it.

This Stellenbosch winery’s Shiraz vineyards are planted in the western part of the Muldersvlei area. The 2006 harvest season had a very cold preceding winter, with late, but even ripening. And although the grapes are harvested when perfectly ripe, a certain degree of fresh fruit flavours are retained due to a cool westerly wind that sweeps through this south-east facing vineyard.

So what music to pair with a perfectly cooked medium steak and silky smooth Shiraz to complete the Monday night vibes? I prefer some local poetry, in the form of aKing’s words – I find delight in empty days, I take my counsel with wine.

Even though the 2006 is sold out – and drinking beautifully now – the 2009 is available at the tasting room at R78 a bottle.

’n Versamelstuk

deur Edo Heyns

Is daar werklik so iets soos ’n ikoniese Suid-Afrikaanse wyn? Hierdie vraag het die afgelope week opgekom tydens ’n vurige gesprek onder ’n handvol wynbedryfsrolspelers en nadese aanhou draai in my kop.

Nou wat presies is ’n ikoniese wyn? Die woord word immers links en regs gegooi op al wat persverklaring of advertensie is en is selfs al bietjie afgewater. In my boekies is die kriteria vir ’n ware ikoon drieledig: Die wyn moet ’n geskiedenis, oftewel track record,  hê van minstens 10 jaar; dit moet plaaslik en buitelandse erkenning geniet en dit moet in volumes beskikbaar wees wat van so aard is dat dit ’n internasionale impak kan maak.

Wyne soos Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, Meerlust Rubicon en Kanonkop Paul Sauer merk die regte boksies af. Dit was ook nie ’n verrassing dat die 2006 Vin de Constance en 2007, sowel as 2008 Paul Sauer onder die IWSC wenners was, wat gister by Grand Roche te proe beskikbaar was nie.

Hoewel dit tussen hierdie drie ’n moeilike besluit was, is die Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2007 my wyn van die week. Met uitstekende verouderingspotensiaal, konstante kwaliteit en ook redelike volumes is hierdie een van die indrukwekkendste produkte wat ons bedryf al opgelewer het. Alhoewel dit reeds deur baie beskou word as ’n ikoon, glo ek hierdie is ’n wyn wat selfs nog meer gaan naam maak en ook ’n paar Bordeaux ikone die stof sal laat byt.

Die 2008-oesjaar is beskikbaar by die proelokaal teen R330.

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.

Wine and spirit producing giant KWV joins Distell et al in the ready-to-drink market, with their new wine spritzers. Aimed at hip and happening 20-something year olds, these drinks are low in alcohol (4%) and sport retro-chic labels that will change every three to four months.

Innovations director at KWV South Africa (and the previous Coca-Cola mastermind, or rather general manager, Glaceau VitaminWater and Chaywa Coffee), Gareth Haarhoff, said, “We believe that there has been a gap in the market for a fusion wine spritzer – jimmijagga combines a classic drink with modern infusion. We expect it to compete with premium ready-to-drink products such as Smirnoff Spin, Bacardi Breezer, Red Square and Vawter, as well as wine by the glass in restaurants and bars.”

This spritzer is made up of wine, proprietary sugars and flavourants, available in three different tastes – white wine lemon, rosé melon and red wine plum. Although the idea of sweet, flavoured wine may not tickle the fancy of some ‘fancy’ wine spitters, it is a well-made, unpretentious product.

According to Gareth, jimmijagga is filling a gap in the market and is KWV’s first venture into ready-to-drink products. “We see these products as a strong market category. It has demonstrated robust growth over the past five years and we have high expectations going forward.”

These spritzers are bottled using hot-fill technology – thus eliminating the need to add anypreservatives – in 275 ml clear glass bottles and sold in four-packs or cases of 24, for the thirsty.

Marketed as ‘cutting-edge’ for the smart and sophisticated, it was launched in selected Gauteng on-consumption outlets, with Cape Town and Durban next in line. A single bottle retails at R10 in bottle stores and wine shops, but sells for R20 to R25 in restaurants and bars.

Into the Wild

by Edo Heyns

A good Sauvignon Blanc shows impressive, fresh varietal character on the nose and complexity on the palate, with a weighty and broad full mouth feel. A brilliant Sauvignon Blanc magnifies all these attributes after a few years in the bottle.

The De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2009 was a good example of the latter. When it first came out, it made a statement with its outspokenness, recognisable green character and boisterous personality. Now it has significant complexity, depth and remarkable elegance for the varietal.

During a recent visit to De Grendel marketing manager, Righard Theron, pulled out one of these sticker graffiti numbers for an eager wine geek audience. And boy, it didn’t disappoint!

Weird as it might sound, it reminded me of Eddie Vedder’s Into The Wild Album – Pearl Jam intensity and passion, minus the aggression of his earlier music.

The 2009 is sold out (no surprises there!) but the 2011 is available at the cellardoor for R85 per bottle.

Sjiek Chardonnay

deur Elona Nel

ʼn Gehoute Chardonnay kan tog so maklik oordadig wees, waar die vrug en varsheid verdwyn onder die aanslae van die eik. Tydens ʼn onlangse WatterWyn-proe is ʼn verskeidenheid wyne vanaf Woolworths se reeks beoordeel – die Danie de Wet Chardonnay Reserve 2009 van hierdie winkelgroep is egter nié daaraan skuldig om ʼn klappie te veel hout weg te hê nie.

Die wyn is tog romerig en vol, maar met sagte geure van perskes en sitrus wat goed afgerond en gebalanseerd is. Die hout is mooi geïntegreerd en daar is intense lae vrugtegeure en ʼn indrukwekkende varsheid. Volgens De Wetshof bemarker Bennie Stipp, was 2009 – soos in die grootste gedeelte van die wynland – ʼn uitsonderlike jaar en wys die wyn veral nou goed na ʼn paar jaar in die bottel.

Die druiwe kom vanaf verskillende blokke, geplant met verskillende Chardonnay-klone, teen ʼn helling op klipperige grond in Robertson. Dit word vir 12 maande in Franse eikehout gegis, waarna die versnit saam met Woolworths se Allan Mullins en Ivan Oertle saamgestel word.

Hierdie wyn is die beste van twee wêrelde met die ryk, romerige volheid wat elegant afgerond word deur sy vars vrugtigheid. Klein hoeveelhede word geproduseer, spesifiek vir Woolworths se teikenmark, en dit verkoop teen R109,95.