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Cape of Good Wine

cape of good wine | Sipping my way through the Cape Winelands | A South African Wine Blog

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Cape of Good Wine

cape of good wine | Sipping my way through the Cape Winelands | A South African Wine Blog

About
- Contact Me
- Sample Policy
Musings & Ramblings
Learn with me
Interviews
Musings & Ramblings
Wine Reviews
Learn with me
- What's the Grape?
- Wine Regions
  - Constantia Wine Route
Wine Wise

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Top 5 South African Cabernet Franc Wines

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Sedgwick’s Old Brown If you wondered where all th

Sedgwick’s Old Brown

If you wondered where all this sherry energy stems from: one last wintery games night with friends…with a customary tot or two of Old Brown’s aka OBS (aka antifreeze coz that’s exactly why we drink it in winter). Also, I can’t believe I’ve never posted about SA’s first brown sherry…that isn’t sherry.

Translucent medium orangey red/terracotta clay/ dark rooibos tea in colour…take your pick…some might call it tawny. Pronounced raisins, dates, prunes, dried apricots, hazelnuts, ripe oranges and candied orange peel, caramel, a waft of lemony zest, a suggestion of cardamom, a muted sense of kelp fermenting in the sun…dried mushroomy malty brewery summin’ summin’.

Sweet (150-160g/L RS), fuller bodied from the sugar and alcohol…but there’s also a thinness that points to the fortified nature, good acidity that lends some freshness, and a medium finish. The palate pretty much echoes the nose to greater (dried fruit, citrus & caramel) and lesser (nuttiness, umami) extents…but ends in citrus tinged molasses (the summin summin I couldn’t put my finger on).

Not gonna lie…it’s a one or two tot ritual on a chilly evening in the spirit of winter boardgames night…consumed well before the screaming, cursing and threats of leaving begin (coz Monopoly is dumb, you can’t stack plus 4’s in uno, and how on earth would I know your mom’s favourite rugby player in 30 seconds 🤬). It’s unbalanced, headache inducing, and an SA staple that amuses us!

Tomorrow is Heritage Day, and many booze drinking South African will recognise the combo of malva pudding and OBS (and cut glass sherry glasses from your grannies display cupboard). A winter braai really isn’t complete without a bottle floating near the fire. It may be Spring, but I reckon there’ll be a few of these bottles cracked open tomorrow. Happy Heritage Day mense!

Saldanha Wine & Spirit Co Pale Dry No. 17 Number

Saldanha Wine & Spirit Co Pale Dry No. 17

Number 17…that’s how long it’s taken me to finally save a bottle for a pic. I remember tasting this many years ago before it was released…a wine event geared at more unusual wines. SA dry ‘sherry’ was definitely unusual despite our long history of making these wines. It’s become a holiday festive fave…that sells out super fast…no surprise, given that it’s a Badenhorst product.

Pale gold with quintessential acetaldehyde that smacks you in the face…followed by zesty lemon peel and bitter chamomile/feverfew and grapefruit pith (when you can smell that pith 🤣), bruised apple flesh and and squeaky Grannysmith skins, tart dried apricots, almond skins, and varnish.

Dry, mediumish bodied, soooo concentrated it’s hard to concentrate 🤣, higher acidity, and a decent finish. Those first few sips are not shy…I want to say wild horses, but a more relatable analogy is a Ridgeback bowling you over as the front door opens for a walkies: powerful, singleminded determination, and a bit oblivious to its chaotic energy.

But give it a moment and the biting austerity calms down…allowing you to appreciate the gentler fennel bulb, notice the tendrils of wood lacquer and woodsy brandy fumes swirling behind the citrus and apricot, and enjoy the saline seam that helps smooth the pithy texture. Longer pauses between sips (to do some homework…see rant in comments), sees the fennel convert to a medicinal wormwood.

So yeah, we are so not in Spain. The apricots and screaming acidity are undoubtedly Chenin Blanc. Google says there’s also Palomino…but I was thinking Sauv Blanc because it leaves you with mineral salivation. AA Badenhorst uses sherry yeasts imported from Spain, Swartland grapes, and ages under flor in Saldanha Bay and Kalmoesfontein Farm? One liner: buy what you can as soon as you can…if you like sherry.

Lustau Manzanilla Papirosa Speaking of wines that

Lustau Manzanilla Papirosa

Speaking of wines that instantly transport you to the sea. Tell me this Manzanilla isn’t a sunset walk along the coast, crunching on an apple to tide you over ‘til dinner…inspecting every rock pool while sea mist starts to roll in and envelop you…until a sudden crash and spray reminds you that the tide is turning…and you reluctantly, despite the goosebumps, head back…the soft, warm glow through the windows a beacon guiding you to the thatched cottage that your high school friend calls home.

Romantic? Insert shrieking kids, belly laughs when you step in a pool of stagnant seawater, and the kids voting for takeaway pizza instead of the fish tacos you’d planned. The kids were right…pizza is easier.

Hay and chamomile, kelp and sea fog, lemon zest flecks in a green apple granita.

Dry, lower acidity, light bodied, near imperceptible alcohol for me...and a longish finish. Almonds, fennel bulb and bread dough insist on joining the watery bruised apple flesh. The kids pull faces when they sniff my drink…delish!

Arniston Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2026 I’ve seen this

Hirsch Ried Lamm Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2019 We

Hirsch Ried Lamm Kamptal Grüner Veltliner 2019

We’re days away from meteorological Spring. Tangent: I always wondered why people thought Spring Day was 1 September…yet I always remembered it as 21 September (astronomical spring is on the 22/23rd). It’s one of those funny primary school teachings/artefacts that stuck with me. But the sunrise, trees and birdies are clearly working with meteorological Spring.

Back on track: who am I to argue with the chirping birds…they are an accurate alarm clock/calendar reminder that it is Sauv Blanc season! But before I OD on SB, let’s ease into the Spring with a Grüner.

An elegant nose of white peaches, apples and limes. Vegetal celery juice but also a herbal green something. Cream soda minerality and a flint-like smokiness.

Dry but so juicy, fine zesty acidity, lighter bodied but with depth of flavour, smooth but with some textural pithy grip, and a decent length to the finish. Juicy juicy juicy ripe peaches and apples, distinctive minerality… and an intriguing subtle salty yeasty leesy note.

It’s another wonderful gift from @grzesiek.just.grzesiek who is having the most glorious summer - so worthwhile checking out his annual wine adventures/pilgramages! Tangent: primary school also taught us that summer starts when the 6 week December holiday started. 6 weeks of holiday - oh, to be a kid again!

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