Camberley 2005 and L'Avenir 2007

I decided to open some of my older wines. I stick them away to mature and time goes by faster than I imagine.

Camberley 2005 was first. I’d really enjoyed this wine before when I visited the winery in March 2007 – oh, gosh – was it really five years ago? I have drunk three bottles subsequently. This was the fourth, and my last, of this vintage. It was at that odd stage where it was tasting a bit faded and yet offered the possibility of hanging on and transforming into one of the soft sweet decades old Pinotages I’ve enjoyed. This one was a little porty, it's 15.5% abv showing. Enjoyable but I should have drunk it a year ago.

L’Avenir ‘Grand Vin’ 2007 was just perfect with a delicious balance of fruit and maturity. It’s from a single block of the oldest vines on the farm and had ten months in new French oak barrels. One of those wines that you pause to look at the glass because it is giving so much pleasure.

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Tinus Els of L'Avenir with Grand Vin 2007 Pinotage

Tinus Els, cellar master and winemaker at L'Avenir in Stellenbosch, tells us about the making of his soft elegant 2007 Grand Vin Pinotage and how it will age

L'Avenir and Writers Block in Jukes' Top 50

Matthew Jukes just published Top 50 South African wines includes two Pinotages, Flagstone Writer's Block 2006 and L'Avenir Grand Vin 2006

Matthew is author of several wine books and wine correspondent for the UK's Daily Mail national newspaper.

Of the 2006 Flagstone Pinotage he says

The most expressive Writer's Block ever has me gushing thank goodness. Seamless, hedgerow and boot polish notes bombard your palate and there isn't a touch of unwanted earthiness in sight.

L'Avenir's premium Grand Vin 2006 elicits

With almost Barolo-like, enigmatic flair, this distinguished Pinotage stalks your taste buds one by one, converting every one in its path to its cause.

In the UK Writer's Block retails at £15 and the L'Avenir Grand Vin is an eye-watering £26.

The Top 50 is on Matthew's releaunched web-site at http://www.matthewjukes.com/?p=224 athough a coding error is preventing display at the time of writing (hint, use view source)

Cannon and Castle - L'Avenir and Kanonkop

Yesterday I took a brief drive up the R44 to visit L’Avenir and Kanonkop.

L’Avenir acquired neighbouring vineyards of the defunct Sentinel, and with it the ‘castle’ which was re-opened last week as the new tasting room for L’Avenir (above). Gone are the turrets, battlements and historic cannons. In their place is a thoroughly modern corporate tasting room with leather benches, standing tables and logo emblazoned spittoons. I’m an old romantic, and no matter the warmth of the greeting from the lady in the tasting room, this place felt heartless after the tasting corner in L’Avenir’s working winery barrel cellar.

I tasted the standard L’Avenir Pinotage 2006 which was an impressive dark purple colour with attractive sweet fruit on the approach followed by red berries but a tart finish. I asked, and was told the bottle had been opened the previous afternoon, some 24 hours previously. I don’t open my wines a day before drinking and I wondered if the sharpness was an effect of such long opening in a warm climate. This wine retails at the cellar for 120 Rand, (about £9.60/$20).

Also open for tasting was the Grand Vin Pinotage 2005 at a whopping 250 rand or (£20/$40). This had a dark red colour and was powerful yet sweetly fruity. Some nice spice in the middle, but let down by a sharply tart finish. Opened too long?

A bit further along the R44 a cannon still marks the entrance to Kanonkop Estate.

I wanted to taste their 2005 Pinotage (140 Rand - £11.20/$22.40) which is now available – I had last tasted it a year ago. It was bottled in July ’06 and bottle-matured in their cellars until ready for release at the end of 2007.

This wine tastes so soft; it is one of the softest Kanonkop’s I can recall. But in the fruity body there is a structural spine of finely tuned tannins down the middle followed by cleansing acids on the finish. It reminded me a lot of the 1999 vintage that was also very drinkable when young – so much so that I drank all mine shortly after purchase and then discovered on re-tasting it at the winery last year that it was even better with age. A mistake I will not make with the deliciously approachable 2004 of which I have bought prodigious amounts to drink and to keep, and now I must also plan on making room for some 2005’s when they finally appear on the UK market.

I happened to see winemaker Abrie Bruwer in the tasting room and he told me Kanonkop had always intended to make wines that would age – hence the back label maturation chart. But modern viticultural practises and innovations -- such as the grape sorting table which allowed the removal of stalks and unripe grapes --enabled them to make a wine easier to drink young yet still capable of long aging. Of this 2005 vintage Abrie said he tasted a ‘tomato cocktail’ with lots of red berries.

And what of the 2008 vintage? “The grapes still need a little more time for optimum ripeness,” says Abrie. “We’ll be picking them when they’re ready, and not before.”

I wonder how much longer Kanonkop will be able to show the maturation chart. There is no room for it on labels for sale in the USA; the Surgeon Generals's mandatory fatuous warning takes its space. The label pictured has recycling logos, plus the nonsensical French pregnancy sign. There is increasing pressure for more information and warning messages to legally required.

2007 Pinotage Vintage - One of the Best

The annual new Pinotage Vintage Tasting was held on Thursday 14 June at Allée Bleue outside Franschhoek. Wines from different areas were selected from these wineries: Perdeberg, Wellington, Rooiberg, Neethlingshof Estate, Stanford Hill, Simonsig, L'Avenir, Riebeeck Kelder, Klawer, Brandvlei, Stellenbosch Hills, Fairview and Du Toitskloof.

The wines were all a work in progress, being either tank or barrel samples, but the event gives the first opportunity to judge the overall quality of the new vintage. Charles Hopkins, vice-chairman of the Pinotage Association, presented the tasting. He said “The wines that were tasted came from various wine-producing areas, with diverse climates and soils, and are aimed at assorted local and international markets, from the lighter style for high-quality drinking wines to the more complex wines."

"My overall conclusion," said Charles, " based on the 2007 Pinotage vintage we tasted, is that the characteristic Pinotage fruitiness was in general strongly present, in addition to a better balance between wood-maturation and fruit-driven properties. This year’s wines also show younger than last year’s and need to develop considerably before they can be bottled and released. It’s something to look forward to!”

Francois Naudé, award-winning winemaker who is famous for his Pinotage made when at L'Avenir Estate, rates 2007 as one of the best four vintages ofthe past decade.

Pinotage is South Africa’s second-largest volume of bulk export wine, after Chenin Blanc, (7 .1M litres from May 2006 to April 2007).

Co-owner, and cellarmaster of Simonsig, Johan Malan said that their 2005 Pinotage sold out some time ago and that there was already huge demand for the 2006 vintage. “Pinotage is a top-seller, so it must be in fashion. That’s the reality of the market,” says Johan.

Since I couldn't attend the tasting I am grateful to Minette (WineFly) Willard for letting me post her impressions. Her favourite wines were:-

Fairview Pinotage 2007 - Again the alcohol is quite high in this wine and you can also taste the alcohol but it is not too overwhelming. There is fruits and coffee on the nose and this wine is more a classical pinotage and will make a good wine in the longterm. Also one of my favourites

Klawer Co-op Birdfield Pinotage 2007 - It is a big and complex wine, with flavours of prunes and bananas coming forward. Farmyard was also detected on the nose. This wine will do well once matured and will do good in the UK and Europe market as a commercial wine.

L'Avenir Pinotage 2007 - This wine also really stood out for me. It is a complex and well-balanced wine with a low yield of 5 ton/ha. They only used French Oak and 85% was bushvines. It has been in the barrels for 4.5 months at the time of the tasting. They keep the wine on the wood for 12 months in total.

Perdeberg SAAM Pinotage 2007 - Mocca Cappichino flavours stood out on this medium-bodied wine. Fruitiness is also detected with a silky finish and tannins on the palate.

Rooiberg Reserve Pinotage 2007 - First Fill 100% French Oak was used. There is smokeyness and a hint of perfume on the nose, with earthy mineral-ness that lingers. It has a straight finish. This wine is a good pinotage to me, the wood compliments the grapes/flavours. One of the better ones.

Stanford Hills Jackson's Pinotage 2007 - This wine has ripe plums, camembert cheese flavours and is fruit driven. Wood that was used is Hungarian & French Oak and it pushes the tannins to the front of your tongue. Good balanced wine and opens up when left for a while.

Read Minettes full report of the tasting at http://wineflyselection.blogspot.com/2007/06/pinotage-tasting-of-2007-vintage.html

Pictured above at the tasting are Charles Hopkins, vice-chairman of the Pinotage Association, and Debbie Burden of Simonsig with Pieter Carstens of Perdeberg (rear left) and Eduard Malherbe of Rooiberg (rear right) . Picture courtesy ML Communications

Recent Dinner Wines

Jacobsdal Estate 2001 - Other wineries have been redesigning their labels, getting new names and changing winemakers, but at Jacobsdal father and son Cornelis and Hannas Dumas keep a steady hand on the tiller. They continue to make Pinotage they way they always have, and showing Distell's keen consultants the door. And why not, when they make such enjoyable dinner wines as the 2001? Beautiful dark red colour, good well rounded body with meaty fruit flavours, and a long smooth finish. This wine slips down a treat with dinner and leaves one surprised the bottle empties so quickly.

L'Avenir Estate 2003 - Lusciously drinkable wine, sweet plummy fruits are underscored by soft tannins and uplifted by spicy mulberry tones. I just love this wine.

Sentinal 2003 - Deep purple red colour, smoky nose, mouthfillingly fruity, plums, smoke and spices, tobacco leaves on finish. Its so very drinkable its a real surprise to see its 15% abv.

Bath University Pinotage Tasting

Professor Keiran Molloy at the University of Bath organised a Pinotage tasting for the University Staff Wine Society. He writes " Thank you for your help on the tasting, which was extremely successful and well received. You have converted a lot of people to Pinotage, and personally I will be stocking up on the Stellenzicht, L'Avenir and Kanonkop (which was far more approachable even at this stage than I had expected)".

His notes with "an unscientific marking of each wine out of 10, which reflects relative rather than absolute merit" follow.

Southern Right 2002 - The lightest of all the wines tasted. Bright red colour, mix of red and black fruit flavours, full flavour in mouth, short on finish. An uncomplicated wine that won't disappoint but is unmemorable. No noticeable tannins so a wine for drinking now rather than keeping. (5.5/10)

Flagstone Writers Block 2002 - Mid-red colour, light tannins, sweetish red fruit flavours with a smokey finish. More body and slightly longer in the finish than Southern Right. A popular wine for immediate drinking. (7/10).

Groot Constantia Estate 2001 - Similar in colour to the Southern Right. Darker fruit flavours becoming more apparent than the earlier two wines. Full flavour in mouth but again short on finish. Earthy flavours, with smoke/tar finish. A more lively wine than the opening pair with more of a zing. By the end of the tasting, after being open for about 3h, this wine developed pronounced southern Rhône flavours becoming reminiscent of a Gigondas and far more complex in nature (6/10, based on early evening opinion)

Bellevue Estate 2000 - Deep red colour with well integrated tannins. This is a far more complex wine and would work better at this stage in its life with food. There is a hint of eucalyptus on the nose and nice mixed red/black fruit flavours. Other tasting notes suggested this was a controversial "new age" wine but that was not the opinion of the group. Good value for money as the cheapest wine in the tasting. (7/10)

Stellenzicht Golden Triangle 2000 - Deep red colour with purple hue. Obvious and yet soft tannins which are well balanced with the fruit, this is a wine which is drinking well now (perhaps better with food) but a long and exceptional future ahead of it. A long, full mouthful of plums and black fruit flavours. (7.5/10)

Neethlingshof Estate Lord Neethling 1998 - The most controversial of the wines presented. Dry tannins with less weight of fruit than the Stellenzicht. Mid-weight fruit overall, plum, blackcurrant and mulberry flavours with a slightly smokey edge. The fruit/tannin balance is not as good as Stellenzicht, and the wine has a sharp, spicey, slightly burning finish with met with divergent reaction. (7.5/10 but some much higher, some much lower )

L'Avenir Estate 2002 - The most popular of the wines tasted, drinking perfectly now but with enough soft tannins to ensure a long life. This is a very smooth wine with a hint of creamy vanilla on the nose. The flavours are of sweetish red and black fruits and there is a very long finish from this wine. Excellent. (8.5/10)

Kanonkop Estate 2001 - This wine could be described as a younger version of the L'Avenir in that it has similar characteristics but is less well evolved at this stage in its life. There is again the soft creamy flavours of oak/vanilla with loads of dark fruit flavours, but which are more hidden at this stage than for the l'Avenir. This wine became better and better with increased aeration. A wine that can be drunk with pleasure now but will be a real star in 5+ years time. (8/10)"

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London Pinotage Tasting

The Pinotage Club tasted the 2003 Pinotage Top 10 on 9 November 2004. We were glad to welcome as co-host David Brice from Cape Town's Wine Cellar who came laden with wines he'd hand carried from South Africa. The event was fully booked with a waiting list.

As a bonus we started with a tank sample of a new wine from Fairview, a Pinotage fermented with about 4.5% of Viognier. Small amounts of white Viognier have traditionally been fermented with red grapes in the Rhone but science has only recently discovered what French vignerons instinctively knew; a reaction occurs that results in better flavour and colour extraction.

Fairview Pinotage/Viognier 2003 - A very approachable wine with a delightful
palate packed with sweet fruits, redcurrants, rounded and a good finish. This was a tank sample, the wine has not yet been released, but look out for it.

We tasted the 2003 Top 10 in alphabetical order and marked out of 7, my marks are given followed by the group average.

Allee Bleue 2002 - Opaque dense colour, fruity nose, full body, some high acids, good tannins & grip (4 - 4.5)

Bellevue Estate 2002 - Dark fruits, firm tannins and crisp acids, hint of banana (5 - 4.2)

DeWaal 2002 - Sweet berry nose, beautiful purple glass staining colour, dry and tastes duty in the middle palate. (4 - 4.3)

Graham Beck Old Road 2002 - Quite dry on front palate but opens out to reveal nice plummy fuits (4 - 4.3)

Wamakersvallei La Cave 2002 - Oh dear, oh dear. I had so much hopes for this wine which is not available in the UK and which I often enjoyed while in the Cape. But it was stinky corked. (no marks - corked)

L'Avenir Estate 2002 - Delicious ripe fruits, good depth, underpinned with soft tannins (6 - 5.2)

Rijks Private Cellar 2002 - Wonderful sweet fruits on front palate, a bit closed in the middle. (5 - 4.9)

Slaley Hunting Family 2002 - Bright clear, lovely fruits of the forest flavours and spices, long finish (5 - 4.3)

Rooiberg Reserve 2001 - Tangy crisp fruits, interesting, dollops of fruits, spicy. (6 - 4.5)

Stellenzicht Golden Triangle 2001 - Big fruity nose with spices & acids, bit dusty in middle. (5 - 5)

It's difficult to host a discussion while writing notes, hence the bevity of the notes.