Braveheart Winemaker

If wineries were judged on beauty of location...If wineries were judged on how nice the people who run them are...If wineries were judged on how beautiful the drive is to said winery...then Herold Wines would be South Africa's top winery finished and klaar. Herold Wines lies just above George in a most beautiful location, a valley that is straight out of Hansel and Gretel . In order to get to the farm you need to take the Montague Pass over the Outeniqua Mountains, this must surely be in my humble opinion one of the most beautiful drives in South Africa. Even if the wine tasted like vinegar, and it doesn't, the drive alone makes this a special trek.

A trip to Herold Wines is not only about wine, it is an experience and one best not rushed. The farm, surrounded by mountains, is all of 300 hectares, of this only 6 hectares are planted with vine. We were warmly welcomed by the friendly and likable Vivien (pictured above) and Bruce Harper. This husband and wife team have been making Wines here since 2000, Vivien ever the keen gardener turned her hand to winemaking and the rest is history. Brave women indeed. Wines are made in a fairly uncomplicated way with as little fiddling as possible. Everything is done by hand where possible, some of the equipment being so small you would be mistaken for thinking it was a replica of the real deal.

What stood out for me most about Herold Wines was the notion of terroir. This truly is the expression of sight specific wines. No bought in grapes, no mixing and matching of different sites, just what their site gives them from one vintage to the next. My only disappointment is the fact that they are using cultivated yeast. I am sure as Vivian becomes a more confident, not competent, winemaker she will trust her motherly instincts and let the wild yeast do its thing. Then this magnificent site will truly be reflected in these beautiful wines. When this day comes I will be the first person knocking at the door. Being a cool climate area picking carries on till May...yes May. As a result the wines have low alcohols, 12-13% and very drinkable and elegant. In fact I would describe the house style as very old world, no fruit bombs, high alcohol over extracted wines.

Here are my brief notes on the wines:

Skaam Skaap 2008: My personal favourite out of the lot, a fairly easy drinking undemanding sort of wine. A blend of Pinot, Chardonnay and Sauvi. Think of Haute Cabriere Pinot Chardonnay that people so love, just a lot better. Lovely fruit and a hint of floral. Well balanced, well made.

Sauvignon Blanc 2009: Petulant sort of wine, fizzy, lively. Wonderful nose, goose berry and a slight hint of greenness, but not overtly so, fairly long finish, again well balanced. Not everybody's cup of tea. Racy style.

Red Men: Cab, Shiraz and Merlot Blend. These varietals just doesn't work on this site. Although I think the Merlot, using the correct clone may have potential here. So they make a blend, only 3000 odd bottles made. If it was me I would rip out these varieties and concentrate on the Pinot.

Pinot Noir 2008: This is the varietal that put Herold Wines on the Wine Radar in 2006 by winning Wine Mags Pinot Noir challenge, seeing off more fancied competition. The 2008 is still dominated by wood, on the nose you would be forgiven for guessing it was a coffee style pinotage, but the hints of vegetal character, fynbos and the slightest bit of wild honey made up for this. Perfect Pinot colour. An interesting wine, certainly no tooti frutti wine. I bought a few bottles and will be watching how these develop with age.

The only other winery that I can think of that comes close in terms of remoteness, ruggedness and natural beauty is Cederberg Winery. Perhaps the wines are not in the same lofty league, but just to be spoken of in the same breath must surely tell you just how truly special this spot is.

The River Cafe

Saturday was such a lovely afternoon so we decided to hit the road after lunch and taste some wine. First stop was Klein Constantia, lovely wine, classy, elegant blah blah. Bought a bottle of Vin de Contance for that special occasion. From there we headed off to Constantia Uitsig. Again lovely wines well made if a tad pricey, over R200 for both the MCC and their sweet wine. After an interesting tasting we felt a little peckish so we decide to try something lite from the adjoining River Cafe.

Lovely setting, beautiful courtyard, breathtaking mountain view, stunning weather, warm and friendly service, what could be a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon...wrong. Feeling peckish we ordered the Charcuterie Platter, Cheese Board and a bottle of Buiten Blanc. The meat platter wasn't anything great, pickles straight out of a Pick n Pay No Name Brand selection. The meats okay. The wine was stunning, love this wine, makes me happy with its summer floral notes. Sunshine in a bottle. So were did it all go wrong? Wine glasses and the cheese board. Wine glasses with rims as thick as Ronaldos leather boots. At a wine estate? You gotta be kidding me. But wait there is more. The cheese board @ R75. Have a look at the pic. Notice the lovely cheese....BTW my 4 year old daughter didn't arrange the plate. I thought somebody was having me on. Was Wackhead lurking...Somebody was pulling the piss. In all my life I have never seen a more sorry, sad and depressing cheese board. Thanks guys, I will be having Cheese Board nightmares from now on.

Do yourself a favour, visit Cape Point Vineyards, for about R130 you get a real Cheese Board. An experience in cheese, an adventure on a board. I was imagining the Windhoek Lager dude looking over my shoulder whispering..."Keep it Real". Cause this surely isn't the real deal.

I am in love with Nikela.

With time to spare and the promise of more rain to come I decided to do two quick pitsops in Stellenbosch and taste some wine. But where? With the rain bucketing down and the mood I was in, it could be only one, I actually mean two. So I paid a visit to Grangehurst and Annandale. Both have the same old world wine philosophies, release wines after a few years, no rush here. Both wineries are now releasing their 2002 vintage....yes 2002!

First stop was Grangehurst. Only 3 wines to taste: a Rose , the 2002 Nikela a Cape Blend, and a 2002 Cab Sav. The Rose was quite surprising, very fresh nose, certainly not sweet on the palate (aka 4 Sweet Cousins) or overly acidic. So a really well made everyday easy drinking wine. Next up was the Nikela. Wow! What a nose, so complex, first thing that hit me was spice, like when grandma used to bake Christmas cakes...then little heaps of read fruit. Man I was excited. On the palate it was as fresh as a freshly cut bouquet of roses. Was this really a 2002? That is what impressed me most about this wine, 8 years young and still miles of good legs and structure. It made me think of that song: Things Can Only get better...this wine can only get better. I haven't tasted many old world wines, but I would describe this wine as Modern Old World...fresh, clean, precise and pure elegance. This must be one of the finest wines I have ever tasted. The poor Cab had a hard act to follow. The nose on the Cab was tighter than the Nikela, maybe a little shyer. But the palate showed as much life and interest. Again very fresh, great balance between fruit and silky smooth tannins. All in all a very quick tasting, but if you are looking for serious wines for serious wine lovers, not fast food wines, then this has to be one of the best places in the winelands to find it.

PS: I bought a bottle of the Nikela and decided to open it at dinner with friends. I made a Tagine of lamb, dates and apricots. I let our guests know that they were about to taste one of the finest reds to come out the Cape Winelands in my humble opinion.....(DRUM roll please) and then the bottle was forked, I mean corked. Pity. Real pity. But there is a lesson to be learnt. If you find a wine that you truly love, a wine that is so delicate and poised, a wine so perfect...buy a case not a bottle.

Next up Annandale.

The Tasting Room

As much as I love food, fine dining really not my thing. Comfort food, great company, great wine more my speed. But the chance to dine at The Tasting Room at Le Quartier Francais was something I was really excited about. I don't need to bore you about the facts about how many awards these guys have won, Top 50 in the world, Eat Out etc. I think awards are just that, but when a restaurant delivers year in and year out then you know its gotta be special. And that is exactly what Margot Janse, she is the Michael Jordan of Food, and her team have been doing for quite some time.

We arrived and were warmly welcomed, nothing quite as spectacular as Rust en Vrede I may add. But warm and friendly nevertheless. The room is neither over the top nor glitzy. But has a certain warmth, minimalist atmosphere that makes you feel very relaxed and comfortable. That old cliche: if the design and layout is over the top then the food is best left under the table works in reverse here. Linen, cutlery, furnishings and stemware were all of the quality you would expect.

You get to choose between a 5 course and a 8 course menu. We chose the 8 course with wine paring. The 8 courses kind of becomes 10 after the chef throws in 2 little surprises. Before I get to the food let me just say the following regarding the wine. I was pleasantly surprised. Why? Vin de Florence, Glenwood Merlot, Cedarberg Baukatraube, Excelsior Viognier, Môreson Pinotage hardly the big guns of SA wine. But each wine was so well matched, I guess I am a bit of a closet wine snob expecting that only the Thelemas, Kanonkops, Boekenhoutskloofs etc could do justice to the fine food. The wines served were all wonderful, excellent partners that stood perfectly alongside each dish, never overshadowing the food, but rather playing a complementary role. Just like a perfect marriage, the man always playing a great support role...

And the food you say! Well how do you talk about something so elegant, precise, well executed, sublime, delicate, poised, blah blah blah. It really is that good. Each portion so light yet packed with flavour and contrast. Each plate painted by a master craftsmen. Luderitz oyster, chorizo, cucumber and granadilla was an interesting way to start. Coming to the table in a tiny smoke filled glass only added to the excitment on the night. Were we at the Fat Duck? Followed by lemon poached Transkei rock lobster, prawn wafer, and a tiny marshmallow. I loved this dish even though it was on the sweet side. Next up was Foie gras, prosciutto, cranberry and whisky dressing. My fellow dinners weren't won over by this dish, but being a whisky fan I was in heaven. A celeriac and buchu risotto was next. I hate risotto. No, I hate badly cooked risotto. But "Local is lekker" and this was a winner. A comforting course after all the preciseness and proceeding delicacy. And so the evening went on. Each courses maintaining the same high standard. The general service overall was of a high standard. Unobtrusive, we were only asked once if we were enjoying our meal, and his was between courses. After each course our cutlery was reset with the slight of hand of a magician.

So was the evening faultless? We managed to knock over a few glasses of wine and set a menu alight, bringing a new meaning to "hot food". But if I really had to be picky I would say the overall menu isn't seasonal enough. I stand under correction but the menu hasn't changed much for quite some time. The odd change is made from time to time but never an overall change from one season to the next to reflect what is best and what is in season. So certainly not seasonal. That being a small gripe, this certainly is fine dining at the very top end. Would I return? Is almost R1000 per person fair value? Pay the Tasting Room a visit and you be the judge of that.

Cheers!

Fly Swatting

Five Flies. That long standing Cape Town institution, so liked by the law fraternity, was our latest venue for undercover wine tasting. If walls could talk this place would spill the beans, I mean tell the truth, on almost every case ever heard in the Cape High Court. And considering the penchment the legal fraternity has for the finer thing in life, at their clients expense, running our eagle eyes, noses and taste senses over what makes up the Five Flies Wine list sounded like the obvious thing to do. I must admit I have never dined here before, I have always been afraid that I would be slapped with a civil lawsuit running into millions if I said the wrong thing or looked the wrong way. But I needn't have feared, I found the atmosphere warm and friendly. Look they not going to win too many bespoke design awards, rather more old world than new, tradition over innovation, established over cutting edge, wood over stainless steel. All in all lots of neutral tones, white table cloth's and dark wood, you get the picture. But we came to taste the wines not do a review for Huisgenoot.

We were seated in a private room off the main dining room. I could imagine this as a plesent space to enjoy a dinner with close friends in a private atmosphere. Or maybe chat in hushed tones about how to lie your way out of a death sentence...but I digress. I have a few pet hates when it comes to wine lists and serving wine in restaurants. In no particular order: Boring wine lists, huge mark ups, wine served at incorrect tempretures, crap glasses, and staff that don't have a clue when it comes to wine. Why do I mention this, well because Five Flies is guilty of at least two of the above. Wine glasses with edges as thick as milk bottles are just so unsexy and serving reds at Arctic temperatures is enough of a sin to spend a weekend in Pollsmoor. Serving warm wines is punishable by death so the bar staff figured lets keep our reds nice and chilled. Good idea but please take them from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving, frozen ethanol not really my cup of tea. So what of the wines served.

NO1: Warwick Sauvignon Blanc 09: 13/20

This wine reminds me of Paris Hilton-its famous for being famous. It comes from the famed Warick Estate so the pedigree is there. But I really fails to deliver. At R185/bottle you could do better and go for the Waterford Pecan Stream Sauvignon Blanc at R 115/bottle and treat yourself to a fine Havana with the change. I found the nose to be fairly shy, but with subtle hints of tropical fruit. The palate showed the same fruit with a pleasing weight. The real disappointment was the finish and out of sync acid. Rennies all round and an aftertaste that disappears faster than Juluis Mallema once all the trouble has been caused.

NO2: Hartenberg Chardonnay 08 15/20

If you are tired of over oaked badly handled Chardonnay that often tastes like Oak Juice then give this wine a go. The nose was inviting and intriguing with subtle hints of spice, lemon, caramel and toffee apple. Like your Grandma standing at the kitchen door saying come in my son...the nose excites you and entices you to savour and enjoy every sip. The palate has a nice balance between fruit and acidity with a satisfying finish. The only faults I could find with this wine is I found the alcohol a little harsh and the mid palate slightly lacking. All in all a good example of what can be done with Chardonnay if handled correctly. Fair value at R165/bottle

NO3: Paul Cluver Gewurtz 09 14.5/20

Coco Chanel no5 in a bottle. Fragrant, perfumey, certainly a wine I guess ladies would enjoy. An expressive nose of rose petals and litchi. Nice fruit on the palate with a kiss of spice, I did however find the acid and weight lacking. This wine cries out for food, anything Thai, Indian or even Cape Malay. At R135/bottle I would call this a great value buy.

NO4: Muldersbosch Chardonnay 07 13.5

For me the real disappointment on the night. I have had this wine before and really loved it. But on this occasion for me it just didn't deliver, or maybe it was just me who was off my game. An overpowering nose of all things oak didn't excite me to what the palate had in store.

NO5: Dornier Pinotage 07 12/20

Pinotage you either love it or you hate it. Me, I sit on the electric fence. More Pinot Noir in character than Pinotage, think forest floor, mushrooms and a hint of sulphur...I found the palate lacking in fruit and dominated by perky acidity. At R165 per bottle you decide if thats fair value.

NO6: Raka Quinary 2005 13/20

A Bordeaux blend, that still seems big, even though the wine is 5 years young. Big powerfull nose with lots of oak, hints of spice and dark red fruit masked by the oaking, even the tannins are fairly prominent. So all in all a big wine that is crying out for a man mountain steak. At R185 I think you could do better by choosing Alto Rouge @ R165 that pairs much better with a wider variety of food.

NO7: Leopeards Leap 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon 14/20

Lots of baked fruit on the nose and a slight hint on greenness/herbal note. I found the palate very satisfying and well balanced, lots of red dark fruit, think plums. Once again this wine also showed a fair amount of grip suggesting it would pair well with herb crusted rack of lamb.

NO8: Stellenkaya Merlot 2006 14.5/20

My first impression of this wine was: restraint. Nothing big and overpowering jumping out at you. Rather subtle, delicate hints of spice and cloves all surrounded by a touch of blackcurrant. Stellenkaya is headed by a bunch of dynamic women, a female touch evident on the nose. With such an elegant nose I was certainly interested in weather the promise would deliver through. And it did to a point. All the red fruits were there but all to briefly. So a great start but a short finish.Will pair well with veal and a light Parmesan cream sauce.

Five Flies Wine list in general isn't bad but it isn't great. At the top end they have a nice enough collection for the wealthy lawyers to splurge their clients cash on, but at the entry level and mid range I think the list lacks imagination and variety. The biggest disappointment for me was the temperature of the red wines, all way to low. As a result it becomes difficult to asses the wine. Green, chunky and unpleasant. On the night the overall scores were fairly low, I am sure had the red wines been served at the correct temperature the overall scores would have been higher by about half a point.

Now let me see if I can find myself a half decent honest lawyer.

Cheers.

Hermanus-this is a mouthfull-Pietersfontein

Not only is Hermanuspeitersfontein (say it slowly it helps) a mouthful, it also one helluva place to find. The Winery and the farm are two very different places, they are about 50km apart in fact. We stopped at the winery first and certainly left very impressed. Okay, so the tasting room lacks the charm and character of older estates like Kanonkop or a Muratie, but what it lacks in character it makes up for in other ways. Firstly the staff were well trained and answered most questions fairly well. The range of wine available for tasting is pretty extensive, and for Sauvignon Blanc junkies the choices are endless. Fruity, green, blended, a real mixed grill. But rather than doing so many Sauvies badly, they actually produce all these styles extremely well and with great success. The stand out wines for me were: The Bartho 2008 a Sauvignon Blend with Semillion and Nouvelle. My pick for best white wine at WineX 2009 some months back, having tasted it for a second time I am even more convinced that this is a stunning wine. Very individualistic. Die Swartskaap , 100% Cabernet Franc, elegant, restrained sort of wine, almost shy but yet seductive. Die Bloos, a Rose Bordeux Blend, stunning summer sipper. What I like most about HPF is the branding. Everything fits, ties in, looks good, is consistent and most of all it just works. Whoever is in charge of this side of the business deserves a round of applause.

Having tasted the wines we headed off to find the farm. Rather than bore you with how hopelessly lost we got, lets just say we found the farm courtesy of Jean Daniel and he is in Napier...I blame the stunning wines for the loss of focus. The farm itself is remote and very private. The cottages are beautifully decorated, and even boasts a mini bar filled with HPF wines. As far as farm/self catering accommodation goes this is top notch. Set amongst vineyards, fynbos, grazing sheep and with the most amazing mountain backdrop the only thing you have to do is: Light the fire, put your feet up and enjoy the wine.

Lost in Translation

Firstly, don't ever, and I mean ever take the N2 to get anywhere. I have started a Facebook group, a petition a blog you name it to have the N2 declared the world biggest or should I say longest parking lot. Getting stuck in traffic at the best of times can be a sour grape to swallow but when your dying of thirst, craving Elgins famed grassy Sauvignon Blancs, surrounded by Taxis and with only distant views of the Cape Flats to console you, then traffic jams are officially worse than cork taint.

And so it was that Dionysus took almost 2 long hours to finally arrive in the beautiful Elgin Valley. Pegerine Farmstall were hosting a farmers market, but no time for that as we had wineries to visit...first stop Elgin Vintners. The sign at the gate said open for tasting, and the tasting room was set in a truly amazing spot beside a lovely lake surrounded by tall tress. Pity the tasting room was closed...As I peered through the glass pain window the alarm to the building went off. I had become a wine thief. Leaving the distant chimes of the alarm behind us we set off undaunted to find Highlands Road Winery. As my stomach was beginning to rumble like a car that needed fuel I was looking forward to enjoying the delights of their famed

deli. Pity the sign at the farm gate said Deli Closed. Well at least they still made wine. Oops the bridge to the farm had been washed away and access to the farm was no longer.

By this time I was getting desperate. With haste we headed off to find South Hill Winery, and what a find it was. Slap bang in the middle of nowhere, this beautiful stunning Winery and Restuarant welcomed us with open arms. Finally cold, crispy Sauvignon Blanc. If you enjoy the greener style cooler climate Sauvignon Blanc then you will enjoy this wine. South Hill also make a stunning Cab Sav Rose that I really enjoyed. The wine tasting is done very informally at the bar counter in the restaurant. Don't expect the barman to be able to answer to many questions relating to bailing, brix or tons per hectare. However the wine, the beautifully decorated restaurant come Bohemian art gallery and stunning views make the trek worthwhile. We will be back to try the restaurant as the menu and food looked interesting.

Back on the dreaded N2 we headed off to Hermanus. First stop Whalehaven Winery. A lovely young lady and a non perplexed type reading the paper (I recognised him as the winemaker Mr Bodega) welcomed us. I firmly believe in a winery focusing on a select core range of wines, while some wineries are capable of doing a broad spectrum of wines. I would say Whalhaven falls into the latter. Their product includes the Premium Idiom Range, and the extensive Whalehaven Range. I tasted quite a few of the wines across both ranges and came away fairly impressed. The standout wines for were the Idion Cape Blend and Sangiovese, and from the Whalehaven Range the Crushed Velvet and the Old harbour. With such an extensive list of wines, so many varieties at different price points you are spoilt for choice, and a return visit is in order. One thing that stood out for me, was Mr Bodegga's relaxed demeanour and candid way that he interacted on a personal level. So many times winemakers can be aloof or distant, this certainly wasn't the case. He was friendly and warm, and with our lovely host helped make this a memorable tasting and definitely a venue that we will be paying a return visit. A less rushed and extensive tasting of this entire range of fine wines is called for.

From here we headed to Hemanuspietresfontein, but more about our experiences here in my next blog.