TN: South Africa

WINE TALK
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Notes from a blind tasting of South African wines.

These wines have always been more European in style than the Australian wines which started out as quite different styles, influenced by the common usage of American oak – kind of a Napa South situation. The South African wines have always been more European in style, often being almost copies of French wines, for instance. This blind tasting was quite interesting.

2018 Boekenhootskloof Semillon – light lemony colour, smooth middle and clean acidity at the end. At first we mistook it as a sauvignon blanc but as it opened up one of us came up with Semillon and things clicked into lace. Nice wine.

1994 Kanonkop Paul Sauer – this flagship wine is a Bordeaux blend – cab sauv, cab franc and merlot. It showed as quite European, with red fruit and cigar box notes, well balanced, long and tasty. Only the colour at the edges indicated age.

2017 Glenelly Lady May – interesting story on this one – the property is owned by May de Lencquesaing, of Pichon Lalande, (now 101 years old) who started up this South African winery making Bordeaux style wines. This one was excellent with medium colour, superb balance and a claret nose with some herbal and oak elements toward the end. Excellent wine!

2022 Rall Syrah – plum/raspberry flavours, long and elegant with a smooth medium length finish that had some pepper to it. A new one for me and as a Northern Rhone lover, a treat.

2016 Scali Syrah – another producer new to me. Darker, sweeter, youthful nose and darker sweeter fruit. Good length and showing some nice spice at the end.

2002 De Toren Fusion V – a blend of Bordeaux varietals this wine was showing a very claret like nose Smooth and soft on palate, a great claret imposter at peak now. From my cellar – I ‘discovered’ this wine when it first came into our market and bought quite a bit of it and still have nine vintages – time to do a vertical tasting, I think. This vintage was a blend of 60% cab sauv, 14% merlot, 14% malbec, 8% cab franc and 4% petit verdot.

2007 L’Ormarins Optima – sweet nose, dark wine, still tannic with good stuffing/intensity. Nice hint of anise on the finish, and some cedar in the nose. Quite good.

9 Likes
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Paul Sauer is one of those wines that I am always happy to see. Superb stuff and tends to be well priced for what it is.

I really like the Boek Sem too. Thanks for the notes!

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Great notes. Thanks for sharing.

I always enjoy Boekenhootskloof Semillon, Kanonkop Paul Sauer, Glenelly Lady May, De Toren Fusion V.

The ability to purchase decades old Paul Sauer direct from the winery is incredible. I was there exactly one year ago. The value proposition is peerless.

Cheers!

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Boek Sem is great. I have some 2020 and they are very yum.

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I spent about a year in South Africa on and off over a four year period 2007-2010. Fantastic wine exploration there, have visited most of the producers you’ve mentioned.

For anyone interested in visiting a beautiful place, diving into a thriving food and wine experience and looking for new takes on tried and true styles as well as some unique flavor profiles from different terroir, and maybe most significantly indigenous wild yeasts, South Africa is a must see.

Jamie Goode’s blog is a good introduction, tracking down all your good finds once you get home is the hard part but usually well worth the effort.

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Great notes. I think of SA cab as Bordeaux in style but with a little more fruit. Though I’m not sure if maybe Bordeaux shows more fruit and ripeness today? At least in many vintages?

I had a 2015 Mitre’s Edge cab last week and it was beautiful. Lots of sweet tobacco and clean purple berry.