Cape Winemakers Guild Tasting
Vivat Bacchus, 14 September 2009
The Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) is an association of the very best of South Africa's winemakers. The CWG have an annual auction of limited-edition wines created by the winemaker specifically for the auction. This must provide an interesting conflict of interest for the winemaker - do they put their best wines into their own flagship wine or into this CWG Auction label wine?
This year's CWG auction will be the 25th so far. Tonight VB put on a tasting of eight of these wines which gave an excellent opportunity to taste these high-profile South African wines. There were some very high quality wines within the group...
Tasting Notes
1. Bernhard Veller, Nitida 2009, "Decorous Sauvignon Blanc"
Grassy, with leafy, asparagus and green pepper notes. Some of the usual gooseberry stuff but nicely restrained compared to similar wines from NZ. Very acidic. Good length, well balanced, very good.
2. Duncan Savage, 2008 Cape Point Vineyards, Auction Reserve Semillon
Pale yellow. Nose is typical chardonnay. Smoke, mellon, orange, vanilla. Medium-high acid. Good, but not enough fruit on the palate.
3. Kevin Grant, 2008 Ataraxia, Chardonnay
This wine is excellent. Lots of oak in a very classy way. Lemon, vanilla and melon on the nose. Smells a little like good quality vanilla ice cream which is probably from malolactic fermentation. Strong midpalate and quite mineralic. Great length with a lemony finish. This is a nice midpoint between a classic new world and old world style chardonnay. Definitely the best wine so far.
4. Johan Malan, 2007 Simonsig, Auction Reserve Pinotage
Strong aroma of banana. Also black berries and something rustic. Full bodied, acidic and reasonably tannic. Intense, slightly jammy black fruit continues on the palate. Good length. Very high quality.
5. Kevin Arnold, 2005 Waterford Estate, Auction Reserve
Mainly Cabernet. No Shiraz(!) Structured, grippy almost powdery tannin. Green pepper. Good length. Well balanced. Herby. I really liked this one.
6. Louis Strydom,2007 Engelbrecht Els Vineyards
Gamey, red and black fruit. Very acidic and pretty high tannin and some mineral notes. Intense with a good length. Very good. (Adam loved this one.)
7. Louis Nel, 2008 Neighbour's Wrath, Cabernet Sauvignon
Sadly no explanation is given for the name, which sounds as though there must be a good story behind it. This wine smells like minty ribena. Slightly jammy. Acidic with ripe fruit on palate. Quite long. Very good. More enjoyable now than the Kevin Arnold, but the Kevin Arnold is better.
8. Niels Verburg, 2007 Luddite, FIGJAM
Deep colour. Sweetish smell, probably from the shiraz. Black pepper, black fruit. Smooth mouthfeel, not very acidic tasting but there is actually plenty there. Dark chocolate notes on the finish. Very nice.
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Bollinger
Bollinger Tasting
Vivat Bacchus, 7 September
Bollinger is still family owned and family run - quite an achievement for such a large, powerful brand. 60% of the grapes they use are sourced from vineyards which they own. This is unusual - many large producers source the majority of their grapes from small growers.
Bollinger is a Pinot Noir driven champagne. They still have two vineyards which have never been infested with Phylloxera. They are walled vineyards and this appears to keep the nasty insects out, although it's presumably a matter of time until this all ends in tears.
All wines which are made from grand cru grapes undergo the primary fermentation in old oak. Bollinger claim to employ the only full-time cooper in the Champagne region. All reserve wines are stored in magnum, with a cork closure.
Tasting Notes
1. Bollinger Brut NV
Lemon, butter and apple. Fine mousse, high acid. Dry, with good length and a smooth finish, although tastes a little sour after about 10 seconds. Otherwise well balanced.
2. Bollinger Rose NV
A pale salmon pink colour. Red fruit, particularly raspberries (slightly jammy). Dry, high acid, very juicy and refreshing. Like a ripe berry.
3. Bollinger La Grande Annee 2000
Cheese (eg a creamy brie) and crackers. Medium body, smooth, lemony. Excellent length and a fine mousse. Good stuff!
4. Bollinger La Grande Annee Rose 2002
Surprisingly good considering that Madame Bollinger was very much against Rose champagnes. Lots of raspberries, quite a lot of body and smooth. Good, but overpriced.
5. Bollinger La Cote aux Enfants Rouge 2002
Quite a deep colour for a Pinot Noir, but smells just like a PN should. Red cherry, subtle oak influence (3-5 years). Some tannin. Great length. Not £65 worth of red wine but worth trying for the novelty, or if someone else is paying!
In conclusion, the Roses and the Red are both very good, but do not justify the extra money (but that's not really the point when it comes to Champagne is it?!)
Vivat Bacchus, 7 September
Bollinger is still family owned and family run - quite an achievement for such a large, powerful brand. 60% of the grapes they use are sourced from vineyards which they own. This is unusual - many large producers source the majority of their grapes from small growers.
Bollinger is a Pinot Noir driven champagne. They still have two vineyards which have never been infested with Phylloxera. They are walled vineyards and this appears to keep the nasty insects out, although it's presumably a matter of time until this all ends in tears.
All wines which are made from grand cru grapes undergo the primary fermentation in old oak. Bollinger claim to employ the only full-time cooper in the Champagne region. All reserve wines are stored in magnum, with a cork closure.
Tasting Notes
1. Bollinger Brut NV
Lemon, butter and apple. Fine mousse, high acid. Dry, with good length and a smooth finish, although tastes a little sour after about 10 seconds. Otherwise well balanced.
2. Bollinger Rose NV
A pale salmon pink colour. Red fruit, particularly raspberries (slightly jammy). Dry, high acid, very juicy and refreshing. Like a ripe berry.
3. Bollinger La Grande Annee 2000
Cheese (eg a creamy brie) and crackers. Medium body, smooth, lemony. Excellent length and a fine mousse. Good stuff!
4. Bollinger La Grande Annee Rose 2002
Surprisingly good considering that Madame Bollinger was very much against Rose champagnes. Lots of raspberries, quite a lot of body and smooth. Good, but overpriced.
5. Bollinger La Cote aux Enfants Rouge 2002
Quite a deep colour for a Pinot Noir, but smells just like a PN should. Red cherry, subtle oak influence (3-5 years). Some tannin. Great length. Not £65 worth of red wine but worth trying for the novelty, or if someone else is paying!
In conclusion, the Roses and the Red are both very good, but do not justify the extra money (but that's not really the point when it comes to Champagne is it?!)
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