Oak Valley Sémillon 2013

Oak Valley Sémillon 2013

I first gained an appreciation for Sémillon at the Constantia Utsig wine cellar tasting room in Constantia. It helped that the tasting room assistant was a serious, 'smous'. They have a cracking wine on offer there, and I remember it being quite spicy, with a gentle acidity. It was more drinkable than the Sauvignon Blanc I had just tried but at the same time was more complex- particularly on the palate. There was a distinct lemony candle- wax mouth- feel on the finish. Sorry- I got a bit carried away there, but it really was a very captivating experience drinking this wine. Its full bodied, and yet there are so many little flavour subtleties to enjoy. 

The texture and viscosity of the wine are akin to Chardonnay, but then flavours are closer to Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. A wine to drink, but if you really want to fuss, you can.  

Sémillon (known first as, 'wyndruif' or, 'wine grape' because it was easy to cultivate, and then as 'green grape' due to the green colour of the grape), Pontac, Muscat De Frontignan and Chenin Blanc were the first grapes brought to the Cape in 1655/ 1656. These grapes over all others have had centuries to adapt to the South African conditions.

There was Sémillon growing in the company gardens before there was Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the Medoc, Bordeaux

'Green Grape' Semillon

There isn't too much Sémillon left. Once accounting for around 93% of South African grapes,  about 1% remains. 

Much of the disappearance has to do with the rise in popularity of still- wine Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, as well as other blended white wines.
Semillon plantings of old were used in brandy making, and here again, grapes like Crouchen Blanc, Colombard and Chenin Blanc and new cultivars Weldra, Nouvelle and Chenel are more in favour.

Of the different regions, there is a resurgence in interest in straight Sémillon wines in Franschoek, but elsewhere its grown mainly to be blended with other  grapes- mainly Sauvignon Blanc.

Blended with Sauvignon Blanc, it eases the wine's acidity. It then adds a creamier texture and makes the wine more complex.

Quite a few local Sauvignon Blancs actually contain between 1%- 15% Sémillon. By law this little addition doesn't have to be mentioned on the wine label

Semillon takes to being matured in barrel quite well, and as such a lot of blended Sémillon in South Africa is matured in old barrels for a few months to accentuate its texture.

Elsewhere in the world, and particularly in Australia, Sémillon blends well with Chardonnay. Local winemakers increasingly blend Chenin Blanc with Semillon, the more famous example being the Alheit Vineyards Cartology.

The few local examples of straight Sémillon available on shop shelves and wine lists can be overlooked in favour of more popular varietals and white blends. Its not a mover and shaker- which is a pity- as its such an accessible drink, particularly when barrel-matured- not as full as Chardonnay, less acidic than Sauv Blanc and more defined than many Chenin Blanc's. 
I have tried 2 unwooded Sémillon's recently- and wines of some renown at that- and found them to be a bit boring, resembling young Sauvignon Blanc. I didn't really get the point.

The spiritual home of Sémillon is Bordeaux in France, where around 7% of the wines made are white wines. Of these, the best dry white wines are made form- predominantly- Sauvignon Blanc, blended with Sémillon and Muscadelle. The famous sweet wines of Barsac and Sauternes- though- are made from a greater portion of Sémillon.

The worlds' most famous dessert wine Château d'Yquem is made from 80% Semillon. According to Jancis Robinson's blog on the wine, the best still wines with majority Sémillon are Chateau Haut- Brion Blanc and La Mission Haut- Brion Blanc.

Oak Valley Sémillon

Oak Valley estate has a 0.58 hectare vineyard of Sémillon planted in 2004.

Spontaneously fermented, the wine spends 9 months in barrel. Natural fermentation releases more aroma and glucose compounds in the wine, promoting the fruit flavours and making it more complex.

Natural fermentation releases more aroma and glucose compounds in the wine

Only older barrels are used to accentuate the fruit and floral characteristics of the wine, and to promote texture.

Alcohol and sugar is low, so it's a dry but full of zesty fruit and lemon-curd flavours.

With grapes harvested up to 3 weeks later than in Stellenbosch just minutes away, a nice brisk acidity is retained in the wine.

Tasting note:

A brilliant summer yellow color- shown off in a well selected flint bottle.

Nose of fragrant lanolin and lemon curd.

Lovely yellow, subtly tropical fruit on the palate, predominantly golden delicious apple skin. Creamy texture Ripe lime zest on the finish. Well defined and not overpowering acidity promotes a lingering finish.

When to drink?

I love to drink this wine on its own as it has good complexity, but is still gentle and easily approached. As a setting, The Pool Room at Oak Valley is a superb lunch- time experience to enjoy the wine with a meal, or merely visit the tasting room and take some home. Its exclusively available in Cape Town at Weinhaus & Biergarten in Bree St.

With food, I would reccomend a piece of nice, very fresh fish with not much else accompanying it. Perhaps an oily, firm fish like Kingklip or Kabeljou. A sprinkle of Maldon salt and a twist of Lemon, and the subtlety of the wine will not deter from the lovely natural saline/ fish flavours.

I cant see straight Semillon making a comeback soon in terms of popularity and plantings. There is still some around, and I hope that the variety is explored increasingly as a constituent of good Chenin- based blends, and barrel- matured dry white wines.

Vondeling RURALE Methode Ancestral

Vondeling RURALE Methode Ancestral

Last month I joined a host of celebrated wine fundi's for the launch of the Vondeling Rurale Methode Ancestral, an MA, as a pose to an MCC or Methode Cap Classique sparkling wine.                          

It was a fabulous affair and we enjoyed the wine itself paired with oysters and salmon sandwiches atop the Paardeberg Mountain between Wellington and Malmesbury. This was followed with a lunch at the winery and flights of the Babiana Chenin Blanc blend, and the Erica Shiraz- the flagship white and red wines of the estate.

Epic lunch lineup to follow

The wine of the moment was a first- ever for Vondeling, and the first registered Methode Ancestral sparkling wine in the country.

The first certified Methode Ancestral wine in South Africa

Methode Ancestral Wine in France

In a quick flit through my older wine books at home and of course on the web, my journey of discovering this old way of making sparkling wine took me to the Aude department in South- central France. Its in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in the Languedoc- Roussillon region.

It has the coolest climate in Languedoc- Roussillon, with influences from both the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans.

It's an area better suited to cooler climate grapes like Chardonnay and Merlot than the more notorious southern french grapes like Syrah, Carignan and Grenache Blanc/ Noir.

Foothills of the Pyrenees

Old photo of the hillsides around Limoux

Methode Ancestral wine comes from the city of Limoux and the 41 villages surrounding it in the foothills of  the Pyrenees Mountains

We then focus on 4 french wine Appellations or classified wine designations around the city of Limoux, the first 3 of which are exclusively sparkling wine designations.

Its compulsory constituent grape of the white sparkling wines is Mauzac- a grape which ripens slowly and has apple flavours and a good natural acidity. Other permitted grapes are Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay. Good still wines in the area are single- varietal Chardonnay, or blends based on Chardonnay, and blended with Mauzac and Chenin Blanc. Red wines are based on Merlot (at least 50% of the blends), and then Carignan, Malbec, Syrah and Grenache are the other constituents, with occasional cameos from Cabernet's Franc and Sauvignon. Some Pinot Noir is added to the Crémant wines as well.

(1) Blanquette de Limoux AOC. Blanquette means, 'white' in the old Occitane language of the area. Wines must be 90% Mauzac with blended Chenin Blanc and/or Chardonnay. Wines are dry, fine, delicate and flowery with apple and cut- grass flavours. Wines undergo a second fermentation in the bottle in the champagne method. Disgorging is permitted.

(2) Crémant de Limoux AOC. This AOC was created in 1990 because producers wanted to make wines with more Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc- grapes with more globally attractive flavour profiles.

Crémant means, 'creamy' in French, in reference to its creamier, softer texture than champagne wine. It originated as a term for wines made in champagne which were not as fizzy as champagne wine itself. These wines had lower levels of CO2 and were bottled at lower pressures. 

Crémant then became a term used for sparkling wines made in the champagne method outside of Champagne, both within France and the European Union.

The main grape varieties for Crémant de Limoux are Chardonnay (40- 70%), Chenin Blanc (20- 40%), Mauzac (10- 20%) and Pinot Noir (0- 10%).

(3) Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale AOC. This is the designation and style of wine that the Vondeling Rurale is based on. The Methode Rurale- made wine, invented by the monks of the St- Hilaire monastery in 1531 was originally called Vin de Blanquette.

St- Hilaire Monastery- the home of Sparkling wine?

The locals of Limoux swear that they invented sparkling wine a century before the Champenois, and historians believe monks of the St- Hilaire monastery made the worlds first sparkling wine in the Methode Rurale (Ancestral) Method in 1531

Wine still bottled under the St- Hilaire name.

Could these be the first monks to make sparkling wine in Limoux, circa 1530? Maybe.

Its a sparkling wine which shows more fruit flavour, and has more sugar content. Its the oldest, simplest and purest way of making a sparkling wine.

Grapes are harvested later than for Crémant and champagne wines.

It can only be made from the Mauzac grape.

It is produced in the same area as Blanquette de Limoux.

There is no secondary fermentation in the bottle. Primary fermentation merely completes in bottle, and as such there will remain a lees sediment (dead yeast cells) in the bottle, rendering it cloudy.

Other distinguishing factors of production are that there is no disgorging that takes place, or subsequent dosage. Disgorging is the removing of the lees from the bottle

A dosage is an addition of a sugary liquid to the wine immediately after disgorging to meet required sweetness in the sparkling wine.

No secondary fermentation in bottle, disgorging or dosage for Methode Rurale wines

Wines are traditionally hand- crafted, and the use of modern equipment is kept to a minimum. 

Wines are low in alcohol, and have a fruit- forward flavour profile with sweet apple and lime notes.

Modern- day French Ancestrale

(4) Limoux AOC. Growing popularity of Vin de Pays (non- classified wine) still wines, notably Chardonnay from the area lead French authorities to create an AOC for Limoux still wines.

White wines are now made from Chardonnay, Mauzac and Chenin Blanc, and must contain at least 15% Mauzac. 

Any single- varietal wines are still released as Vin de Pays wines.

This is the first AOC to regulate mandatory barrel- fermentation for white wines.

Chardonnay is particularly well- known from the area, and Limoux Chardonnay is often considered the best french example outside of Burgundy.

From 2003, red wines are classified under this appellation, and they are based on Merlot (at least 50% of the blends), and then Carignan, Malbec, Syrah and Grenache, Cabernet's Franc and Sauvignon.

Carignan is gradually being phased out in favour of more Bordeaux varietal plantings.

There must be at least 3 grape varieties in each red blend.

Methode Ancestral sparkling wines are also made in the Appellations of Gaillac AOC (South- West France near Toulouse; 100% Mauzac grapes),
and Bugey AOC (Eastern France near Lyon; Whites from 50% Chardonnay then Aligote, Altesse, Jacquere, Mondeuse Blanche, and Rose sparkling wines from 50% Pinot Noir and Gamay then Mondeuse Noir, Pinot Gris and Poulsard)

The Vondeling wine

The Vondeling Methode Ancestral is made according to the Methode Rurale principals, but follows 2 aspects of Crémant and Blanquette de Limoux production in that there is a disgorging of the lees, and
Chardonnay grapes are used. The wine is clear and not cloudy.

Vondeling Vineyards facing South on the Voor Paardeberg

All other traditional aspects of production are followed in producing this intricately hand- crafted wine.

Before being bottled the wine spends 16 months on the lees.

Bottling takes place at just the right time when there is enough sugar present in the wine to allow for the fermentation to finish. If there is too much sugar the bottles could explode.
Its a wine which dictates when it would like to be bottled, and winemaker Matt would tell you that it hasn't been the timeliest beverage to produce- this vintage needing bottling slap- bang in the middle of harvest.

Only 1200 bottles were produced.

Key features of Rurale:

(1) Difficult wine to make, where timing is everything. Single fermentation completed in bottle.

(2) Riper fruit is used than an MCC wine.

(3) 100% natural and hand- crafted, small production.

Pretentious tasting note:

The first thing which struck me was the soft mousse (sparkliness). A fine bead is evident, with perhaps less sparkle than 'cheaper' MCC wines.
On the nose green fig and pear fruit with a hint of dry cream- wafer biscuits.
Fruit complexity on the palate is another distinguishing factor of this wine and it showed green pineapple, apple and pear flavours. Tasting through a bottle recently- over a period of a few hours- it even developed some sweet- sour notes with a hint of hoisin and ginger.
A fuller body than an MCC is also evident, then distinct grannysmith apple acidity persists for ages on the finish.

We enjoyed the wine with oysters and Salmon sandwiches on top of the Paardeberg. This was a superb pairing.

S&M Oysters- a perfect pairing

Winemaker Matt giving us the inside story

I think its also a great aperitif, and a refreshing summer bubbly to enjoy on its own. For a specific food pairing, I'd take a bottle with to a restaurant which does great dim sum. Dim sum dipped in some Hoisin and Chili paste- perfect!

Best with Oysters or some good, fresh Dim Sum

Final thoughts? I think this is a style of bubbly very well suited to making sparkling wines in warmer areas. Grapes don't have too much time on the vine during our shorter ripening period. In making an MCC,  I have always thought that South African versions can lack a bit of fruit complexity and concentration.
From what I understand, French grapes spend more time on the vine, and there is thus better development of flavour there for Champenoise wines.
Because the Ancestrale is harvested later in the vintage, more flavour is evident and there's a better marriage between fruit and acidity. I didn't find that any freshness was lost with the little extra sugar present.

Shouldn't more producers explore this exciting way of making sparkling wine?

Vondeling Babiana 2012

Vondeling Babiana 2012

Vondeling Wines come from Vondeling Wine Estate in the Voor Paardeberg area between Malmesbury and Wellington.

The Paardeberg Mountain is named after herds of Quagga and Cape Mountain Zebra (Perde)which used to roam its slopes.

A short throw back to 1704 is needed to get to the roots of this estate. It was first owned by Oloff Bergh- a famous Swedish pioneer linked with the Dutch government of the day. His existing farmhouse- built in 1750- still stands to this day. The well- known Oloff Bergh Brandy- distilled in Rawsonville- is named after him.

Original Vondeling Farmhouse built in 1750

Oloff Bergh. First hipster of the Cape?

Vondeling is the farm name, and means, 'Foundling'- an abandoned child.

Wine at Vondeling

Farm owner Julian Johnson has been managing the Vondeling vineyards for over 12 years. Vineyards are managed biologically with continuing efforts to reduce the impact use of chemicals.

Most of the vineyards face south, and the South- Easter combines with this favorable aspect to give cooler conditions- for grape growing- than surrounding areas (up to 5 degrees cooler).

South- facing vineyards, and cool southwesterly winds blowing every day in the late afternoon means cooler conditions than surrounding appellations

The Paardeberg is known for its decomposed granite soils. These soils give distinction to many of the old vines growing on the original farm site including old blocks of Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Granite soil heats quickly, and retains heat well. It has a high acidity, and helps subdue acidity in acidic grape varieties. There's a layer of clay below a sandy upper layer, which holds water through the dry season. Thus most of the vines are unirrigated- leading to deeper root systems for the vines and more minerality in the wines made from these grapes. 

Granite soils give distinction and a gravel- minerality to older plantings of Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc

Viognier and Chardonnay grow on alluvial soils promoting more vigorous growth, and reds grow on east and south- west facing slopes on Oakleaf and Tukulu soils.

Whats also important to note is that lower yields are encouraged leading to more concentration in the Vondeling wines.

Wines produced from the older vines on the farm tend to be more complex in flavour, achieve natural balance, reflect terroir better, and have a distinct, mouth- filling texture. Concentration and complexity is also helped by a tending towards natural fermentation on more the premium wines.

South- facing vineyards

Granite outcrop on the Paardeberg

Winemaker Matthew Copeland makes a range of wines based mainly on Chenin Blanc for the white wines to Syrah for the reds. Going forward most new plantings are to Mediterranean grape varieties which are more suited to the warmer climate of the Voor Paardeberg and Swartland areas.

In the cellar, and according to the Vondeling website, 'grapes are whole bunch pressed, thus retaining natural acidity and promoting juice extraction. Separate vinification of specific blocks and natural fermentation is an integral part of the process.' Basket pressing, hand plunging, minimal filtering and no fining are also features of Matthew's hands- on approach..

The winery is based in a converted milking shed with thick clay walls and a Rietdak thatch ceiling where the wines are matured in mainly older second and 3rd fill french oak barrels.

Old Clay and Rietdak maturation cellar

Conservation 

The Babiana blend is named after the plant Babiana Noctiflora- a night- time flowering fynbos flower which only grows on the Paardeberg mountain.

The Babiana Noctiflora flower

The Paardeberg is an area of extensive and important natural biodiversity. It hosts several plant species found nowhere else in the world.

Vondeling is the primary sponsor of the PSI, or Paardeberg Biodiversity Initiative which funds various conservation efforts, and has been involved in detailed environmental surveys recording all the species occurring on the mountain- sitting now at 900 and counting.

Typical Fynbos wildlife occurs on the mountain, and camera traps have photographed Cape Leopards roaming the area.

2 of Vondeling's wines- the Babiana white blend, and Erica Shiraz are named after indigenous plants.

Baboon selfie, and  a large male Leopard protecting the vines from Baboons..

Erica Hippuris

Flowers- Indigenous

The Grapes

The Voor Paardeberg and Swartland areas are blessed with plantings of old Rhone- varietal vines including Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Clairette Blanche. Other older plantings of Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay also occur, with Chenin being the most abundant. These varieties produce exciting, blended white wines which are distinctive, terroir specific, and make a bold case for a truly unique style of South African wine.

The style which seems to be in favour is a wine based on Chenin Blanc, naturally fermented, fermented dry, and matured in predominantly older French oak barrels.

Chenin Blanc makes up 49% of the blend in question, and forms its backbone. Grapes are harvested from an old, low- yielding vineyard- known as The Graveyard Block . Its 32 years old!

Quality and concentration of fruit flavour from this block is excellent, and because the vines are unirrigated and roots go down quite deep- there's a nice gravelly/ flinty minerality the grapes add to the wine.

Chenin Blanc from a 32- year old vineyard called The Graveyard Block

Grenache Blanc (21%) adds a delightful freshness to the wine, with citrus and fresh herb flavours (maybe even a hint of lavender?). It contributes good acidic length to the Babiana 2012. Vintage has a profound effect on the final wine flavours, and as such the amount winemaker Matthew adds to the blend does vary. The past few vintages saw 3%, 3%, 8%, 8% and now 21% being added.

Viognier (15%). Viognier is an aromatic grape variety which adds structure and pronounced peach and floral aroma to a white blend. It has the propensity to overpower blends if not added sparingly- displaying very powerful aromatics, and then tart, tropical fruit and apricot flavours. As such there has not been more than 24% Viognier in a Vondeling blend.

Chardonnay (15%) contributes additional vigour and freshness to the wine, extra citrus and Naartjie  flavour, and fills out the palate with a nice viscosity. Grapes come from an old single- vineyard block.

The Wine

Matthew Copeland and his team hand- pick the grapes and the are whole- bunch pressed straight into barrel.

This means that the grapes are not put through a de- stemmer or crusher but pressed while still attached to the stems. This is usually done to produce a more delicate wine

Grapes are whole- bunch pressed- producing a more delicate wine. This method is most often used for sparkling wines

The press cycle takes longer, but the results are better. The juice is cleaner, less astringent and less bitter.

Whole bunches of white grapes being pressed

Grapes are hand- harvested for the Babiana..

Its raining grapes

Natural fermentation takes place in barrel, and the wine remains on the primary lees for 7 months. Batches are fermented separately. This is a nerve- racking time for the winemaker as the wine ferments at different speeds. The resulting wine however shows greater complexity, concentration, structure and palate weight.

After 7 months the wine is racked, blended and returned to barrel for a further 4 months.

My pretentious tasting note:

I thought the wine deserved a poetic description, so here goes:

The 2012 edition of the Babiana is my favourite to date. 21% extra Grenache Blanc has added a bit more freshness to the wine.

Crisp and distinct, it shows soft, honeyed citrus fruit on the nose with a hint of acacia blossom.

A complex palate follows with fruit layers of Mandarin Orange, Sweet Lime and quince laced with yellow spice

The finish on the palate is longer than on previous vintages, and acidity- racier.

Enjoy with poultry dishes or take a bottle with to your favourite Indian restaurant. Don't order anything too mild as the flavours may overpower the food. I thought it went very well with a medium- hot Khadai or Masala curry- both tomato- based.

Tasting Room & Potjie Competition

The best place to enjoy Vondeling wines aside from at home or at your favourite restaurant is at the farm. The tasting room looks back over the Paardeberg, and offers cracking picnics and a guided tour through the wide range of wines.

Every year in August, Vondeling hosts a Potjie Competition involving teams from the area, and from the wine trade. Its well worth attending. This year my team, Esperanca went on to win- providing some valuable insight into a strategy for next year! The winning dish was an oxtail potjie.

I did some research into what constitutes a proper potjie and this is what I found:

1) Its cooked in a round, cast iron, three-legged pot, the potjie

2) A potjie should include lightly- spiced meat on the bone, vegetable and starches

3) Meat is browned, and the vegetables then added

4) Liquid and often an alcoholic beverage of some sort can be added in small quantities. Sherry and wine both work well. 

5) Once the meat is browned, and the vegetables and then liquid (optional) added, a potjie should not be stirred- distinguishing it from a stew. 

6) Cooking is done at a very low temperature by steam, and not by boiling like a stew. 

7) Length of time for cooking is between 2- 6 hours.

The winning team

The Oak Valley Merlot Cabernet Blend 2008

The Oak Valley Merlot Cabernet Blend 2008

Oak Valley wines come from Oak Valley Estate in Elgin, situated in the mountains above Somerset West. This historic, forested farm is home to the Rawbone- Viljoen family and their hive of industry managing flowers, fruit orchards, Wagyu and Simmentaler beef, acorn- fed pork and world- class wines.

Wine at Oak Valley

The farm was founded by Sir Antonie Viljoen in 1898, and was the first commercial farm in Elgin.

In 1904 the first grapes were planted. Wine geeks would be super impressed to learn that these were in fact Cinsaut (Hermitage), Semillon (Green Grape) and Palomino ( Fransdruif, usually used in the production of Sherry).

The first Grapes planted were Cinsaut (Hermitage), Semillon (Green Grape) and Palomino ( Fransdruif)

His wine cellar was built in 1907 having begun selling fruit to a local co- op.

To this day Oak Valley use industrious farming techniques, and Sir Antonie could have been one of the first farmers to cold- ferment his wines. He did this through running pipes of natural running water over and around his fermentation tanks. Cold fermentation takes longer to complete, but better quality wine is produced.

The first wine of renown was called, 'Dry Imperial'- a Cinsaut- based sparkling wine made by Douglas Green, a winemaker who had studied champagne- making in France. 

The first wine of renown was called, 'Dry Imperial'- a Cinsaut- based sparkling wine made by Douglas Green

Through till the early 1980's grape production dwindled due to strict quotas imposed by the KWV, or, “Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Suid-Afrika” (Afrikaans for "Co-operative Winemakers' Society of South Africa"). There was a mere 4 hectares of Cinsaut left.

Then in 1985,  Merlot, Pinot Noir, Weisser Riesling, Schönburger, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc was planted on the farm by the government wine research division, Nietvoorbij. In 1988 when the first good crops came in it was clear that the grapes that fared best were Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

At the same time, the famous Gunter Brözel from Nederburg approached Oak Valley and Paul Cluver to try and form a joint venture with Nederburg. This was mainly to acquire good quality Riesling grapes. The first wines were bottled and co- branded between Paul Cluver and Nederberg.

Oak Valley decided to pursued its interests elsewhere, and sold grapes to Bouchard Finlaysson who took Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot grapes. Some of these wines achieved great accolades.

Oak Valley's first major wines of the modern era were collaboration wines between themselves and Bouchard Finlaysson

Elgin is an inland plateau over 300 meters above sea level. The climate year- round is similar to that of Bordeaux in France. Conditions are cool, which means that grapes get to spend much more time on the vine. They thus achieve a better state of ripeness where tannins and various other chemical compounds are more balanced and contribute better to the color, flavor, and aroma of the wine.

The Grapes

The blend is made from 47% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Merlot is sometimes referred to as an, 'eskimo' due to it's favoring cooler growing conditions. It ripens quickly, and benefits greatly from longer time on the vine. Initially planted in Stellenbosch, it has proved an awkward wine to master. Physiological ripeness at harvest is reached very quickly in warmer areas results in high alcohols which overshadow the delicate, fresh red fruit appeal of the variety.

To compensate for the fullness of fruit, some farmers harvest too early and often sacrifice full flavour development. Resulting, 'green' flavours ensue. 

This grape ripens well in Elgin and achieves a great balance between delicate fruit character and acidity. Over all the other regions' Merlots I have tried, there is a defined finesse that is achieved with this variety in Elgin.

Oak Valley Merlot vineyards are low- yielding, producing grapes that add finesse and good concentration to the blend

I found the same with Cabernet Franc which also shows better definition of fruit flavours, more evident acidity and lower alcohols. The Cabernet Franc vineyards are higher- yielding and younger than the Merlot vines.

Cabernet Sauvignon needs a lot of sun to ripen properly, and due to the oft- overcast conditions in Elgin (resulting from the South- Easter bringing cloud cover to the valley for much of the growing season) it does ripen slowly and sometimes not at all. I therefore feel that it does not fare as well as the other 2 more delicate, earlier ripening varieties.

A great cool vs. warm- climate exercise one can try at home is to compare a warm- climate wine (Stellenbosch, Paarl or Swartland) with an Elgin single- variety red wine from the same vintage

Lower temperatures in cool- climate areas preserve acidity, and grapes take longer to ripen on the vine. Tart fruit flavours are more evident, wines are more gentle and tannins on red wines are perceived to be softer. Wines are also alot more vintage- specific in cooler areas.

The 2008 vintage red blend from Oak Valley is currently drinking superbly.

The Wine

Made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon this is one of the Wines that shone for me recently when I attended the Elgin Cool Wine and Country Festival. 

On that day I was also really impressed with the Shannon Mount Bullet Merlot,  Hannay Cabernet Franc (Oak Valley Fruit)  and Catherine Marshall's Merlot. 

In an environment conducive to making elegant wines,  grapes that produce softer wines naturally perform well in this region.

During and after fermentation,  the grapes were gently extracted before being matured in 70% new French oak and the rest 2nd- fill (older) barrels. 

I believe that the 2008 is just peaking now and shows incredible balance of fruit,  sugar,  acidity and soft,  supple tannins. 

The 2008 Merlot Cabernet blend has matured well, and is drinking beautifully

Borrowing some notes from the winemakers fact sheets,  the wine shows darker fruit flavours of ripe mulberry and blueberry- fruit descriptors more in common with Wines from the northern part of Elgin. 
Red wines from across the N2 highway towards the south of the plateau produce Wines showing flavours of red berries like Strawberry and fresh raspberry. 

Cabernet  Franc gives the wine a lovely mint- butterscotch richness, and Cabernet Sauvignon adds body and structure to the wine (mainly through tannin and fruit focus/ concentration). 

The wine is best enjoyed with one of Chef Jacques Theron's grass- fed beef burgers at the Pool Room Restaurant, open now Tuesday till Sundays. 

The Pool Room at Oak Valley

Oak Valley Merlot Cabernet blend 2008 is drinking very well now,  and will continue to intrigue over the next 5 years if you have the patience. 

Blackwater Cultellus Syrah 2012- Single Vineyard Swartland Syrah

Blackwater Cultellus Syrah MMXII (2012)

Francois Haasbroek who makes Blackwater Wine spent several celebrated years championing the cause at Waterford. He now consults with a few well- known wineries including Muratie, Bloemendal and Marianne. While he was working at Waterford he began a project making his own wine in rented cellar space near Joostenberg, Stellenbosch. Blackwater wines came into being in 2010.

With an outset of dry tannin and good acidity, the wines aren't full bodied and weighty, but rather fresh and vibrant across both the white and red ranges. Single vineyard wines are characteristically harvested earlier than many other farmers so that more acidity can be harnessed. Grapes for blends are picked at different times, adding extra complexity to these wines too.

Mostly older barrels are used to age the red wines, and maturation can last from 14- 28 months. Some of the barrels are really old, giving a neutral flavour- so its really more about fruit, acidity and grape tannin in the wine. This leaves wines much lighter in appearance due to the precipitation of colour. Wines aged for longer periods tend to lack pronounced aromatics as well. For Francois its all about the palate.

Fruit is sourced from the best vineyard sites across the winelands in Ashton, Durbanville, Darling, Stellenbosch, the Swartland and Elgin. There's even some Carignan being sourced from a secret location, the whereabouts being guarded by 'Omerta', a mafia vow of silence.

The Cultellus Syrah comes from the Kasteelberg in the Swartland near Riebeeck Kasteel, from a single vineyard with Schist soils.

Schist Soils. Other notable areas in the world for these types of soils are Faugeres in France and Priorat in Spain.

Schist is a laminated, crystalline rock based soil that retains heat well and is rich in minerals but poor in other nutrients. In the vineyard the rocks and stones look like little knives.

Grapes usually ripen well, and due to the lack of nutrients the roots will have to grow quite deep, imparting a mineral quality to the wine often described as 'graphite'.  Syrah wines are usually supple (soft tannin), bold and fine textured.

Having tasted a few South African Rhone varietal wines from Schist soils, I also find a characteristic sweet black cherry note as a main fruit descriptor.

The vines are all trellised and un- irrigated.

Cultellus is a derivative of the Latin word Culter meaning knife. It means a small knife or dagger, referring to the appearance of the schist soils where it is grown.

Amazingly, the Cultellus Syrah is harvested around 2 weeks earlier than many other Syrah vineyards grown nearby such as the famous Mullineux Schist Syrah vineyard next door to it. This is evident in the wine's low alcohol of 13.4%.

Just 3 old 500l barrels are made of this wine, and the wine is naturally fermented. After a 4 week fermentation the wine goes into the large- format barrels and is aged for 24 months.

Blackwater is a reference to tannic cape mountain water which is stained almost black with plant tannin after heavy rainfall. 

In line with Francois' desired flavour profile, I found the wine to be noticeably fresh with a delicate acidity and soft, dry tannins. There were no loud Syrah aromatics on the wine at all, but just a whiff of graphite, fresh berry and earth.

Its still tight and holding alot back. Its going to be interesting to see what other complexities this intriguing wine will add to the current Maraschino cherry, tar (in a good way) and sweet spice notes I picked up on the palate.

Blackwater Cultellus Syrah is available at a discerning merchant near you or on the website here: Blackwater Wine. Or just post a comment and I'll get in touch with you.