Wine Club

August 01, 2017

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Club Wines - August 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Prawns & Other Asian inspired dishes

Thorne & Daughters Rocking Horse

The initial orange blossom, peach and burnt sugar aromas give way to more exotic wax, rosemary, caraway and sea-shore notes. It is layered and complex, and evolves beautifully in the glass. The palate is fine, structured and rich with flavours of quince and tea-leaf that settle into a long finish.

Pairs with

Creamy Mussels, Fish Dishes, Most salads

Clos Malverne Sauvignon Blanc

Full and dry with well balanced acid. Tropical fruit, flintiness and hints of asparagus and figs on the nose that all follow through to the palate. Drink now to really appreciate the fruitiness.

Pairs With

Thai Foods

The Liberator ep 8

Semillon - Beyond the periphery of South Africa's conventional vineyard region lie great vinous treasures, resigned to anonymity; forgotten, abandoned or just simply undiscovered. It is, the mission of Rick, our intrepid Cape Crusader, to seek and liberate these rare wines, consigning them to to the table of the most inquisitive and discerning imbiber.

Pairs With

Most red meats

Annandale Cavalier

Bordeaux style with shiraz oozes spice & black fruit. Big & sturdy yet balanced & smooth with lots of life after 7 years in the barrel.

Pairs With

oxtail, goulash, bredies, venison/p>

Neil Ellis Shiraz

Medium bodied, cool climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power. The wine is fresh and vibrant showing red fruit and perfume aromas and some dried herb notes. The palate shows bright fruit with hints of white pepper, spice with a good structure and grippy tannins to finish. Restraint use of oak.

 

Pairs With

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese Butter. Mediterranean Lamb Burgers.

Hofs Merlot

This is a complex beautifully balanced Merlot, showing a lively bouquet of plums and hints of mint on the nose. A natural red colour due to minimal filtration.

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

salad, chicken or fish dishes

Spier Discover Chenin Blanc Chardonnay

Yellow apple, guava and pear aromas, with winter melon and citrus undertones. Well structured, good balance and layers of tropical fruit flavours, with a fresh, crisp finish.

Pairs with

Salads & light meals

Doran Rosie D

Pinotage Rose - This Wine captures summer with a splash of strawberry and raspberry aromas on cloud of candyfloss. This invites you to a sip and leaves your palate refreshed and ready for more…

Pairs With

Serve with salads and light fish dishes, or simply on its own.

Babylonstoren Chenin Blanc

A light, crisp, dry wine that is fruit driven and juicy. Unwooded and refreshing with lovely guava and melon flavours rounded off with a hint of freshly cut grass and pear undertones.

Pairs With

Steaks and Roast meats

Villiera Cabernet Sauvignon

95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc - classic dark berry fruit with a hint of dark chocolate and violets on the nose. On the palate it is well balanced with rich, soft tannins.

Pairs With

Roast lamb, Pizza or pasta

Horse Mountain Michele

fruit driven blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Plums and raspberry with hints of dark/mint chocolate. This wine has an elegant structure making it approachable and ready to drink. A wine for all occasions.

 

Pairs With

Spicy mince dishes.

Abraham & the Heretics

Pinotage - Fragrant with dark fruit and spicy undertones. Great value for money wine

July 04, 2017

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Club Wines - July 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Roast Pork and apple sauce

Nitida Club Select Sauvignon Blanc

Sweet pea, Granny Smith, artichoke, nettle, nasturtium, guava and pine nuts. Drink this now! Perfect for summer.

Pairs with

Light meals, Seafood or even spicy Asian-inspired dishes.

Spier Creative Block 2

Grapes were hand-harvested early in the morning in 10kg lug boxes and pre-cooled before hand sorting, destemming and crushing. Skin contact was limited to 6 hours and the free run juice drained off to settle overnight before inoculation with a selected yeast strains . The fermentation took place under controlled temperatures between 12 – 14 °C. The wine matured for 6 months on the lees before bottling.Ripe kiwi fruit and white peaches on the nose with a strong intense green grassy undertone. Perfumed green winter melon, full pallated wine with an undertow of green asparagus.

Pairs With

Pasta, Risotto or Shellfish

Clos Malverne Chardonnay

A lightly oaked chardonnay was in wood for only 3 months. The subtle hint of combined French and American oak allow the citrus flavours to stand out with hints of vanilla. Ready to be enjoyed now or in a year’s time.

Pairs With

Any meat, hard & soft cheese

Annandale Cabernet Franc

Tobacco, raspberry, bell pepper, cassis, and violets. Absolutely delicious.

Pairs With

Fillet of beef, Braaivleis, Lamb shank or Italian cuisine

Carl Everson Cape Blend

1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Pinotage, 1/3 Shiraz Made from the best and carefully selected grapes from the farm, this is their flagship red wine. In keeping with the philosophy of this range, they let the grapes do the talking rather than fiddling too much in the cellar. There’s lovely blackcurrent, plum and mulberry aromas on the nose with a nuttiness from the barrel maturation. The full bodied, complex palate has an elegant dry finish.

Pairs With

Ribs, Pepper Steak and Lamb

Clos Malverne Pinotage Reserve

The wine has a dark plum colour. It shows a ripe berry character complimented by vanilla and spicy flavours – full- bodied, ready for drinking now, will also benefit from bottle ageing for another 5 years

 

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Fish or creamy pasta dishes

Heron's Nest Chardonnay

Medium bodied with fresh fruity flavours – lime, grapefruit and citrus. Light yellow with a hint of green. To be enjoyed now and within the next year.

Pairs With

Spicy food, Seafood and chicken

Barton Chenin Blanc

Intense wood aroma with a hint of woodspice. Crisp with moderate acidity and good balance. Honey and pineapple notes accompany light wood tannins and a long finish.

Pairs With

Salads & fish dishes or oily foods

Spier Sauvignon Blanc

Pale straw in colour with a greenish hue. Intense aromas of gooseberries, passion fruit, green and yellow peppers and hints of tropical fruit on the nose. Medium bodied good balance between fruit and acidity on the palate.

Pairs With

Boerewors or other barbeque meats

Heron's Nest Red Blend

A full -bodied red blend, with Pinotage, South Africa's own cultivar. Spicy with a lot of ripe fruit and pleasantly dry tannins. Good maturation prospects - 5 to 7 years.

Pairs With

Roast lamb, Pizza or pasta

Doolhof Cape Boar

Red plum in colour, with blackberry, cherry, truffle and cedar wood on the nose. The palate, medium in body, shows an abundance of fruit, softness and fine subtle tannins towards the back. The wine has a dry and lingering finish.

Pairs With

Oxtail & venison

Annexkloof Xenna Shiraz

A spicy full bodied red wine, with white pepper undertones. Slight French oak gives this wine a soft tannin structure with smooth mouth feel. Combining dark berry fruit with spicy richness makes this wine a drinking pleasure. Able to age for five years.

 

June 01, 2017

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Club Wines - June 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Poultry and Pork dishes

Waterford Estate Chardonnay

Single vineyard – A special and unique vineyard on the Waterford Estate property, planted in 1988 making it one of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in the country. Aromatics of peach pip and lemon zest, as well as soft coconut husk and nutmeg notes from the gentle oak usage can be found. The vintage produced a slightly fuller Chardonnay to others due to an overall warmer season. The age of these vines proves to still produce lovely restraint, tightly structured wines which will benefit from time spent in bottle.

Pairs with

Pan-seared scallops with asparagus and pancetta.

Kloof Street Chenin Blanc

Our Kloof Street range is all about freshness, balance and great drinkability. Grapes come from vineyard parcels on a variety of soils in different parts of the Swartland. The wine is part tank and part barrel fermented. Pale straw in colour, this wine has a nose of sun ripened pears and wet granite. The palate has a vibrant acidity balanced by a soft, round texture and some pithy character. The wine has a fresh, mineral finish. Best drunk young and served at 10 to 12 ˚C.

Pairs With

Asparagus, Salmon, Charcuterie, Pasta dishes

Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc

A clear, bright white wine hinting towards a light, lively straw to lime green colour. At first glance the nose meets daring aromas of passion fruit, peach and grapefruit, which unfurl into the most delicate array of spices with a single swirl of the glass. Here the tropical facade so slightly fades to expose underlying hints of fennel seed, white pepper and cardamom, neatly strung together by an uplifting, yet delicate perfume of mandarin. The wine’s complex bouquet gains even more vibrancy once the citrus flavours encounter the palate’s rich, creamy texture, which is achieved during maturation on the lees in stainless steel tanks for 4 months prior to bottling. A portion of 5% Sémillon was incorporated into the blend to add some depth to the wine’s otherwise racy acidity and rich core, resulting in a mouthfeel that demands a sip more. The 2016 Sauvignon blanc is a classic Constantia wine, showing beautiful elegance, a well-defined minerality and the kind of structure that allows for superlative ageing under ideal cellaring conditions

Pairs With

Pork Belly or barbeque meat

Kloof Street Rouge

The Swartland Rouge is a Mediterranean style red blend based on Syrah with other Rhône varieties. The grapes are sourced from vineyards on the different soils in various parts of the Swartland. This seductive blend of Southern Rhône varieties has a perfumed nose of violets, spice and purple fruit. The medium to full bodied, food-friendly palate is finely textured with firm but approachable tannins and a fresh, lingering finish. Best served at 16 to 18 °C

Pairs With

Pan Fried Beef or game, smoked venison carpaccio or soft Indian curry.

Creative Block 3

Grapes were harvested by hand and pre-cooled prior to de-stemming, hand sorted to take out green, pink and raisin berries and fermented for up to 14 days. Malolactic fermentation and maturation took place in 90% 300 litre French and 10% American oak barrels for 18 months of which 60% was first fill and the balance, second fill. The wines are made individually to address each varietal’s need for undivided attention and to ensure that the varietal and site expression is forthcoming. Selective tasting from the barrels helped to determine the composition of the blend. The Rhône-style blend was done to ensure harmony amongst the three varietals and to find the ultimate balance between fruit, palate volume, oak extract and tannin. Introduction of subtle perfumed notes of violets, pomegranate and mulberry followed by spicy flavours of black pepper and coriander. A silky, rich mid-palate follows with concentration of fruit and dense, silky tannins.

Pairs With

Perfect with Roast Lamb

Flagstone Dark Horse Shiraz

The wine has a dark, rich plummy colour going over to purple rim. The nose is filled with ripe blackcurrants and mulberry, supported by subtle spicy undertones of cinnamon and cloves. The complexity on the nose flows over to the pallet. The wine is big and round on entry with smooth and silky tannins that show well even though the wine is still young. Flavours of ripe mulberry and rich dark chocolate lingers on the palate together with flavours of sweet spice and toasted oak.

 

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Seafood

Front Row White

Chenin Blanc/Roussanne. A juicy, surprisingly complex wine with intense flavours and aromas of citrus and stone fruit.

Pairs With

Seafood, Salads and White Meat, Goats Cheeses

Peaks View Sauvignon Blanc

A crisp wine of high quality that presents tropical flavours and hints of Green pepper. The full, ripe palate in aftertaste is due to the extensive lees contact. Colour. Clear with a light green tint.

Pairs With

Pork chops, chicken caesar salad.

Avondale Chenin Blanc

Lime, grapefruit, pineapple, quince, with just a dash of honey on the nose. The palate is dense with ripe flavours and juicy with tangy peach and brie flavours, delivered with good intensity and freshness. These mouthwatering flavours linger quite long on the palate.

Pairs With

Beef dishes/Barbeque meats

Front Row Red

Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier Mocha and chocolate with dark berry flavours are complimented by spicy undertones; the mouthfeel is soft elegant, with fine length on the finish.

Pairs With

Boerewors or Bobotie

Avondale Pinotage

Attractive fruity flavours - raspberry, strawberry, red cherry and plum - dominate the nose of this wine, with just a touch of wood to add to the complexity of the bouquet. The fruit bursts through on the pallet and lingers to complement the medium-full body of the wine.

Pairs With

Big flavours of brisket, stew, lamb or venison. It might even rich out to a roast duck in plum sauce.

Cloof Very Sexy Shiraz

Grown in vineyards that have been described as ‘Shiraz Heaven’, this wine’s luscious fruit was accessorised with French Oak, making a wine so appealing and seductive that it could only be named after the experience one has when drinking it. A deep, dark ruby red colour. Intense and complex flavours of white pepper, cloves, cinnamon supported by dark fruit flavours on the nose that follows through on the palate. A full-bodied wine with soft ripe tannins and intense spicy flavours.

 

April 27, 2017

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Club Wines - May 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Poultry and Pork dishes

Buitenverwachting Hussey's Vlei Sauvignon Blanc

Part whole bunch pressing, part skin contact for 12 hours. Selection of five yeast strains. Fermented 12ºC - 16ºC for 21 days. The wine has a pale lemon yellow colour and a bouquet reminiscent of green peppers combined with herbaceous aromas. The wine is dry, full bodied and has a long lingering finish.”

Pairs with

Light meals, Seafood or even spicy Asian-inspired dishes.

Spier Creative Block 2

Grapes were hand-harvested early in the morning in 10kg lug boxes and pre-cooled before hand sorting, destemming and crushing. Skin contact was limited to 6 hours and the free run juice drained off to settle overnight before inoculation with a selected yeast strains . The fermentation took place under controlled temperatures between 12 – 14 °C. The wine matured for 6 months on the lees before bottling.Ripe kiwi fruit and white peaches on the nose with a strong intense green grassy undertone. Perfumed green winter melon, full pallated wine with an undertow of green asparagus.

Pairs With

Classical spicy dishes, grilled Langoustines or a mussel hotpot.

Kanu KCB

Rich gold with lime green hues. Peach kernel, beeswax and spicy nutmeg on the nose. Powerful entry onto the pallet with nuances of stone fruit, the tartness of green apples and mouth coating vanillins. The KCB is a rich and rewarding wine with a long finish and will benefit from cellaring, should temptation be conquered.Kanu KCB was made with minimal interference, including natural fermentation and as such, harmless crystals may precipitate in the bottle over time.Balance between rich and fresh

Pairs With

Roasted or grilled beef or lamb

Barton Winemaker's Reserve

Blending: 57% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Malbec This Bordeaux style blend has a dense, saturated purple colour with violet chocolate and ripe mulberry aromas followed on the palate by cassis and a hint of almond. This full-bodied wine exibits ripe tannins, exquisite balance and a long subtle velvety finish. So tailored & sleek, belies its youthful intensity, will age with distinction. The wine was aged for 24 months in 100% French Oak barrels of which 30% was new wood, 20% 2nd, and 25% each 3rd and 4th fill.

Pairs With

Light meat dishes, beef or chicken schnitzel

Neil Ellis Groenekloof Shiraz

Neil Ellis and his son Warren make a varied and excellent range of wines using fruit from four different vineyard regions: Elgin, the Jonkershoek Valley, Piekenierskloof and, the source of this wine, Groenekloof, near Darling on South Africa’s Atlantic coast. This is one of two Neil Ellis ‘Shirazes’ from Groenekloof (there’s a Syrah in the winery’s pricier premium vineyard-selection series) and there’s also a third from cooler-climate Elgin. It is sourced from unirrigated, low-yielding bush vines on decomposed granite and clay soils and aged in larger, 500-litre French oak puncheons.Aged for 15 months in new, two year and older French puncheons of 500 litre capacity. Special care is taken to maintain fruit integrity. Medium bodied, cool climate Shiraz, in which balance is more important than power. The wine is fresh and vibrant showing red fruit and perfume aromas and some dried herb notes. The palate shows bright fruit with hints of white pepper, spice with a good structure and grippy tannins to finish. Restraint use of oak.

Pairs With

Roast Beef

Eagle's Nest Merlot

The grapes for this wine were the fourth and fifth vintage off eight and nine year old vines. The vineyard aspects range from east to north, and are perfectly positioned for these Bordeaux varieties. All grapes were hand picked, de-stalked and crushed into medium sized open top fermenters. Punch-downs and pump-overs were performed three to four times per day, these practices being determined by twice daily tastings by the winemaker.This is ensured that at all times the fermenting must evolved to embody the desired style. The fermentation temperature was controlled between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. Fermentation took 9 days to complete, after which the free run wine was drawn off and the skins were pressed in a 3.5 ton pneumatic bag press. The wine was then racked into first, second and third fills barrels where malo-lactic fermentation took place. Six different cooperages were used, each specifically chosen to complement the different nuances of this very complex wine. During maturation, the wine was racked twice. After 16 months in barrel selected barrels were racked to tank and blended to create a harmonious finished product. A light filtration preceded bottling in February 2012. On the nose is a textured array if gorgeous ripe berry fruit, complemented by nuanced baking spice and crushed pepper. The fruit is vibrant, complex and pleasantly focused by bright acidity. On the palate the delicious dark berry fruit of the nose is carried through to the taste buds and they combine harmoniously to give a rewarding taste sensation. Flavours are supported by juicy tannins and extend into a persistent aftertaste. The is ready to drink now and will improve with correct cellaring up to 2022

 

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Good on its own or perfect with fish

Spier Sauvignon Blanc

Grapes were hand harvested from selected vineyard blocks, received at the cellar, de-stemmed and crushed. It was given short skin contact and then pressed. Clear settled juice was racked from their lees and inoculated with selected yeast strains. Temperature controlled fermentation took place. Only the best tanks are selected for the final preparation of the blend according to the style of the wine. Maturation occurred on the fine lees for another three months to give extra body and elegance, prior to preparation for bottling. Intense aromas of gooseberries, passion fruit, green and yellow peppers and hints of tropical fruit on the nose. Medium-bodied with a good balance between fruit and acidity on the palate.

Pairs With

Seafood & Spicy Dishes

Flagstone Tributary Chenin Blanc

Imagine starting at the sea, where a big river runs into the surf. You explore upstream looking for the source, the reason. A carefully crafted wine is a bit like a river. It is born of many influences, many tributaries. This wine honours that philosophy because a balanced, delicious wine is always the result of many convergent energies; the weather, geography and the winemaker being just one of them. It is how they come together. A fresh peach bouquet with ripe apricot and dried pear introduce exotic aromas of this noble grape. Tropical notes follow through to palate with hints of stone fruit and vanilla, finishing with a well-balanced crisp acidity in a brilliant gold wine with a green tint.

Pairs With

Chicken, pork chops, chicken caesar salad.

Flagstone Noon Gun

Blend of the three best white varieties growing in South Africa today, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The Chenin Blanc grapes are from quite old, gnarly, dry-grown vineyards in the Swartland. They are naturally in balance and yield a very small, concentrated crop. This gives amazing structure and creaminess to the wine. The Sauvignon Blanc loves our mineral rich soil and cool sea breezes and offers zesty zing with passionfruit and fig flavours with a long, refreshing finish. These grapes hail from various coastal vineyards, including Elim, Elgin and as far north as Lutzville. The Viognier adds an inviting fruity/floral nose and lots of ripe citrus flavours on the palate. We source our Viognier from both warm and cool climates to get both the heady, spicy flavours and enticing floral aromas The Noon Gun canon stands on Signal Hill above the town centre in Cape Town, known in South Africa as The Mother City. Its daily firing is South Africa’s oldest official tradition. Intriguing, floral nose of guava, orange zest and apple. The smooth, balanced palate offers honeydew melon with slices of paw paw, a touch of orange peel, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The fruitiness is balanced by a creamy mouthfeel and a zesty crisp lingering finish.

Pairs With

Slow cooked lamb stew with rich tomato herb and garlic sauce, green haricots and grilled polenta.

Holden Manz Vernissage

Very mild summer, with early February heat moving into more moderate temperatures later. Rain towards the end of picking season made it a tricky period to judge timing. Late ripening for cabernet sauvignon and cooler weather conditions provided particularly elegant tannins and structure. A beautiful collaboration of the typical characteristics of the three cultivars, the nose is showing lots of red berry flavors and black fruit originating from the Cabernet Sauvignon as well as upfront spice and dark cherries from the Syrah and plum from the Merlot.This wine has beautiful ripe, soft and mellowing tannins with good balance and a soft lingering finish. Spice, tobacco and cassis flavors are prominent. Balanced acidity and vibrant flavours compliment this elegant wine.

Pairs With

Pork & Beef dishes

Barton Shiraz/Cabernet

65% Shiraz | 35% Cabernet Sauvignon The wine was aged for 16 months in 100% French Oak barrels of which 25% were new wood, and 25% each 2nd 3rd and 4th fill. Concentrated berries and white pepper spice can be found on the nose supported by savory notes.

Pairs With

BBQ foods, or on its own by the fire

Horse Mountain Michele

65% Cabernet, 32% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc A fruit driven blend of plums and raspberries. Hints of dark mint chocolate. A wine for all occasions!

 

April 03, 2017

0 Comments


Club Wines - April 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Strong flavoured fish and seafood, mild curries such as bobotie and chicken korma, and some Asian foods.

Mellasat White Pinotage

The world’s first White Pinotage!

“The paradox of this wine is that the eye belies the other senses! Making white wine from red grapes using South Africa’s unique Pinotage grape. Whole bunch pressing prevented the juice from obtaining colour from the skins. Barrel fermented and matured for eleven months with lees stirring gives this wine a slightly creamy, nutty character to balance the tropical pineapple fruit and banana flavours.”

Pairs with

Spicy Asian Foods as well as seafood, shellfish, chicken, veal and pork

The Foundry Viognier

4* Platter Guide

The grapes were crushed and pressed and the free run Viognier juice settled overnight before being run into second-fill French oak white wine barrels. Half the barrels were inoculated while the other half underwent “wild”, un-inoculated fermentation. About half the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was matured on the lees for 6 months before being bottled. Pale marigold in colour, clear and bright with a pronounced greenish hue. The nose is exotic with expressive apricot, spring blossom and creamy citrus underlined by a smoky, gunflint minerality. These flavours follow through onto the palate which is dense with crushed fresh fruit, succulent juiciness and finishes with a mineral steeliness which makes this wine ideal with food.

Pairs With

Game Fish, Game Birds, Poultry.

Fable Mountain Vineyards - The Jackal Bird

5* in Platter's Guide.

The grapes for this wine were harvested at optimum ripeness, hand sorted, crushed and destemmed. The juice was immediately pressed and cold settled for 2 days at 55ºF. Half was fermented in stainless steel tanks and half was fermented in 400 litre French barrels. After fermentation the wine was left on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks/wood barrels for 9 months. Hints of tropical fruit on the nose. This wine has a firm acidity showing mineral flavours on the finish. Light to pale straw. Inviting complex and intriguing floral aromas with pear and citrus. On the palate crisp minerality and stone fruit as well as a pithy texture and a subtle lingering finish, fresh and elegant with unravelling layers.

Pairs With

Roasted or grilled beef or lamb

Marvelous Blue

Cabernet Sauvignon 42%, Cabernet Franc 30%, Merlot 15%, Malbec 13%

The blue colour scheme of this Marvelous label hopefully serves as a stylistic prompt, perhaps leading one to Aquitaine on the mid-Atlantic coast of France. Cool tranquility and a certain aristocratic restraint. These qualities are portrayed in this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. I love the crunchy aromatics, herbal flavours and classy texture of these varieties. We’ve sourced fruit from cooler sites in both Elgin and the Polkadraai ward of Stellenbosch, which enjoys the moderating influence of False Bay.The winemaking is simple. Fermentation relying on punch downs in open top fermenters,as well as closed tanks using pump-overs to wet the fermenting cap and thus extract colour and flavour. Once dry, the wines were transferred to neutral oak barrels in order to mature and transform over a period of roughly 11 months before blending and bottling preparation. Rich and brooding in appearance, the nose exhibits wonderfully fresh aromatic notes of cassis, menthol, and a savoury cedar wood note.The palate is full bodied and complex, with a gentle tannin profile of ripe, mouth-watering texture. The delicious finish is marked by a distinct note of freshness.

Pairs With

Slow cooked beef stew, Grilled Steak with blue cheese sauce

Bodega Stagnari - Prima Donna Merlot

Bright garnet colour with a nose like grandma's make-up box; violet, waxy, with a powdery sensation at the back of the nose. The mouth delivery on the violet aroma's and brings fresh clean cranberry and field strawberry flavours.

Pairs With

Hearty Beef dishes

Nitida Cabernet Sauvignon

Exotically spiced and stewed dark red fruits with aged leafy compost, grandpa’s tobacco and macho flint.

 

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Bacon and papaya salad, seafood dishes, lemon and herb chicken dishes.

Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay

Over the years, while tasting through Chardonnay barrels in their underground cellar, they came upon some barrels displaying the most attractive vanilla notes. Curiosity led them on a journey, exploring the source of this distinctive vanilla profile, and the seed was sown to capture this enchanting essence in a bottle. Vines are nestled in broken shale soil and Chardonnay grapes with peachy flavours are selected for good flavour intensity. Carefully selected oak is chosen for the months of maturation. White oak roasted at specific temperatures releases vanillin which marries with the tropical Chardonnay fruit to push the vanilla-like flavours to the front. The colour is pale yellow. On the nose you get a combination of fruits like melon, mango, peach, pineapple and passion-fruit with butterscotch, crème brulee and a distinct note of Vanilla. On the palate you get peaches, a touch of zesty lime and a pleasant, lingering flavour of Vanilla to finish off with.

Pairs With

Delicate fish, vegetables dishes and cheese

Barton Sauvignon Blanc

Silky smooth and medium-bodied with green apple and white pear on the nose. Balanced and well-structured with tropical fruit and hints of apricot,pineapple and honey on the palate which linger on the after taste.

Pairs With

An ideal summer wine that pairs excellently with Waldorf salad, grilled seafood and sushi, or simply on its own.

Kanu Unwooded Chenin Blanc

The grapes were hand picked from low yielding bush vines, averaging 31 years for the Chenin Blanc. Sun ripened straw in colour. A compelling nose of winter melons, floral gardens and savoury notes. Warm honey-spiced fruit further compliments the nose. The palate is characterised by tropical fruits, floral notes and spice from late harvested grapes. A lively acidity balances the fruit, resulting in a crisp finish.

Pairs With

Braai/BBQ, Bobotie.

Horse Mountain Pinotage

With multiple layers of red fruits. Rounded fruity palate and soft tannins making this an easy to drink red wine. Enjoy all year round, including chilled on a hot summer's day.

Pairs With

Braai/BBQ, Bobotie.

Clos Malverne Cabernet/Merlot

The grapes are hand- harvested at optimal ripeness. They are then destalked, crushed and fermented for 7 days on their skins in open fermenting tanks. The average fermentation temperature is 25-30° C. After fermentation the skins are pressed in traditional basket presses. The free run and pressed juices are combined and Malolactic fermentation spontaneously takes place in the tank. The wine was racked and matured in new 225l oak barrels (80% French, 20% American) for 12 months. After barrel maturation the wine was blended (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot), fined and bottled. The wine has a deep rend colour. A smooth, easy drinking red wine to be enjoyed now. A lighter style Cabernet blend. The herby, berry character of the Cabernet Sauvignon is apparent and complimented by the fruitiness of the merlot. To be enjoyed now, but can be aged for another 2 – 3 years.

Pairs With

red meat dishes like stews, steaks, roasts

Vasco & The Explorers

‘‘I am not afraid of the darkness. Real death is preferable to a life without living.’’ Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama (c.1460 – 1524) was a Portuguese explorer and the first European to reach India by sea; linking Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope. Da Gama’s first expedition left Lisbon in July 1497 and followed the route pioneered by earlier explorers along the west coast of Africa, before heading into the open ocean and crossing the Equator to seek the South Atlantic westerlies that Bartolomeu Dias had discovered a decade earlier. For over three months da Gama and his crew sailed for more than 10,000 kilometres before they successfully made landfall on the African coast on 4 November. It was from here that they headed east to the Orient. The spices obtained from their expedition were all new to Europe and resulted in a commercial monopoly for the Portuguese for decades to come. But a century on, both the British and the Dutch challenged and eventually broke Portugal’s naval supremacy for the route around Africa. Da Gama never set out to colonise the Cape and neither is there evidence of him ever having populated the land with vines. But if he had, the complexion of the South African vineyards might well be influenced more by Iberian rather than French varieties. In reality, the modern era of Touriga in the Cape is as recent as the mid-1990s. It remains the most revered Portuguese grape, especially in respect of fortified wines. Deeply coloured, concentrated and tannic, Touriga is also distinguished by its fragrance and perfume.

 

March 01, 2017

0 Comments


Club Wines - March 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Veal, Grilled calamari, mussels or steamed asparagus.

Flagstone Free Run Sauvignon Blanc

4.5* Platter's Guide

The wine is made from the juice that runs freely from the press to produce an exceptional crisp, fresh and lingering quality in the wine. It ages magnificently and the best vintages can be enjoyed 10 years from bottling. Creating a top class Sauvignon Blanc is a very technical process and requires precise and careful handling throughout in achieving a balanced, crisp white wine. Long, lingering, yummy flavours. Almost colourless liquid with a hint of limey greenness around the rim. It is so clear; the intense, complex nose comes as a bit of a surprise. An upfront herbaceousness is followed by a bombardment of green pepper, fig leaves, passion fruit, star fruit and limey aromas, ending with a distinctive, bright flintiness. This is an expression of the excellent climate and soil on which these grapes were grown. The complexity of the nose is expressed on the palate giving this wine a full, crisp and lively mouth-feel, with an after taste that lingers.

Pairs with

Tuna carpaccio, grilled line fish with coriander, chicken with citrus & chilli

Nativo White Blend

Viognier 60%,Chenin Blanc 40%

The Viognier grapes were hand-picked into small baskets and naturally fermented and matured in second fill, small oak barrels for 9 months. The Chenin spent the same time in tank before being blended with the Viognier. Our aim was to create a wine with a harmonious palate and a good finish to partner a wide range of food dishes. Only 3,000 bottles have been produced. An elegant, medium bodied and well-rounded white blend with fragrant aromas of pears and underlying citrus flavours; good oak fruit integration and a long fresh finish

Pairs With

Rich Fish or Creamy chicken dishes.

Botanica Chenin Blanc

5* in Platter's Guide. Tim Atkin-95 points.

The grapes for this wine were harvested at optimum ripeness, hand sorted, crushed and destemmed. The juice was immediately pressed and cold settled for 2 days at 55ºF. Half was fermented in stainless steel tanks and half was fermented in 400 litre French barrels. After fermentation the wine was left on the fine lees in stainless steel tanks/wood barrels for 9 months. Hints of tropical fruit on the nose. This wine has a firm acidity showing mineral flavours on the finish.

Pairs With

Shepherd's Pie, Lamb burgers or Steak with Blue Cheese.

Clos Malverne Merlot

The grapes are hand- harvested at optimal ripeness. They are then destalked, crushed and fermented for 7 days on their skins in open fermenting tanks. The average fermentation temperature is 25-30° C. After fermentation the skins are pressed in traditional basket presses. The free run and pressed juices are combined and Malolactic fermentation spontaneously takes place in the tank. The wine was racked and matured in second fill 225l oak barrels (80% French, 20% American) for 12 months. Red fruit on the nose with underlying hints of star anise and smoky aromas. It is exceptionally smooth.

Pairs With

Roast chicken breast and confit leg, boudin noir and quince.

Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection Pinotage

Vibrant colour with youthful hues. Bright aromatics, perfumed sweet fruit with spicy varietal notes. Textured palate with red cherry notes gives way to fine grained tannins neatly framed with attractive cedar-like undertones. A medium bodied wine with deceptive power.

Pairs With

Duck breast and maple syrup,pork and honey mustard,good company.

Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Malbec

86% Malbec , 14% Cabernet Franc

This is a real treat. Rich raspberry aromas with lingering violet and soft mature tannins. Perfectly aged for your enjoyment right now or to keep a few years more.

 

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Seafood, Sushi, Goats cheese

Horse Mountain White Blend

Chenin Blanc, Rousanne and Grenache Blanc.

Fresh, crispy wine with an elegant finish.

Pairs With

Chilled with sundried figs, sour dough bread and soft cheeses. Add sunshine and a picnic basket to your taste.

Vondeling Sauvignon Blanc

Grapes are picked in the cool, early hours of the morning then packed into a cold room for further cooling. Once the grapes are below 10°C they are gently destemmed, crushed and pressed speedily to tank. During this process, the sensitive Sauvignon Blanc juice is protected from oxidative degradation, through the judicious application of dry ice pellets. These pellets form an “insulation blanket” of carbon dioxide gas above the juice. All free-run juice and press juice are managed separately, according to their character. The juice is cold settled for 48 hours before it is racked from its sediments and inoculated with pure yeast cultures. Cold fermentation at 11°C locks in freshness and ensures an intense tropical fruit bouquet. After fermentation, the wine is kept on the gross lees for 7 months. This practice adds weight to the palate and promotes a creamier mouth feel. Pale straw with a slight green edge. A pungent nose. Rich with floral perfume, passion fruit. Balanced beautifully by a fresh amount of capsicum and kiwi fruit sweetness. The aromas on the nose carry through beautifully to a charged, fruit driven palate with subtle zing, some flintiness and the lingering taste of guava.

Pairs With

Salmon, slow-roasted beetroot fresh strawberries.

Babylonstoren Mouvedre Rose

Grapes were given 2 hours’ skin contact in the press after which it underwent cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 3 weeks. Racked of primary lees and kept on thin lees for 3 months before bottling. Strawberry yoghurt on the palate with candy-floss finish and fresh acidity for a delicious, lingering mouth-feel.

Pairs With

Braai/BBQ or hearty meat dishes.

Solms Delta Shiraz

The grapes were harvested from 3 different blocks of Shiraz on Solms Delta estate. The soils are mainly sandy alluvial soils which allow for great fruit purity and finesse in the wine. A portion of Shiraz was brought in from the Wellington area and adds structure and intensity to the blend. Dark fruits of plum, prune and cassis. The wine has subtle hints of oak spice with notes of liquorice and mint that leads to a smooth, generous palate.

Pairs With

Game or dark bitter chocolate

Horse Mountain Pinotage

Elegant Shiraz with an intricate, aromatic profile and great concentration. Expect intense plum and violet aromas, spice layered. A well structured wine with a lingering finish.

Pairs With

Marinated beef fillet skewers with onion, bell pepper, tomato and mushroom served on saffron rice.

Lyngrove Reserve Shiraz/Pinotage

Berries were crushed and cold-soaked for about 48hrs, and then inoculated with suitable yeast to bring out the best of the varietal. The Pinotage harvest started late Feb and the Shiraz mid March. Fermented in stainless steel tanks with pump-overs (aeration)every 4 hours. This was done to extract all of the colour and flavours from the must. Fermentation takes about 5 days at temperatures between 24-28°C. The wine was matured in older barrels for 18 months in a combination of French and American Oak. Intense dark, spicy cherry and ripe strawberry characters with a rich concentrated palate. Fruit balanced by toasty character derived from oak maturation. Creamy textured finish

February 03, 2017

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Club Wines - February 2017

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Fish, Chicken, Pork or creamy dishes

Klein Constantia Chardonnay

Fresh and light toastiness on nose with butterscotch and nutmeg aromas. Medium bodied with an elegant structure, the wine has a flintiness with a balanced acidity that leads to a long finish.

Pairs With

Roast Duck & Pair Salad

Diemersfontein Carpe Diem Chenin Blanc Reserve

Grapes were harvested in three different terroirs and three different occasions, this was done to ensure the maximum complexity in the final blend. 35% of the ripest component was fermented in 100% new French oak. The remaining wines were fermented in stainless steel tanks to ensure balanced, fresh, fruity flavours to complement the oaked portion. All wine components were kept on their lees for 9 months to develop the mouth feel and insure long term age ability.A nose of pineapple, taste of green apples and pears with warm toasty biscuit aromas to add balance acidity lends to this wines fine length and compatibility with many flavourful dishes.

Pairs With

Butter roasted free-range chicken with seasoned goat cheese under the skin or fish nuggets with anchovy mayonnaise.

Spier Creative Block 2

85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Semillon

Grapes were hand-harvested early in the morning in 10kg lug boxes and pre-cooled beforehand sorting, destemming and crushing. Skin contact was limited to 6 hours and the free run juice drained off to settle overnight before inoculation with a selected yeast strains. The fermentation took place under controlled temperatures between 12 – 14 °C. The wine matured for 6 months on the lees before bottling. Ripe kiwi fruit and white peaches on the nose with a strong intense green grassy undertone. Perfumed green winter melon, full plated wine with an undertow of green asparagus.

Pairs With

Pork Casserole, Lamb, Sausages or BBQ meat

Babylons Peak SMG

86% Shiraz, 7% Mourvèdre, 7% Grenache

The oldest Shiraz vines (thirty-three years old) go into this blend. They are a French clone, SH1, that is increasingly rare in South Africa because of its particularly low yield. Despite that, they still undergo green harvesting around veraison. The grapes were destemmed but not crushed. They underwent thirty-six hours’ cold maceration, and then fermented in open tanks for seven days at 24-26ºC. After a further five days’ skin contact, the wine was racked to French oak barriques (fifty percent new) for malolactic, blended, and then aged for sixteen months. A fabulously aromatic Rhône-inspired blend, with bramble fruit, violets and complex smoky-mineral notes. The palate is seamlessly textured and beautifully balanced, with real lift yet no lack of power.

Pairs With

De-boned leg of lamb, barbequed over a hot bed of coals or hearty, slow cooked rolled pork belly with root vegetables and herby roast tomatoes

Vondeling Erica

Shiraz 81%, Grenache 7%, Carignan 6%, Mourvedre 3%, Viognier3%

After being chilled overnight, bunches are partially destemmed, but not crushed, and whole berry fermentation takes place in open-top fermentation tanks. An initial two day period of cold soaking is applied before wild yeast fermentation is allowed to commence. This cold maceration practice extends the maceration period, and promotes gentle tannin and aromatic extraction. During fermentation, hand plunging is the method of mixing and extraction. After fermentation, extended maceration takes place for at least two weeks. All wine is then transferred directly to barrel where malolactic fermentation takes place. Only bigger French oak barrels are used, with about one third new and the rest 2nd and 3rd fill. The wine is allowed to mellow for 16 months before final selection and blending. After blending, this superior combination is allowed to integrate for a further 6 months before bottling. Rich deep red / purple colour with an opulent nose of juicy plums and sweet blackcurrants. Interlaced with this are hints of spicy cloves, nutmeg, black pepper and coriander seeds. Well weighted oak brings its own spiciness, with plenty of svelte dark fruit and chocolatey richness. The wine has a full, viscous texture and a long finish.

Pairs With

Veal, Steak or Lamb

Eagle's Nest Merlot

The grapes for this wine were the fourth and fifth vintage off eight and nine year old vines. All grapes were hand picked, de-stalked and crushed into medium sized open top fermenters. Punch-downs and pump-overs were performed three to four times per day, these practices being determined by twice daily tastings by the winemaker.The fermentation temperature was controlled between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. Fermentation took 9 days to complete, after which the free run wine was drawn off and the skins were pressed in a 3.5 ton pneumatic bag press. The wine was then racked into first, second and third fills barrels where malo-lactic fermentation took place. Six different cooperages were used, each specifically chosen to complement the different nuances of this very complex wine. During maturation, the wine was racked twice. After 16 months in barrel selected barrels were racked to tank and blended to create a harmonious finished product. A light filtration preceded bottling in February 2012. This vintage shows complexity and has a textured array if gorgeous ripe berry fruit, complemented by nuanced baking spice and crushed pepper. The fruit is vibrant, complex and pleasantly focused by bright acidity. On the palate the delicious dark berry fruit of the nose is carried through to the taste buds and they combine harmoniously to give a rewarding taste sensation. Flavours are supported by juicy tannins and extend into a persistent aftertaste. The is ready to drink now and will improve with correct cellaring up to 2022

 

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Pork chops with apple, Spicy Asian dishes

Babylons Peak Chenin Blanc

These dry-farmed bush vines were planted in 1969 on weathered granite soils, and produce very low yields. The grapes were destemmed and lightly crushed. The free-run juice was fermented at low temperature (10-12ºC) in stainless steel tanks for twenty-one days. The wine was then kept on its lees for several months until bottling. A crisp yet generous Chenin Blanc, with tropical fruit character reined in by citrus and underlying mineral notes.

Pairs With

Fusion & Crab Cakes, Goats cheese tarts

Niel Joubert Sauvignon Blanc

The grapes for this wine are grown on the higher, cooler slopes of the farm that is located in Klein Simonsvlei, Paarl. All vines are trellised, and range from ten to twenty years old. The vines are planted in dry land and may receive two supplementary irrigations per year. The grapes were picked over a range of ripeness levels to balance freshness with fruit. After crushing, the must was in contact with the grape skins for four hours before fermentation started at 13°C, taking 4 weeks to complete. The juice was kept on the lees, with stirring taking place every two days. No malolactic fermentation occurred. On the nose, the wine shows hints of ripe gooseberry, green apple and citrus. On the palate, the wine has an uplifting intensity with stone fruit, citrus and green apple flavours that are refreshing and long-lasting

Pairs With

Seafood dishes, fresh leafy/herb salads and sushi

Diemersfontein For the Birds White Blend

55% Chenin blanc, 35% Sauvignon blanc, 10% Viognier

Fresh Tropical Fruit and Pineapple with hints of citrus followed by a bright acidity on the palate.10% of the proceeds of this wine goes to the Birdlife South Africa “Save our Seabirds” fund.

Pairs With

Spaghetti Bolognaise, Sweet casseroles, Sunday Roasts and of course a barbeque!

Vondeling Signal Cannon Merlot

All grapes are hand picked on our farm then destemmed directly to tank. Some tanks are fermented as whole berries to promote a lighter, fruitier palate, while others are crushed to extract structure and spiciness. This combination ensures a broad spectrum of flavours on the nose and palate. After fermentation the wine is transferred to old 300Lt French oak barrels and the skins are basket pressed. Malo-lactic fermentation takes place in barrel after which the wines are racked. The wine spends a total of 12 months in barrel, after which it is bottled. A cheerful aroma of ripe red fruits, peppery spice and a hint of toasted oak. A wonderful example of Merlot, with loads of red berry flavours and gentle tannins. The wine has a well rounded, vibrant palate with subtle oak and a delightfully long finish.

Pairs With

Beef, Lamb or Game Meats

Doran Vineyards Romy D

71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot,3% Cabernet Franc

An array of red fruits uplifted by aromas of cigar box and dark chocolate followed by fresh notes of cedar/fynbos. This follows through onto the pallet for a mouthwatering experience.

Pairs With

Mushroom Stroganoff or braised Beef short ribs

Niel Joubert Cabernet Sauvignon

Planted on the Simonsberg slopes, and may receive the occasional supplementary drip irrigation. All vines are trellised, and range from seven to twenty years old. They were picked at ideal ripeness levels to maintain freshness and fruit character. After crushing, the must underwent a cold soak for one day before fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for six days.Ten percent was matured in small oak barrels to add a hint of oak, but retaining the lovely fruit character. Rich, ripe berry fruit aromas with hints of forest floor and chocolate lead to a medium-full, rounded palate with supple texture and vibrant fruit.