Wineblog

@ElonaHess

It is inevitable that any mention of Beyers Truter ultimately concerns Pinotage – and so a group of wine media descended on Beyerskloof for an after-harvest lunch celebration and a mini-vertical of the highly acclaimed Diesel Pinotage.

Before getting around to tasting the three vintages made to date, Beyers proceeded to explain what a perfect vintage means to him – and why 2012 may well be one! In short, he wants good rain at the right times, cold winters and moderate heat in the summer.

Part of the Beyerskloof team – at the back is Buddy Hendricks, Beyers Truter and Anri Truter, with Travis Langley and André Frantzen in the front.

“This year was an interesting one – excellent, but very late. Although we experienced less rain than other parts of the country, it was enough,” he explains. “The cold units in May and June were also enough and we experienced near perfect budding.”

Beyers said that although the heat-wave in January was reason for concern, it was followed by cool conditions and no rain afterwards – the perfect antidote! It was a long vintage and although they started harvesting a bit earlier, they finished later than usual, just before Easter.

“It is a promising vintage – after malolactic fermentation, the colour of the wines are usually a bit lighter. Not this year; the colour is dark and the pHs are really good,” he explains. Anri Truter, Beyers’ son and winemaker since 2004, confirms this, saying that during his first vintage he got a real fright with the seemingly lighter colour after malolactic – “but the depth of the colour this year is so much better.”

When tasting the 2007, 2008 and 2009 vintages of the flagship Diesel Pinotage, vintage variation becomes even more evident. Beyers remembers 2007 being a good, above average vintage. When tasting the wine, it is fresh with a pure fruit character and well-integrated spicy oak. In 2008, they experienced a very hot January and March, with a high rainfall, resulting in an average vintage – personally, the least impressive of the three.

The 2009 vintage is known all around for being one of the best in recent years and Beyerskloof is no exception – it is a full and opulent wine, with good fruit, dark chocolate, sweet oak spice and a nice complexity. Will 2012 be any better? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Frank Menezes, chef at Beyerskloof’s restaurant The Red Leaf, with Beyers Truter. Lunch was based on traditional Burgundian cuisine, kicking off with Oeufs en meurette – a French favourite with poached eggs in red wine sauce, otherwise known as Beyers se eiers.

by Edo Heyns  

What is the main point of discussion when interviewing the Beyerskloof team about Merlot? You guessed it – Pinotage! The Stellenbosch Pino-punters won the Young Wine Trophy for Merlot that is destined to play a supporting role in their acclaimed Cape Blend, Faith.

Pinotage will, however, always be the superstar at Beyerskloof and it didn’t take long for winemaker Anri Truter to bring out some samples. “I’m not sure if the Old Man (referring to his dad, Beyers) would agree, or rather admit it, but the 2009 Diesel is possibly the best Pinotage we have ever produced,” says Anri confidently, before pouring a glass.

It’s no secret that winemakers – particularly in Stellenbosch – have very high expectations for the 2009 reds. This was also apparent at the Cape Winemakers Guild, where these wines were the young standouts in the vintage.

“We are often asked if Diesel or Faith are positioned as our flagship wines. I guess Diesel will always have the upper hand, because it’s 100% Pinotage. Faith has, however, inspired us to lift our game with the other blending varieties – Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz – and the Young Wine Trophy is proof of this,” explains assistant winemaker, Travis Langley.

Travis Langley and Anri Truter

Faith 2009 is big, bold and modern. It makes a statement and will wow new wine drinkers and connoisseurs alike, but most importantly – it’s Beyerskloof’s way of breaking through to those who aren’t necessarily Pinotage diehards.

At this point in time, Diesel 2009 is the more accessible wine and a good example of what Beyers calls “unsurpassed Pinotage balance”. It boasts upfront fruit, with the elegance of its Burgundian parent. And like most top notch Pinotages, it should develop and improve well beyond a decade – maintaining the fanatic Beyerskloof Pinotage legacy.

By Edo Heyns

The only coffee approved by the Absa Top 10 panel was the cup served after the tasting. Classic Pinotages, many with a long track record,
dominate the top 20 wines out of which the esteemed Absa Top 10 will be chosen.

Pinotage bastions like Beyerskloof, Kanonkop and Simonsig are all represented, while regular achievers at most local wine competitions,
Spier, have three different Pinotages in the top 20.

There seems to be no real surprises, besides perhaps Baarsma SA, which is predominantly a trading company involved in the export market.

Notably, not a single one of the numerous mock-a-latte wines made the cut – a sign of the direction in which the Pinotage Association is
fortunately steering the variety.

The Absa Top 10 Pinotages will be announced on 25 August at Webersburg Estate, which ironically doesn’t produce Pinotage.

The top 20 wines: