Entrance to Simonsig tasting room

Simonsig is a well established winery on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Since 1968 they have produced an extensive range of white, red and sparkling wines which over the years has won the hearts of both avid new wine consumers as well as keeping their dedicated followers happy! They were the first estate in Southern Africa to produce bottle fermented sparkling wine made in the French tradition (referred in the Cape as Cap Classique) with their Kaapse Vonkel and in 2011 celebrated the 40 vintage of this delightful bubbly. Founder of Simosing, Frans Malan, was also instrumental with the founding of the Stellenbosch Wine Route along with his friends, Spatz Sperling and Neil Joubert. Today, the legacy of Frans Malan continues with his children, Francois, Pieter and Johan running the affairs of the estate.

Cellarmaster Johan Malan

This year Simonsig celebrates yet another milestone and this time with their flagship red wine, the Tiara. Tiara’s maiden vintage was the 1990 launched at a sumptuous dinner held on the Estate late in 1992 and I remember the occasion well! We were seated with the late Frans and Liza Malan and it was an honour to have shared with them this momentous occasion! After dinner guests were presented with a gift bottle of the 1990 Tiara which I still have in my cellar today to remind me of this great event!

Last week Johan Malan invited a few wine scribes to a rare vertical tasting of the Tiara and we started off with the 1990! We were amazed at how well this wine, made then from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, had held up. There was the usual age related hint of jammy fruit on the aroma but that quietly disappeared to reveal its elegance with rich plumy favours and long dryish finish. While tasting the line up Johan Malan who is Simonsig’s Cellar master, along with his red wine maker, Debbie Thompson briefed us on each vintage and how the blends were assembled. An exceptional flight of wines with highlights being the 1995, the 2000 and the 2005 which all displayed the potential to last as long as the maiden 1990. The blend for each vintage varied from year to year but recent bottling’s show more of the Bordeaux varieties with the 2009 having all five.

The tasting was followed by a delicious lunch in Simonsig’s private dining room with food prepared by the Chefs of their restaurant Cuveé. It was over our course of Venison Loin with smoked butternut gateau and port sauce that we could really appreciate and enjoy the Tiara 2009. What a stunning wine! With a colour of deep crimson you are enticed towards the sweet blueberry and cherry aromas leading to the youthful combined flavours of the predominant Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Well matched food such as we had helps to balance a complex and intense wine such as this. The wine is certainly acceptable now but there is no doubt that the collector will be rewarded by allowing a few bottles to spend some time in their cellar so that they can savour the wine over the next decade!

Expect to pay: R204.50

These wines are all available at a discounted price for one month only.

Visit us soon to stock up for the cold winter months.

Oldenburg’s owner, Adrian Vanderspuy’s, life took a full circle when in 2003 he purchased Oldenburg farm, which is the neighbouring farm to the farm he was born on! Despite spending most of his childhood overseas his parents brought him back regularly where they spent many happy holidays on the family farm. With the wonderful memories of his times spent here he returned in 2000 and, recognizing the potential in the new South Africa, he bought the Oldenburg farm.

Adrian immediately set to work and had the soils analysed which came back with excellent results for the potential of growing outstanding quality grapes. He removed all the old vineyards as they were in poor condition after years of neglect and replanted with both red and white cultivars. Adrian’s aim was to establish Oldenburg as a premium boutique producer and to assist him with his vision he employed viticulturist and winemaker, Simon Thompson in 2004.

“The geography, the soil and the climate all point to the possibility to make extraordinary wines. Here we have everything we need from nature, to make the best wines” commented Simon. He adds that the philosophy is to tread as lightly as possible and to craft wines with minimal intervention. “We strive to interact with nature in a sustainable manner”.

Oldenburg wines, which were first released in 2007, are made only with grapes grown on the estate and the range includes three red wines and two white wines. I was introduced to Oldenburg wines at the beginning of last year and was encouraged at how well all five wines expressed their individual cultivars so credibly! These are intricate and complex wines which I believe require food to fully appreciate the individuality of each wine.

So to launch the new vintages a lunch was arranged at Ottimo Cibo where chef and hostess, Nikki Booth, created dishes to complement the wines. I have to say that It’s encouraging to see wineries such as Oldenburg calling on the expertise of talented chefs to create menus around their wines. Wine is generally consumed over a plate of good food along with convivial company whether at home or eating out. Nikki had prepared a feast of Italian dishes including a delicious spread of antipasti which showed off the Oldenburg wines perfectly.

As we are slipping into Autumn I chose the delicious Cabernet Franc 2009 for this week’s wine choice. The wine has deep crimson plum colour with subtle tealeaf and fynbos aromas. The rich full bodied palate has ripe chewy tannins and flavours of cherry, cigar box and cedarwood. The balanced acid creates a firm finish that is complemented by a lingering savouriness.

Expect to pay R179.50

Taste SA’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay conveniently brought together for you by Wine Concepts.
Expect to taste wine from leading farms like Paul Cluver, Oak Valley, Waterford, Bouchard Finlayson, Hamilton Russell, Creation, Shannon, Newton Johnson, Chamonix, Catherine Marshall, Jordan, Mulderbosch and more.

Buy your early bird tickets now through www.webtickets.co.za

The Vineyard Hotel and Spa is offering a special reduced rate for those who wish to enjoy all the wines, but not drive home.
R850 per single room & R1300 per double room
These rates include Breakfast, Dinner, Tourism Levy and Vat,but exclude beverages with dinner.
Contact  021 657 4501 or email hotel@vineyard.co.za to make your booking

For more information mail Corlien Morris or phone 021 671 9030

Allée Bleue is situated on the outskirts of Franschhoek, and named after the old, blue eucalyptus trees which line the imposing entrance to the estate. The farm was bought in 1999, by the Dauphin family, who are owners of the prestigious German furniture manufacturer Dauphin Human Design Group.

The estate was founded in 1690 and covers an area of 150 hectares. Having not produced a drop of wine for close on 100 years the Dauphin’s resurrected the vineyards, which has paid off handsomely as they are now producing an excellent range of wines which have gained respect all over the world.

Allée Bleue’s winemaker, Van Zyl Du Toit, has a special interest in making bubbly and prior to joining Allée Bleue headed up Simonsig’s renowned sparkling wine team which won numerous awards for its Cap Classique wines. “The most important thing I learnt about making Cap Classique was attention to detail” reveals Van Zyl. “It really is the difference between making a wine which is okay and nice and making something which is really special. Having said that, I try and put extra care and attention into every wine I make, so that they stand out from the crowd.”

The 2010 is the second vintage and is predominantly made up of local variety Pinotage (65%) along with Chenin Blanc (20%) and Pinot Noir (15%) .It offers a refreshingly fruity style drink with foamy bubbles and plenty of berry and cherry fruit offset by a clean, dry finish. Van Zyl du Toit kept the wine on the lees for 10 months, a length of time which he believes offers the perfect balance between light, yeasty complexity and fresher, fruitier flavours.

When asked what he would drink the Allée Bleue Brut Rosé with, Van Zyl’s immediate answer was “Good friends!” He goes onto explain “This is an incredibly versatile wine which really is just meant to be enjoyed – with friends, family, on your own or at a party. You can have it with food (I like it with sushi or even something a bit sweet such as a Strawberry Pannacotta) or on its own, and its whole vibe is just about turning an ordinary day into something a little bit special.”

We enjoyed a few glasses of the Brut on the weekend at Allée Bleue’s Harvest Celebration and it also paired beautifully with the excellent fresh poached salmon served at lunch.

Expect to pay R115.00 @ Wine Concepts

The tasting deck with gorgeous panoramic views

Founded in 1989, Mulderbosch first entered the wine scene with their superb wooded Blanc Fume 1991(Sauvignon Blanc) and a year later with an unwooded 1992 Sauvignon Blanc , adding to other successful wineries at this point of time producing this variety like Thelema and Klein Constantia. The brand Mulderbosch, with the enthusiasm of original owner, Larry Jacobs, and cellarmaster Mike Dobrovic (later to be known as Mr Sauvignon Blanc SA), became widely recognized as one of South Africa’s finest wine producers attaining great commercial success. They earned top ratings both locally and internationally especially in Germany and the United States where their Sauvignon Blanc was often thought of as the finest in the world!! The distinctive label which has remained with the brand since inception was created and designed by Mike Dobrovic , who found inspiration from a Cuban cigar band!

In 1996 Larry sold the farm to Pretoria based group called Hydro Holdings. Mike stayed on ensuring that none of his hard work and inspiration would disappear from Mulderbosch wines. The new owners were supportive of Mike and added extensions to the existing cellar as well as a new state- of-the-art bottling line. Mike, nonetheless, left Mulderbosch in 2009 to pursue his own interests and his position was taken over at this time by Richard Kershaw.

Mulderbosch tasting room

However last year further changes happened when Mulderbosch was acquired by the California-based investment group Terroir Capital from the Ben Truter Trust. Since this take over Mulderbosch has seen extensive reinvigoration, with infrastructure upgrading, knowledge sharing and new talent. In December 2011, they appointed Adam Mason as their winemaker. Before joining Mulderbosch, Mason had spent eight successful years as winemaker and cellarmaster at Klein Constantia.

As part of the extensive revamp and revitalisation of the estate a new wine tasting venue was built. Aptly named “The Tasting Room” it was designed by Cape Town-based dhk Think Space, the highly acclaimed architectural firm credited with award winning projects such as the Cape Town International Convention Centre, Almenkerk Winery in Elgin and Delaire Graaf Winery and Restaurant outside Stellenbosch, as well as numerous international works.

Created as a destination rather than just another place to pull in and taste wine, The Tasting Room’s atmosphere is simple yet chic, and invites wine and food lovers to lounge and linger. It’s a beautiful place to relax with family and friends over good wine, along with pizzas and cheese platters adding to the experience. Kid-friendly touches are everywhere, from bean bags to comfortable seating areas inside and out. Earthy background colours are accented by warm shades of plum, burgundy and lime, and an occasional splash of red. The Tasting Room extends outside with wooden decking and landscaped areas to relax, play and eat while enjoying the panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards and rolling Stellenbosch Hills, as well as two professional bocce courts, where guests can play the Italian version of boules.

Thin, flatbread-type pizzas with fresh toppings have been carefully selected to complement the range of Mulderbosch wines, and are cooked rustic-style in an outdoor wood-burning oven. Ingredients including buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, white anchovies and fresh figs help make up these delicious pizzas.

The wine I enjoyed most with the pizzas served at the launch of The Tasting Room was the Mulderbosch Steen op Hout 2011. Steen op Hout which means Chenin on wood was another one of Dobrovic’s creations with the first vintage being the 1996. The 2011 vintage, which has 3% Viognier added to the Chenin, had eighty percent of the wine tank fermented while the remaining twenty percent underwent natural fermentation in barrel. The wines were matured for five months in a combination of new Hungarian and French oak barrels.

The result is a wine with arcacia, honey and winter melon aromas, leading to a tempting silky juicy palate of tropical fruit with a rich sweetness on the finish. It’s very drinkable so be careful not to finish the bottle before sharing a glass or two, and if you have the patience the wine will develop even more complexity after a few years of cellaring!

Buy now from Wine Concepts @ R63.00

Believing in the excellence of the Elgin terroir and diversity of their vineyards, six dedicated wine growers from the Elgin Valley formed a partnership called Elgin Vintners. Together they have combined their resources to cultivate, produce and market a range of fine quality wines from this region. Their slogan “Publishers of fine wine” gave meaning to their first ‘published’  wine in 2005, the Elgin Vintners Sauvignon Blanc 2005.

The partners believe their single biggest advantage is that their 101.5 hectares of vineyards, spread over a radius of 12 kilometres, encompass the full spectrum of terroir diversity in the Elgin Valley. Careful site selection and innovative viticultural practices produce grapes that are vinified by individual winemakers, selected for their similarity to and enthusiasm for a particular cultivar. Each member of this partnership brings a unique expertise but it is under the guidance of viticulturist and wine guru partner, Paul Wallace, that the vineyards are tended to ensure wines of a superior standard which has resulted in the wines receiving awards both locally and internationally. Elgin Vintners is also a proud member of the Groenlandberg Conservancy and Green Mountain Eco-Route, which was formed to promote eco-tourism in the Elgin region.

Their line up of excellent wines includes a range of both whites and reds, including their most recent addition, The Century, a white Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The grapes for this maiden release of the The Century were sourced exclusively from the Eikenhof farm which is owned by the Moodie family. The wine was named The Century in honour of Mr. Douglas Moodie, who recently celebrated his 100^th birthday.  Douglas, who has been farming in the Elgin area since 1930, was responsible for the foundation of the highest standards of quality and environmental integrity at Eikenhof farm. His son Alastair Moodie, one of the Elgin Vintners partners, continues to uphold the tradition and perpetuate the vision as foreseen by his father.

Elgin Vintners The Century Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2011 is a blend of 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. The wine imparts intense aromas of green fig and guava with subtle hints of spicy white peach. The silky rich palate combines minerally and flinty flavours with an exhilarating citrusy finish. Whilst the wine drinks extremely well now, it is should develop even greater complexity with further maturation.

Expect to pay: R120.00

Shaped by the vineyards’ individual location just below Constantia Nek, the close proximity to False Bay, varying site specific vineyard blocks, soil types and clones give Constantia Glen wines their unique character. Choosing not to rush the art of winemaking, the winemaking team under Justin Van Wyk, leans on time-honoured techniques and technical precision to gently coax the aromas from the grapes, resulting in wines of great complexity and uncompromising quality, with great ageing potential.

The two blends produced, are the Constantia Glen Three and Constantia Glen Five. They have been named as to the number of Bordeaux varieties that make up the blend.

The new 2008 Constantia Glen Three, previously named The Saddle, is a blend dominated by Merlot (57%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (28%) and Cabernet Franc (15%). Matured in 70% new French oak for 16 months, this wine owes its lushness and subtleness of tannins to the winemakers strategy of using only free run wine in the blend.

“A fresh, modern interpretation of a classic Medoc,” is how the winemaker describes this full bodied complex wine which shows off its three expressive Bordeaux varieties with scents of heady tobacco and plummy, blackberry fruit. It has excellent expression of fruit on the palate offering intense sweetish black fruit tweaked by the lovely freshness of red cherry. The balance between richness and freshness is exceptional with long lingering fruit flavours and just a hint of spice from the oak in the background

The wine is drinking well now and impress’s despite its youth but if you have the patience the wine will gain complexity over the next four to eight years. I personally prefer to drink a wine of this quality with food and so we enjoyed a few glasses over a meal of rosemary grilled lamb chops prepared on my trusted Weber!

Expect to pay R158.00 @ Wine Concepts

Join us for a Gourmet Dinner with Kitchen Angel on Thursday 29 March, when we’ll have fun matching wine and food.

Visit Sushibox, our new neighbour in Newlands, for delicious sushi and fresh fish. Buy your cold beer or wine from us and enjoy your sushi on the lovely new deck.

Read our March newsletter now.

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