South African Wines in London by TheEngineer

Back in the UK this week where I am spending more and more of my time. I tend to stay in London in an area called Grosvner Square which is on the West side of London and located immediately between the shopping districts of Oxford Street and Knightsbridge. This usually presents no problem for me as I can’t afford much of what is in these areas, except for that bloody new Ferrari Store on Regents where more than a few quid have been spent.

On a cool London spring evening, I walked over to Harrods after work and then meandered into the wine area. This is located in the basement level under the ridiculously impressive food area where only the price is higher than the calorie count. There was an event going on and the area had been shut down. Too bad I thought, another exclusive event at a high end place with beautiful rich people and titles like Lord and Duke that I will not be able to go to. To my surprise, the Armani suited attendants motioned for me to join them. Did they make a mistake? Me in my tattered jeans?

As it turned out it was just a tasting event for South African wine contingent and £25 later I’m in with a glass, a pen and notes, with all the beautiful rich people who have titles that I’ll never have. Overall, I must admit that (1) I don’t drink much South African wine and (2) with few exceptions, I’ve not really liked South African wines. Having said that, I was rather impressed. Specifically, the Chenin Blancs and the Pinot Noirs were very interesting. There were a number of wines but these are the highlights.

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2007: From a well distributed South African Brand. Pale straw in color, light and reserved nose, again very fresh and clean, a bit more off dry, easy drinking wine, I’m thinking summer day with an arugula salad.

Mulderbosch Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (vintage not listed): Golden color and a wonderfully dense nose with promises of a good acidity level. On the palate the wine does not disappoint. Very dense and heavily honeyed, floral, jasmine, orange marmalade, slight bitterness of the orange rind as well. Grippy, long, and nicely acidic but lacking some of the elegance of wines of this style but for the price, a very nice bargain.

Raats Family Chenin Blanc 2006: This is a heavier style of Chenin Blanc, straw in color, very dense nose, slightly honeyed but wood pervades in this wine. Slightly discombobulated at this point in time and finishes hot but still a very interesting wine.

Delheim Gewurtztraiminer 2008: Pale straw in color, very nice clean nose of citrus rind and lightly spicy. On the palate, a very nice rendition of fruit salad, slightly off dry and very refreshing. This is a great hot day no brain chilled summer white, especially for the price.

Graham Beck Brut NV: light golden in color, good fizz but more like Italian fizzy than Champagne fizz. Toasty, crisp, very clean and with just enough density to it. More like a cava and a very good value in this market (at the level of a inexpensive proseccos).

Springfield Methode Ancienne Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. This wine is made in an organic and natural way with no crushing and uses native yeasts. This wine certainly was a bit of a departure from the rest of the wines, a bit more rustic and very honest. Nose was nicely dense but suggested a broad taste profile. On the palate the flavors red fruits, tobacco, earths, cedar and some funkiness, some slight burnt flavors, and a hint of preserved prunes (but in a nice way). This wine was bottle without filtering and it showed as it was a bit more opaque than the others. This wine will not meet with everyone’s tastes but I for one liked its uniqueness.

Laibach The Ladybird 2007: An organic wine blended from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Petit Verdot and a few other things I could not catch. A very solid wine again with a good fleshiness from the merlot. Tastes a bit older than it is but still has good grip from the tannins.

Laibach Claypot 2008: 80% merlot and it shows. Very fleshy and smooth, with a good density of flavors, ripe but good structure and acidity. Medium plus body and finish. A Right Bank ringer.

Kanonkop Estate Wine Pinotage 2006: Not a great fan of pinotage but these wines were at least very solid, juicy, well made, ripe red fruit and very soft. This is an early drinker.

Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2005: This is a Bordeaux blend, nice density of color and bright. Smooth and ripe, with some leather. Wine has good length and character and a nice finish. At its price point though, it has some stiff competition.

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2008: This is a great deal, Russell’s wines are Burgundy ringers for sure and this one was more Meursault than South Africa. Color was slightly golden. Nose is nicely complex with stone fruits, floral tones, tropical fruits, and a nice minerality. On the palate, one notices the density of the wine, its great grip and high toned acidity. Lighter than other years but still good density of flavors and nice structure.

Hamilton Russell Southern Right Pinotage 2006: Russell continues to believe in this varietal and this one comes with a bit of age. For me this one is like a nice cru Beaujolais. Good balance, nice fruit, softer but balanced. This one is just a bit brighter and juicier with a good acidity level.

Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2008: Like Burgundy but again just a bit brighter. Good red fruit with nice high tone acidity, juicy, good focus and nicely put together.

Vilafonte Series M 2005: If you were not told of its origins, this wine would scream California with its very forward and ripe approach. It is a very generous wine, lush, ripe, dense with a very good structure and will need a few more years to resolve the tannins. It turns out the wine making team are from California.

Kumkani Lanner Hill 2007: This is a sauvignon blanc. Good density to nose, slightly honeyed, pomelo and grape fruit rind, hints of lychee and other citrus. Nicely done especially for the price point.

Kumkani Cradle Hill 2005: A cabernet Sauvignon. The wine shows slight bricking. This is a very typical cabernet with good density and length. Again a good QPR.

Wines.com Celebrates Cabernet in Style!

Cabernet Sauvignon is widely accepted as one of the premier red wine varietals in the world. The small, dark, thick-skinned grapes are planted wherever red wine grapes grow except in the Northern fringes such as Germany. It is part of the great red Médoc wines of France, and among the finest reds in Australia, California and Chile. In some parts of the world Cabernet Sauvignon is known as Petit Cabernet, Sauvignon Rouge, and Vidure.

Characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon are dark cherry, cedar, tobacco, and black currant. Cool climate growth can give green pepper or olive. Up to 18 months of aging in small oak barrels before bottling, Cabernet is common in order to achieve more complexity.

For those Cabernet Sauvignon Lovers, here are my recommendations:

1) 2004 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - A refined and complex wine that combines subtlety and depth. It has a dark ruby color with a deep red edge and displays aromas of fresh blackberries, violets, cola, nutmeg and licorice. In the mouth, the wine has a juicy attack and offers great expression of fruit and spice on the mid-palate. Its fruit-driven finish is long and elegant. (On sale at Wines.com for $52.95 per bottle or $599.88 per case.)

2) 2003 Schug Heritage Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - An incredible acheivement by the former winemaker of Joseph Phelps Insignia! This cult classic is sure to move fast into the hands of collectors. Aromas of herb, dried cherry, plum and cedar are tight and taut on the palate. Well-structured. The intense, distinctive dark red fruit readily glows. While all of Schug's reds are glorious efforts, their Reserve Cabernet truly rates among Sonoma's finest. (On sale at Wines.com for $25 per bottle or $315 per case.)

3) 2007 Crios de Susana Balbo Cabernet Sauvignon - The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon spent 9 months in one-year-old French and American oak and was bottled without fining or filtration. Purple-colored, it reveals an expressive perfume of cedar, spice box, black currant and black raspberry. This is followed by a medium to full-bodied wine with lots of savory black fruit, enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years, excellent balance, and a long, fruit-filled finish. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. The Crios de Susana Balbo label has rapidly become synonymous with great value. (On sale at Wines.com for $13.89 per bottle and $149.89 per case.)

Robert Craig Affinity 2006 Garners Top Accolades

Above: Robert Craig Affinity Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 paired well with the excellent New York Strip last month at top Dallas steakhouse III Forks.

III Forks Steakhouse

17776 Dallas Pkwy

Dallas TX 75287

972-267-1776

In San Francisco they KNOW their Napa Valley Cabernet! Jon Bonné of the San Francisco Chronicle recently called Robert Craig Affinity one of the "Top 10 Napa Valley Cabernets."

With fruit from the Mount George area east of the city of Napa, the winery's Left Bank-style blend, with a bit of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot in the mix, outperforms for the price. A clean, pure Cabernet nose: graphite, cassis, hints of dried citrus peel to brighten things. Polished and sleek, with a lingering sweetness to the finish.

- Jon Bonné, Wine Editor, April 12, 2009

Ask any Texas and they'll tell you that the best town for steak and steakhouses is DALLAS. Does anything go better with steak than Napa Valley Cabernet? The Dallas Morning News recently gave Robert Craig Affinity a GOLD MEDAL.

Opaque black ruby color, cassis, vanilla and cedar aromas with dense and intense black currant flavors and grainy tannins. Bold, balanced elegance.

- 2009 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, April 2009

If it's good enough for top wine writer, world-class wine competition judge, and founder of Wine Reviews Online Michael Franz, then it's good enough for us!

91/100 Points. This producer consistently turns out delicious renditions of Cabernet that are at once impressive and user-friendly. The impressive side of this equation is expressed in the form of concentrated fruit and flavors that show admirable depth and persistence. The user-friendly side stems from restrained oak and ripe, fine-grained tannin. The fruit is sweet and ripe but not chunky or obvious, and accent notes of cocoa powder and spices accent the core of black cherry and blackberry fruit.

—Michael Franz

Two Italians: 2005 Solaia and 2005 Sassicaia

So who turns down a chance to taste two iconic Italian wines? Certainly not me! Generally I’m begging to get a tastes, especially given the prices of these two, both of which are firmly in the three digit region.  The two wines specifically are the 2005 Solaia and the 2005 Sassicaia. Here are my tasting notes on each and based on this tasting, I won’t be turning down any future tasting opportunities for these wines either!

Antiori 2005 Solaia - This is a serious wine. Nose was slightly muted but deep in ripe fruits, berries, dark chocolate, coffee, and spices. There was a whole lot of things going on there. On the palate, it was perhaps a bit more reserved, great structure, good acidity, nice dose of minerality (kinda like licking a stone really).  It’s got a slight sweetness to it and smooth but drying tannins.  The wine has a serious tone to it and it’s not overdone. It’s well balanced and has a nice long finish. 

Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 2005 - This wine is very different than the Solaia which I tasted back to back (yes it was a good afternoon) as would be excepted as Solaia is based on Sangiovese and the Sassicaia is Cabernet Sauvignon based. The Sassicaia is the extrovert of the two. More primal in nature, medium plus body, lush, sweet dark fruits, slight smokiness, and tobacco.  Having said that, it is not a fruit bomb of a wine and shows much finesse. This bottle definitely is showing tight and definitely needs some time to open it up. When offered seconds, my hands could not have stretched out faster.

- Michael Kwok (TheEngineer, Wine Board Forum)

For Sauvignon Blanc Lovers

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most popular white wines made from green-skinned grapes, which originates from the Bordeaux region of France.  It is now widely cultivated in France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, California, and South America, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine.  Depending on the climate, the flavor ranges from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical.  It is usually consumed young since it doesn't particularly benefit from aging. Sauvignon Blanc should be served slightly chilled and pairs with fish or cheese, particularly Chevre. Also, it is one of the few wines that go well with sushi. 

For those Sauvignon Blanc Lovers, here are my wine recommendations:

1)  Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - This lush and inviting Sauvignon Blanc combines a rich, creamy mouthfeel with bright acidity and a long, refreshing finish. The aroma brings together appealing elements of Meyer lemon, grapefruit, orange blossom and peach nectar, with hints of honeysuckle and graham crackers.  On the palate, tropical flavors of pineapple and mango are complemented by layers of citrus, peach and ginger spice.  (On sale at Wines.com for $28.41 a bottle and $321.46 per case with free shipping). 

2)  Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - Fragrant and complex, with a refreshing burst of lime, guava, grapefruit and grass flavors. Wet stone, passion fruit and oyster shell accents add interest, with bright acidity highlighting the vivid finish. An outstanding Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. (On sale at Wines.com for $15.89 and $187.78 with free shipping).

3)  Mulderbosch Sauvignon Blanc 2007 -  Winemaker Mike Dobrovic, is known as South Africa’s‘ Mr Sauvignon Blanc’, and for good reason.  The flavour of this internationally renowned wine is a beautiful balance between cool and ripe, pale straw with a green tinge. The 2001 Sauvignon Blanc has massive fruit content, being packed with guava, lemon and passion fruit – yet maintaining its complex character of grassiness and nettle.  (On sale at Wines.com for $19.99 a bottle and $227.46 per case with free shipping).

Frank Family Zinfandel Napa Valley 2006

Frank Family Zinfandel Napa Valley 2006 - Brilliant crimson color. Aromas of black pie, dried cherries, pink peppercorns and a hint of lily of the valley. Richness emerges as layers of juicy raspberry, spiced pluot compote, and sweet smoky BBQ sauce are exposed. Lavish and round; loaded with ripe briar berries and stone fruit, finishes deep and rich. 91% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah, 3% Syrah, 15 months maturation in 35% new french oak and 65% once and twice filled french oak barrels. A big wine with 15% alcohol which is beautifully integrated into the wine of berries and spice. Try with roasted pork loin stuffed with your favorite fruit--blackberries? Or a huge all-meat pizza.  (review by Denman Moody) 

- On sale at Wines.com for $34.69 a bottle and $349 per case with free shipping.

Patz & Hall Chardonnay Napa Valley 2007

Patz & Hall Chardonnay Napa Valley 2007 - The 2007 vintage of Patz & Hall's Napa Valley Chardonnay is certainly the most favorable to me than the higher end Zio Tony or Hyde Vineyard (which are still awesome), simply because of access and price point. The combination of fruit sourced from Carneros and Atlas Peak, which leads me on by taunting my taste buds with citrus fruit and spice with a hint of grandma's applie pie finishing out with a clean texture and finesse. A luscious Chardonnay with great persistence and harmony of flavors. Doesn't get much better. Pairs with grilled red snapper topped with fresh crabmeat.

- On sale at Wines.com for $32.99 a bottle and $388.00 per case with free shipping.