Fleur du Cap Merlot 2008

Bought this on a whim. I've had Fleur du Cap wine before and thought it was good so this seemed a safe choice.

I do like it. It's rich, fruity, and well-structured. The bottle has been open for a while now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. It's matured in small oak casks, which surely imparts some of the structure. It also has a pronounced green pepper/sour/zinginess to it which is uniquely South African. Not quite the South Africa rubbery character, but something else. Some might find this a bit full on, but I like it. I would definitely buy this again.

I think the offer may be finished today which is unfortunate or else I would have run out and bought loads of this. It's a bargain. Oddly, the bottle I had was 2008 (which I bought yesterday), and on the Waitrose website they are currently advertising the 2010. Did they skip a vintage?

Fleur du Cap

Merlot 2008

W.O. Coastal Region, South Africa

Waitrose

£5.99 (£7.49)

3.5/5

Koopmanskloof Percheron Sauvignon Blanc 2010

A South African Sauvignon Blanc today, and a Fairtrade one at that.

I didn't particularly like it. Its main flavour signatures seemed to be pear and wood smoke, neither of which I really like in my wine. The two flavours dominated and then tapered off to a rough finish.

Fairtrade or not, you can do better than this for South African Sauvignon Blanc, especially at this price.

Koopmanskloof

'Percheron' Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Virgin Wines

£9.99

2/5

Rijk's 'Touch of Oak' Chenin Blanc 2009

This is the South African Chenin Blanc that I've been looking for. After incessant moaning about its shortcomings, I've finally found one worth raving about.

It's lively, zesty and has good depth of fruit, unlike the others I've tried that are just zesty if you're lucky. All sorts of winemaking jumping through hoops was done here - with great results. Combinations of oak and stainless steel fermentation (90% new oak, 60% with natural yeast), French and Hungarian oak, etc. The end result is a combination of citrusy zest and waxy body, with good fruit too. Impressive.

Rijk's Private Cellar

'Touch of Oak' Chenin Blanc 2009

Coastal Region, South Africa

Virgin Wines

£15.99

4/5

Arabella 'In Unison' Reserve 2007

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and possibly Merlot and Viognier. I say possibly because on the Arabella website it declares all these grapes may be involved, and then below that it says 'Blend Information: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Shiraz'. Either way it doesn't really matter to me, because the wine is fantastic.

I like blended reds because sometimes individual varietal characteristics can be overwhelming, like green-pepper in Cabernet or black pepper spiciness in Shiraz, especially in New World wines. I enjoy blends much more, as you end up with a more interesting, complex wine, like this one. It also lacks the rubber character you sometimes get in South African reds, and is as good as any Australian blend I've had.

I'd say it's decent value at £11.99, but if you're a Naked Wines 'Angel' you'll get £4 of that back, and you won't do much better than this for £8.

Arabella

'In Unison' Reserve 2007

Robertson Valley, Western Cape, South Africa

Naked Wines

£11.99

4/5

Arabella Chenin Blanc 2010

Another wine from my Naked Wines taster pack today.

I consider myself a white wine person - that is, if I had to choose between red or white to drink for the rest of my life, I'd choose white. It offers more styles, is more flexible with food, and is more refreshing. I appreciate most of these styles, but one that I am struggling with is South African Chenin Blanc.

I haven't had one that I have really liked. Is it that I just don't get it? I love Loire Valley (France) Chenin Blanc - it can be complex, honeyed, crisp, bubbly, off-dry, sweet...pretty much whatever you want. This stuff however just seems to be mostly flat and neutral with a bit of rotten apple aftertaste. It induced full-body shudders from Miriam (she can be fussy though), and I only could really drink it after I had chilled it down to near-freezing temperatures. Is it the new Pinot Grigio perhaps?

Anyway, I could be harsher but I'm starting to think I just don't like this style.

Arabella

Chenin Blanc 2010

Robertson Valley, Western Cape, South Africa

Naked Wines

£7.99

2/5

Zonnebloem Chardonnay 2009

I wanted a decent, affordable Chardonnay and couldn't be bothered going into the supermarket. On my high street when I get out of the tube Oddbins is closest. In truth, I don't shop there much - they can't really compete with Waitrose (about 2 minutes further up the street) in terms of price, but they do offer an alternative selection. The manager there knows me, and I feel bad not going in more often.

Either way, I wasn't coming out empty-handed. There haven't been too many South African Chardonnays I haven't liked (possibly none). I don't drink them very often, but I usually go away impressed. This was £7.49, and the manager even gave it his seal of approval.

I liked it. It wasn't overly powerful or anything, but it had that meaty Chardonnay character with a touch of oak, and also the requisite tropical fruit flavours - a combination that makes it worthwhile in my opinion, especially at this price.

Zonnebloem

Chardonnay 2009

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Oddbins

£7.49

3/5

Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2009

After being a bit disappointed with the last South African Chenin Blanc I tried, I was on the lookout for more, hoping to find something that would excite me. Chenin Blanc is after all one of South Africa's signature varieties.

I dropped into Thorold Wines on Sunday, and saw this wine from Raats. I had never heard of it, and had no idea what to expect.

To be honest my experience wasn't that much different from the Ken Forrester wine. I didn't think this had a lot of varietal character, things like apple and honey like I notice in Loire Valley wines. These seem to be sort of neutral, crisp whites that are initially pleasing and refreshing but don't really seem to offer much else.

The Raats website contains some impressive accolades for this wine. Maybe I'm somehow missing the point?

Raats

Original Chenin Blanc 2009

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Thorold Wines

£8.80

2.5/5

Tesco Finest Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2009

I can't remember exactly why I wanted to try this. I do like a good Chenin Blanc, and I may have seen this in some newspaper columns or something. Tesco Finest, like Sainsbury's Taste the Difference, is pretty good value and a step above their entry-level own label wines.

It's currently on offer for just under £5 (sorry I don't remember the exact in store price, but it's £4.75 online, or 28% off).

The predominant flavour is apple, with a finish containing what reminds me of crystallized sugar, something that I usually associate with cheap whites. It's OK I guess, but I perhaps found it slightly disappointing. Ken Forrester has a bit of a reputation, and I expected more. Also, I'm used to French Chenin Blanc from the Loire, and have yet to have a South African one that really compares. I know they are out there, but to be fair the £5 price bracket probably isn't the place to be looking (although they do some cracking £5 Chenin Blanc in France...).

Ken Forrester

Tesco Finest Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2009

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Tesco

£4.75 (online, with 28% off)

2.5/5

Rustenberg John X. Merriman 2006

The other day I was looking for an affordable, high quality Bordeaux-blend wine. I didn't mind going a bit outside my usual price bracket, but not too far. I choose this South African wine from Rustenberg. The back label said it would be good to cellar for 10 to 15 years, and I figured it should have some complexity to it - it's a blend of pretty much all the red Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

It was a good choice. It had good complexity, depth and structure. It also had a touch of that South African rubber character. Very slight, but it was there. I don't think it took away from the wine though, but I think it would single out its origin in a blind tasting. No matter though, this is just about what I was looking for.

Rustenberg

John X. Merriman 2006

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Waitrose

£10.99

4/5

Chamonix Rouge 2006

This wine was I thought was one the best under £10 bargains of a recent tasting of South African wines from The Wine Society. It's a 'Bordeaux blend' of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.

With characteristics of sour cherries, capsicum and a bit of that South-African green rubberiness, it doesn't really taste like a typical Bordeaux blend, although that's not a bad thing. Overall it's soft and easy-drinking, and it has it's own, unique character.

Cape Chamonix

Rouge 2006

Franschhoek, South Africa

The Wine Society

£5.75

3/5

Wine Society Tasting - Wines of South Africa

A bunch of us attended this tasting on Wednesday evening (October 14th, 2009). These Wine Society events can be good fun and enlightening - or they can be laborious. This one was something in the middle, as there were a lot of wines (around 30), and a lot of people (it was uncomfortably crowded). The ticket prices are quite steep at £27.50, but you get to taste around 20 - 30 wines in a lovely venue (usually some sort of guild hall). Usually there are wines from the whole range, from cheap and cheerful to high-end and expensive.

Overall I was impressed with the wines, especially the reds. The good stuff was in the £15 range, although there were a couple under £10 that I liked as well. Highlights included:

• Boekenhoutskloof. The Chocolate Block 2007 (£14.95) didn't impress so much, but the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah varietals were lovely (£20 and £23 respectively). Boekenhoutskloof also produce the Porcupine Ridge label, which is an excellent value range that you can pick up in supermarkets.
  
• Chamonix. The Chamonix Rouge I thought was the best value wine there. For £5.75 you get an easy drinking blend of merlot, cab franc, malbec and cab sauvignon. If I was buying anything it would have been this.
• Kanonkop. At this point in the evening everyone was getting a bit fatigued, but that didn't stop these wines from impressing. Excellent Pinotage (£17) and Cabernet Sauvignon (£18) varietals, as well as a lovely blend - 'Paul Sauer' (£20). These wines were big, rich and complex and would also benefit from the cellar treatment.
• Quoin Rock. The 2003 Chardonnay was lovely - barrel fermented and bottle aged. For £9.95 it is a good deal.
• Tierhoek. The Tierhoek Straw Wine is a delicious sweet wine with a lovely nutty finish made from air dried Chenin Blanc grapes. Not cheap at £19 per half-bottle.
• Warwick Estate. I've tried Warwick Estate wines before - they're available at Waitrose (a Sauvignon Blanc and a Bordeaux blend called 'The First Lady'). 'The First Lady' was showcased here, and also a Wine Society own label blend - 'Exhibition Cape Blend' (£8.95). I liked The First Lady when I tried it from Waitrose, but here compared to some of the finer reds it paled a bit, but for £7.95 it's a good wine for the price. I don't think I tried the Exhibition Cape Blend...

Fleur du Cap Unfiltered Semillon 2008

This was recommended to me by my local Oddbins store manager. I had attended a tasting there a couple of weeks ago, and decided to purchase some wine (more on what I bought in future posts). I was buying with a friend, and we needed to make up a case of 12 to get a discount. I asked for a Semillon, and this is what I got.

I find Semillon intriguing. It doesn't enjoy the popularity of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, the critical acclaim of Riesling, or the mass-market appeal of Pinot Grigio. It's the main grape used in the sweet wines of Sauternes, and it's also used as a blending grape with Sauvignon Blanc (in white Bordeaux or Australian white blends). However, use of it as a dry varietal wine is limited, normally to the South Australia and New South Wales regions of Australia, where it can produce long-lived wines of complexity.

Fleur du Cap's motto is "wines inspired by nature". This particular wine is hand-picked, matured in oak on its lees and bottled without filtration, the aim being minimal interference.

This example is from South Africa. Stellenbosch, to be exact. It is produced by The Bergkelder, a "wine centre", which seems to be a combination winery, shop, museum and cellar. Fleur du Cap is the brand name of the wines they produce.

The nose and palate are initially dominated by lime. The nose isn't particularly forthcoming actually. I'm finding this wine hard to describe. The palate is very rich, not sweet but rich. Lemon furniture polish, with a long lingering finish. I usually find Semillon a bit strange, but I think that's part of its charm, and I keep coming back for more. It's great with food - tonight it was parma ham-wrapped chicken stuffed with Boursin.

It's not cheap (£10.99, £8.79 as part of a mixed case of 12), but it's not over-priced. Good Semillon falls in this price category.

Fleur du Cap

Unfiltered Semillon 2008

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Oddbins

£10.99 (£8.79 as part of a mixed case of 12)

3.5/5

Warwick Estate "The First Lady" 2007

I picked this up today from my local Waitrose. It's part of a "World of Wine Showcase", designed to expose customers to interesting wines from all over the world. There were several other wines I was tempted to try - the only thing stopping me was the fact that I have already spent my wine allowance for the month (and then some). However I also snuck in a Decanter trophy-winning Gruner Veltliner.

"The First Lady" is a blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot from the Warwick Estate winery in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Motivation for buying: I have recently pledged to try more South African wine, but the price was also attractive (£6.99 down from £10.99).

I quite like the wine. It has a nice, perfumed nose that shows like a proper Bordeaux blend with none of that South African rubbery smell. Good fruit on the palate along with a bit of mint. Medium depth, and a sweetish, slight vanilla finish. A bit high in alcohol (14%) - normally that doesn't bother me but for some reason I noticed it. I prefer these types of wines in the winter but overall I enjoyed it.

EDIT: Just noticed that the price is now £6.64 from Waitrose online. I guess that's the price they finally settled on.

Warwick Estate

"The First Lady" 2007

Stellenbosch, South Africa

Waitrose

£6.99 (£10.99)

3/5

Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2008

I've been investigating South African wines recently. I thought this Sauvignon Blanc would be a good bet, because I really enjoyed the Syrah from the same range.

However, I didn't like this wine. It's lacking in intensity and depth, and it possesses an unpleasant, vegetal character and has a slightly bitter finish.

I see from the producer's website that 2008 was a difficult harvest with lots of rain, and perhaps that explains this wine's poor character. South Africa can definitely do better than this, and I imagine this winery can as well.

Boekenhoutskloof
Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Franschhoek, South Africa
Waitrose
£5.24 (£6.99)
2/5

Boekenhoutskloof Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2007

This month's issue of Decanter featured a South African Syrah tasting. Conveniently Porcupine Ridge, the winner of the "Best Value" award, is available at my local Waitrose.

I was very keen to try this, as I've been meaning to try more South African wines. This particular wine was very deserving of the Best Value award, at only £6.99. Most of the other wines were well over £10. I enjoyed it as well, it has some peculiar aromas and flavours - notably burnt rubber or wood, and I'm not sure if this is characteristic of the grape, the country, or the oak. I've heard cases for all three, especially the country. However, it's not at all unpleasant, and on the palate disappears into a deep, complex fruity mouthful. Good stuff.

Boekenhoutskloof
Porcupine Ridge Syrah 2007
Franschhoek, South Africa
Waitrose
£6.99
3.5/5

Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay 2007

Like a lot of wine lovers, I am a bit skeptical about South African wine. The few that I have tried have been over-oaked and dull, reminiscent of that perception of cheap new world wines that made me turn to countries like France and Italy to begin with. Also, South African wines can be quite expensive, so I'm less inclined to try random bottles. However, after recently trying (and enjoying) a Boschendal Sauvignon Blanc, I decided to give the Chardonnay a try.

For me, Chardonnay is one of those things that I only like them if they are done well. That's not to say I'm a snob about it, I just don't really like the "default" Chardonnay flavour. But if it's a really nice one, then chances are I'll enjoy it. This is one such wine.

It has a rich character without being overpowering, which is key for me, and while I can't remember the price exactly, it was around £6 on sale, but i think it usually goes for around £8. An enjoyable South African Chardonnay for in the £6-8 range? Definitely a winner.

Boschendal
1685 Chardonnay 2007

Paarl, South Africa

Waitrose

~£8

3.5/5