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.

Deliverence in Durbanville

Durbanville may not be as famous as say Stellies but it sure does offer a few interesting alternatives....take D'Aria for example. They are a new winery, having only launched their own label in 2005, a Sauvignon Blanc as expected. They have also just completed their new impressive modern cellar and tasting venue. The tasting venue is straight out of Deliverence with a lake side wooden deck surrounded by woodland forest...there is even a DANGER/GEWAAR sign warning you not to swim in the swamp.

But do not fear as the tasting room experience is a pretty good one. For R60 you can buy a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and cheese platter for two. Not bad value at all. On the day of our visit we were lucky to have the place to ourselves and got great service from our host Isabel. She certainly was friendly and had more than enough knowledge of the wines on offer to answer most questions the average wine drinker could threw her way. She also did a great job of handling a rowdy buss load of revellers that manged to spoil the peace.

Being a new winery they don't have a huge range of wines, I sometimes think this is better, the mantra bigger is better doesn't always hold true when it comes to wine. The range consits of a Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, Merlot and a Merlot/Cab Blend. The Sauvignon Blanc, as you would expect was great. I can't think of many Sauvies from Durbanville that I wouldn't recommend, and now you can add the D Aria to the list. The premium Sauvi, The Songbird 2008, is a lovely wine with just the right amount of fruit to acid. The Rose and Reds are all drinkable, but being a young winery I think these are still a work in progress. So if you are looking for somewhere a little different with a great deck to enjoy fine chilled Sauvignon Blanc this summer, then D' Aria is a great choice.

Vive La France

Red, white and blues... Must have something to do with the French. In a way yes. But no, it was the theme for the Durbanville Boutique Wine Growers annual festival. The theme of White and Red Wine with a touch of Blues music went down a treat.

Eureka Farm played host to over 200 people, the event was over subscribed, once again proving in matters of passion size doesn't really matter. It is not often that you could say an evening was faultless, but this evening came pretty damn close. From the relaxed, casual yet very stylish decor, too the delightful food and wine pairings, it just seemed like the longer the night went the better things got. The menu read something like this: mussels in beurre blanc, tempura prawns, carpaccio with wild mushrooms, Parmesan and rocket, petit burgers with caramelised onions, Moroccan lamb couscous and the highlight for me venison pie. That's enough to make your mouth water and we haven't even got to the wines or desserts yet...

There were so many good wines to choose from and as you would expect Sauvignon Blanc was the star of the show. Those that caught the eye were the Klein Rooseboom with its sexy glass closure and the Galleon Sauvignon Blanc. Welbeloond Sauvignon Blanc produced by the friendly Andrew Mellish, pictured, and Nomade Sauvignon Blanc produced by Riaan Oostuizen were the standout whites, the former very fruity and the latter more zip and tang. No Rennies needed for any of these wines. From the Reds my personal favourites were the Mirari 2006 from Westerdale that is drinking beautifully, a youthful Merlot from Klein Roseboom that will improve with bottle age and the Hermit on the Hill Pinot Noir. All in all a wonderful evening, proving once again, local is lekker.

Teen Die Berg

Next stop was Avondrood Winery. Here Albertus and Minett van Rensburg and their friendly pack of Great Danes welcome you to their secluded farm. Albertus is a bit of a terroir-rist as he firmly believes that his vineyards on the rocky slopes "hoeg teen" the Boland Mountains produce wines of distinct character. You could call it location in a bottle. Hard to argue, when he has walked away with so many awards at the annual National Terroir Competition.


The stand out wines for me were the 2008/2009 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Viognier. This corner of he Bredekloof is hardly regarded as prime Sauvignon Blanc territory, but Avondrood is proving that with the right site selection you can produce unique and distinctive wines. The 2008 is at its peak, showing a perfect balance between beautiful tropical fruit and the slightest hint of green flavours from bottle age, all of this backed up with fine acidity. The 2009 on the other hand is a fruit bomb. Granadilla, guava and gooseberries. Wines of this quality sell for twice the price, at R40 per bottle its a steal. The 2007 Viognier was all fruit, spice and floral. A great food wine, and will be a perfect match for delicately spiced food.


Avondrood also has their own mountain cabin with majestic views over the winelands and distant mountains. As Albertus would say in typical Boland fashion "Dis Teen Die Berg!"

Lovely Lorraine and The Love of My Life

From Jason's Hill we made our way to Lorraine Private Cellar. The De Wets have been farming these lands since 1875, and current custodian Johan, pictured left, is rightly proud of his families long standing tradition of producing fine handcrafted wines. The farm can be found at the end of a long and winding dusty road, off the well trodden tourist tracts, but certainly worth the effort. The farm is steeped in history and the De Wets have gone a long way to preserve their heritage. Original concrete tanks, out buildings and a traditional brookie lace home all add to the charm and allure. Johan makes a handful of wines in his small cellar, each wine from the very best vineyard blocks, the balance going to the local co-op. My personal favorites were the 2007 Cape Harmony, Love of My Life Rose' and the Sauvignon Blanc 2009. The Cape Harmony is a 3 way blend of Pinotage, Cab and Merlot. It has only just been bottled, having spent 18 months in a mixture of French and American Oak. This wine will only get better, some bottle age will add to its complexity and should be at its peak in a couple of years. The Love of My Life is a 100% Pinotage Rose' that Johan made for his wife and should be popular with the ladies and a perfect match for sushi. The Sauvignon Blanc 2009 is a bold fruity wine with loads of zip and tang, this is a perfect match for any al fresco occasion.