AWS National Conference 2014

Back now and recovered from my journey to Charlotte-Concord, North Carolina to present at the American Wine Society National Conference 2014.

On Friday 31 October I ran a seminar on South African Chenin Blanc, covering its history, how it came to be called Steen and how its true identity was discovered, why there’s so much of it in the Cape and what its characteristics and we tasted four, Van Loveren ‘No. 5’ 2014, Bellingham ‘The Bernard Series’ Old Vine 2012, Mullineaux Family Wines ‘Kloof Street’ 2013 and DeMorgenzon Reserve 2013. This session was filmed and will be available to AWS members.

Saturday 1 November it was Pinotage’s turn in the spotlight. I looked at its history, places in the world growing it, its reputation, styles and the making of it. We tasted Beyerskloof Reserve 2012, Bellingham ‘Ancient Earth’ 2013 (blend with 20% Shiraz), Bellingham ‘The Bernard Series’ Bush Vine 2013 and Kanonkop Estate 2012.

Both sessions were filled to their 80 person capacity and this was a great opportunity to show South Africa’s two iconic varieties to an audience for many of whom this was their introduction to one or both. Feedback on the wines was overwhelmingly positive.

I am very grateful to Jim Clarke of Wines of South Africa USA for his help in contacting wine agents in the USA, Ina Smith of the Chenin Blanc Association and the following distributers who contributed wines to the sessions: Alba Botha – Cape Wine Match, Molly Choi – Cape Classics, Alister Glen – DGB and Fran Kysela – Kysela Pere & Fils Ltd.

Presenting at AWS National Conference

Pinotage wins AWS Best Red Wine award

Pinotage won Best Red Wine at this years annual American Wine Society competition it was announced today at the National Conference awards luncheon held in Concord, North Carolina.

The winning wine was California's Loma Prieta winery 2012 Pinotage 'Bodo's Blend'.

Loma Prieta owner Paul Kemp told me "Sometimes life is full of surprises.  Bodo is the person on our label.  A medieval magician.

This wine is about 20% Petite Sirah from Amorosa Vineyard and 80% Karma Pinotage.  They are both 2012 and from Lodi.

This is great news and publicity for this wonderful grape.  After all the years you have devoted to covering and promoting this grape, it is almost ironic that you were present for this special award.

I am not aware of a Pinotage winning a best of show in a wine completion in the US and to win this award in in the American Wine Society Competition is very special."

I am attending the conference and presenting sessions and tastings of South African Pinotage and Chenin Blanc. I was surprised and delighted when the winning wine was declared and I couldn't resist having my photo taken  in front of the giant screen, although unfortunately they misspelled the winery name as well as showing an incorrect vintage.

Loma Prieta is America's largest producer of Pinotage, using fruit from the winery's own Estate vineyard located in the hills high above Los Gatos, just south of San Francisco and from other 

growers.

Kumala Virtual Winetasting 14-OCT-14

Kumala winemaker Ben Jordaan will be hosting a virtual wine tasting on 14 October and I’ll be taking part.

I need your questions to put to Ben. They can be about Kumala, wine making, Pinotage, anything at all.

I have sets of Kumala wines to send to two of the people who send me questions*, but I will use as many as I can. Email me or use the comment form below.

*Unfortunately Kumala can only despatch wines to UK addresses.

11 Oct is International Pinotage Day

11 October 2014 has been declared International Pinotage Day. Many wineries are hosting special tastings and offering discounts on Pinotage. See http://www.pinotage.co.za/index.php/news/201-pinotage-day for details.

And if you can't get to the wineries, open a bottle of Pinotage and join in the spirit. Cheers!!

WoTM - Kanonkop Kadette Pinotage 2012

Kadette is now the label of Kanonkop’s wines made from non-estate fruit. With the 2012 vintage a red Pinotage was added to the Kadette line-up of the original Cape Blend and the pink Pinotage.

I bought a case of the Kadette Pinotage as soon as it appeared in the UK, and it’s my Wine of the Month for September 2014.

What you get is a wine made by Kanonkop’s Pinotage master Abrie Beeslaar for a third (at the winery) or half (in the UK) of the price of his estate wine. Fruit comes from younger vines (5-20 years) and the wine is aged for 14 months in second fill French oak barrels.

This is not intended to age as long as the estate Pinotage and as it's really drinkable now why not do like me and have a case of each and drink the Kadette while the estate wine ages.

I found lots of forward berry fruit, delicious Pinotage flavours and soft ready tannins. A lovely approachable wine with Kanonkop class  and a ideal WoTM.

Notes from Toronto International Pinotage Tasting

Ontario was enjoying a heat wave during my time there, and I’d taken cold weather gear. 

Toronto’s South African Wine Society organised a unique tasting of 13 Pinotages from five countries plus three US states. It had taken six years to gather them all and on Tuesday 26 August 2014 a keen group of members and interested guests gathered tfor a tutored tasting in the splendid Wedgwood Blue Room in the Toronto University Faculty Club, a 1920’s ivy-covered mansion towered over by the recent modern architecture of university buildings.

 

Faculty Club

Tasters in the Wedgwood Blue Room (photo by Eleanor Cosman) 

Speaker in full flow (photo by Eleanor Cosman)

I was presenting the tasting and unable to take notes so I am indebted to committee member Jon Whitteker for permission to use his.

Topper’s Mountain 2010 wild ferment – Australia / New England NSW  (non grafted vines, 7 years)

—good initial impression, excellent fruit flavours, med. depth & length, plum & red fruit / held up well over 1-2 hours / very good on its own and with food.

Melrose Vineyards 2009 – USA / Oregon  (planted 2005)

—lighter style, short finish, easy drinking but lacking interest.

Barkan Reserve 2010 – Israel / Judean Hills  (8 year vines / started planting in 1995)

—good darker fruit flavours / medium finish / different, non typical flavour profile / pleasant but not compelling.

Lake Breeze Seven Poplars 2010 – Canada / B.C.  (14 years)

—forward, open bouquet / excellent black fruit / impressive with a solid backbone, very good depth and length / a serious wine that will improve with age / goes very well with food.

Stoneboat 2010 – Canada / B.C.  (12 years)

—similar in structure to the Lake Breeze but not the same weight / very good fruit, good length / very good with food.

Lovingston 2011 – USA / Virginia  (vineyard planted in 2008)

—good open nose, very good fruit, different flavour profile but very drinkable

Fort Ross 2007 – USA / California  (root stock imported in 1995)

 . good nose, excellent fruit, very good length and balance / sweeter initial impression which moderated over time / developed more flavour complexity as time progressed / silky tannins in the finish.

J Vineyards Estate RRV 2010 – USA / California (vines from 1994 and 2001)

—very good fruit / more Pinot Noir like initially on the palate / very good length / sweeter initial impression which moderated over time / developed more flavour complexity as time progressed / silky tannins in the finish.

Loma Prieta Winery 2012 - Estate Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mtns (California) … (Second vintage)

—good fruit, sweeter entry, medium-light length, smooth, very pleasant / sweeter initial impression which moderated over time / developed more flavour complexity as time progressed / silky tannins in the finish.

Soljans 2011 – New Zealand / Gisborne

—lighter appearance but abundant strawberry fruit / good length and finish, very drinkable

Muddy Water 2011 – New Zealand / Waipara  (non grafted vines, 18 years)

 —excellent, dark fruit, has good balance and length / has depth & complexity to develop further with time / soft but noticeable tannins enhanced the overall impression.

Black Elephant The Back Roads 2012 – South Africa / Wellington  (old vine, single vineyard)

 —dark, rich fruit / excellent depth and length / lots of potential for the long haul / pronounced but pleasant tannins indicate it age very well and further develop / very impressive.

Swartland  Bush Vine 2010 – South Africa / Swartland  (bush vine blocks, 15 – 37 years)

—good fruit, medium length, pleasant, not overly complex, enjoyable but not compelling.

Format:

Wine was served in 1.25oz (37ml) pours in ISO glasses. Wine was opened and poured 1 to 1½  hours before tasting. Wine was re-tasted up to 2 hours after the initial tasting. Food was served halfway through the tasting and again after the last wine was initially tasted.

After the tasting I spent time in Ontario's wine region to visit wineries and to taste their wines.

I sent my last  day in Ontario as a guest of Peter Laidlaw who farms Fieldmouse Vineyards near Jordan Village, featured on page 183 of my book PINOTAGE. 

Peter planted an experimental row of Pinotage in 2001 and on my last visit in 2006 we harvested the first vintage. Tragedy struck shortly afterwards with the sudden illness and later death of Peter's wife Susan. The vineyards suffered lack of attention aas a result, and no more Pinotage has yet been planted.

I am glad to say I found Peter in good cheer. He has remarried and is very happy. We sat at a table placed among the vines drinking a bottle of Fieldmouse Pinotage (not commercially released) and devouring a delicious Vietnamese feast prepared by Chi Laidlaw and her mother.

Cape Blend Competition 2014 - Winners

 The winners of the Perold Absa Cape Blend Competition were announced on Friday 5 September 2014 at the Taj Hotel, in Cape Town by De Wet Viljoen, Deputy Chairman of the Pinotage Association.

A total of 41 wines from 33 producers were entered.

The five winning Cape Blends and their components are:

• Blake’s Amethyst (Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon)
• Clos Malverne Spirit of Malverne (Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz)
• Kaapzicht Steytler Vision (Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Merlot)
• Painted Wolf Peloton Rouge (Pinotage, Shiraz, Merlot, Grenache, Mourvèdre)
• Rhebokskloof The Rhebok Cape Blend (Shiraz, Mourvèdre, Pinotage)

The five other finalists in this year’s Perold Absa Cape Blend Competition were:

• Bottega Family Wines Idiom C 2010
• KWV Abraham Perold Tributum 2012
• Spier Wines Creative Block 8 2012
• Wildekrans Cape Blend Barrel Select Reserve 2012
• Windmeul Cape Blend Reserve 2013

“The exciting thing about the Cape Blend wine category - besides it being uniquely South African - is the diversity if offers,” said Beyers Truter, Chaiiman of The Pinotage Association. “Apart from the borders drawn by the prescribed Pinotage component, the winemaker basically has a clean slate with which to work, causing a category that is as diverse as it is innovative.

Some wines use Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon for a more traditional, Old World Pinotage complement, while the Rhône varieties bring a New World juicy plushness. You must just know, if you do not find a Cape Blend that fits your palate, you are probably not a red wine drinker!”

According to Craig Bond, Chief Executive of Business and Retail Banking at Barclays Africa, Pinotage and the Cape Blend category of wines are truly unique jewels in the crown that is the South African wine industry. “This partnership reflects our long-standing commitment not only to the Pinotage Association but to the South African wine industry as a whole. Our corporate philosophy is strongly centred around ideas, innovation and creativity, and the Cape Blend winemakers reflect these values with their dynamic and passionate search for wines that have an own identity, are creatively put together and reflect the excellence of Brand South Africa, of which we as a bank are proud to be a part of." 

 

From left to right: Andries Blake (Blakes), Danie Steytler (Kaapzicht), Jeremy Borg (Painted Wolf), Suzanne Coetzee (Clos Malverne), Rolanie Lotz (Rheboksloof). 

 

Congrats to all.