Wine with Leslie: South Africa's classy cape has delicious wine offerings
South African Wine
South African wines probably don’t appear here as often as they should, certainly not as often as fans of that country believe they should. Fans of South African wine I’ve noticed rarely want to drink anything else, and it is true that the good stuff is outstanding.
And we should buy more as given the less than stable economy, the winemakers there really are reliant on the export markets to turn a profit or even break even. I’ve mentioned producers like BLANKBottle, Mullineux, Sijnn and Paul Cluver before and of course Delheim (O’Briens) and Simonsig. This week however I have some new wines for you to try including a couple of new Lidl wines that are very much entry level but still manage to punch above their price point.
Liberty Wines have some fine South African producers in their portfolio and some of them came together for a tasting in mid-June. It was great to finally meet Charles Back of Fairview and Spice Route as I’ve been tasting and writing about his wines since around 1999 when Goats do Roam first appeared here. His Swartland-based ‘Spice Route’ estate was founded in 1998 and he was instrumental in drawing attention to the Western Cape which was once rather neglected. Not any more of course, now it is where every cool natural winemaker wants to source their grapes.
I could only feature three producers’ wines below so watch out for Momento wines from Marelise Niemann whose Grenache Noir was one of my favourite red of the tasting with beautifully pure fruits and beguiling freshness (Ely and WineOnline.ie). She has even found a small Grenache Gris vineyard to buy from, a grape I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted before as a varietal (it was gun flinty and taut at first but then became layered and almost tropical).
These younger winemakers are looking to the future and focusing on sustainability and on climate change. ‘Crystallum’ wines from Peter-Allan and Andrew Finlayson, scions of the famed Peter Finlayson were also outstanding (Ely, Mitchells, WineOnline) with a fragrant layered Pinot Noir and a luxurious but focused Chardonnay ‘Clay Shales’ from Hemel-en-Aarde.
Gabrielskloof has a family connection with Crystallum through marriage and uses the same winery (as does Momento), yet their wines were all completely different with the personality of the winemakers shining through. Keep an eye on the Cape.
Stockist: Lidl
Chenin Blanc is the Loire grape of Vouvray and Anjou but it also seems to suit South Africa and is found throughout the country making everything from light and fruity entry level wines, to more serious dry and dessert whites that can age for decades. This has lively pear and peach aromas with a pleasing citrusy freshness and just enough acidity and tang on the finish.
Stockist: Lidl
Pinotage is a a workhorse grape in South Africa used for everything from rosé to fortified. It can also be posh and pricy but it remains divisive as it is rarely subtle - hence the name of this wine. This pours a rich purple with smoky dark fruit aromas, juicy red fruits on the palate and some pleasing softness. A solid barbecue wine but serve lightly chilled to smooth off the edges.
Stockist: O’Briens
Delheim are family owned and based in Stellenbosch and this is by no means their first appearance here. This is reduced from €14 and their fruity dry Pinotage Rosé is also reduced to €11.21. The Delheim wild ferment Chenin Blanc here is also recommended. This is delightful refreshing with lemon oil and white peach aromas and a touch of tropical fruits, crisp, zingy and fruity on the palate with lots of refreshing acidity.
A red blend mainly composed of Southern Rhône grapes (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache etc.) from traditionally planted bush vines. Dark ruby colour, spice and dark fruit aromas with a touch of liquorice and mocha, ripe and full-flavoured with a meaty intensity. Also watch for Spice Route’s lively Chenin Blanc with citrus and pear drops.
Fruit for this was sourced from four dry farmed bush vines over 40 years old on granite and schist in Swartland (mainly). This shows just how good Cape Chenin can be - waxy and herbal with rounded soft pear fruits, full and complex on the palate with a pleasing tautness at first and honeyed softer edges on the finish.
This ‘Cape Blend’ is quite different to the other wines here - a mix of Roussanne, Chardonnay and Sémillon plus some Chenin and Clairette - made in a more oxidative (natural) style this is layered and textured with apples, honey and waxy notes and a hint of saline - perfect for say Rabbit or Guinea Fowl.
Spirit of the Week
This is fairly new to the Dan Kelly range, created by Niall Collier, a cousin of the McNeece family grow 80ha of apples for their ciders. This is a little lighter so perfect for summer and was first created for the Big Grill festival which is on again next week - watch out for them as they always bring experimental bottlings.
This is completely natural, fermented on wild yeasts and with nothing added. Aromas of cooked apples with a touch of citrus and pear, rounded and fruity on the palate with a pleasing tang of bruised apple and lime on the finish.
