Festive Season Favourites
Another festive season ends, a slight hangover is brushed aside and its straight back to work at Cabo Esperanca Wines.
Reminiscing- today- about some of the epic meals enjoyed, there were also some top wines enjoyed. In amongst all the Gamon, Lamb and other christmas fare were a Cordoba Crescendo 2006, Tamboerskloof Syrah 2006, Keermont Syrah 2012 and Black Elephant The Back Roads Grenache 2014.
A few older White wines impressed us more than the red wines. The first of which was a Thelema Riesling 2009.
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| Thelema Riesling 2009 |
A lovely vintage for Stellenbosch, the Riesling was full on the palate with a racy acidity. Being easy on the terpenes and other tertiary flavours usually associated with older SA Riesling, there was evident quince, Grannysmith Apple and flint flavours.It was bold and pungent but still refreshing.
The same day we opened two 2008 wines, a High Constantia Nova Zonnestraal Sauvignon Blanc 2008, and Newton Johnson Domaine Chardonnay 2008.
I know that 2008 was an exceptional vintage for a few Constantia producers. The Klein Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Eagle's Nest Shiraz 2008 and Constantia Uitsig wines from that vintage were well accoladed and superb.
I haven't explored many Hemel- En Aarde wines from that vintage, but I know that there are climatic similarities between the 2 areas.
It was a difficult, wet vintage with a few heat waves, but some of the cooler wine producing areas made wines with lovely concentration and none too overt acidity.
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| Newton Johnson Domaine Chardonnay 2008 |
Newton Johnson Domaine Chardonnay 2008 showed richness expected of a mature Chardonnay, though it was still restrained, bright and citrussy- even showing some primary flavours. A chalky minerality was evident on the finish, which persisted until the next sip.
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| High Constantia Nova Zonnestraal Sauvignon Blanc 2008 |
High Constantia Nova Zonnestraal Sauvignon Blanc 2008 was my wine of the season. The ageability of Sauvignon Blanc has been debated with various wine industry colleagues over the years, with an almost unanimous preference towards its settling for a few years prior to opening.
I have enjoyed a number of wines over the years which have had some wood contact and have been aged, but this was an unwooded wine we tasted.
I enjoyed it because there was less vegetal character evident than with other old wines tried. When Sauvignon Blanc is well- made and based on great quality fruit, primary stone- fruit and melon flavours are enhanced through ageing. These were the exact flavours I picked up, with just a background hint of asparagus. Not unattractive at all. Acidity was not steely and aggressive but seamlessly integrated in a superbly balanced wine.
Nova Zonnestraal just off the M3 in Wynberg/ Constantia is known for good quality fruit, and the aspect and other terroir factors in that area are favourable for the production of top quality white wine.
Hats off to one of the oldest members of my wine collection.
