Wineblog

deur Elona Hesseling

Sauvignon Blanc is nou maar eenmaal ʼn wêreld-wye sukses storie – van die Loire vallei en Bordeaux in Frankryk, Marlborough in Nieu-Seeland en basies alle ander wynproduserende lande tussen-in, met Suid-Afrika geen uitsondering.

Hoewel die kultivar soms gekritiseer word vir te hoë sure en min geure, is dit ʼn wyn wat steeds hoog aangeskrewe is deur elke Jan, Rap en Robert Parker. Een van die vele style van Sauvignon wat toenemend sukses behaal, is die Bordeaux-tipe – waar dit versny word met Sémillon en ʼn gedeelte daarvan gewoonlik met hout in kontak kom.

Die Mentors-reeks van KWV se nuwe oesjaar Sauvignon Blanc 2011 is juis só ʼn wyn, met net onder die 15% Sémillon bygevoeg en waarvan daardie gedeelte in ouer vate gegis is. Die druiwe is afkomstig van Stellenbosch, vanaf ʼn spesifieke ligging teen die Bottelary heuwels.

Hierdie wingerd is taamlik hoog en lewer ʼn wyn met ʼn intense  konsentrasie en vars suur. Vir dié wingerd was 2011 ook ʼn veel beter jaar as 2010 – ʼn jaar waartydens daar glad nie ʼn Mentors Sauvignon Blanc vrygestel is nie.

Vir ʼn kelder van KWV se grootte, is hierdie vlagskip-reeks ʼn ware skatkis van voortreflike wyne. Daar is slegs 2 700 liter van hierdie spesifieke wyn geproduseer, wat teen R120 ʼn bottel verkoop word. Dit is ʼn goed gebalanseerde wyn, met appelliefie, groen soetrissie, granadilla en blomagtige geure, ʼn heerlike mineraliteit en delikate, dog vol struktuur.

Tydens middagete by Laborie se Harvest restaurant het bekende chef Matthew Gordon die vorige 2009-oesjaar met sy spesialis gereg, gerookte plaaslike forel, voorgesit. Hierdie wyn is steeds wonderlik vars en geurig en het met die kos tot sy volle reg gekom, moontlik ʼn voorskou van die verouderings potensiaal van die 2011.

by Elona Hesseling

When tasting the new vintages of The Mentors range by KWV, I found it particularly difficult to decide what exactly to write about – the wines are of high quality, the five-course lunch at Laborie was fabulous and the discussions among fellow winos are always fascinating.

One of these talking points was the inevitable comparison between the two red blends in The Mentors range – the Mediterranean style Canvas and the Bordeaux style Orchestra. Both are of the 2010 vintage and sell for around R180, though the wines are quite different.

Some of the KWV winemakers responsible for The Mentors range: Johann Fourie, Izele van Blerk and Christiaan Coetzee.

The Canvas is a blend of about 70% Shiraz, with Grenache, Carignan, Mourvédre, Tempranillo, Cinsault and Viognier. It shows dark fruit, cherry tobacco and hints of spice on the nose, with mulberries and white pepper on the palate. The grapes are sourced from Paarl, Wellington and the Swartland.

Although the different varieties all contribute unique characteristics to the final product, with the added complexity of various terroirs, it is perhaps too busy. A really good wine that opens up with some time in the glass – and perhaps it will do so even more with time in the bottle – it still seems to have a bit of an identity crisis, trying to be too many things at once.

The Bordeaux style Orchestra, however, hits the blending nail on its head. A wine with a clear expression of what it is and where it comes from, it is both intense and elegant. Fresh, perfumy, smoky and slightly herby, it also has good purity of fruit, with dark berries and spice on the palate. It is smooth and opulent, yet refined – a good example of where blending brings out the best from the various components.

Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, with Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, the grapes are sourced from Stellenbosch, Paarl and Botriver. The final test of any wine is ultimately when pairing it with food. This 2010 Orchestra, as well as the 2009 vintage, was served with roasted rump of Karoo lamb with a parsley and mustard crust, prepared by chef Matthew Gordon at the Harvest restaurant at Laborie.

Picking the best vintage to complement the food is not that easy and although I am still indecisive, the current 2010 was for me the overall stand-out wine. And with that particular vintage being the first during which the dynamic team produced a single variety Cabernet Franc, perhaps it really was their year of the Cabs.

by Edo Heyns

This seems to have been the month of RTD’s. I received a press release about a new cider called Tell’s, tasted KWV’s jimmijagga for the first time and saw in Distell’s interim financial results that they are increasing their cider production capacity.

Heads-up for entrepreneurial spirit in demanding economic times, but shouldn’t this effort and money rather be directed to create new, or to rejuvenate somewhat dated wine brands?

The RTD-trade is growing at a rapid pace globally and this is very often at the expense of more traditional products like wine, beer and brandy. Ironically, the success of RTD’s can often be ascribed to companies that also produce wine – like the examples above.

Tell’s is sold in PET bottles and is described as an off-dry thirst quencher, with an alcohol of 6%. It doesn’t contain any wine, nor does the press release state what it tastes like (and nope, I haven’t tasted it yet).

Described as a fusion wine spritzer, the jimmijagga is aimed at “hip and happening 20-something year olds” and sports “retro-chic, Polaroid-imaged labels” that will change every three to four months.

I’ve tasted these and can confirm that they’re way too hip and happening (or sweet) for me.

As Distell’s expansion indicates, one thing is for certain: these drinks sell. And if ciders and RTD’s are a means of keeping wine companies afloat, good for them – as long as their core business is not ciderlined.