WoTM - Beyerskloof Groenkloof Reserve 2005

My Wine of the Month for January is Beyerskloof Reserve 2005. This is a one-off bottling  from the Groenkloof appellation.

Beyerskloof made a small group of appellation specific bottlings that vintage for a European importer. Beyerskloof’s then marketing manager made a presentation of them to my local wine tasting group and we could place orders.

This is the last of those I bought. It was graceful in its age after almost 14 years in the bottle, showing lithe fruit with the exuberance of youth smoothed by the years.

It was fascinating to compare different appellations; my favourites at that tasting were from Bottelary and Groenkloof.

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Label photos will be posted later

Platters 5 Star Pinotages

 

To South Africa House. This  imposing building standing on the corner of The Strand overlooking Trafalgar Square.

Wines of South Africa have managed to assemble most of the 2019 Platter Guide’s Five Star wines for a tasting.

It is wonderful to have the opportunity to sample these outstanding wines, but I am rather disappointed that Pinotage is represented by just four. And of all the great winemakers crafting excellent wines from this most South African cultivar, those four wines are the work of just two of them.

• Anrie Truter for Beyerskloof Diesel 2016 and Beyerskloof Faith 2014 Cape Blend.
• Abrie Beeslaar for Kanonkop Black Label 2016 and his own label Beeslaar 2016

 

L>R Beeslaar, Diesel, Kanonkop, Faith

I tasted the Beyerskloof Diesel 2016 at the beginning and noted its tautness and recorded that it needed time, but I retasted it just before leaving for home and it had blossomed offering sweet fruit, blck plums and berries.

Beyerskloof Faith 2014 is a blend of 34% Pinotage, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot and is gorgeous, balanced, ripe black fruit underscored by Pinotage sweetness. This was Platters Wine if the Year in the Red Blend with Pinotage category.

Kanonkop Estate Black Label Pinotage 2016, is made by from barrels selected from some of the oldest Pinotage in existence and priced in the UK at an eye-watering £140 per bottle. 

By definition it’s a statement Pinotage, made for long term aging. But here, almost 3 years after the grapes were picked and thus in its youth its showing well. Restrained power, yet it has a freshness and purity of fruit. Eighteen months in new French oak barrels have been seamlessly absorbed and its good drinking, but I think its glory days are to come. This was Platter’s Pinotage of the Year.

Beeslaar 2016 is made with grapes bought by Abrie from a single vineyard. This was the most approachable of the Pinotages, open and floral with soft sweet fruits and a refreshing finish.

Thanks to WoSA for assembling so many stars in one place. Platter 5 Star wines are rare. Out of 9,000 wines assessed for the guide the top rated ones are tasted again blind by all the judges to decide which get the coveted 5 Stars. The top scoring wine in each category becomes Wine of the Year. 

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Christian Eedes reviews the 2017 vintage of Beeslaar Pinotage here.


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WoTM - Ashbourne 2001

My Wine of The Month for January 2019 is Ashbourne 2001. 

As you can see from the only label on the wine (above), there is no mention of variety. This is deliberate. Owner Anthony Hamilton-Russell wanted the wine tasted and judged on its own merits without any preconceptions.

It is  100% Pinotage from Hamilton-Russell Vineyards’s Bastenburg vineyard. I had tasted a barrel sample of this at the winery back in 2004 (see here) and I thought it would need time. In 2005 Steve Tanzer in his influential US publication - the International Wine Cellar - rated it 92/100.

2001 was the maiden vintage of this wine; it was the only bottle I had and I was saving it for a special occasion. I decided I'd kept it long enough and the special occasion was the dawn of 2019.

It was delicious. Certainly showing its age, this grand old lady of a wine gave off cedar aromas and tasted of strawberries and violets. Deliciously drinkable, but I wouldn’t have placed it as Pinotage in a blind tasting. I wish I had more.

There isn’t an Ashbourne every year; it has to meet Anthony Hamilton_Russell’s exacting standards and comply with his vision for what Ashbourne should be. Later vintages have had other varieties blended in to fine tune the wine to that vision.

Happy New Year.


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The View is Best Pinotage at 6 Nations

The Six Nations Wine Competition 2018 gave 4 awards to Pinotage. Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA competed.

Top scoring with Double Gold was Canada's The View 'Reserve'  2015. Next, with Gold was New Zealand's Muddy Water 2016, running up with a 'Judges Selection' were two South Africans: De Grendel 'Amandelboord' 2016 and Kanonkop Estate 2015

My report of my 2011 visit to The View, located in British Columbia's semi-desert Okanagan Valley is here.

The  View owner Jennifer Molgat in her Pinotage vineyard

 

WoTM - Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2014

My Wine of the Month for November is Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2014. This won the Abraham Perold Pinotage Trophy at this year's International Wine and Spirit Competition and I was lucky enough to drink it with lunch.

Diesel is a barrel selection of the best; just 22 barrels out of 300 were selected for the 2014.

The wine fermented in open casks for 5 days, with punch downs every 2 hours, and it was matured 18 months in 100% new French oak barrels.

Of the 2014 Beyerskloof Diesel the IWSC Judges' said:

Primarily pure fruit with hints of licorice, mint, coffee beans and smoky aromas. Great concentration of flavours on the palate, silky smooth texture, long finish with a hint of chocolate.

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Beyerskloof Wine IWSC Pinotage Trophy

To London’s Guildhall to present winemaker Anri Truter with the Abraham Perold Pinotage Trophy at the International Wine and Spirits Competition 2018 awards ceremony held on Wednesday 14 November.

The Pinotage Trophy was presented to Anri by Peter May representing The Pinotage Association, sponsors of the Trophy, and IWSC President Facundo L Bacardi, for the Beyerskloof ‘Diesel’ Pinotage 2014.

Anri Truter was called back to the stage again later that evening to collect the Blended Red Wine Trophy for Beyerskloof ‘Faith’ 2014. There cannot be a wine producing country that doesn’t produce a red blend, yet again South African wine makers confidence in the Pinotage based Cape Blend concept was rewarded by beating all comers. Faith 2-14 is a blend of 34% Pinotage, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 33% Merlot.

Applauding Anri’s triumph in the Guildhall was Beyerskloof owner Beyers Truter and Managing Director Barnie van Straten.

South Africa did well at the awards with multiple golds and trophies going to

• Bartinney for Hourglass Chardonnay 2017 (Chardonnay Trophy)
• Oldenburg for Oldenburg Merlot 2015 (Merlot Trophy)
• Spier for 21 Gables Chenin Blanc 2018 (Chenin Blanc Trophy)
• Spier for 21 Gables Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (Sauvignon Blanc Trophy)
• Spier Wines (South African Wine Producer of the Year Trophy)
• Villiera for Monro Brut 2012 (Bottle-Fermented Sparkling Wine Trophy)
• Waverley Hills for SMV Shiraz, Mourvedre, Viognier 2013 (Organic Wine Trophy)

Congratulations to all.

 IWSC 2018 Results Magazine

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American Wine Society National Conference 2018

To Buffalo, New York State, for the American Wine Society 51^st annual National Conference.

Flying into Buffalo. On left is Canada, right is USA, at bottom is Lake Erie. In middle is Grand Island. The two rivers merge at top of picture to plunge over Niagara Falls.

Buffalo is on the banks of Lake Erie a few miles from Niagara Falls. It’s the home of Buffalo Wings and the sliced beef filled kimmelweck roll ‘Beef on Weck’.

The venue was the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Buffalo ConventionCentre. 500 AWS members, plus exhibitors and presenters attended, the furthest travelled being two winemakers from Slovenia. Slovenian wines were one of the sponsors and the Slovenian ambassador  travelled up from New York City to give a witty speech to us over dinner while we tasted wines from his country.

On Friday 2 November I spoke about and presented five  South African Chenin Blancs. My session on Saturday 3 November was Pinotage. Thanks to the generosity of importers and distributors, I was able to show the following fine wines:

Backsberg Rosé 2018
Survivor 2016
Kanonkop Estate 2016
Simonsig ‘Redhill’ 2014
L’Avenir Estate Single Block 2015  

Details of the contributors, their wines and links to wine fact sheets are on the AWS 2018 tab at the top of this site.

This was one of the wines accompanying the Grand Banquet

 

and a perfect match for the delicious Filet Mignon

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WoTM - Diemersfontein 'Reserve Collection' 2015 Pinotage

My Wine of the Month for October is Diemersfontein 'Reserve Collection' 2015 Pinotage.

This is exclusive to Woolworth in South Africa which is where I got it.

Diemersfontein is famous for its popular 'coffee and chocolate' Pinotage which they invented, but they also make the superb traditionally styled 'Carpe Diem' Pinotage.

Though this has been, according to the back label, especially blended for Woolworths by their wine expert Allan Mullins, it's in the same camp as Carpe Diem.

The wine is intensely coloured with a spicy nose. It's soft yet there's welcome structure of tannin on the finish. It offers flavours of cream and cherries, there is a hint of chocolate and an overall delicious spicyness. A lovely wine.

Today is Pinotage Day

Today is International Pinotage Day

What will you be drinking?

Lovingston 10 Vintages of Pinotage Tasting

Lovingston Winery, near Charlottesville, Virginia, are holding a vertical tasting of their  estate-grown Pinotage on Saturday, Oct. 6th from 11am-5pm. 

10 vintages from 2006 onwards will be poured. There are limited quantities of most years, so they suggest arriving early.  

For questions, please email Stephanie at info@lovingstonwinery.com or call 424-263-8467.

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WoTM - Beyerskloof Faith 2009

My WoTM for September is Beyerskloof 'Faith' 2009 Cape Blend. This is presented in a statement bottle with deep punt and weighing 1.2Kg when empty, more than a full bottle of their standard wines. The word Faith dominates the label, with Beyerskloof in small grey letters in the bottom corner. Run your fingers over the yellow italics to feel a rough surface. The name is created crushed gravel from Beyerskloof's vineyards.

2009 is a blend of 37% Pinotage, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon,27% Merlot and 3% Shiraz. After 9 years bottle aging this is a complex smooth delight. Pinotage sweetness tempered by the Cabernet and Merlot, with its spicyness enhanced by Shiraz. It's lightfooted despite its 15% abv, thrillingly linear with plenty of spicy blackberry and red plum fruits.

A truly delicioius food wine.

Technical fact sheet is here.

As well as Beyerskloof's faith in their terroir, Faith is the name of a charity set up by Beyers Truter to combat Foetal Alcohol Syndrome. See http://faithfund.co.za/

Beyerskloof Wins IWSC Pinotage Trophy 2018

Beyerskloof has won the 2018 IWSC  Pinotage Trophy, sponsored by the Pinotage Association,  for Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2014  which IWSC judges praised for its “great concentration of flavours on the palate, silky smooth texture, and long finish with a hint of chocolate”.

La Cave Pinotage 2017, WO Wellington, won Gold Outstanding and Gold medals were awarded to De Grendel Amandelboord Pinotage 2016, WO Durbanville and Wildekrans Estate Pinotage 2016, WO Bot River
 
Beyerskloof's Faith,WO Stellenbosch, Cape Blend won Gold Outstanding for the 2015 vintage and Gold medals for its 2014 and 2011 vintages. 

Congratulations to Anri and Beyers Truter, the Beyerskloof team and all the winners

All the medal and trophy winners are listed at https://iwsc.net/result/search

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Cape Blend 2018 Competition Winners

Winners of the 2018 Perold-Absa Cape Blend Competition,  presented by the Pinotage Association and Absa are:


KWV Abraham Perold Tributum 2014
WO Coastal: Shiraz,  Pinotage, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon,  Petit Sirah. Winemaker Louwritz Louw.
Leipzig Master Blend 2017
WO Western Cape : Pinotage, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot. Winemaker: Vian Bester.
Lyngrove Platinum Latitude 2016
WO Stellenbosch: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz. Winemaker:  Danie van Tonder.
Pulpit Rock Louisa Reserve 2014
WO Swartland: Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Petit Verdot. Winemaker:  Dewald Huisamen.
Wildekrans Cape Blend Barrel Select Reserve 2015
WO Botrivier: Pinotage, Shiraz , Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir . Winemaker: Braam Gericke

Runners up: 
Anura Signature Cape Cuveé 2015
WO Paarl: Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz . Winemaker: Stander Mass .
Beyerskloof Faith  2015
WO Stellenbosch : Pinotage , Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot . Winemaker:  Anri Truter.
Blake’s  Amethyst 2016
WO Swartland : Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Petit Verdot. Winemaker: Christoph Blake
Pulpit Rock Louisa Reserve 2015
WO Swartland: Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Petit Verdot. Winemaker: Dewald Huisamen .
Wellington Wines – La  Cave Cape Blend 2016
WO Wellington: Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz. Winemaker: Francois van Niekerk.

The judges were Jacques Roux (marketing director of DGB), Fred Viljoen and Johan Malan (proprietors and cellarmasters at Viljoensdrift and Simonsig respectively), Susan Erasmus (Laffort), Brad Gold (CWM) and winemaker Guy Webber.  

This the eighth year of the competition and there were 51 contestents. A Cape Blend must consist of 30-70% Pinotage, all 5 winners included Cabernet Sauvignon in their blend.  

De Wet Viljoen, vice-chair of the Pinotage Association, said the competition is a testament of the bright future of Cape Blends. He added that the quality of the finalists this year was truly phenomenal and the wines show balance, elegance and structure that will carry the wines with aging.  Winemakers spend a lot of time and compassion to create their blends and the fact that these wines are sold at premium prices also indicate the seriousness of the wines. 

Congratulations to all. 

Pinotage Top 10 Winners - 2018

Winners of 2018 Absa Pinotage Top 10 Competition are

Allée Bleue Black Series Old Vine Pinotage 2016
WO Piekenierskloof (Franschhoek cellar), Winemaker Van Zyl du Toit
Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2015
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker Anri Truter
Diemersdal Pinotage Reserve 2017
WO Durbanville, Winemaker Thys Louw
Fairview Primo Pinotage 2016
WO Paarl, Winemaker Anthony de Jager
Flagstone Writer's Block Pinotage 2016
WO Breedekloof (Somerset West cellar), Winemaker Gerhard Swart
Kaapzicht Steytler Pinotage 2015
WO Bottelary-Stellenbosch, Winemaker Danie Steytler
Kanonkop Pinotage 2013
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar
Lyngrove Platinum Pinotage 2016
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker Danie van Tonder
Môreson The Widow Maker Pinotage 2015
WO Stellenbosch (Franschhoek cellar), Winemaker Clayton Reabow
Rijk's Reserve Pinotage 2014
WO Tulbagh, Winemaker Pierre Wahl

Beyers Truter, chairman and founder of the Pinotage Association, highlighted that Pinotage’s quality is on the upsurge and that the market for wines made from this cultivar continues to grow. 

“Looking at the quality of wine from the 20 finalists this year, our winemakers are undoubtedly on the right course to grow Pinotage’s popularity.  Not only are they embracing the grape’s unique characteristics and learning how to best treat it in the vineyard and in the cellar, but they are also determined to continue improving its quality and educating South African consumers and the rest of the world about the superb wine it produces.”

Beyers said winemakers are now in sync with their terroir and that this is one of the most important ingredients of the success recipe. “The Pinotage Association’s Vision2025 endeavours to get all stakeholders in sync with regards to Pinotage research, knowledge transfer and marketing. We want to double Pinotage’s contribution to the economy in the period ending in 2025, when Pinotage will be celebrating its centenary.”

Winners of  the Museum Class category for Pinotages more the ten years old are:

Kanonkop Pinotage 2006
WO Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Winemaker Abrie Beeslaar
Neethlingshof Lord Neethling Pinotage 2003
WO Stellenbosch, Winemaker De Wet Viljoen
Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2008
WO Tulbagh, Winemaker Pierre Wahl

One of the judges, Samarie Smith, said the quality of the wines in this category was phenomenal, with judges giving near-perfect scores for some of the wines.  


Kanonkop Estate’s  Top 10 win was  a record breaking  13^th
Rijk’s won their 12th  trophy this year.
Beyerskloof has won 8 times, Flagstone 6 times and Môreson 5 times