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cape of good wine

Sipping my way through the Cape Winelands

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  • Migliarina Luminosity Blanc de Noir 2022

    Blog, Rosé Wines, Wine Reviews

  • Il Geco Sauvignon Blanc 2021

    Blog, White Wines, Wine Reviews

  • Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy

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Blog, Musings & Ramblings

Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy

Blog, Learn with me, Musings & Ramblings, WSET

Failure…and getting over it.

Blog, Musings & Ramblings

My thoughts on how SA wines could be more diverse, equal and inclusive.

Latest from the Blog

Blog, Rosé Wines, Wine Reviews

Migliarina Luminosity Blanc de Noir 2022

I don’t often have much to say about pale coloured pink wines: it’s wine, you drink it. Sure,  this is wine. And yes, I am drinking it. But I have oodles… Read More

June 5, 2023
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Blog, White Wines, Wine Reviews

Il Geco Sauvignon Blanc 2021

This Sauvignon Blanc is one the still wines that I begged Clarise Sciocatti, the winemaker, for after falling hard for her sparklings. It’s not often that Sauvignon Blanc surprises you… Read More

May 31, 2023
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Blog, Musings & Ramblings

Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy

What to expect of the Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy.

May 30, 2023
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Blog, International Wines, White Wines, Wine Reviews

Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2020

We don’t import Grüner Veltliner in South Africa. Which made this major grape variety a bit of a problem for an upcoming exam. Friends and their suitcases to the rescue!… Read More

May 22, 2023
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Blog, Red Wines, White Wines, Wine Reviews

Less is More Wines

White space terrifies me. Whether it’s a blank pricey watercolour sheet, notation sheet, or even lined paper. So much expectation, so many options, and so much opportunity. Where to start?… Read More

May 1, 2023
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Blog, Red Wines, Wine Reviews

Samesyn Syrah 2022

When your wine buddies release their very first wine. And it’s a cool climate Syrah from the bottom of Africa. And includes not 1, but 2 cats on the enchanting… Read More

April 24, 2023
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Blog, White Wines, Wine Reviews

Laborie Taillefert White 1988

I have a weakness for aged white wines. So when I saw this ’88 mystery on Wine Cellar, I had to have it!

April 17, 2023
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Blog, International Wines, White Wines, Wine Reviews

Bott Csontos Furmint 2017

I flipped the fuck out when I was asked to share an ‘interesting’ wine with a group of educated but mostly strangers last week. Not for lack of interesting wines… Read More

April 10, 2023
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Musings & Ramblings

Michael Fridjhon Wine Judging Academy

May 30, 2023
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Failure…and getting over it.

June 10, 2022
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My thoughts on how SA wines could be more diverse, equal and inclusive.

September 29, 2021
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It’s time to change my bio.

August 23, 2021
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If you build it, they will come.

July 25, 2021
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Kunye, The Wine Wise: Part 2 – The What.

December 14, 2020
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Migliarina Luminosity Blanc de Noir 2022 I don’ Migliarina Luminosity Blanc de Noir 2022 I don’t often have much to say about pale coloured rosé wines: it’s wine, you drink it. Yes, this is wine and I am drinking it...but I have oodles to say...brace yourself: The winemaker says it’s rose gold so the colour is officially rose gold. At wintery room temp it has a lovely medium intensity nose of tangerine peels, sweet mouth puckering lemon sorbet, juicy rosy fuzzy peaches, and bergamot or citrus leaves that adds an intriguing bitter depth. Dry, delicious high bright acidity, medium alcohol, a weightier body, and a pretty lengthy finish. Red plum fruit clings in all the right places, grapefruit peel texture grounds you, addictive fresh acidity, and salinity that balances everything and lends slinky sophistication. Empty glass sniff: gentle yeast, bread dough, raspberries and red apple skins. It explains the depth behind all the bright fruit. And these become more prominent by the next day. 93% Pinot Noir and 7% Pinot Gris from the same farm planted on north facing, shale and clay soil vineyards in Stellies. Chilled overnight, 30 minutes of skin contact in the press, overnight settling, then racked into shaven barrels with natural fermentation. Left on it’s fine lees for 7 months for that moreish mouthfeel. No malo, protein, cold stabilisation, or filtration. Carsten, the winemaker, is a self confessed foodie...so what’s a girl to do but head to the kitchen. Olive tapenade on rosemary crackers - yup. Smoked snoek pâté from the spoon - uh huh. Fresh bread and butter while making the aforementioned toppings - yup. Toasted pita topped with crème fraîche, capers, leftover smoked salmon and nasturtium weeds that are taking over the garden - you betcha. On its own in a variety of stemware coz we now gots time to handwash glasses - affirmative, ewe, aweh! Shout out to Vino Pronto for stocking these wines, facilitating my bias towards this winemaker, and to both of you for making it a very yummy weekend!
Il Geco Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Still haven’t rece Il Geco Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Still haven’t received an invoice for these wines...so my executive decision is that hugs are now a valid form of payment. A pronounced nose fills the room with citrus blossoms and elderflower, green pineapples, lime, gooseberry, asparagus, green bell pepper, pea shoots...classic undeniable Sauvignon Blanc. But then the palate is such a surprise. Yes, she’s dry with racy acidity. However, we shift to salted lemons, wetstone minerality...followed far later by the pea shoots, green bell pepper and the gentlest green pineapple. It has wonderful intensity and a slinky mouthfeel. You can’t help but compare this to Sancerre for its salinity and minerality. I wasn’t sure at the first sip - my brain expected tropical overload, pungent gooseberry, and in your face pyrazines. In reality, it’s a sophisticated, elegant and more savoury/mineral Sauvignon Blanc that you’re just dying to try with the lemon pepper roast chicken browning in the oven served with artichokes and too much butter slathered on homemade bread. Coz we now also have time to bake bread!
Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen Grüner Veltliner Sm Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen Grüner Veltliner Smaragd 2020 I dunno if I’ve already posted this but I love these notes. THIS is the wine that made Grüner click for me last year. So this is a bit of an ode to the capsules and screwcaps that make my toes wiggle with excitement: you’ve come through for me many times, you’ve made me look like I know more than I do about wine, and you have been a safety blanket when SA thinks you’re a left field ‘they’ll never get it’ blindside...and I get to be the one who finally gets to say ‘oh, I know this’. Here’s to you, Austria, for being what hopefully concludes this mad journey. Sunshine yellow in my glass...bright sunlight without warmth...there’s a strange hard steely coldness to it. A ripeness framed by a cool minerality that we don’t really see in SA. There’s white pepper, loads of celery salt, herbal fennel bulb and chicory that intertwines with the orange blossoms, green apples, nectarines, limes and ruby grapefruit. Call me strange...but Grüner smells like Cream Soda (if you removed the vanilla and focused on the limey sherbert). All those juicy mouthwatering fruits (minus the nectarines) quickly dissolve into cold metallic baking soda crushed oyster shell minerality that, together with the acidity, frames the palate. It’s the minerality and subtle salinity that linger longest...making it very hard to wait long enough to repeat the injection of juicy bright fruits. It’s very hard to stop sipping because you want to keep repeating the cycle. Dangerous! Delicious!
Cape of Good Hope Serruria Chardonnay 2021 I have Cape of Good Hope Serruria Chardonnay 2021 I have a cold and was expecting to Coravin a small sample and revert to the winery’s notes. But nay! These aromas are shouting from the glass: Gentle vanilla and toast, honeysuckle, ripe lemons and lemon oil, a dusting of nutmeg, and something herbaceous lingering in the background. That herbaceousness is more apparent on the palate (for me)...fennel bulb - together with naartjie peel lend structure to the ripe flavours of tangerines, limes, and yellow apples. Fabulous acidity balances the teensy bit of residual sugar (but still ‘dry’). You notice the alcohol but it feels right for the fuller body. And all these juicy ripe moments, accentuated by the oak, linger for the longest length of time [edit: a good length]. 100% Chardonnay grapes from cool Elandskloof, a valley at 600-800m surrounded by steep mountains that reduce the sunlight hours. I can’t find the tech specs for 2021 but I’d imagine the ‘18 and ‘20 are similar: multiple separate vineyards (2-4), around 1/4 fermented & aged in stainless steel, the rest in 300L French oak (just under half new oak) for 11 months on its lees, with 15-20% undergoing MLC. The winemaking is actually kinda sexy...so I’ll be looking out for an updated tech sheet. Thank you to the @anthonijrupertwyne team for sending along this gift. They are bang on with their suggestion of pairing this wine with a Cape Malay Seafood Curry...perhaps in celebration of #chardonnayday on 25 May. Yum!
White space terrifies me. Whether it’s a blank p White space terrifies me. Whether it’s a blank pricey watercolour sheet, notation sheet, or even lined paper. So much expectation, so many options, and so much opportunity. Where to start? By understanding that it’s the spaces in between, the ‘negative spaces’ that make the difference, and allow the measured strokes that you choose to make truly shine. There is beauty in simplicity. And these are simple, but lekker wines. Less is, indeed, more. Grapes sourced from a WIETA certified grower in Robertson who farms sustainably with little to no pesticides. No capsule needed. The lightest weight bottle and recyclable bio-green, plant-based polymer carbon-neutral corks. And opting for cotton not paper for the label and minimal printing (room to personalise with your own doodles). Less is More Chardonnay 2022: a lovely nose of tinned pineapples, pears, juicy lemons, ripe yellow apples. Dry, high acidity, medium bodied, with a more generous finish than expected. Melon joins the fruit salad, along with some gentle grapefruit peel texture that lends weight to the otherwise lighter mouthfeel. Less is More Pinotage 2020: juicy ripe red & black cherries, mulberries, dark plums, star anise, cloves, and subtle 5 spice laden sticky oyster sauce reduction. Fresh acidity, fuller bodied but not heavy, noticeable but pleasant alcohol, delicious grainy tannins that always take me straight to guava peels, and a good lengthy finish. Is there tar - nope. Are there banana peels - yup (perhaps an even better descriptor for the tannins). But I’m handing out bonus points because the banana along with the ‘red/black berried arghh what is this’ confusion, and recognition of distinct mulberries leads you straight into the arms of Pinotage...says the girlie reading the label 😂! Doing less through the winegrowing to do more for the environment. A project worth spending my money on!
Samesyn Syrah 2022 When your wine buddies release Samesyn Syrah 2022 When your wine buddies release their very first wine. And it’s a cool climate Syrah from the bottom of Africa. And includes not 1, but 2 cats on the enchanting label. And then gives it the most beautiful name: Samesyn means togetherness...chosen as a celebration that ‘life gets richer when we live in a community, and act with unity of purpose’. I tasted this with a friend (community, unity of purpose 😉) and the words ‘deep, dark and seductive’ were repeated more than a few times. The colour is like sunlight striking an actual ruby. The dark and seductive nose offers violets and dried rose petals; red cherries and raspberries; blackberries, blueberries and earthy beetroot; musk, cloves, mace and a touch of star anise; and behind these there is a subtle hum of savoury soy marinated meats. Dry, fuller bodied, ripe slightly grainy guava peel-esque medium tannins, virtually imperceivable alcohol, adequate acidity, and a generous finish that introduces prunes, dark plums and a definite cool climate herbal undertone that’s both fragrant fynbos and olive leaves. My friend pointed out the pepper (I’ve lost rotundone...again...sigh). Syrah from 2 blocks in windswept Cape Agulhas: one exposed to the cool ocean breezes, the other more protected and facing inland. 30% wholebunch, a gentle 10 day ferment, then aged in neutral French oak. It’s always weird tasting a friend’s wine (especially when they refuse to invoice you). I hold them to higher standards because I know their exceptional palate. What to say if I don’t like the wine? Will we still be friends? Will I need to pull another Gravner out of the hat to smooth things over (there’s no Gravner or hat)? All of this was a total waste of anxiety coz I really really enjoyed this. In much the same way as I have always enjoyed @han_drinks_solo ’s company (he’s rarely solo). If you’re in Cape Town, join his awesome wine club...coz I’m pretty sure this @samesynwines will make an appearance at one of his blind tasting events 😉!
Laborie Taillefert White 1988 If you know me, you Laborie Taillefert White 1988 If you know me, you know I overthink everything. So this was my backup plan to avoid opening the Furmint. It turned into a mystery as there’s zero info about the wine - distributors, wine farm, and one of the most knowledgeable winos in SA had nothing...making this the ultimate ‘most interesting’ wine? The cloudy medium amber colourrrrrr! Pronooooounced apple skin, cider, yeasty flor, wet musty hay, celery salt, bacon kipps, orange oil, lemony goodness, watered down brandy fumes in the best way possible. Dry, high enough acidity, loooong finish, medium body, lemony black tea texture that I’d go so far as to call tannin, a million times more interesting than it would ever have been in its youth. Peep the lack of ABV info back then 😂! Quite possibly the wisest person at the table suggested Crouchen Blanc. And I liked that. I’d started at Welschriesling and was headed towards Cape Riesling (I.e. Crouchen Blanc) because of the bottle shape and vaguely Germanic branding. [edit: the wise @therealkwispedoor just confirmed that it’s Riesling with some SB, Pinot Gris?! and Chard 🙏🏾]. Other than the acidity, it was at a point where it’d lost all of its varietal characteristics...but I’d put my money on something that was already fairly neutral. These old white wines aren’t for everyone...but they’re absolutely for me. And I was hella pleased to take home half the bottle (propped shut with a new cork coz it’s original crumbled upon seeing a corkscrew for the first time in 35 years). I also just figured out why I love super aged white wines so much. It’s coz they feel like orange wines and Vin Jaune. If you’re a granny with a garage filled with old white wines that nobody wants - hit me up! Thanks to the lovelies @winecellarcoza for stocking 3 of these bottles and for their amazing service despite my panic! Sorrryyyy!
Bott Csontos Furmint 2017 I flipped the fuck out Bott Csontos Furmint 2017 I flipped the fuck out when I was asked to share an ‘interesting’ wine with a group of educated but mostly strangers last week. Not for lack of interesting wines on my shelf, but because I’d have preferred to share this with my favourite favourite wine friends. After a day tasting 100+ wines, it felt like a waste. I cheekily squirreled away 2 x sample bottles...and, luckily, took home another glass left over in the bottle (too much wine and tasting fatigue). A gorgeous medium (+) nose of lemon peels, bruised apple skins, fresh slices of green apples, musky but tart apricots, distant pineapples, and fresh cider. These aromas expanded over the next 3 days - when I finally returned home to taste the wines in my usual antisocial isolation. Dry-ish (6.1g/L RS), high luminous acidity, medium bodied, and a generous finish. Ripe apricots and peaches dusted in cinnamon, roasted pineapples, tinned pears, the richness of walnuts but also the bitterness of its skin, chamomile flowers, radicchio, fennel bulb bitterness that still has sweetness, my classic burnt sugar hollow bitterness, ripe blue oranges, and a generous length. It’s bloody delicious and so darned cool. I’m hopping mad that I chose to open it and share it with mostly strangers (thankfully there were a few friends who made it worth it). Call me mean...but these sorts of wines are meant to be shared with loved ones. The same way that this was shared as a gift by my beloved friend @grzesiek.just.grzesiek who’s enthusiasm for this husband and wife winemaking couple has me fully invested in their wines and future. Head to his page to learn more about these exciting, award winning, boutique producers based in Hungary...he’s pretty much tasted them all!
April Fools question: Could these be two incredibl April Fools question: Could these be two incredible birth year wines that helped me close off my birthday month? Or is this me playing an April Fool’s trick on you...coz when do I ever get my grubby paws on vintage Margaux and Paulliac? Chateau Palmer 1979: heavenly savoury umami notes of soy, oyster sauce and beef bouillons; a dried fruit medley of prunes, plums and raisins, woody pencil shavings...but still lifted with vibrant acidity accompanied by fine grained, smooth but high tannins. All of this wonderment was sustained throughout its loooong finish. Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1979: astoundingly crystal clear garnet, with an incredible nose of beef stock, soy sauce, Chinese 5 spices, and distinct aniseed. The palate offered clay earth and salinity; smooth silky but defined high tannins, again with the bright acidity, and ridiculous length for its age. Third option: am I the fool for risking the Insta algorithm by not posting a single wine in March 😂? I hope everyone had as good a March month as I did. Happy first of the month, everyone. And happy weekend too!
Minimalist Wines Experimental Noir 2020 I picked Minimalist Wines Experimental Noir 2020 I picked this up alongside the much hyped Stars in the Dark Syrah without knowing much about this ‘Experimental’ range. Made from a 3 hectare block on 3 different soil types planted with 3 different Syrah clones in 2006...Sam, the winemaker, leases and farms this block as a commitment to retaining the Syrah plantings in Elgin - a region where apple farming is more profitable. If we could remind ourselves that this winemaker is 20-something years old... A righteous nose that lays a feast of dark & red cherries and guavas; a trail of rose petals lead to lavish bouquets of roses, fresh olive leaves and herbaceous fynbos with roots intact that emit a warm earthy funk; there’s coffee brewing in the background; and someone’s just cracked the black pepper. Crunchy red fruit. Fresh acidity. Fine, slightly green, cool climate Old World tannins, but with a lightness and ripeness of fruit that tells you that you’re in the New World. Candied red cherries are most prominent on the palate, but they’re steadied by a super herbal, slightly bitter finish. This feels like an ode to N. Rhône...but riper and sunnier and friendlier (to me). It reminds one of a still life tablescape oil painting...the subject remains the same but it’s been updated in acrylics. The Minimalist Wine team’s use of drones to survey the vineyards also shows an understanding of the importance of varnish...but bypassing the pitfalls of outdated craquelure. All for the better to see the wine, my dear? Happy International Syrah Day, everyone!
HER Chenin Blanc 2021 Gotta finish this unintenti HER Chenin Blanc 2021 Gotta finish this unintentional streak of yellow labels (and the last lemon in the bowl). This was an emergency purchase for a braai - so no concise notes. Instead, just sheer delight at seeing this brand on Woolies shelves. Shy nose of lemons, salinity, cashews and unripe nectarines. Medium everything. It’s an entry level wine that makes for a meaningful moment of reflection at a casual braai...before a tongue numbing round of the Fiery Five Bean Boozled Challenge has everyone tearfully diving for the ice blocks and sniffing as they swig the nearest beer. HER is an all-female, all-black brand. From winemakers to viticulturist to the all important logistics and finance team - all strong black women. And they’ve pledged a percentage of their profits to fund a scholarship to help others achieve their dreams. Kudos to Woolworths for stocking this. Distribution is an important link to furthering equality...a link that’s sorely missing. I’m a big believer of ‘if you build it, they will come’. If large retail chains sacrificed a tiny space of their, quite frankly, questionable business models, they could make a big difference to wine equality in this country.
Greywacke Pinot Noir 2015 👃 Pronounced leather Greywacke Pinot Noir 2015 👃 Pronounced leather, barnyard, mushroom, stewed red cherries, raspberries, persimmons, strawberry guavas, balsamic vinegar VA, herbal, earth, dried leaves, dried rose petals, meat, charcuterie. 👅 Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium ripe tannins, medium bodied, medium alcohol, pronounced intensity, long finish. 💭 I tried this wine on three separate occasions. Each time I was a little troubled by how advanced this felt for a ‘15 under screwcap. Still bright and vibrant but the earthy dried leaves and florals felt like they were holding this wine back. But you can’t argue with BLIC so... Conclusion: Outstanding quality #wsetdiploma #tastingnotes #newzealand #pinotnoir #marlborough #cloudybay
Greywacke Chardonnay 2015 👀 Medium lemon 👃 Greywacke Chardonnay 2015 👀 Medium lemon 👃 Pronounced wood, campfire smoke, reduction!, flint, candied orange rind, white nectarines, yellow apples, lime, lemon, lemon curd, vanilla bean, lime, chamomile, salinity, cream cheese, burnt butter, Parmesan, linseed, brioche. 👅 Dry, medium (+) acidity, medium (+) bodied, medium alcohol, medium(+) intensity, long finish. Conclusion: Very Good quality #wsetdiploma #tastingnotes #newzealand #chardonnay #marlborough #cloudybay
Framingham Wines Nobody’s Hero Pinot Gris 2018 Framingham Wines Nobody’s Hero Pinot Gris 2018 👀 Medium lemon 👃 Pronounced fennel, chamomile, pear, grape, raisins, peaches, honey, ginger, and baking spices. 👅 Dry, medium (+) acidity, medium bodied, medium alcohol, medium(+) intensity, medium(+) finish. Conclusion: Very Good quality #wsetdiploma #tastingnotes #newzealand #pinotgris #marlborough #nobodyshero
Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2020 👃 Pronounced goo Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc 2020 👃 Pronounced gooseberry, kiwi, green apple, mango, pineapple, lime cordial, oyster shell and salinity. 👅 Dry, high acidity, medium bodied, medium alcohol, pronounced intensity, long finish. 💭 Similar to the previous Kia Ora but with markedly more intensity and the addition of minerality that raises the level of complexity. Conclusion: Outstanding quality #wsetdiploma #tastingnotes #newzealand #sauvignonblanc #marlborough #nautilus
Kia Ora Sauvignon Blanc 2020 👃 Pronounced goos Kia Ora Sauvignon Blanc 2020 👃 Pronounced gooseberry, kiwi, lime, green apple, mango, melon, nettle, chamomile 👅 Dry, high acidity, medium bodied, medium alcohol, pronounce intensity, medium(+) finish Conclusion: Very Good quality #wsetdiploma #tastingnotes #newzealand #sauvignonblanc #marlborough
Angus Paul Transient Lands Pinotage 2021 ‘Tis t Angus Paul Transient Lands Pinotage 2021 ‘Tis that day again...when winos quote from Jan van Riebeeck’s diary. I spent a bit of time reading his diary and learning about the man for my research assignment last year...and ja nee...it’s taken me a while to get here but I now know that he is not my peeps. Simon, on the other hand...who knows...maybe I coulda squirreled a wine estate out of him 😂. But nonetheless, it is a pretty epic documentation of SA’s wine beginnings and what better way to celebrate our birthday than with this Pinotage. I’m quite possibly the very last person in the world to taste this wine...it took my dear Polish friends acquiring them in Poland to get me to finally try this SA wine. How’s that for influential! The deep colour was a little worrying...but I need not have feared, this is the style of Pinotage I enjoy. Pronounced mulberries, black wine gums, red and black cherries, cinnamon chewing gum, light soy, coffee grinds, pepper and a touch of smoke. Over a few hours this started to take on Pinot Noir characteristics where only the lower acidity and slightly fuller body with more oomph halted any true confusion with its lighter parent grapes. Lovely powdery pomegranate seed tannins give texture and grip, and the darker berries, spices, and smokiness linger for a satisfying length of time. The grapes, sourced from 3 different Stellies plots, were chilled overnight - 35% left as whole bunches with the rest destemmed. Endearing foot treading with a little SO2 added at crushing. Post fermentation maceration to reinforce the tannins, and then pressed into old barrels for 10 months without racking. I am most amused by how so many of my insta friends from other countries now influence the SA wines that I choose to purchase. Such good news for SA wines - as it shows how widely the wines are being distributed and how far SA has come. It’s also proof that I’m very influenced by all of you!
Khayelitsha’s Finest Wines 2021 White Blend I’m a sucker for these everything but the kitchen sink blends. Especially when they’re this pretty! Orange blossoms and honeysuckle, lemongrass, perfectly ripe nectarines, lemon slices sprinkled with salt when you’ve decided that tequila is a bad idea but need to dupe your friends, and a suggestion of musky incense or nutmeg. Delicate and lighter bodied, with very friendly acidity. Think lightly poached nectarines in a lemongrass infused syrup, drizzled in honey, with a generous garnish of sorrel, a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a quick grating of lemon peel for added texture. The kind of refreshing dessert you’d want in summer. It tastes as pretty as it smells! It’s a simple wine...but it’s bloody delightful - aperitif heaven on a hot, windless afternoon when everyone’s fighting over who gets to sit in the shade...and me listing off the array of delicious flavours to this glorious blend. Let’s face it...we all know I bought into this brand because of the bold labels.🔥. And when you sit a bunch of opinionated people around a table the name and design spark deep conversations that make you proud of your diverse group of friends. But it’s the ethos behind the brand that most resonates with us: Lindile Ndzaba, the owner, believes that great wine should not be limited to the privileged. Townships, many situated on the periphery of wine regions, deserve great wine - and to not be dominated by big brands flogging whatever quality they’ve predetermined the market deserves. It’s unsurprising that KFW are now global, available even in New York. Because this is great wine!
Greywacke Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 The deeper Greywacke Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 The deeper colour had me a little worried about the oak on this wine. But it’s well managed. Also...I need to make room on the shelves. Lemon and lime leaves, chamomile flowers, lemon oil, unripe nectarines, tinned pineapples, delicious sea breezey salinity, and creamy toasted cashews. Lovely acidity, a body that takes itself seriously, and a very decent finish. Sooooo on the warm day, I went rogue and threw this into the fridge...who woulda thunk...new year, new me? And it gave this a very pleasant textural tug that I wasn’t experiencing pre refrigeration. Perhaps some more herbal notes, greater emphasis on the salinity, and it’s certainly curbed the oak. Chilled and/or room temp - I’ll take it...once...coz at R700+ this is hard to justify in comparison to local, Burgundian and even a few modern Cali offerings. And I’ve yet to discover this tree where money is grown upon...perhaps our parents were right after all...perhaps money doesn’t grow on trees?
Elemental Bob Cosmic Hands 2015 5 March 2019. 81s Elemental Bob Cosmic Hands 2015 5 March 2019. 81st post. 77 ❤️’s. 2 weeks after writing L2. It’s weird/embarrassing to scroll that far back through my feed. I’ve spent a good bit of time reflecting over the last few weeks. Time to think - a luxury of loadshedding. Clear out ‘junk’ from the house, find long lost treasures, discovering pieces of my parents history...my history...fill the gaps between my memories. It’s the thing I love most about Elemental Bob wines. They quietly suggest the opportunity to slow down and sit with your thoughts. Deceptively contemplative. Seemingly simple at first glance...but simple tasks like clearing the bookshelf become ever more complex as you discover letters, photos of people you recognise but don’t know, query bookmark scraps hidden between the leaves. Inevitably productivity slows down as you reflect on what you’ve found. Remembering the memories. The wine? Rich gold with an initially restrained nose that builds and draws you into its tertiary honey, walnut skins, braised chopped brown mushrooms with sprigs of woody herb notes. Lemon oil, dried peaches, yellow apples, chamomile flowers. The palate is gentle....gentle like the way one chooses the protection of selective memories. But the acidity focuses hazy scenes, medium body proves there’s weight to your experiences...and the wine and those thoughts linger. Brandy fumes, salinity, salted dried apricots and mangoes from childhood memories...all prefaced with honeyed bitter chamomile tea to help you sleep. Oxidative but still fresh. Tired but still vibrant? Empty glass sniff... one last lingering look back at the past: old smoke, salty apricots, naartjie peel, cloves, crushed fynbos. Is it past it’s prime? Those yellowing, poorly preserved, but exquisitely skilled black & white photos are more charming for their wear and tear. He phoned me late last year....and the winemaker is as haunting as his wines. The conversation stuck with me. Much like his wines. I might delete this coz it’s far too much for insta and I need to chuck some ‘junk’. But imagine if all wines did this. Needless to say, I can’t wait to taste what I know is brewing in the Elemental Bob barrels.
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