Drunk!

I have been literally inundated with wonderful bottles of wine recently – now stop, before you all hurl things at the screen and tune out, it’s actually really hard work having to try all these wines, collate my opinions and thoughts and then record them for posterity on blogs or articles such as these.

Deathly silence.

HA HA HA HA – who am I kidding???? My job’s fantastic and I am the luckiest cow in the world to get all this wine delivered to my door!  And that is really all there is to it. So here is my round-up of some of the nicest bottles which I’ve been through recently – yes, these bottles were all free, I’ll not deny it. But given the chance, I would definitely pay for the next ones myself. I’ll do reds today (cos it’s cold) and whites very soon.

Kloovenburg  Shiraz  2008            R107 from specialist retailers

So much fuss over Swartland Shirazes at the moment, it is actually quite easy to overlook one of the first people to realise these rich Malmesbury soils  were perfect for Shiraz. Kloovenburg is very much a family operation and Pieter du Toit has specialised in well-made, reasonably-priced wines for the past decade. Chewy black berries with whiffs of peppercorns and aromatic spice, soft tannins and a clean vanilla-twist finish.

Le Café Pinotage, Clos Malverne 2010   R80 from the farm

I will try and be nice as I can about this but when I say I’d buy it again, that is actually my husband talking, not me! Coffee wines are NOT my thing at all, but in fairness, I have to say that this one wasn’t as overtly coffee as some! Plenty of leathery black fruit counter-balanced the sweet mocha and cream flavours. Kevin loved it – if you like this style, I bet you’ll love it as well.

Durbanville Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2009         R69 widely available

Latest release of this reliable – but nonetheless – well-made old favourite from Martin Moore and Wilhelm Coetzee.  Martin is a foodie of note and hosts wonderful food and wine matching events at the cellar restaurant – go if you ever have the chance. He recommends this wine with slow-braised lamb shank and I reckon the blackcurrant and cassis flavours underpinned by vanilla oak and smoky soft tannins would be the perfect combination with that!

Knorhoek Cabernet Franc 2007 R80 from specialist retailers

Excellent value-for-money wine which more than holds its own even against the Oldenburg! This comes from the van Niekerk’s family farm at the foot of the Simonsberg and is only their second vintage as a single varietal. Winemaker Arno Albertyn believes the variety has a huge future in SA – as do I – and if you taste this dark fruit-bomb with its hints of fynbos and tobacco, I think you’ll agree.

Oldenburg Cabernet Franc 2008     R180 from the farm

This wine is a first release but has been some time in the making, especially for winemaker Simon Thompson who has been with the vines since they were first planted way back in 2004. As you probably know, Cabernet Franc is my favourite red grape and I must say this is a great example – lots of dark black fruits, whiffs of tomato leaves, elegant soft tannins and a good lengthy finish. Nice stuff – and a posh tasting room with all the frills coming soon!!

Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Shiraz 2009       R95 from specialist retailers

Winemaker Johan Joubert is one of the newest members of the Cape Winemakers Guild, that elite, invitation-only organisation which promotes the finest in Cape Wine. He’s there primarily because he makes great Chenin Blanc but don’t make the mistake of thinking he’s just a one-man band cos he ain’t! This is a very pleasant Shiraz, packed with spicy red fruit with a savoury, lip-smacking acidity nicely balanced by supportive creamy wood. Very good value wine.

Zonnebloem Laureat 2009           R79 widely available

This is the latest vintage of Zonnebloem’s flagship red – a Bordeaux blend of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with some Petit Verdot and Malbec included as well. Interestingly enough, this wine is aged in some Hungarian and also some American oak barrels – particularly unusual for a Bordeaux blend – which has resulted in a spicy wine with plenty of ripe black fruits wrapped up in lush dark chocolate mints. Not bad at all!!