Martin Fuller from the Cape

News from the Cape Winelands
© by Martin Fuller
A cold winter's tasting from the Cape
Winter has finally arrived in the Cape. The onset of winter occurs with a magical type of precision that only nature could provide. The first warning one has to bring the jerseys out from their long hibernation is during the Easter weekend but the heavy rains usually hit the Cape shores during the latter part of May. And hit they certainly did. Wave upon wave of heavily rain burdened cold fronts have swept across the Cape these last two weeks, sending average day time temps plummeting to a cold 15C.

Now is the time that the red wine flows in seriously good volumes, around warm log fires inspiring long and deep discussion. Such an occasion led to a trip into the wine lands to taste some new releases. After a brief travel guide which follows, the tasting notes can be read.

First stop was Vergelegen Estate,some 40 km NE from Cape Town. Vergelegen nestles below the beautiful Hottentots Holland mountains near the town of Somerset West. Two wines were tasted, Chardonnay 1999 and Mill Race Red 1998.Vergelegen is owned by Anglo American of gold mining fame and has as their wine maker one of South Africa's best, Andre van Rensburg. Next stop was Bouchard Finlayson situated about 120 km from Cape Town near the wonderful town of Hermanus (Whales have made this town world famous. During August calving Southern Right Whales splash about in the sanctuary of Walker Bay: delighting children and adults alike as they play and frolic in the waves, just meters away from the coastline)Driving out to Hermanus is always a pleasure as the road passes over spectacular mountain ranges, through apple country and huge pine forests. Wines tasted at Bouchard Finlayson included Galpin Peak Pinot Noir 1998 and the Kaaimansgat Chardonnay 1998. The Galpin Peak has consistently been one of the top 5 Pinots in South Africa.

On conclusion of the tasting a very fine lunch (begun rather later than ought) was enjoyed at a restaurant just outside Hermanus during which some more wine was imbued and was ended in front of a rather too an attractive a fire with some local Port. The hour or so drive back to Cape Town was remarkable mainly for the depth of the sleep that became unavoidable!

TASTING NOTES (preceded by some viticultural and wine making background)

100% Chardonnay grapes used. Grapes all sourced from the farm, the vineyards situated on south / South West facing slopes. Soils here are granite with some clay content.

No skin contact was employed.30% of volume were whole bunch pressed, the remainder destemmed, crushed and pressed. juice recovery amounted to 585 l/ton.

After overnight settling the juice was racked to 225l French barrels for fermentation. 100% of the wine was barrel fermented and matured on the lees for 7 months.

Alcohol 13.5 Vol%
Acids (Titratable) 6.5g/l
Residual sugar 2.9g/l
pH 3.24
Free SO 2 34mg/l
Total SO 2 97mg/l

Pale lime green colour; nose showing some grassy, fig, slight gooseberry,toasty biscuit; palate fairly soft and immediately appealing until a touch too much acidity and bitterness is encountered in the mid palate. Flavours quite well integrated but the overall effect not as rounded and soft as one would expect. Aftertaste of medium length. Scored 14 and sells for US$8.50

This wine is a blend of:
Cabernet Sauvignon 48%
Merlot 44%
Cabernet Franc 8%
 Grapes sourced from dry land vineyards containing granite and clays. Crushing and destemming was followed by a 24 - 72 hr soak at 15C; the mash was then inoculated with selected cultured yeasts and fermented at 28 - 32 C for 4 - 5 days; malolactic fermentation took place in barrel / tank and followed by 14 months in small French Oak(30% new).
Alcohol 14 %
Titratable acid 5.7 g/l
Residual sugar 2.9g/l
pH 3.58
Total SO 2 120 mg/l

Colour a youthful ruby, clear and bright; nose full of ripe fruits, plummy and slight stalkiness, overall quite enticing; palate begins softly with ripe red fruits, soft tannins easy acids and a sweetish feel; aftertaste medium and satisfying. Scored 15 and sells for US$ 5.20

Kaaimansgat literally means "Crocodiles Lair". The grapes were sourced from vineyards bordering the snow line (700metres): soils are rocky granite: vines 12 year old - hedge trellised; Grapes were harvested in mid March in cool fall temperatures. The vineyard produces non irrigated grapes which are small berried providing high skin to juice ratios.
French oak was employed, 65% for 10 months, gently in what is supposed to be a move away from new world Chardonnays.
Alcohol 13.38%
Residual sugar 2.0g/l
Total acid 5.9g/l
pH 3.33

Colour mid pale golden straw: nose toasty, strong citrus, limes, fresh; palate begins with a shade too much woodiness and off balanced wood tannins showing, fruits quite well integrated with fresh limes apparent but too thin, a yeasty fullness, ends with a feeling of bitterness which carries to the aftertaste. Scored 14 and sells for US$ 6.

Burgundian clone 113 grapes sourced from the Heaven on Earth valley outside Hermanus that was chosen for it's particular terroir thought to be suitable to Pinot Noir: results seem to suggest that this is the case. However the 1998 vintage was very early ripening (23 to 29th January) with all the grapes reaching the cellar in 7 days. This in contrast to the previous year when harvest started in the middle of February (Scored this 1997 vintage 18!). Vines densely planted / pruned in French double guyot mode and crushed to release less tannin. 1998 a difficult year being too hot for good Pinot.Maturation took place in Burgundian barrels with 25% new wood.
Alcohol 12.88 %
Residual sugar 2 g/l
Total acidity 5.21 g/l
pH 3.56

Colour light strawberry red, bright and clear: nose - wet grass, marmite loamy, complex with subtle oak scents: palate shows soft understated ripe fruits, cherry, wild raspberry, tannins quite dry, soft acids but not as concentrated a mouth feel one has come to expect from this wine. The aftertaste was dry and long and satisfying. needs to mature out for atleast 5 years. Scored 15 and sells for US$15.