Wine conversation about bordeaux blends between Ryno and me:

Cabernet sauvignon is the butch alpha male in the room, dominating the entire conversation. The Petit verdot is the strange dark skulking guy, too much and the conversation turns uncomfortable... Cabernet franc is the alpha's sidekick, he wants to be the alpha, but there's something just a little off about him. Merlot is the refined artistic guy, making the conversation flow and Malbec is the guy in the corner with the cigar; too much of him and the entire room gets smoked up.

Sterhuis 2014 Chenin Blanc Barrel Selection

This Chenin has an alluring medium straw colour.
On the nose the wine is rather forthcoming with ripe tropical fruit such as guava and passion fruit. A hint of rich butterscotch indicates that this wine has seen some wood. The nose is mouth-wateringly rich and complex.

The wine has a crisp dry entry. The acidity is slightly on the lower side and perfectly balanced. The tropical fruit from the nose follows through to the palate. Vanilla and butterscotch flavours, along with the rich, medium body gives a long lingering, creamy finish. While this wine is not bold and in your face, it is deliciously appealing with regards to intensity and complexity.

This wine would pair well with a creamy slightly spiced dish, but it also drinks extremely well on its own!

Score 17.5/20

Delheim Handcrafted Sauvignon Blanc 2014

Delheim Handcrafted Sauvignon Blanc 2014 has a lovely bright, pale lemon-yellow colour.

On the nose this wine is layered and forthcoming. A bouquet of fruit, crisp apple, lemon and lime is most prominent with subtle hints of herby lemongrass.

The entry is crisp and dry, with refreshing balanced acidity; mellowed with bottle aging. The citrusy notes from the nose follows through onto the palate. The wine is slightly herbaceous, with notes of unripe pear and mild granny smith apple. On the finish is a lingering, fresh fruity aftertaste.

This is a very pleasant, easy drinking wine, yet it has enough complexity for the serious wine drinker.

Score 16.5/20

Perdeberg Wine Estate Wine Tasting

Perdeberg is located outside Paarl, with climate and terroir close to that found in the Swartland. Perdeberg could be translated as Horses mountain; referring to zebras that used to roam the area. The climate is rather dry and warm with 75% of the vineyards going without irrigation and 50% being bush vines.

We had the pleasure of tasting 8 different wines.

Method Cap Classique Pinot Rose Reserve 2013

This is an attractive salmon pink wine with medium to small beads.

On the nose, fresh strawberries and distinct yeastiness can be detected.

The entry of the wine is crisp and dry. While the wine is dry, there is an illusion of sweetness. The flavour of freshly baked bread follows through from the nose to the palate. The fruity finish is medium.

This is an easy drinking wine for all the lovers of bubbles. It scores 15.5 out of 20, only because I prefer my MCCs more serious.

Method Cap Classique Blanc Reserve 2012

This MCC is pale straw in colour with medium to small beads.

The nose is dominated by tropical fruit.

The entry is crisp and dry. On the palate, Turkish delight can be detected. The alcohol content of this MCC is slightly higher.

The wine is also an easy drinking wine, not to be taken too seriously. It gets 15 out of 20.

Perdeberg Vineyard Collection Grenache Blanc 2015

This wine is very pale straw in colour and very translucent.

On the nose, this wine is herbaceous with notes of fresh green apple, white stone fruit and citrus. This is a slightly shy wine that should be revisited to detect the full spectrum of aromas.

The entry is slightly sweet with the herbaceousness and fresh fruity flavours following through onto the palate. A slight minerality can also be detected. The acidity of this wine is slightly high, contributing to the crisp character. The medium aftertaste is that of apple and pear.

I rated this wine 16.5 out of 20.

The Dry Land Collection Courageous – Barrel fermented Chenin Blanc 2015

The Dry Land Collection is made of grapes from unirrigated bushvines.

The chenin blanc is pale straw in colour.

On the nose, this is a fresh and fruity wine with notes of peach, apple and citrus. A faint vanilla aroma can also be detected.

The wine has a crisp dry entry with the fruitiness following through from the nose. Flavours of apple, pear and citrus are dominant with a slight herbaceousness. The acidity of this wine is medium. The fruity aftertaste is long, lingering.

The wine scored 17 out of 20.

The Dry Land Collection Rossouw’s Heritage – Chenin blanc driven blend

This is a pale straw coloured wine.

Citrus, crisp apple and a distinct perfumey aroma can be detected on the nose. While the wine is slightly shy, it has a pleasant nose.

The entry is crisp and dry with the apple and citrus flavours following through from the nose to the palate. The acidity is high, making this a very crisp wine. The aftertaste is herbaceous and medium length.

This is a distinctly easy drinking wine, scoring 16 out of 20.

The Dry Land Collection Resolve - Pinotage 2014

This pinotage has an attractive deep ruby to garnet red colour. Gradation is visible.

This is a forthcoming and complex wine. The nose of this wine is very jammy with notes of youngberry, black cherry and plum distinguishable. It has a slight warming effect on the nose.

The entry of this wine is dry with a jammy character. Very ripe, dark fruit such as ripe blackberry, cherry and plums are detectible. The wine is full-bodied with a lingering jammy aftertaste. The wine is slightly higher in alcohol, around 14%.

I gave this wine 16.5 out of 20.

Perdeberg Vineyard Collection Malbec 2015

As I stated in my previous post, I am rather critical on South African Malbec, ever since I tasted Argentinian Malbec.

The colour of this wine is deep ruby to garnet red. The wine is nearly opaque.

The aromas are forthcoming and typical of malbec. The wine is smoky, jammy with aromas of sweet, ripe cherries. There is also a slight warming effect on the nose.

On the palate, the malbec is full-bodied with a smoky warm entry. The wine has flavours of slightly sweet black berries and a medium to long finish.

Unfortunately, this wine does not meet my expectations of the high standards of Argentinian malbec. This wine scored 15.5 out of 20.

The Dry Land Collection Joseph’s Legacy – Shiraz based blend 2014

This blend is almost opaque with a deep ruby to garnet red colour.

On the nose this is a smoky and jammy wine. Aromas of ripe red and black berries, and a slightly savoury spice is detectible. The wine seems to be rather complex and forthcoming.

The entry is spicy and slightly savoury. This is a full-bodied wine with loads of savoury spices. Flavours of pepper, minerality and dark berries are obvious. The finish is long and lingering.

This is a very pleasant wine, scoring 17 out of 20.

Perdeberg is a wine estate that offers good value for money, and some very decent wines.

Bellevue Wine Estate Tasting Part 2

Let us continue with the tasting notes from our tasting at Bellevue Wine Estate:

Estate Pinotage 2013

This pinotage has a seductive deep ruby red colour.

On the nose the wine has a distinct smoky aroma. Aromas of red berries and a jamminess also be detected with a subtle savoury undertone. The Estate Pinotage is a bold, complex and forthcoming on the nose.

The savouriness and smokiness detected on the nose follows through onto the palate. I would describe the flavour as gamey with a berry aftertaste. The finish is long and savoury. This pinotage is full bodied and complex.

I rated the Estate Pinotage 17.5 out of 20.

P.K. Morkel Tumara 2008

The Tumara is a Bordeaux blend with a very deep garnet red with definite signs of gradation; all indicators of the age of the wine.

Tumara is a forthcoming wine with aromas of smoke, minerality and rich, ripe berries.

The complexity promised on the nose is delivered on the palate. Smoke and a meaty character is the most obvious flavours with a black current undertone. The wine has the illusion of sweetness, even though it is entirely dry. The finish is long and meaty.

I gave this wine 17.5 out of 20.

P.K. Morkel Petit Verdot 2010

As with most Petit Verdots, the P.K. Morkel is very deep and dark garnet red. The wine’s colour is so deep that it is entirely opaque.

On the nose this Petit Verdot is forthcoming and complex with aromas of rich ripe black cherries with a definite minerality and a slight savouriness.

The savouriness follows through from the nose to the palate. The wine is full-bodied, rich and tannic. The finish is a lingering cherry flavour.

The wine scores 17 out of 20.

P.K. Morkel Pinotage 2010

The P.K. Morkel Pinotage is very deep and dark with a near garnet colour. This wine is also so deep that it is opaque.

The wine has a distinct red berry jam aroma with a slightly smoky character.

On the palate, the wine is fruity with a red berry jam flavour, which is typical to pinotage.

This wine got 17/20.

Bellevue Malbec 2014

Seeing as my husband and I got to taste Malbec in Argentina, we were sceptical (as usual) when faced with a South African Malbec.

The Bellevue Malbec is deep ruby red with definite signs of gradation.

On the nose, we were met with a complex and forthcoming wine. Aromas of smoke, fynbos and a slight herbaceous could be detected. This gave us hope!

On the palate the wine is smooth as silk. The body is neither full nor light, and beautifully balanced. Flavours of smoky meat and ripe red berries, typical of malbec are detected.

We were blown away by this wine and I gave it 19 out of 20.

Bellevue Wine Estate Tasting Part 1

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.

Usana wine tasting

On 24 February we visited the small farm of Klein Welmoed, just outside of Stellenbosch, with the Boland Wine club. Klein Welmoed houses the boutique winery called Usana. This is a little gem with wines of excellent quality. All of the wines were tasted, but sadly not all the notes that were made are quite complete... especially those sampled towards the end of the evening. So here follows those with notes complete and clear enough to comprehend.

Usana Chenin blanc 2013

Clear pale straw in colour.

On the nose the wine presents forthcoming aromas of orange blossom and notes of vanilla which indicates the that there was some contact with wood.

The entry is crisp and dry. The wine has a definate floral character, with fresh fruit and citrus flavours presenting themselves. The slight vanilla-ish aroma picked up on the nose follows through onto the palate. The acidity is medium, which gives a fresh, crisp character.
This is a light-bodied wine with a lingering fruity aftertaste.

I would give this Chenin Blanc 16.5/20.

Usana Pinot Gris 2015

Clear pale straw in colour.

This wine is initially shy on the nose, but becomes more expressed with oxidation. Stone fruit and honey aromas are detectable with notes of pot pouri subtly filttering through.

The crispness is the first and most noticible feature on entry. The fruitiness detected on the nose follows through onto the palate. This is a wine with medium to high acidity, true to the pinot grigio varietal, and a light body with a rather short finish.

This wine scores 16/20.

Usana Pinot Gris 2016

The 2016 Pinot Gris has a more intense colour than the 2015, with a slight pinkish tinge, due to the colour of the grape skins bleeding into the wine.

On the nose this wine is slightly forthcoming with aromas of pear and stone fruit most prominent. There is a undertone of a slight minerality or petrolium which disipates with oxidation.

Once again the crispness is notable. The fruity pear flavour follows through from the nose with an addition of crisp green apple. The acidity is medium to high as with the 2015.

Another 16/20 for the 2016.

Usana Sauvignon Blanc 2015

This wine has a very pale straw colour with a slightly greenish tinge.

This is an extremely forthcoming wine with aromas typical to a "green" sauvignon blanc. Asparagus and lemongrass aromas are the most prominent, with a slight herbaceousness being detected.

This is a very crisp wine,  with a lemony flavour. The asparagus and herbaceousness picked up on the nose follows through along with notes of green pepper. The finish is long with hints of green fresh herbs. This is a classic high acidity sauvignon blank.

This wine was scored 16.5/20.

Usana Sauvignon Blanc 2016

The 2016 Sauvignon Blanc is pale straw in colour, and considerably less green than the 2015.

The aromas of citrus and lemongrass is forthcoming with undertones of green pepper. Tropical fruit such as pineapple litchi can also be detected. This is quite a complex sauvignon blanc.

The crisp acidity is the first feature to meet the palate. The wine has a high acidity with a distinct citrussy flavour with notes reminiscent of freshly cut grass. Fruity flavours such as unripe pineapple can also be detected. The finish of the wine is medium to long with herbaceous notes lingering on the palate.

This wine scored 16.5/20.

Usana Barrel fermented Chenin blanc 2013

The barrel fermented Chenin blanc is pale straw in colour.

On the nose, reserved aromas of vanilla, ripe fruits and hints of almonds can be detected.

The flavour of very ripe fruit follows through onto the palate. Notes of caramalised sugar can also be detected. The finish is long and distinctly fruity.

This is a well rounded, well balanced wine that scores a firm 17/20.

Usana Barrel fermented Chenin blanc 2014

The 2014 chenin is even paler than the 2013.

The nose is forthcoming, with aromas of vanilla and flowers such as orange blossoms and jasmine. A touch of butterscotch can also ba detected.

On the palate this is a crisp, dry fruity wine. Stone fruit is the most prominent flavour. The finish is long and lingering and fruity.

This wine scores 16.5/20.

Usana Fox Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

This wine has a deep pulish red hue.

On the nose this is a forthcoming wine. Aromas of red and blackberry jam is prominent with hints of tobacco or cigar box.

Initially the flavour of mixed berry jam is overwhelming with subtle banana flavours coming through. This is a full-bodied wine with a lingering berry aftertaste.