Browse Tag

south africa

Scott

Hamilton Russell 2007 Chardonnay (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley) – Serious chardonnay, with ambition expressed in deeply soil-driven aromatics, good structure, a fine-grained patina of wood, and brooding fruit met in equal measure by aromatic porcini. I’m very eager to see this one develop. (10/08)

Not now, Darling

Darling Cellars “Onyx” 2002 “Noble Late Harvest” (Groenekloof) – 375 ml. If Sauternes had acidity, this is what it would taste like. Yes, that’s unfairly snarky. So to be serious: richly botrytized copper fruit, maturing more quickly than any but the cheapest Sauternes would, yet still fairly fresh, with quince-like acidity that eventually comes to dominate the finish. I’d hold this for a few more years, but probably not longer than that, as I think the acidity will eventually be unpleasant in contrast to the wine’s other qualities. Right now, however, it’s very close to world-class sweet stuff. (10/08)

Right of way

Southern Right 2007 Pinotage (Walker Bay) – The usual black fruit explosion, but with a bit more varnish than usual; with “age” (he says, sarcastically) this wine’s varietal characteristics are coming to the fore. It’s still quite good, and better than most expressions of pinotage, but I guess there’s only so much lipstick one can apply. (10/08)

Don’t kill the whale

Southern Right 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Walker Bay) – Classic lemon-lime and grapefruit in a hue several shades darker than the norm, with a bit of sweat and toil lingering about the perimeter, and a lot of persistence on the finish. This clearly has designs on levels above its pay grade, but given that it’s sauvignon blanc I don’t know if it can meet them; it’s quite a drink now, though. (10/08)

For seven brothers

[bottle]Seven Sisters 2007 Chenin Blanc (Yolanda) – It won’t remind anyone of the Loire Valley, but for those who like the fruity, sun-drenched expression of chenin blanc without much trickery or drapery, this is a simple pleasure. Don’t look for complexity, delicacy, or much length. You won’t find them. But it’s as drinkable as a New World wine could ever want to be. (10/08)

Louis

[bottle]Le Bonheur 2003 Merlot-Cabernet Sauvignon “Prima” (Simonsberg) – A fruit bomb, but a fairly reasonable one, showing thick, leathery blueberry and cassis, blackberry, perhaps some plum (though without the acidity). Not a whole lot of structure, but it’s quite drinkable and pleasant with aggressive enough food…which, given the wine, really needs to be cow muscle or something similar. (8/08)

Essen of Emeril

[bottle]Capaia “Baron von Essen” 2005 “Blue Grove Hill” (Philadelphia) – Blueberry and thick, chocolate-cream density. Obvious and simple. It’s drinkable, but it could use structure for both balance and support, and it’s a very momentary pleasure. (7/08)

Little Red Riding Hood

Boekenhoutskloof 2006 “The Wolftrap” (Western Cape) – 50% syrah, 48% mourvèdre,2% viognier, 14% alcohol. Full of flavor and woodspice, though the former is a little more dominated by the latter than I’d like. There are some earthen undertones, rumbling around way underneath the wine like some sort of mourvèdre-enhanced sub-woofer, so maybe some age will help. I suspect, though, that the wood will remain dominant. (7/08)

Not Falcon?

[label]Meinert 2002 “Devon Crest” (Devon Valley) – 75% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot, 14.5% alcohol. Those who can’t see the label guess this is syrah, and while there’s a little too much green pepper (a varietally-characteristic amount, which I find pleasant but some won’t) for it to be syrah, the lusty/smoky aspects of the wine go seem to head in that direction. There’s no lack of musky wood, and the wine’s a bit heavy, but despite the slight sludginess it’s fairly representative of its whats and wheres. (7/08)

The Rhine of the ancient mariner

[vineyard]Buitenverwachting 2005 Rhine Riesling (Constantia) – A dry, windswept plain of stark minerality, or perhaps like drinking plate glass. With such an endless (but featureless) horizon, I’d like a little more persistence on the finish, but this is a pretty good wine anyway, and there would seem to be potential. (5/08)