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Tasting notes from the Boston Wine Expo. Note the usual caveats about speed-tasting in boisterous environments, where mistakes are rampant and palate fatigue is a factor. These are brief impressions, not full examinations; the phraseology reflects these conditions.

Part 10: South Africa

Sizanani 2006 Chenin Blanc (Western Cape) – Sour melon, leaves, and aspirin. Concentrated and thick, with a lack of light and a proportionally sludgy finish. This is a winery with an valuable mission for which winemaking is the venue, and I respect that…but you just can’t do this to chenin. (2/08)

Vergelegen 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (Western Cape) – Excellent varietal character. Green grass, green apple, and intense but balanced precision. Very, very good. (2/08)

Oak Valley 2007 Sauvignon Blanc (Elgin) – Green grass and green leaves. Varietally pure, and if it doesn’t say much besides that, it doesn’t seem to affect the enjoyment. (2/08)

Groote Post 2006 “The Old Man’s Blend” White (West Coast) – Salty green and yellow fruit, with clean apple streaks. Light but short. (2/08)

Bellingham 2007 “Fair Maiden” (Coastal Region) – Chenin blanc, chardonnay, viognier, grenache blanc, roussanne, and verdelho. Bright, green, leafy, and smoky – quite a combination – with intensity and vibration on the palate. The finish brings forth red cherries and zippy tartness. This is a wine with a lot of interesting elements, but that hasn’t quite figured out what it wants to be when it grown up. (2/08)

Bellingham 2006 Chardonnay “Stone Trail” (Coastal Region) – Sour strawberry, plum, and other intense, but clearly red, fruit over stones (which is, I guess, appropriate). Solid but short, with a moderate application of wood and a smoky, thick texture. Decently balanced. I’d like it with a little less wood, or perhaps a little more age, but the finish will always be short. (2/08)

Boschendal 2006 Chardonnay (Coastal Region) – Plum, peach, fig, and flowers. Long, with good structure, but somewhat distracting tannin on the finish. Not bad. (2/08)

Slaley 2004 Chardonnay (Stellenbosch) – Smoky and thick, with stone fruit and way too much wood. (2/08)

Juno 2007 Rosé (South Africa) – Sweet, blush-style strawberry and red cherry. Nice enough, but I could do without the residual sugar. (2/08)

Bellingham 2005 Shiraz “The Old Cellar” (Coastal Region) – Dense and barky, fullish but pruned fruit, wood, and asphalt. Finishes as pure fermented wood. Yuck. (2/08)

Bellingham 2005 “Dragon’s Lair” (Coastal Region) – Shiraz, mourvèdre, viognier. Plum, boysenberry, olallieberry, spice, seed pepper, and smoke – quite a combination – with only a green edge to the tannin marring the complexity. Not bad. (2/08)

Slaley 2003 Shiraz (Stellenbosch) – Weedy, tannic, and hard. (2/08)

Allée Bleue 2005 Shiraz (Western Cape) – Incredibly dense, to the point of organoleptic opacity. Balanced and structured, with blueberry and chocolate dominating. This will permanently ruin your teeth. It’s all too much, really, yet I’m sure many will find it appealing. (2/08)

Stony Brook 2004 Shiraz (Franschhoek) – Shy yet plush, with tar and sour candy, especially on the finish. A bit caramelized. No good. (2/08)

Stony Brook 2003 Syrah (Coastal Region) – Fuller-bodied and better than the 04. I’m not sure of the reasons for the nomenclature change. Blueberry and beet, tangled roots, and spice. The finish is a bit hot, and there’s a plastic note throughout. (2/08)

Stony Brook 2004 “Camissa” (Coastal Region) – Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz. Full-bodied and structured, with tooth-staining dark fruit, chocolate, and lots of thick wood. Very New World. (2/08)

Stony Brook 2004 “The Max” (Franschhoek) – Peppers, leaves, and chocolate…a strange combination…with far too much peppery, bitter tannin. (2/08)

Allée Bleue 2005 Cabernet Sauvigon/Merlot (Western Cape) – Big, chewy fruit with chalky minerality. Structured. Obvious wood on the finish. Still very primary. There are gaps and voids in this wine that I don’t think time will fill. (2/08)

Vergelegen 2004 “Mill Race” Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch) – Classic cabernet peppers, leaves, cedar, and ground-up pencil. There’s a bit of oak soup on the long finish, though. Nicely structured, clean, and promising. (2/08)

Le Riche 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stellenbosch) – Concentrated and round, showing plum, blueberry, and some herbality. Eucalyptus is also present. Long and dense, especially on the finish. Nicely formed, with good aging potential. (2/08)

Sizanani 2006 Pinotage (Bottelary) – Good, fruity aromatics, mixed chocolates, some drying paint. Spice, with a highly milky, lactic note, form the finish. Makeup has been applied, but the bad old pinotage characteristics remain. (2/08)

Bellevue Estate “Tumara” 2004 Pinotage (Stellenbosch) – Chocolate, big fruit, smoked chocolate, and thick, sludgy structure. OK, if you like tar. (2/08)

Bellevue Estate “Tumara” 2002 “Titan” (Stellenbosch) – Chocolate, bitter leaves, black dirt, and endless green lines. No good. (2/08)