On Thursday 30 March 2017, the Boland wine club was treated to another memorable evening of wine tastings. Bellevue Wine estate is one of the oldest wine farms in the Stellenbosch area. Located slightly more inland than Stellenbosch, the wines produced in this area is characteristically different than most Stellenbosch wines.
We were given 9 different wines, including one barrel sample.
2017 Muscat d'Alexandrie (barrel sample)
As indicated by the name, this wine is made from grapes, usually used for producing sweet wine. This wine however will be fermented dry, meaning that all the sugar will be used up during the fermentation process.
The sample that we were given was still a milky beige colour, which will clear after stabilization and filtration.
On the nose the wine presented a warmness, due to the higher alcohol content (around 14%). Complex aromas of candyfloss, apple, ripe pear and tropical fruit bursts forth.
The fruity character from the nose follows through onto the palate. The wine is already nearly dry, but there is still atrace of sweetness, accentuated by the higher alcohol content.
This is an interesting wine with potential, which scores 15/20.
2016 Bellevue Chardonnay
The Bellevue Chardonnay is unwooded and matured in stainless steel tanks, but thanks to lengthy lees contact the wine has a well rounded character.
This is a clear and bright pale straw coloured wine.
Citrus, tropical fruit and guava meets the nose, with a subtle undertone of vanilla coming through.
The entry is crisp and dry with tropical fruit folowing through from the nose to the palate. The acidity is medium to high. The lees contact offers the wine a mediu to fuller body, the finish is medium to short. This is an easy drinking wine without too much complexity.
I prefer a wooded chardonnay, thus this chardonnay was awarded 15/20.
2015 Bellevue Shiraz
This shiraz has a deep purplish ruby colour with slight gradation visible.
On the nose the aromas are forthcoming and complex. Savoury, meaty, smokey and slight spice; more braai spice than spicey spices are detected. The wine can be described as bacon-like with a leathery undertone. When the wine is oxidized slightly, a dark berry and floral nuance is more prominent.
The entry is savoury and smokey and the bacon-like flavour follows through onto the palate. Once again the berry flavour is an afterthought. This is a deep complex wine with a full body and long lingring finish. The tannins are well rounded, making this wine a pleasure to drink.
This is most certainly not your average shiraz, since the spiciness did not get the memo that this is indeed a shiraz...
This wine scores 16.5/20.
2015 Bellevue Cinsaut
It is not often that we get to taste Cinsaut, since many wine farms are moving away from producing single varietal cinsaut wine.
The wine is translucent, garnet red in colour with definite gradation.
On the nose the wine presents an interesting forthcoming profile. The nose is savoury, mineraly with definite notes of forest floor and old wet leather. Slight red berry can also be detected.
The leather and red berry flavours are forthcoming with a smokiness, reminiscent of pinot noir, detected. The wine is crisp and dry with almost no tannin structure present.
The cinsaut scores 15/20.
