to - the Institute of Masters of Wine

MW South Africa Trip
22-29 September 2012
Trip Report
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Index
Cape Wine Masters Tasting - Sheri Morano MW
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Bot River District - Mark Savage MW
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Elgin Valley Wine Guild Dinner – Peter Koff MW
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Chardonnay Forum Tasting - Beverly Tabbron MW
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Opening Seminar CTICC – Adrian Garforth MW
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Cape Wine Trade Show – Mai Tjemsland MW
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Ellerman House & Villa – Nancy Gilchrist MW
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Cape Wine Trade Show – Cathy Van Zyl MW
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Cape Wine Trade Show – Steve Charters MW
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Chenin Blanc Producers Association tasting – Rod Smith MW
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Cape Point – Igor Rjenkov MW
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Constantia Valley wines – Richard Kershaw MW
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Platter Five Star Tasting – Mary Ewing-Mulligan
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Eben Sadie Cellar – Justin Howard-Sneyd MW
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Lunch with Swartland Producers – John Downes MW
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Meerlust with Chris Williams – Liz Thach MW
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Master of Wine Biographies
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MW South Africa Trip
22nd September 2012
Cape Wine Masters Tasting - Sheri Morano MW
The trip started off on a high note with a walk-around tasting of South African wines selected by the
Cape Wine Masters. The tasting offered not only the opportunity to sample a wide variety of some of
South Africa's top wines, but also the chance for those of us more unfamiliar with South Africa to gain
some perspective on the personalities of each of the major wine producing regions. The fact that the
tasting was followed by a delicious four course meal that featured an additional selection of wines by
the Cape Wine Masters naturally added to the enjoyment of the evening!
The following reflect some of my notes/impressions of some of SA's major regions:
Paarl:
With the 2nd oldest of the wine routes, Paarl has a number of large coops, but also has seen a recent
influx of smaller producers. In fact, Paarl is home to the KWV. These new growers appear to be
experimenting with a variety of grapes although Syrah and Chenin Blanc still remain features of the
region. The Painted Wolf Wines Rousanne with its slight nutty character and juicy fruit notes on the
finish stood out as did the soft, ripe Black Pearl Vineyards Shiraz Mouvedre.
Swartland
As we would later discover in more depth, this is a large district in SA that has recently experienced
one of the more dramatic and exciting winemaking revolutions in the country. An area that used to be
the wheatbasket of SA is now being recognized for its shale, schist and decomposed granite soils and
their potential for great wines. The Swartland Revolution has spurred the rise of small artisanal wine
producers who are making wines with personality and a strong sense of place. For me, one of the
most interesting and exciting regions I discovered on the trip. The Mullineaux Family Wines Syrah
with lush, ripe red fruits and juicy texture was a stand-out find. If you are looking to find a more
hands-off approach to oak (as well as a wide variety of different fermentation and aging vessels), check
out the Swartland.
Robertson
An area with low rainfall and a mixture of soils (including some alluvial soils, sandstone, loam, granite
and limestone), the Robertson region appears to focus on a variety of grapes and wine styles –
including some fantastic sparkling wines. Graham Beck's Brut Zero (which stays on the lees for 6
years) and the De Wetshof Estate Bateleur Chardonnay, were two of the wines that caught my
attention.
Hemel & Aarde
The selection of wines from the Hemel & Aarde highlighted the fact that this cool-climate region has a
strong maritime influence and is an area capable of producing wines with elegance, restraint and lots
of mouthwatering, fresh acidity. With the first vines only planted back in the 70s, this is an area that
is still young and growing. But the Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and Syrahs were all fresh and vibrant.
The Hamilton Russel Pinot Noir, as well as the Bouchard Finlayson Hannibal and the Newton
Johnson Pinot Noir all stood out.
Durbanville
This area was presented as one that can produce delicious Sauvignon Blanc and Pinotage. It was
mentioned that the Sauvignon Blancs can sometimes have a slight dusty, earthy character while the
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Pinotages produced there are frequently considered more elegant and less meaty. This area also
features a fairly cool climate that is strongly influenced by the sea currants.
Klein Karoo
This area lies between 2 mountain ranges and was historically known for its fortified wine production.
While vineyards were once traditionally planted in dried out river beds, the trend today is to look for
newer sites with good altitude and elevation. While overall a small region (ostrich farming is
apparently much more significant there), this was an area with some very interesting sweet, fortified
wines. One other thing that caught my attention was the De Krans Wine Cellar Calitzdorp Blend
which is made from a selection of the typical Port grapes – apparently there are some producers
following in the footsteps of those in Portugal by looking at the ability of these grapes to also make
table wines – not just fortified wines.
Elim
I found the wines from the Elim, with their fresh, vibrant flavors and their excellent acidity, to be
extremely exciting. An area that has some of the southern-most vineyards in SA, Elim is coastal and
cool and quite popular for white wines. The Ghost Corner Semillon and the white from Strandveld (a
blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc) both stood out as wines with personality and a strong sense
of place. Zesty with noticeable citrus notes and a long finish, these are wines that have a tremendous
amount of potential and need a little bit of time to open up.
23 September
Bot River District - Mark Savage MW
The Bot River district is a ward of the Walker Bay region and lies some 65 miles southeast of Cape
Town. Its climate is constantly influenced by the cool winds that blow in off the Atlantic, making it one
of the coolest regions in the Cape Winelands.
On the evening of Sunday 23rd September after a lengthy tasting and a relaxed lunch at Gabrielskloof,
the party divided into three splinter groups. Our lot, having duly done a little whale-watching in the
bay at Hermanus, went off to its overnight quarters on the farm at WILDEKRANS. This farm has
changed hands since my last visit here some years back and there are healthy signs of considerable
investment in the vineyards. Braam Gericke the vineyard manager here is quite obviously pursuing
the goal of excellence with great energy and enthusiasm and the quality in the final glass looks well set
for further improvement. There is ambition here backed up by drive and determination as well as the
necessary funding. Over 50 hectares on this 1000 hectare estate are now planted to the vine,
including, sauvignon blanc and chenin,, merlot and cabernet franc, shiraz and pinotage, and
chardonnay and pinot noir have also been added recently. They are in the forefront of the biodiversity
movement that is very evident throughout much of the Cape these days. It si wonderful to see so many
species of birdlife in particular. I saw more birds in the course of a week out here than I have seen in
France or Italy in the last ten years!
In the evening , the Beaumont family hosted an informal tasting of wines from most of the Bot River
area winefarms, followed by a relaxed and delightful supper in their atmospheric old cellar. Sebastian
Beaumont mentioned the “Bokkeveld” soils of the region, red/orange/yellow shale soils formed by
compacted clay that has dried out to form horizontal layers. This allows for moisture retention, good
drainage at the same time and also deep root penetration.
At the pre-supper tasting we were able to taste a variety of wines from the following local producers:
GABRIELSKLOOF, including the 2012 ROSEBUD ROSE made from shiraz and viognier in almost
equal measures. There is a shortage of good dry rose wine in the Cape, a category that has never been
taken seriously by any producers as if it was somehow beneath their dignity. I point to the huge
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growth of rose sales in the UK and suggest that they may be missing a trick here. A few producers are
beginning to rise to the not very difficult challenge at last and with luck before long there will be a
wider choice in this useful category, if only as a good thirstquencher for all those tourists who now
flock to the Cape to escape the European winter. On the shores of the Mediterranean, the most
popular drink is surely dry rose and a similar climate in the Cape would suggest that it would find a
ready market here too so it is encouraging to see more and more producers beginning to respond to
the demand. Also on show from this excellent new estate was the 2010 SHIRAZ and their 2010
BLEND of all 5 main Bordeaux varietals.
LUDDITE: The engaging Niels Verburg showed us some of the fruits of his newish operation on the
slopes of the Houw Hoek mountains nearby, including the 2007 and 2008 SHIRAZ from very lowyield
vines, dry farmed. There was a nice and obvious contrast between the styles of the two very different
vintages, the 2007 a much cooler year that resulted in a more old fashioned, Old World style in
contrast to the more New World warmer character of the 2008. A wine then to cater for both tastes.
With just around 20000 bottles coming off their 5.5 hectares, the focus is entirely on shiraz in an
individual, quite quirky style that sets it apart. London apparently is already their second biggest
market!
BARTON: a larger farm here of 26 hectares which we had driven round earlier in the day, this was
planted mostly between 2005 and 2007 though there is a much older block of chenin. We tasted the
2010 SHIRAZ/CABERNET, 2010 MERLOT, 2012 SHIRAZ ROSE, 2012 CHENIN with real depth of
flavour and nice balance, a 2011 SAUVIGNON BLANC that was distinctive with a hint of honey rather
than grass, and also a 2011 SAUVIGNON SEMILLON bland that seemed much greener.
WILDEKRANS offerings included their 2010 PINOTAGE AND 2010 SHIRAZ, both quite deep
coloured with hints of mint. A huge difference here in the size/weight of the individual berries
incidentally, with the pinotage weighing in at 105 g per bunch and the Shiraz double that at 210g. The
2010 CABERNET FRANC/MERLOT showed ripeness as well as a herbaceous character that I think is
a common signature with the Bordeaux varieties in this cool region.
Finally we tasted their 2010 OSIRIS an excellent expression of chenin with depth and structure and
good length.
BEAUMONT: Sebastian showed us his 2012 RAOUL’S Jackals River white blend of sauvignon,
semillon and chardonnay, the sauvignon apparently dominant, then the 2012 CHENIN BLANC with a
lovely individuality to it, delicate and refreshing, with just the hint of some tropical fruit and an almost
riesling like perfume that suddenly reminded me of some dry wines that I had tasted ten days earlier
in the Mosel valley. The 2010 PINOTAGE was robustly honest and was followed by a 2009
MOURVEDRE that made a nice change from all the shirazes. Best of all in my book on the night was
the 2008 VITRUVIAN however, of which 9 barrels were made, blending shiraz, mourvedre, pinotage,
cabernet franc and petit verdot.
All in all it was a very enjoyable and relaxed tasting, perhaps a more Old World experience rather than
New World one, with nothing too ‘state of the art’ intruding on the senses of either sight or taste, a
gentle reminder of the essential importance of conviviality and fun rather than outlets for egos. I think
that by and large the wines reflected that general spirit. On the evidence of several wines tasted during
the day, there seems to be a good case for making good red blends with wines of restrained flavour
that show more poise than some of the more overtly varietal expressions.
Elgin Valley Wine Guild Dinner – Peter Koff MW
The group tasted the wines of the Cape South Coast at Gabrielskloof in Bot River. Cape South Coast
bills itself as “The Coolest Wine Region” and we certainly tasted some fine, cooler climate wines. After
a pretty cool, post rain, alfresco lunch, we split into groups. We were part of the Elgin group and were
whisked off to the Mofam River Lodge. The setting is beautiful, an imposing gorge, hillsides covered
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with Cape fynbos, the fading light turning the rain drops into stars. We rested for a while in the
Lodge’s Chalets before jumping back into the all wheel drive for the short drive to the Almenkirk
Estate for dinner. Our hosts were 14 members of the Elgin Valley Wine Guild. MW’s were carefully
dispersed among the producers to facilitate mixing and the festivities proceeded. We were treated to
canapés, including Brie & Caramelised Onions, Beef Carpaccio and Salmon Tartare. The main courses
included, Beef Rump Béarnaise, Pan Fried Line Fish, Pearl Onion & Goats Cheese Tarte, Slow Roasted
Pork Belly and were followed by a Vanilla Crème Brulee dessert.
We tasted Chardonnays from Almenkirk, Oak Valley, Winters Drift, Paul Cluver and Lothian (very
good). My personal favourite was the Iona tasted a couple of days later at the Jordan Estate in
Stellenbosch. We tasted Sauvignon Blancs from Corder, Mofam, and Highlands Road. We sampled
Spioenkop and Paul Cluver Riesling and a delicious Sauvignon, Semillon blend, The Century, from
Elgin Vintners. As for reds, we tasted Iona’s 2008 One Man Band, a blend of Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot and Viognier! Shannon presented their Merlot and our dinner
hosts, Almenkirk, showed their Lace Red Blend of Shiraz, Mourvedre, Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon
and the now almost compulsory Viognier. Highlands Road Pinot Noir 2010 was tasted highlighting
both the promise and the challenges of this fickle grape in the region. Elgin Vintners 2008 Shiraz was
complex and spicy, for me just topped by a brooding 2010 Syrah from Almenkirk, tight now and
needing 2 to 3 years.
The wines confirmed my impressions of my trip to SA in 2011 – Sauvignon Blanc is generally very well
handled; I prefer those with a soupcon of Semillon. Shiraz / Syrah performs well across a range of
climates from warm to cool – it’s a pity that they are difficult to sell in the USA! The greatest leap
forward is the vast improvement and still rapidly improving Chardonnay.
24th September
Chardonnay Forum Tasting - Beverly Tabbron MW
Following a welcome speech from Matthew v Heerden, the Chairman of the Chardonnay Forum, we
were given an informative and interesting talk on the Chardonnay Terroir in South Africa by the
viticulturist, Kevin Watt.
The Chardonnay Forum consists of 35 members who are focussed on improving the image of
Chardonnay and highlight the terroirs and different styles available in SA in order to promote
Chardonnay as SA’s most premier white varietal.
Vine growing in SA dates back to 1656 with the first Chardonnay being planted in 1980. Originally
150 clones were imported which has now been reduced to 18 clones. SA accounts for 5% of the world
production of Chardonnay with Robertson being the largest region.
Kevin gave a comprehensive review of the different terroirs and microclimates in SA with a wide
variety of climates ranging from the dry area of Robertson to cooler sites in the coastal ranges.
Chardonnay can tolerate this wide range of climates producing a wide variety of styles which was then
illustrated by a tasting of 20 different wines selected from different areas and made with various
methods of vinification. The tasting was moderated by Richard Kershaw MW.
Either the winemaker or owner of the winery was present at the tasting so there was plenty of
opportunity for discussion . Most of the wines presented had either no or part malolactic and there
was generally little battonage and restricted racking , many of the winemakers seeming to prefer to
concentrate on a fresher style.
There was also discussion about the potential longevity of vines with older vines over 30 years viewed
as marginally profitable in view of the lower yields produced. The lack of winter cold in certain areas
means that the vines age more quickly. As virus is still an ongoing problem resulting from many of the
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original clones planted, this also means that many of the vines are more short lived than in other
countries.
In general the wines from cooler areas such as Hemel en Aarde, cooler parts of Stellenbosch and Elgin
were more successful displaying fresher and more vibrant fruit characters . The highlights of the
tasting for me were:
2010 Jordan Nine Yards Chardonnay Stellenbosch : alc 14.5%, TA 6.7 g/l, PH 3.27, RS 3.3. g/l. 100%
new barrique and kept 12 months on the lees with rolling (no battonage). Complementary and toasty
French oak character, almost Burgundian in style, well textured and balanced.
2010 Sterhuis Barrel Selection Chardonnay Stellenbosch alc 14%, TA 6.3 g/l, PH 3.52, RS 2.1 g/l from
steep vineyards below 400 metres, whole bunch fermentation with 50% malo, 40% new oak and
battonage. This wine showed youthful and lovely purity of fruit with minerality and a hint of ginger.
Other wines which showed well were:
2010 Iona Chardonnay Elgin: wild ferment, barrel fermented in 20% new oak and 40% malo good
cool climate style showing minerality combined with a hint of tropicality
2009 Bouchard Finlayson Kaaimansgat Limited Edition Chardonnay: 20 year old vines grown at 700
metres in a secluded and ‘hidden’ valley. This was a richer and slightly smoky style but still with fresh
acidity and still drinking well.
2010 Ataraxia Chardonnay made from two thirds Hemel en Aarde and one third Elgin: mineral and
lemon character with well balanced oak and crisp acidity (7.1 TA) sustaining good length.
2010 Waterford Chardonnay Stellenbosch from the Helderberg area: 100% barrel fermented but no
malo and no battonage giving a very clean, mineral and zesty style with the oak well integrated.
2010 Haskel Anvil Chardonnay Stellenbosch again from Helderberg grown at 250 metres: 50% new
French oak with barrel rolling and no racking. Green notes to the colour made in an elegant style with
good lees depth of flavour, and showing a very different character to the Waterford.
2011 Glenelly Grand Vin de Glenelly Chardonnay from Simonsberg: 50% new oak with no battonage
showing a pronounced mineral and citrus character, quite steely reminiscent of Chablis and obviously
a youngster.
2011 Cape Chamonix Reserve Chardonnay from Franschoek grown at 450 metres: full malolactic and
80% new oak and kept on the lees for 14 months. Notes of lemon curd and pineapple, riper and quite a
distinctive and immediate style.
The last flight included a 2002 Robertson wine from Springfield which displayed maturity and a
maderised character compared to the 2003 Paul Cluver from Elgin which was still showing fresh, cool
climate flavours with a distinctive herbal flavour.
We were then treated to a delicious lunch in the lovely surroundings of Jordan’s restaurant where we
had the opportunity to discuss the various wines with the winemakers who rotated between tables for
each course.
In general, there were some top quality wines but in conclusion, it begs the question whether SA
Chardonnay shows enough of a unique character to warrant the emphasis and focus as the country’s
most premium varietal. It might be argued following other tastings experienced on the trip that this
accolade might better be given to Chenin blanc?
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25 September
Opening Seminar CTICC – Adrian Garforth MW
Having being integrally involved with the South African wine industry since the early 90’s it was a
genuine delight for me to visit Cape Wine 2012. It was both an opportunity to meet up with old friends
and acquaintances and also, through the excellent program organised by Su Birch and her team, a
chance to look at a few other areas and producers that for whatever reason were n’t really on my radar.
The vineyard and question below best sums up my view as to how the indutry has truly woken up to
the potential is has to produce genuinely world class wines
Is this vineyard a liability or an asset?
Even as recently as 10 years ago, my fear was that many of these vineyard jewels were being
randomly uprooted for lack of productivity at a time when the ‘boer’ mentality prevailed and Co-ops
producing large volumes of average wine dominated the hearts and minds of consumers. Price was
everything and quality wine was often talked about but not really embraced. In spite of this, some
forward thinking producers set out their evangelical stalls and tried their utmost to convince the world
how great the Cape’s wine can be.
This outstanding Swartland shiraz (sourced from Riebeek Kasteel) produced by Graham Knox and
Bruce Jack – both thankfully still alive and kicking, albeit on slightly different career paths – was a
forerunner to the likes of Mullineux and Lammershoek. Their pioneering efforts were ultimately
undermined by the Co-op mentality that ensured that the inherently concentrated and complex wines
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these old vines produced were doomed, soon to be replaced by high yielding pinotage. I was therefore
shocked and delighted to see that sleepy Riebeek Kasteel has become the homestead for the Swartland
revolution, and that the same old farmers have now come full circle and are to be seen actively
supporting and promoting these young whippersnappers, whose sideburns (step forward Adie
Badenhorst) are as gnarled and uncontrollable as any old vine could ever be.
Within our program, the tasting of Platter 5 Star wines was an undoubted highlight for me, not least
because so many of the great and good if the wine industry elected to join our motley crue for a tasting
in Long Street when I am sure their New York importers, Ahold buyers etc.. may well have generated
a more immediate return on their time. Although some of the wines were more a miss than a hit – a
victim of father time rather than inherently poor quality – the tasting did show how the industry has
evolved and whom the great characters are that have been ultimately responsible for pulling this
industry (sometimes kicking and screaming) to the exciting position that it enjoys today
I have always viewed the South African wine industry as being on a constant voyage of discovery and
have been fortunate enough to experience many of these changes first hand. Some of the wines from
the 1970’s were truly exceptional and given the lack of external input into the industry at this time, it
was a testament to the great terroir that undoubtedly exists. A few (lucky?) wine producers were able
to make the most of their good fortune, such as Meerlust with Rubicon, or Groot Constantia’s
Heerenrood and even forgotten names like Bertrams in Stellenboschs’ Devon valley
The 1980’s has always proven a little disappointing to me, as there was a tremendous amount of
interventionist winemaking. Even then, the likes of Etienne Le Riche at Rustenberg and Hamilton
Russell managed to steer their way along a path of quality. The 1982 Rustenberg Cabernet remains to
this day a corker of a drink.
Come the 1990’s, the industry was free and welcomed with open arms into the big bad world, but
unfortunately it was the Co-ops who made the first and most important mark on the consumer psyche,
establishing price point aspirations far too low, and delivering quality to match: the honeymoon was
soon over. Yet against this backdrop of ‘boom and bust’ it was the Giles Webbs, Ken Forresters (and I
can’t believe I am writing this, Ken) and Neil Elisses who stood tall and banged the quality drum, for
red and white wines alike. And thankfully, unbeknownst to many, the old ‘boer mentality’ winemakers
showed great foresight and were sending their sons and daughters overseas to learn the tricks of the
trade in foreign lands, and in so doing sowed the seeds of winemaking success that we are now seeing
today.
And so to the 2000’s and beyond, with the likes of Charles Back and his protege Eben Sadie banging
the Swartand drum; Andrew Gunn leading the charge at Elgin through Iona; Cape Point Vineyards
planting where no-one dared plant before; and Marc Kent making his mark in Franschoek (or should
that read Wellington !?).
All are great producers, making great wines that thankfully are now recognised as such and beginning
to command prices that are at last commensurate with their quality.
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Jack & Knox may have bitten the dust, the victims of those unscrupulous Co-ops (I joke of course –
they have a business to run like any other) but the little Sadie gems, above, that have emerged to
replace them just goes to show that you can’t keep a great quality story quiet provided there are
enough enlightened individuals prepared to take chance and sing the same quality song.
Thankfully the Cape is not short of such characters
I hope they feel as proud as I do to see what is happening in the Cape winelands today
Cape Wine Trade Show – Mai Tjemsland MW
Wine fairs are normally not my favorite places to taste wines because I normally find the settings
noisy and stressy and distracted as I am, I try to avoid them as best as I can…
But Cape Wine for me was a very well organized wine fair where I could concentrate on topics and
wines I wanted to learn more about. I also enjoyed a couple of guided tastings and Seminars which
were very well organized and a good possibility to get to taste a diversity of producers, varieties and
wine styles.
After finishing “work duty” tastings, I had a great tasting with David Sadie with his fabulous wines,
like the blend Aristargos 2011 from areas around Paardeberg. Chenin Blanc, Viogner, Rousanne and
Grenache Blanc, all vinified and matured 10 month separatly before the blend gets two month in tank
together. Very good structure, elegant perfumed.
Swartzland Chenin Blanc 2011 is the first vintage where Chenin is made as a single variety wine and
most of the grapes came from over 50 years old Bushwines also from the Paardeberg area. The
Grenache Noir 2011 (10 % Syrah) was also the first vintage and only 400 bottles was made, again
elegant, spicy, well concentrated aromas of red berries, and finishing with a blend of Syrah, Carignan,
Grenache and Cinsault, seperatly matured in barrels for 18 month before blended. Good structure,
finesse and complexity in the fruit aromas. Only 3 barrels made… Also a very pleasant guy who will be
interesting to follow in the future!
He adviced me also to visit a small group of younger winemakers, the 100 Club - meaning, all solid
guys weighting at least 100 kilo each! They shared the stand together, Chris Alheit, Alheit Vineyards,
Donovan Rall, Vuurberg Wines and Peter-Allen Finlayson, Crystallum.
The Vuurberg 2011 from mainly Stellenbosch but a small part from Swartzland was a fantastic wine,
chalky mineral aromas blended with rich tropical fruit aromas from a blend of Chenin Blanc, Viogner,
Semillon, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Verdelho and Clairette Blanc, wild fermented over 3 to 9
months and matured 10 month in French barrels, 30 % new.
Crystallum, a new winery from 2007, started by the two brothers Andrew and Peter-Allen, 3rd
generation Finlayson where the father was the pioneer for Pinot Noir plantings in Hemel-en-Aarde,
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makes small scale production white and reds. Peter Max 2011, a Pinot Noir from Elgin, Hemel-enArde Ridge and Bot River was my favourite, fresh and fruity with a touch developed, herbacious
aromas and only a bit over 5000 bottles are made.The tasting finished with Paradisium 2010, a “sideproduct” made from Swartzland by Peter-Allen , a classic Southern Rhône blend of Syrah, Mouvedre,
Cinsault and Grenache with a great structure, ripe, concentrated , spicy fruit but also with a great
freshness in the finish.
Chenin Blanc is a variety very littled used, sold and found in Norway, so it was a pleasure to finish the
day with Remhoogte Honeybunch Chenin Blanc 2011, selected bunches, 12 hours skin contact, wild
ferment and 12 month in barrels, 20 % new. The wine had a great structure, mineral aromas, honey
and apple marmalade and an elegant, fresh finish.
Ellerman House & Villa – Nancy Gilchrist MW
After a busy first day at Cape Wine 2012, most of us were glad to have an hour in which to rest a little
back at the Cullinan Hotel and to smarten up for the evening's 'soiree' at Ellerman House and Villa:
one of Cape Town's most luxurious venues.
The bus took us the scenic route to the small, bijou settlement of Clifton, a suburb of Cape Town
overlooking Camps Bay and, on arrival, we were greeted by a glass of Cap Classique and the setting
sun. This is definitely millionaires' coastline but the fact that the breathtaking ocean view also
includes Robben Island only serves to remind one of the human cost it has taken to get here.
Ellerman House, once a private residence, became a luxury hotel in 2005. It is understandably proud
of its location and what it can offer. It likes to say it has redefined 'luxury'; it no longer being about
expense and rarity but instead about experiences and memories. The evening we spent there was
certainly a memorable experience.
There were four wineries presenting their wines: Anthonij Rupert of Franschhoek; Ernie Els and
Waterford Estate of Stellenbosch, and Welbedacht of Wellington Somewhat misleadingly they had
billed themselves as Great Family Wine Estates, (presumably with a wishful nod towards the Primi
Famili) but none of them employ more than one family member as far as I could determine. More
accurately they might have been described as great sporting personalities: at Welbedacht both father
and son have played for the Springboks, and Ernie Els is famously associated with international golf,
his nickname being The Big Easy which I understand refers to his smooth swinging action..... This is
an area fraught with 'double entendre' so we will move swiftly on.
The wines of Waterford Estate were being very ably presented by winemaker (and MW candidate)
Francois Haasbroek, with co-founder and cellarmaster Kevin Arnold on hand to offer charm and
support. The estate is founded on free-draining decomposed Table Mountain sandstone and the vines
are now about 20 years old and just beginning to reach their prime. Of the wines on offer the
Waterford Estate 2010 Sauvignon Blanc showed particularly well having used grapes from three
different vineyard batches, fermented in stainless steel with a full 12 months on the 'gros lees' ,
followed by a further 12months in bottle before release. The wine was grassy and nettley on the nose
and showed an excellent fresh balance of fruit and minerality on the palate, finishing quite long.
Also showing some good potential was The Jem 2007 (named for Waterford co-founder Jeremy Ord).
This is a Cabernet led blend but with the less expected additions of Shiraz and Sangiovese, not to
mention the 'smidge' of Barbera and Tempranillo that found their way in there. It is a very big wine
with pronounced ripe fruit, alcohol and tannin. It could not be described as subtle, or even supple at
the moment, but it does have some genuinely well-managed structure that, given time (5-7years) will
begin to show some real class.
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Welbedacht's wines were introduced by Schalk Burger Snr who suggested that they showed restrained
alcohol and use of oak. This Afrikaans giant of a man has a different sense of scale to many of us; the
wines are definitely not for the faint-hearted. No, indeed they are for the lion-hearted rugby fan who
will know and appreciate the true significance of the 2006 Welbedacht No 6 (the position occupied by
both father and son). The wine does in fact include six different cultivars, of which 20% is pinotage,
but one suspects that this is a concept that was 'reversed into' rather than designed at the outset.
Ernie Els, with the help of winemaker Louis Strydom, has been making his eponymous wine since
1999 and has established a reputation primarily as a producer of full-bodied red wines. Certainly, the
two wines that stood out were the Signature 2007 and the Proprietor's Blend 2007. Both are Cabernet
blends but, whereas the Signature incorporates all five classic Bordeaux varietals to produce a wine of
dark autumnal fruit and classic if not restrained structure, the Proprietor's Blend includes an
additional and significant 20% of Shiraz; the net effect being to produce a wine of very large
dimension: – intense, exuberant, sweet dark fruit still not totally combined with very considerable
spicy oak and warm, rich alcohol (modestly declaring itself to be 15%). Somehow it manages to carry it
off – a bit like Dolly Parton.
Antonij Rupert Wines, although based in Franschhoek, actually have four vineyard areas to supply
their needs; just as well since they have four ranges to maintain. The Antonij Rupert range (named for
the late founder and brother of the current owner Johann); the Cape of Good Hope range which
celebrates unique sites of ancient vines; the Terra del Capo range designed especially for with food,
and the Protea range for easy earlier drinking.
We were presented mostly with the first (all red wines, including the uncompromising Optima 2009)
and the second range and here it was the white wines that tended to impress the most, especially the
50 year old bush vine 2010 van Lill and Visser Chenin Blanc made from unirrigated vines are grown at
over 400m along the West coast overlooking Lamberts Bay. Fermentation in stainless steel is followed
by up to 10 months in large format, 2nd or 3rd season old French oak barrels.
The wine was an intriguing mix of bold tangy apricot with a nutty background oak, lively acidity and a
prolonged finish. An equally impressive Semillon from 50 year old vines from the same vineyard area
and handled in a similar manner also showed what quality and individuality can be obtained from
these rare old-vine plantings. A truly valuable heritage to be treasured in the 'new' South Africa.
After the tasting we were given a conducted tour of the newer art gallery containing the Contemporary
Art works; the original house containing 'the masters'. Most striking of all was a huge head created out
of layers of black slate gazing wistfully, watchfully, warily out to Robben Island.
On leaving, we were presented with a bag of goodies containing various 'luxury items': an Ernie Els
golf cap, Waterford chocolates, an Antonij Rupert wine journal (a most useful 'little black book') ... But
Ellerman House is right: it was the experience that was most valuable and memorable.
26th September
Cape Wine Trade Show – Cathy Van Zyl MW
In addition to the mainstream presentations held at Cape Wine 2012 were a series of events called
‘The Soap Box’. These took place in a small interactive space in the exhibition hall and gave South
African winemakers the opportunity to voice their opinions on topics they feel are relevant today. This
informal seminar area ran 12 slots, each only 30 minutes long, seating was unreserved and limited to
20 people.
One of the sessions, called the Philosophy of Wine, was presided over by Tyrrel Myburgh of
Joostenberg Wines (who farms organically) and Johan Reyneke of Reynecke Wines (who farms
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biodynamically). The pair described and discussed organic and biodynamic farming from both a
historical perspective and future relevance.
Tyrrel’s main point was that both biodynamic and organic approaches to farming are extremely
valuable because they protect the fundamental properties of wine being, in his opinion, the ability of
wine to reflect its origin or terroir, and its ‘natural’ production process (just take grapes and add ..
nothing).
He argued that mankind’s constant striving for technological progress has had a major influence on
grape growing and winemaking. We strive for better yields, more consistent quality, rounder taste
profiles and so on.
To achieve these we utilise fungicides and herbicides, yeasts that produce specific aromatics, machines
that remove water from grape juice and those that can lower the alcohol level, fining agents to remove
tannins to name but a few interventionist techniques.
By adopting these techniques, we move further and further away from the two properties that define
wine.
For Tyrrel, the organic approach respects the two fundamental properties of wine. Its purpose is to
minimise the impact that the production processes have on the health of the environment and of
consumers.
Johan explained that he saw organic grape growing and winemaking as a conceptual mind shift: ‘We
don’t inherent the land from our parents, we borrow it from our children.’ It is, he said, a shift from
farming for profit to farming for profit and sustainability. Biodynamics is simply the step from
sustainability to self-sufficiency. The conventional farmer buys LAN and Superphosphate, the organic
farmer buys Bounce Back, and the biodynamic farmer buys a cow.
The challenge for biodynamic farmers today is – because we live in a time where everyone has a
scientific understanding of life in general, and farming in particular – how do they find resonance in a
farming system that came about when our ancestors had more of a spiritual understanding of things.
Are concepts of ‘Holy Cow’, ‘Mother Nature’ and ‘Lunatic’ still relevant or are we talking about
microbial activity, conducive soil moisture and the gravitational pull of the moon instead, he asked.
While this was an interesting talk, and both presenters’ wines serve as very good substantiation of
adopting these farming methods, neither offered any definitive conclusion. Johan, however, did say
that he follows biodynamic principles because they make the most sense given everything he has
experience and witnessed to date. He is, however, not dogmatic in his approach, and would willingly
explore a new farming method – philosophy – should it make better sense given his and his property’s
reality.
Cape Wine Trade Show – Steve Charters MW
I want to review one region some of us visited on the trip – but not in terms of analysing its wines or
terroir. Rather, I want to highlight how the region operates collectively – what in marketing terms is
called the territorial brand; the operation of a group of related producers in one region using the
collective activity around that regional name to sustain and promote their individual enterprises.
Elgin is one of the newer and less well-known wine regions in South Africa. Despite, or perhaps
because of, this, it has developed an admirable collective identity in which the majority of producers in
the area seem keen to work for the collective good. This was evident first in their participation in the
first tasting we attended, the Cape South Coast tasting, but even more so when they presented their
wines and their region to a few of us at a dinner given by the Elgin Winemakers’ Guild the same
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evening. What was most impressive was the way in which both the long-standing producers in the
region who had already established their reputation and the newer entrants worked co-operatively
and equally to support their region. In many parts of the world the more successful wineries often
pull out of supporting regional promotion and development in order to concentrate solely on their
brand at the expense of the overall reputation of the territory.
They all see themselves as pioneers in a new region who need to fight for their region together
(something that has worked to the advantage of some other emerging wine areas, such as Central
Otago). In part this could be the result of the fact that Elgin is the coolest wine region in the country,
so they all have a sense that they are struggling to prove how good they are. This spirit may also be
helped by the fact that all the producers in the area are family businesses, with a long-term view on
what they are doing (rather than seeking short term profits) and no need to report to owners outside
the area or to shareholders. They also have a clarity and agreement about which wine styles and
varieties are likely to work best in the region (even if many have their own idiosyncratic offerings), so
they are not fighting to defend one variety against the preferences of another producer, and thus
becoming less coherent in what they are offering.
This coherence spills over into a unified support for wine tourism, with the tag of ‘Elegantly Elgin’.
Many of the producers are seeking to bolster the branding of their territory by encouraging visitors
and offering more than just wine. Most producers see wine tourism as just another way of selling
more at the cellar door, but it was good to see people who were aware that it is part of the long term
development of their own wine brands and that of the region as a whole, to the benefit of everyone.
And, by the way, the wines were pretty good as well. I’d previously seen the quality of the sauvignon
blancs, but the chardonnays and pinots also show great potential. Combine that with a clear vision of
where they are going, and I’d say the region has a great future.
Chenin Blanc Producers Association tasting – Rod Smith MW
After a day’s tasting and meeting at Cape Wine, in some ways the last thing on our minds as desirable
was another tasting in the early evening at our hotel. But this undoubtedly even truer for the
producers who showed us their carefully selected wines with a level of enthusiasm and drive that
belied the fact that they had themselves been standing at the Fair and talking wine all day.
And it was lovely Chenin, and there is always an excuse for that!
The tasting had been organized by Ina Smith of the Chenin Blanc Producers Association, and each
producer had been invited to submit either one or two wines in the categories “Fresh and Fruity” or
“Golden and Rich”.
This had been interpreted as young and old by some (Ken Forrester) and dry and sweet by another
(Joostenberg), and unwooded (or entry level) and oaked (or premium) by others which was in itself
interesting.
Thanks to Ina and all the producers for making the effort and showing such interesting wines.
Here are my very personally skewed notes on the wines. I like Chenin!
Jean Daneel
Christina Harvett
JD Signature Chenin Blanc 2011
Fruit sourced from various regions.
Pleasantly inviting, slightly flaxy, floral, but fairly muted aromas. Great oiliness and depth with
honeydew melon and acacia fruit, appleskin and some linseed. Good quality. ***.5
_________________________
Mulderbosch
Adam Mason
Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012
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Very intense aroma, with some oak apparent. Lime citrus and floral fruit flavours. fine acidity and
depth. Good fruit extract, depth and length. ***.5
_________________________
Simonsig Stellenbosch
Hannes Meyer
Simonsig Chenin Blanc 2012
Fresh esthery inviting whistle-clean aromas. Recently fermented aromatics. Quite simple fruity, light
approach. Pleasant, but fairly straightforward. *.5
Chenin avec Chene 2010
5% Botrytis. Stainless Steel fermented. 95% aged in oak (5% new)
Earthy, mineral and enticing pear fruit aromas. Very inviting and rich scents. Great depth of creamy
lemon and apple flavour. Good balance. Long. ***
_________________________
Ken Forrester
Same wine, four years apart.
Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2011 Old Vines Reserve.
Sprightly aroma with citrus, baked apple and some sweet herbs. Oak hints. Fresh fruit in hte mouth
with a need for time to mix all the element. Great acidity. Very well made. ***.5
Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2007 Old Vines Reserve.
Much deeper colour. Wonderful depth of creamy pastry and meringue. Plenty of acacia honeyed apple
skin fruit. Inviting. Packed and rich with plenty of vanilla oak flavours but deep appley fruit. Long
finish, delicious. ***.5+
_________________________
Joostenberg
Tyrrel Myburgh
Tormentoso 2012 (Man Vintners)
(Name is original Portuguese term for Cape of Good Hope) 20% barrel fermented, 30 year old vines.
Fresh, esthery fruit aromas, with apple, lime and flowers. Some hints of flax / linseed oil to scent and
taste. Packed apple fruit with crystallised citrus. Hints of ph. Good long finish. ***+
Joostenberg Noble Late Harvest 2005
Paarl. Single vineyard. Four or five passes through the vineyard.
Fantastic nose of baked tarte tatin and caramel with a tangerine touch. Mouthfilling and rich. Candied
peel and cream fruit flavours, but nothing overwhelming the fine fruit and texture. Delicious. ****
_________________________
Raats
Lizette Tolken
Raats Unwooded Chenin Blanc 2011
Pale colour. Lovely enticing aromas of apples. Quite simple in the mouth with good acidity, simple
fruit flavours and good balance. **.5
Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2011 Stellenbosch
Deep inviting marzipan aromas with hints of spice and pear. Great dry extract, although with some ph.
Needs time. Good depth of fruit and weight. Maybe even RS hints. Long, balanced finish. ***.5+
_________________________
Bosman Family Vineyards
Corlea Fourie
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De Bos Chenin Blanc Sur Lie 2012 Fairtrade
Quite phenolic, fruity nose. Inviting but simple and fruity. Fruity palate with honeydew melon and
citrus flavours. Appealing, but simple. *.5
Bosman Family Vineyards Optenhorst 2009
Single vineyard. Vineyard planted in 1952. Unirrigated. 7 barrels. Natural ferment. Aged in one third
new oak.
Big oak scents. Rich involving fruit aromas of ripe pear and honey. Deep, rich flavours with lovely
lemon pie qualities, huge concentration and complexity. Good depth and length. Very good. ****
_________________________
Botanica.
Ginny Povall.
Skuurfberg, Citrus Doll Mountain. Well north of Tulbagh
One single old vine vineyard. Left on lees for 9 mths. All used oak. Nature decides MLF.
(Also tasted as part of the old vines seminar.)
Botanica 2011
Hugely intense inviting nose of candied citrus peel and lemoncurd. Delicious and beautifully balanced
acidity and flavour extraction. Would be better with age, but great, great wine. ****
_________________________
Cederberg
David Nieuwoudt. Alex Neo.
Unwooded Chenin Blanc 2012
Fresh, inviting and fruity nose. Pears and melons. Delicious and refreshing. Good balancing acidity.
**.5
Five Generation Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2010
11mths maturation. battonage.
As previously, this is hugely complex and involving. Oak is there, but providing backbone and ph.
Lovely mouthfeel and depth. Great complexity. Wonderful. ****+
_________________________
27th September
Cape Point – Igor Rjenkov MW
The day started out lovely – the sun was out, and we finally were going out to visit a winery as a group,
traveling in a big bus. Unfortunately, we lost Lynne to a pressing engagement in Italy, but not before
she peaked everyone’s interest by assuring us that we were in for a treat.
Our “chariot”, the last word of the technology she was not. It however proved itself half useful by
getting us to the winery. The driver was a gracious host, which seems to be the trait in the South Africa
and planned the itinerary for a quick stop at the Chapman’s Peak – beautiful stop, with the mountain
for sale and the community rising the stop the sale from happening. A group shot and a few cameras
later we were back on the bus watching the lovely seaside view unfold on our right side.
Duncan Savage was as good of a host and the winemaker as promised. Minutes after the arrival and
the greetings we all are seated at the huge antique table in the tasting room to a welcome glass of the
winery’s Cape Classique 2007 (non-commercial production from the last PN in the vineyard). Cape
Point is a white wine specialist, explains Duncan, with their hand somewhat pushed by nature.
Sauvignon and Semillon work well in the area, while reds were not really “happy” here. Strong SouthEaster, affecting especially the tops of the slopes, maritime influence - the vineyards are 2 km from the
beach, about 25 minutes from the Cape Point itself - cooler water of Atlantic and let’s remember, we
are at the cooler end of Africa - all play a role. The German owners, no doubt assisted by the team,
quickly recognized the fact that PN, which went into the sparkling we were having, was not doing well,
and replaced it with the Sauvignon, which does much better at the site. They had just 2 vintages of the
sparkling, with about 1000 bottles of each, PN is now gone and the 15 year old Chardonnay is nearing
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its life expectancy. The total of area of Cape Point vineyards is 60 ha total, with just 22 under vine. The
acidity in the area does not really require any adjustment and the inoculation is used for the ferment.
The entire range that followed, either wholly or in a large part depends on the SB.
The soil types in the areas are quite sandy, with sandstone and granitic outcroppings.
The commercial line, Splattered Toad Sauvignon Blanc 2011, is sourced from the granitic soils,
varietally correct and a good value at bout R95 retail. The name was born partly out of an accident,
when a group of “toad nuts” appeared one day at the winery gates – just toad-watchers of a uniquely
local toad – and partly due to the Australian marketing savvy, whom the owners brought in to help
with the name and who turned the toad anecdote into the Splattered Toad handle. The Sauvignon
Blanc 2010 (10% Sem) and 2011 (12% Sem, 15% BF in 2nd fill FO) at about R115 retail followed. 2010
showed better for me with the developed SB aromas of nuts, chamomile, pea soup with good length
and intensity. 2011 appeared quite closed at this stage, showing youthful, estery character. The part
that went into the barrel was from granite soils, while the stainless-steel majority came from the
sandstone for this vintage. Duncan also addressed the move back to the cork – although screwcap is
cheaper at about R0.60 vs R4-5 for cork, and TCA free - not necessarily taint free - the reductive
environment and resulting glacial pace with which the wine develops made him return to cork – “I like
cork”, says Duncan.
The next pair was Cape Winemakers Guild SB 2008 from granitic soils (lovely, dried golden
raspberry, peaty, pea soup, plus chamomile on the palate) and SB 2010 Reserve (10% Sem, 14 mos in
barrel, no oak flavor, used oak, 600l), showing melon and guava notes, black currant. Duncan
mentioned the shift in the style of SA SB – they actually have quite a short growing season when you
factor in the South Easter, which shuts down the vine, effectively halving what the actual season is. In
the past, when the local market demand was for more herbaceous style of Sauvignon, the canopy
management was geared to emphasize this aspect of the grape by arranging the canopy to at least
partly shade the bunches. Now, with the shift to more tropical style demand – nearly opposite is done:
the leaves are pulled from top to bottom to expose grapes, making the vineyards look plucked - “best
vineyards are the ugliest looking (DS)”. Keeping the yield in check at 4.5 t/ha yield on average also
helps to minimize the herbal notes in the wine.
The last 2 wines were the top of range Isliedh 2007 and 2010 at 235R range. Isliedh 2007
(pronounced as Islay – AI-lay) has 20% Sem, is 10% amphora fermented (sic), 50% new oak, showing
peaty notes, dried peas, smoke, wax, chamomile, on a medium frame. The amphora was a bit of an
experiment with a help of a local potter, with some early set backs when they found out the hard way
that the local clay proved too porous to hold the liquid. With that sorted out – it is a blended clay mix the amphora is now is a contributing part to the blend’s complexity. The 2010 has 25% Sem and not
showing much yet beyond the waxy, smoke, lanolin front.
The last, and only non SB wine was Semillon 2008, which spent 11 mos in oak with only 10% new. The
production now is used mostly into the SB cuvees. Semillon is on quite vigorous soils, and throws big
canopy, and probably better off as a component.
After the tasting, we took a short and beautiful drive by a huge white sandy beach into the vineyard.
We drove to the top of it, about half way up the slope of the bowl to see the beautiful view from there
into the mouth of the bowl that opens up onto the same white sandy beach we saw a moment ago from
the road. After a few minutes there, most of the group decided to take their time and slowly hike down
to the gates.
It became apparent that the bus expended its last breath on getting up the hill and at first refused to
start, then when it did, it only got as far as the gates and then expired in the gates driveway. We were
getting late for our next appointment on the Constantia side of the peninsula, but of all the places to
get stuck at, this was not too bad of a choice. The cavalry arrived about 40 minutes or so after the
problem was discovered and just in time – as soon as we said our thank-yous and good-buys to
Duncan for an interesting visit and got onto our already familiar mini-buses, the clouds finally
gathered and it started raining. We were off to Constantia.
Constantia Valley wines – Richard Kershaw MW
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About twenty minutes drive south of the Cape Town City Bowl one enters the beautiful and
picturesque valley of Constantia, an area where the well-heeled suburban residents rub shoulders with
immaculately kept vineyards, historic wine farms and 2 or 3 excellent eateries. Such an eatery,
Steenberg Bistro, played host to the Masters of Wine group at a lunch and walk around tasting of the
producers of Constantia. The estates represented from North to South included Constantia Glen, Beau
Constantia (a newcomer to the valley), Eagles’ Nest, Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia,
Buitenverwachtung and lastly Steenberg. However, we entered the region from the south, having been
visiting Cape Point Vineyards with Duncan Savage and had the unfortunate situation of the bus
breaking down just outside his vineyards. Of course, rumour was rife that Duncan must have
sabotaged the bus to keep us there longer…but no concrete evidence has surfaced!
On entering Steenberg, it became clear where one shouldn’t park…
…and before we ascended the stairs to the tasting area became engrossed in finding the two hidden
white-pipped grapes in the gorgeous grape sculpture (don’t use the word chandelier by the way)
although I was informed this was a task assigned to keep children amused!
It turned out to be well worth the delay in arriving as we feasted on a delicious lunch in what is a
superbly appointed bistro that looks out onto a landscaped pond, beyond which the Steenberg
grounds are seen with the mountains yonder. For the tasting we were joined by either winemaker or
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general manager of the respective winery and the notes reflect below all of the wines which were
shown.
Tasting Notes
Buitenverwachtung Husseys Vlei Sauvignon Blanc 2012: Very enjoyable zesty fresh Sauvignon Blanc
with a medley of greengage, cut grass, lemon wedges and Ogen melon skin complexed with a hint of
cream from extended lees aging.
Buitenverwachtung Chardonnay 2011: Barrel aged for 10-11 months in 100% new French barriques,
full malolactic conversion and of which 50% undergo batonage: Full-throated, richly textured
Chardonnay with toast, butter and vanilla but offset well with a steely acidity and vivid white peach,
lime zest and lemon flavours preventing wine from falling over.
Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2011, low yielding 2 tons per hectare from 23 year old vines:
Streamlined Sauvignon with fresh lemon, mandarin, nettle, melon skin & hint of guava; this was a
perky wine with ardent acidity, minerals and chalk-like grip.
Steenberg Magna Carta 2010 made from 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon: Beguiling aromas
of lemon blossom, tangerine, Galia melon and cut red apples. Medium weight, pithy textured and
elegantly structured there is a juiciness, toned acidity and stony note that were quite sublime.
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve White 2011: Restrained, tight mineral with orange zest,
Charantais melon and interplay of dried herbs; this was a stylish wine, pithy, enriched by welladjudged oak with long distinct finish.
Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve Red 2010 made from 72% Cabernet Franc and 28% Cab
Sauvignon: Bright crimson red with aromas of redcurrants, dried spice, dark chocolate and tobacco;
polished, richly textured with firm sweet tannins.
Eagles Nest Merlot 2008: Ripe plums, red cherries, touch balsamic on nose. Lush texture, round,
sweet fruited with soft tannins and a gamey edge that distracted.
Eagles Nest Shiraz 2009: Expressive nose of violets, blackberry, clove and white pepper. Rich fruit
core, spicy wood and fine powdery tannins yet lacked vibrancy.
Beau Constantia Cecily Viognier 2011: Notable floral, apricot blossom, orange zest and white peach on
the nose. Surprisingly bright acidity, touch mineral, tad chalk lacked a little mid palate weight but
made for a pleasant Viognier.
Constantia Glen Five 2008 made from Cabernet France, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec
and Merlot: A classy wine showing savoury elements and Asian spices mingled with ripe
blackcurrants, black cherries and plum. Concentrated, polished with plenty of flesh, complexity and
structured for potential aging but drinking rather well now.
Constantia Glen Three 2009 made from 41% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 26% Cabernet
Franc: Cigar box, wood spices, raspberry and black plums were overpowered by a rather herbaceous
character. Gravelly textured with a chalky edge and a slightly drying back-palate didn’t enamour me to
this wine.
Klein Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2012 made from 89% Sauvignon Blanc and 11% Semillon: Lightly
scented lemon, Galia melon and bell pepper; linear, crisply acidic, herbal and rather lean.
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2007: Quite the puppy this wine with potent Muscat fragrance:
dried pineapple, mango, barley sugar, glacé orange pieces. Precise, sweet, vivacious acidity, reasonable
weight and long lapping finish made for a sybaritic wine.
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At lunch we were treated to a 1994 Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc, which stood up as still fresh showing
fynbos, herbal scrub mint and sage; lively acidity and some richness on the palate. This was followed
by the well-crafted 2010 Steenberg Nebbiolo with its engaging perfume of dried apricot, sour cherry,
leather and spice, firm chalky tannins and fresh acidity.
Platter Five Star Tasting – Mary Ewing-Mulligan
This evening tasting was perhaps the most anticipated, dramatic and memorable event of our trip.
Themed “Snapshots and Backstories,” the tasting featured 25 wines that have earned five stars from
the Platter’s guide over the past three decades, with commentary from 22 winemakers and winery
representatives who tasted along with us. Not only did we have the opportunity to taste the very
history of South African fine wine, but also we could witness the reaction of the current generation of
winemakers to the older wines — many of which they were tasting for the first time. To enhance the
drama of the evening, sheeting rain pelted down outdoors and reverberated off the tin roof of French
Toast restaurant in Capetown, which hosted the event.
“Platter’s South African Wines” is, of course, the iconic and definitive reference and rating guide to
South African wine. John and Erica Platter started the publication in 1980, and in 1998 Philip von Zyl
took over as editor, together with publisher Andrew McDowall. (Cathy von Zyl MW is an associate
editor of the book, and a key force in making this tasting a reality.)
To put the evening’s wines in context, Philip explained that those wines that earn the top rating of five
stars are the product of a rigorous selection process and represent the crème de la crème of South
African wine. Each year, tasters sample and rate wines for publication and in the process they identify
those wines that are candidates for a five-star rating. Subsequently a panel blind-tastes those wines to
determine which of them warrant five stars.
The wines that evening were precious bottles of old wines provided by the producers for this occasion,
a “famous first retrospective” of South African wine. Philip explained that the majority of the topranking Platter’s wines have been red, but that white wines have emerged in a big way in recent years.
The organization of the tasting involved a sparkling wine welcome, followed by a flight of white wines,
a flight of Cabernets, a flight of other reds which included both blends and other red varietals, and a
short flight of dessert wines. Leftover opened bottles made their way to a tasting table where MWs and
winemakers alike sampled them again with the restaurant’s substantial of hors d’oeuvres.
It was a very special evening — a taste of history shared with those who made the wines, or their
successors who make the same wines today. Jean Smith of Boetkenhootskloof pronounced that he was
bursting with pride at seeing the wines that evening, and filled with the sentiment that “we in South
Africa are into something bigger here than we realize.” The evening’s final winemaker, Johann de Wet
of DeWetshof, summed up the feelings of everyone in offering “tons of thanks” to the organizers for
giving us the opportunity to participate in this legendary tasting as well as to all the wineries that so
generously provided their historic bottles.
The remainder of this report covers the individual wines and the comments of the speakers.
The evening’s “Stellar Welcome” was 2005 Villiera Monro Brut, a Chardonnay-Pinot Noir
blend five years on the lees, the winery’s prestige cuvée. Cathy Brewer explained that Villiera began
making bubbly in 1984 and in the late 1980s added a prestige cuvée; they had thought of calling it
Carte d’Or but anticipated confusion from consumers that a wine would be called “car door.” Despite
having had some time on the cork, this wine seems capable of five to ten years additional aging,
thanks to its freshness and concentration of fruit.
“The Rise of the White”
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This flight featured seven wines ranging from five to nine years in age. The quality of these wines was
high and fairly uniform throughout the flight.

2005 Cape Point Isliedh: An 85/15 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, fermented and
aged ten months in French oak 70% new. Winemaker Duncan Savage remarked regretfully
that we were drinking the last three bottles of this wine, a fact that he realized only in pulling
the wine from his cellar. The wine, he explained, was supposed to be all Sauvignon, like his
previous vintage, but he had a glass of Semillon in his hand while pumping and decided it was
so good that he would try a blend. Deeply perfumed; according to Platter’s, “exemplifies
power with cool-climate subtlety.”

2003 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay: The 21st vintage of Chardonnay from this property,
harvested at 23 hl/ha and entirely barrel-fermented in 43% new oak. Hannes Storm remarked
that this wine had the longest hang-time for Chardonnay at that point, the harvest finishing
just before Easter (April 20th that year). Flintiness and lemon curd on the nose, freshness and
minerality, with loads of internal integrity; just beginning to show its age.

2004 Sadie Family Palladius, Swartland: A blend of Viognier with equal parts of
Chenin, Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc, 18 months in French oak, of which 30% was new.
Eben Sadie remarked that in 2004, if you were really brave you might blend Semillon with
Sauvignon Blanc, and only if you were radical would you make a blend such as this. The
Palladius blend is completely different now, involving ten varieties. A big, luscious white with
high acid to match its high alcohol, and richly honeyed aromatics.

2005 DeMorgenzon Chenin Blanc: From an old bush-vine vineyard bought in 2003,
Wendy Applebaum explained. This was the debut vintage from this vineyard, harvested
around 3.5 to 4.5 tons/ha and fermented in all new French oak. A spicy Chenin, as
authoritative as it is rich and delicious, hanging in very nicely; Platter’s cites 6.8 gr/l of
residual sugar “matched almost gram for gram by bracing natural acidity.”

2005 Ken Forrester “The FMC” Chenin Blanc (magnum): From an old single
vineyard under the Helderberg mountain; Ken Forrester said that he “was totally convinced
that we could make better Chenin than the Loire — we have more sunshine, for one thing…
Our goal was to make the best white wine in the world.” Fermented with ambient yeasts, in
400 liter barrels. Perfumed, soft, richly-textured and ample, an extremely flavorful Chenin
that seems in stasis now, and can live further.

2007 Steenberg Magna Carta: A blend of Sauvignon and barrel-fermented Semillon,
characterized by “smokiness, minerality and gunflint” according to JD Pretorious. Seems to be
at its peak. Described by Platter’s as having “exquisite balance between oak richness,
sauvignon raciness, Semillon acting as the bridge.”
“Cabernet Icons”
This flight of eight wines evoked the most emotion from the participating winemakers, probably
because it featured the oldest wines in the tasting. Some of the winemakers remarked that they were
still children when these oldest wines were made, and they were clearly moved by having the
opportunity to taste them. Because the flight also featured some relatively young Cabernets (from the
late 1990s and from 2000), it provided a revealing contrast in winemaking style and ripeness trends
over the two-decade period it spanned.

1978 Boschendal Cabernet Sauvignon: JC Bekker said that he has been tasting the 1978
over the past ten years and loves it, as well as the 1982. He calls it an elegant year, estimating
21
its alcohol at about 12 percent; he believes that the harvest date had been an issue, and that
the grapes were probably picked early. A lean, medium-weight Cab with very fine tannins and
still some fresh fruit.

1978 Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon: Chris Williams explained that this was the third
vintage from a bush vine vineyard, aged in 5000 liter barrels of five to ten years’ age.
Remarking on the vivacity and elegance of this early-picked wine, he said “there’s a lesson for
us to be learned now, to make wines that sing after 30 years.” Fleshier than the Boschendal,
somewhat fuller in weight and sporting lovely ripe tannins but a dry finish.

1982 Stellenryk Cabernet Sauvignon: Justin Corans of Distell praised the meticulous
work of Dr. Julius Laszlo as an influence on this wine, from his clonal selection work to his
work with small oak. The winery’s blending book indicates that 38 different Cabernet lots
went into this wine. A Cab with very good depth, great structure and elegance but also some
fleshy texture and a core of fresh fruit still evident. 11.5°abv

1982 Rustenberg Cabernet Sauvignon: Simon Barlow praised the superb 1982 vintage,
revealed that this wine came from bush vines of 50+ years’ age, and described the oak
regimen— 21 months in barriques then into large Yugoslavian oak and finally into smaller
Limousin barrels. Eight different bottlings. Particularly interesting was his recollection of the
payment system for grapes in those days: 210 Rand/ton for grapes of 10% potential alcohol
and 25 Rand/T additional for every additional degree of potential alcohol. The wine showed
an unusual exotic-spice character, a strong mineral vein and generous fruit; it seemed to be at
its peak.

1995 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine, remarked on by Gyles Webb, showed
obviously more ripeness than the older wines; tobacco, cinnamon, mint aromas and high
flavor intensity, along with great depth. “Star-quality Cape cabernet,” in the words of the
Platter’s reviewer.

1997 Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon: Neil Ellis recalled that the 1997 growing season
made everyone nervous because ripening “took forever,” but the Cabernet enjoyed an Indian
summer and was able to ripen fully until April; although it has only 12.5°abv, it comes from
well-ripened fruit. A full-bodied Cab with soft texture and velvety tannins, not too rich but
rich enough, showing very well.

1997 Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon: Etienne Le Riche said that he didn’t think that this
wine would age well because the season was so much cooler than what they were used to, a
“nail-biting” season that offered long hangtime; harvested not in March but on April 18.
About 12.7°abv, aged in 80% new French oak. Today the wine strikes a lovely balance, with
soft texture, ripe tannin, good supporting acidity and beautifully well-knit fruit.

2000 Boetkenhootskloof Cabernet Sauvignon: Jean Smith commented that this block
of vines classically gives a tomato-leaf note to the wine, but not in this vintage. At about
14°abv this wine was bigger than others in the flight, very fresh, very richly textured and
complex in aromas and flavors — caraway, nuts, licorice, mint, thyme — with an outright
fruity finish. Can easily age another ten years.
“Pioneers”
22
This flight of six wines featured what Philip von Zyl called “landmark wines” of South Africa, mainly
blended reds, along with one Syrah and one Pinotage. We observed quite a lot of bottle variation in
this flight, and also some controversy among MWs over the wines, some of which were decidedly
rustic in style.

1979 Groot Constantia Estate Heerenrood: A 50-50 Cab Shiraz blend, fermented in
open concrete tanks. Boela Gerber introduced this wine, remarking that the perception that
South African wines don’t age is not true. He then turned the floor over to Neil Ellis who had
made the wine. Ellis explained that 1979 was a particularly challenging vintage, with lots of
cloud cover. The logic of the blend is that the Shiraz was their insurance policy; they would let
it hang longer. For some, this was one of the most impressive wines of the evening, showing
enormous depth, great complexity and supple tannins.

1982 Welgemeend Estate Wine: Lizette Steyn-James explained that this wine is a blend
of mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with 10% Merlot, 16% Cab Franc and some Petit Verdot
(Platter’s also mentions Malbec in the blend). The wine aged 12 to 18 months in small barrels,
30% of them new, and it has only 11.7abv. It showed very ripe, well-knit and velvety with
lovely savory aromas and flavors.

1984 Kanonkop Estate Paul Sauer: Abrie Breeslar remarked that some people originally
claimed that this wine would last only four years, and that the vineyard would be put to better
use grazing sheep because its shallow soils were not suited for grapes. The wine from the “very
hot” 1984 vintage is about 70% Cab Sauvignon with equal amounts of Merlot and Cab Franc.
It has “probably very little new oak.” Bottle variation was such that it was difficult to pin down
the characteristics of the wine.

1984 Overgaauw Tria Corda: David van Velden mentioned Chateau Latour as the
inspiration for this wine that Platter’s describes as “among the top dozen claret-style reds in
the Cape.” A blend of Cab Sauvignon (62%), Cab Franc (22%) and Merlot (16%) in this
vintage. It was in 1984 that the winery “came to terms with ML”; in fact, the acid component
of the wine is very prominent, making for a lean wine despite the sweetness of evolved
tannins.

1998 Stellenzicht Syrah: At the time, this wine came from two Syrah vineyards, one older
than the other, and one with N-S row orientation vs E-W for the other, Guy Webber
explained. Platter’s described this almost 15°abv wine as “gorgeous” and “dramatic” and some
of the wine’s exotic character was still evident in its perfumed, chocolatey aromas and flavors
and smooth texture, but discordant acidity has emerged.

1998 Kanonkop Pinotage: Probably the most controversial wine of the night. A warmvintage wine aged 14-16 months in mainly (about 70%) new oak. An ample, generous wine,
sweet and seductive in a wild, animalistic way, but definitely a bit pongy, in the words of one
taster.
“Forever Sweet”
The final flight of three exceptional dessert wines was a glorious conclusion to the evening.

1979 Nederburg Edelkur: Made entirely of Chenin Blanc, a “noble selection” according to
Justin Corans of Distell. Until this wine came along, he said, “No one in South Africa had any
idea of what sweet, dessert, late-harvest wines were.” The wine’s stats: 10.4abv, 190 gr RS,
23
12.5 gr TA, 3.6 pH. Aromas and flavors included coconut, chocolate, red fruits, ripe peach,
honey. Blazing succulence.

1996 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance: Hans Astrom remarked that this historic
estate came to new life in the early 1980s. The wine is a non-botrytis Muscat de Frontignan
that hits the “sweet spot” of about 160-180 gr RS, 8-8.5 gr TA, and pH of 3.4 to 3.5.
Particularly intense in flavor— nuts, prunes, crème caramel — with refreshing acidity,
richness and some freshness.

2000 De Wetshof Edeloes: Johann de Wet characterized the 2000 season as a warm,
humid one, a difficult year but one that provided lots of botrytis for this 100% Riesling wine.
Coffee aromas are emerging to accompany the dried fruit notes and flavors of peach, apricot,
pineapple. Enormously concentrated.
28th September
Eben Sadie Cellar – Justin Howard-Sneyd MW
Swartland is South Africa's largest wine producing area, measuring over 180 miles from north to
south, and 160 miles from east to west, and stretching up the west coast north of Capetown, bounded
in the east by the Citrusdal and the Cederberg mountains. Not much of the huge area is given over to
vineyards, but it is still South Africa's third most planted region.
Much of the land is sweeping undulations mostly planted to wheat, but there are three important
'bergs' that rise up from the surrounding plains, and around which most of the interesting vineyards
cluster - going from South to North, the Parderberg (granite soils), Riebeck Mountain (slate), and
Picketberg (sandstone)
The predominant vines here were old bush vines of Chenin and Cinsaut, with a significant amount of
Pinotage, Clairette, Grenache Blanc, and in more recent years an increasing amount of Syrah.
This has never been a fashionable or wealthy area, and apart from some stolid local co-ops producing
creditable but inexpensive bulk wine which was hovered up by the big companies to bolster their
blends, very little of note was produced here in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
24
The rediscovery of the Swartland probably dates from the late 90s, when Charles Back's Spice Route
project began to showcase vineyards of seriously good old vine fruit, especially around the Parderberg
area. One of the original winemakers for Spice Route was Eben Sadie.
Eben's job gave him the chance to nose around the Swartland, and pick out and experiment with the
most interesting vineyard sites. When he decided to leave Spice Route and set up on his own, he
homed in on the Parderberg, and a farm called Lammershoek, who kindly lent him a building to be his
base.
From these early beginnings, the Swartland Revolution was born.
Eben is a bit of a guru, and his winemaking style and charismatic personality have attracted a number
of followers, stylistically and geographically, who now band together under the banner of 'Swartland
Independants'. They have created a charter, whereby they commit to make wines from old vine
Mediterranean varieties (and Chenin!), to use natural yeast, not to acidify or chaptalise and to
forswear the use of any additives except sulphur.
We spent an inspiring, energy-filled, eccentric and slightly anti-corporate day in Swartland, visiting
three of these producers, and tasting the wines from a dozen more.
As we drove up the R45 North of Paarl on the road to Malmesbury and Riebeeck Casteel, we turned off
onto the dirt road sing-posted Jakaalsfontein. The normally dusty road was spotted with puddles – a
reminder that dry-land farming isn’t always dry, and after a few minutes, we turned up the track for
Lammershoek, and pulled up outside Eben’s cellar.
Much earlier that morning (at 2am in fact) Eben had been sighted in Capetown in the pool of the
Cullinan hotel, having a race with Jamie Goode, and this was by no means at the end of a night on the
tiles which saw Eben looking a little green around the gills by the time we reached him at 11.00am.
Nevertheless, he marshalled his faculties, and spoke for a good half an hour about the history of the
Swartland, the importance of the different soil types. Eben is particularly excited by the granitic soils
of the Parderberg – the mountain is made of uncorroded granite which oxidises on exposure to air,
decomposes and becomes friable. The granitic component of the soil is especially important in lending
minerality to white wines.
25
With the friable brown slate soils of the Riebeek mountain, the decomposed table mountain sandstone
of the Picketberg, and the calcerous chalky iron-rich clay soils north of Malmesbury, and the Gravel
soils near Darling, there are so many soils in one place, which gives Eben ‘an incredible canvas to work
on’. He says that he is only just beginning to understand what these soils can give.
During the planting boom of the 90s and noughties, when a large number of old vineyards all over the
Cape were ripped out, Swartland was left largely untouched. Eben reckons that the the ‘backwards,
hippy-like, non-dynamic' character of the area helped to preserve the vineyard heritage. As a result
there remains a lot of old vine Chenin, Grenache, Semillon, Semillon gris, Carignan, Cinsaut, Tinta
Barocca and some Pinotage, Palomino etc.
That said, Eben is fascinated by the potential of other Mediterranean varieties in these ancient soils,
and with the support of a couple of the Cape’s best plant nurseries, he is trying out loads of different
varieties, including Negroamaro, Fiona, Assyrtiko etc.
Eben leases 26 hectares in 63 parcels from Stellenbosch to Clanwilliam. He says he ‘doesn't believe in
ownership - we are only here for 80 years, and by the time you've done the paperwork, it is pretty
much time to leave' (!) These are all special sites that he has taken time to identify, and that he hopes
to work with over the long-term.
The rainfall in Swartland is low at around 400ml a year (although the night before our vist saw 5pc of
the annual rainfall in a single night). This is a land of winter rainfall – the Cape was known as the
‘Cape of Storms’ and in the winter they can experience 4 seasons in a day. Prevailing wind in the
winter comes from South America comes across the Atlantic.
Eben loves it when they (rarely) get rainfall in the summer – December, as this helps improve both
yield and quality.
Yields here are really low – Sadie Family Wines averages below 18hl/ha and 90% of vineyards here are
unirrigated. In fact, Eben is very anti irrigation, and the way it uses up precious water to fuel the
production of inexpensive wine for export – he says ‘it doesn't make sense to pump water out of a
borehole to make a £2.50 wine to sell to London. You are just exporting your borehole to London.’
He was vocal on the subject of the immorality of low prices and unsustainable production, and the
feels strongly that more of a stand should be taken by commentators and opinion-leaders - ‘even if you
don't commit the crime but you are aware of it, you are still involved.’
Eben reckons that irrigation will never be a prospect in Swartland - there is just not enough water, he
also believes that rainfall is the biggest single factor that differentiates one vintage from another, and
that if you irrigate, you eliminate this vintage difference.
At Sadie Family Wines, they use a number of Biodynamic treatments, plus 3 more conventional sprays
a year - 2 sulphurs and 1 sulphur and copper. Eben says ‘I was big into Biodynamics, but the moment
it becomes a religion, you have a problem.’ While he may look askance at some of the more esoteric
26
beliefs, he believes that the preparations are a really good tool, and regularly uses 500, and 502 to
508.
He uses ‘a lot of compost’ – as much as 20 Tonnes per hectare - of 2 types; anaerobic compost based
on animal manure, which is great when the vineyard needs energy, and an aerobic mixture – made up
of shredded leaves.
At Sadie Family vineyards, they start farming the day after harvest, opening up the soil with a big V
plough, and then filling the entire ditch with anaerobic compost, and closing it up again with an offset
plough. This creates a slightly raised inter-row.
They then wait 1 month, and then sow a cover crop – usually Lupins, Canola or Lucerne – at a rate of
200Kg to a hectare. Eben’s father taught him that the way to tell if you have planted your cover crops
densely enough, you should be able to throw a match-box on top of your cover crop, and it should sit
on the top, without dropping between the stems!
Once the cover-crop is ripe, it is then ploughed in, and a few weeks later, it is ploughed once again to
kill the weeds.
This is an expensive way to farm, and in spite of Eben’s profile and reputation, he complains that ‘You
can't eat passion. Unless people support us with doing things our way, we'll have to stop.’
This emotive language is a common theme with Eben, and helps him characterise his mission as a
battle to do the right thing in the face of high odds. The Chenin vineyard near the Lammershoekbased winery is called 'Vreksels' – a word in Afrikaans which is almost untranslatable, but which
roughly equates to ‘when everything is against you!’
Although Vreksels, like most of the old vineyards, is planted to bush vines, the row width is nearly 3
metres. Nowadays when Eben plants a new vineyard, he prefers a density of more like 2.2 x 2.2. By
planting in a square, he can alternate the direction of ploughing, and therefore only the 80cm square
immediately around the base of the vine is never ploughed.
27
Where the planting is closer, Eben likes to train vines en echalat to make sure that the branches grow
upwards rather than outwards, so that the tractor does not damage them when it passes. He prefers
the way the sun tracks round the whole plant, rather than just n one side of a row, and does not
believe that trellising is right in the Swartland.
We then moved into the winery, where we admired the variety of fermentation vessels that the Sadie’s
have assembled, and we tasted one wine – Palladius 2010, while Eben talked about his winemaking
philosophy
[Palladius 2010. Electric, punchy, highly mineral. Quite alcoholic. 10 varieties in 1 bottle. Intense,
and very concentrated. Great length.]
‘10 years ago our winery was full of stainless steel and small barrels - now we have none.’
Instead, Eben uses a combination of Concrete tanks, concrete eggs, elongated (tall and thin) Austrian
barrels, and French wooden fermentation vats.
28
Along with a couple of other winemakers (Duncan Savage from Cape Point being one), Eben has been
experimenting with amphorae made from local clay ‘the results are f***ing incredible. It took 3
attempts to get it right. We had to write off 3 batches of great wine from killer vineyards before we
settled on the perfect temperature for firing - 1,325 degree celsius’
Eben reckons they are a vessel we will see much more of in the future – they are much more reductive
than concrete, which breathes a surprising amount.
There are no pumps in the winery. Everything is done by lifting and siphoning. When asked why this
makes a difference, Eben replies ‘It feels right not to pump. I am sure that those guys who bury
uranium KNOW that it is wrong. If it feels wrong, it IS wrong.’
Our understanding of what really goes on during fermentation and elevage is very limited – ‘We can
drill holes on Mars, but we don't know so much about winemaking’
As Eben warmed to his theme, the f**k count increased considerably. He is particularly exercised by
the paltry understanding we have of our own sense of taste and smell.
‘The world of wine is full of lies - because it deals with your worst developed sense.
Blindfold yourself and taste the ingredients in your kitchen - you will be f***ing amazed.’
29
We tasted a wider range of Eben’s ‘Old Vine series’ a bit later on, at lunch at Adi Badenhorst’s house
(office, above), and I have attached some notes here, even though they were tasted under very difficult
conditions, sitting on an upturned crate on rain-soaked soil, with the wines served freezing cold and
with the smells from the fire in the kitchen making the gastric juices go into overdrive. With so many
people (principally MWs and Belgians...) crowded round the wines, it became rather hard to
concentrate. Hopefully John Downes was paying more attention than me!
Mev Kirsten 2011
Chenin. Very dry. Quite deep in colour. Fat, but not in any way oily, and exceptionally mineral. ‘like
licking oyster shells’ according to Eben
18Skurfberg 2011
Also chenin.
Quite dry. Quite closed. Pretty similar to the Mev Kirsten.
17+
Kokerboom 2011
Semillon.
Lovely, vibrant, zingy. Quite salty and dry in style.
17+
30
Skerpioen 2011
Chenin Palomino
Salty again, and dry in the middle. Not that dissimilar to the previous couple of wines.
I'm finding it hard to describe these wines. It is like overhearing a conversation at a party and forming
a view of someone's entire character on the basis of a couple of comments.
I'm not getting an immense difference between one wine and another. I’d like more time with them to
get to know them a bit better.
T'Voetpad 2011
field blend of 1900 – 1928 Chen Sem bl Sem gris Palomino
Delicious. Again salty in style - is this the Palomino showing through?
17.5
Pofadder 2011
Cinsaut
Delicious, pretty, pale red. Pretty tannic, and early picked in style - green edged.
Lacks the really easy charm of simpler, riper Cinsaut - I'd like this to be a tiny bit fuller and riper.
16
Soldaat 2011
Grenache Noir
Very pale colour – getting towards orange
Very Grenache-y. Very European in style. Underripe by Roussillon standards, and tastes hygienically
challenged, though I am not sure about this - it is not Brett exactly. More like a ‘natural wine’
Beaujolais. I can't enjoy this as much as I'd like to.
16
Treinspoor 2011
Tinta Barocca
Deep colour. Pale, fresh, extremely young and tannic and grippy, but I love it. Extremely unusual
palate structure. There's a real campari bitterness about this, but somehow it is drying and refreshing.
But not a wine for the mainstream.
17
Lunch with Swartland Producers – John Downes MW
31
The weather wasn’t too promising as we left Eben Sadie’s cellar for what our itinerary listed as ‘Lunch
with Swartland Producers’. But, as the MW pack poured themselves from the mini buses into Adi
Badenhorst’s Dutch gabled country house high in the green, rolling Swatland vineyards, the Cape
spring sunshine came to our rescue.
The distant blue mountains looked angry though; Cape storms were abrewin’ so time for a glass of
wine! As we passed the smoking braais (BBQ to you and me) on the front lawn and caught the
amazing kitchen smells our expectations rose. We were not to be disappointed.
The two Dutch gables which dominated the front elevation of Adi’s house extended forward to
envelope a wide and deep, elevated front stoop (verandah to you and me). Spying the bottles we all
rushed the steps to grab one of the many that were scattered on the scrubbed tables and across the
stoop floor itself. The noise increased as each glass was slurped, drunk and appraised; some of our
group were even seen making notes!
The lunch party was buzzing long before we arrived as the Swartland Boys had also invited Cape
Wine’s journalists; Canadian, Dutch, Belgium, German and Scandinavian noses were thrust into a
hundred glasses. The increasing noise become increasingly international.
Tasting was halted temporarily as lunch was announced by Adi’s wife; all laid out in an amazing array
of large enamel bowls on tressle tables on the back stoop. Chicken, roasted vegetables, potato salad,
green salad, home made bread and local butter were on the menu. The super food and myriad wines
produced some fascinating wine matches, made even more interesting by the international guest list.
Adi Badenhorst, wild hair, beard and all, was on hand to talk his guests through his famous Swartland
wines – my aperitif was his White Blend, ‘blend’ being the operative word as most of the Swartland
varieties were in there; Chenin Blanc (33%), Grenache Blanc (14), Verdelho (14), Clairette (5),
Rousanne (11), Viognier (7), Colombard (3), Semillon (7) and Grenache Gris (6). I think it adds up to a
100%! I thought it needed maybe 1% more Grenache Blanc and possibly 2% more Colombard but ……
only joking Adi!
Adi’s Red Blend, (Shiraz 43%, Cinsault 43%, Grenache 8%, Mourvedre 3% and Pinotage 3%), had
reflections of a refreshing Beaujolais and went brilliantly with the chicken and roasted vegetables.
The 2010 Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsault, Tinta Barroca blend held more black fruit flavours and also hit
the spot.
Eben’s ‘Sadie Family’ wines were also on show and included his Skurfberg, Skerpioen, Kokerboom,
Voetpad, Mev. Kirsten, Pofadder, Soldat,Treinspoor, Columello and Palladius labels, “all named after
the vineyard plot”, he explained.
Three Foxes Rousanne 2009 and Mullineux’s Syrah 2010 were also popular pick-ups with the
enthusiast guests, the latter gracing the wine lists of some of London’s top restaurants including
Petrus, The Ledbury and The Square, I’m told.
The sun suddenly disappeared and the temperature dropped bringing the guests inside to the long
wooden tables and the blazing log fire to continue eating, tasting and chatting but, just as this cosy
lunch was about to move into second gear, Mrs. Big rallied the troops back onto the minibuses. We
were due at Porceleinberg twenty minutes ago!
It proved to be good timing for as we hit the dirt roads and climbed ever higher the heavens opened
Cape Spring style which had Mary Ewing-Mulligan worrying whether we would ever get back down. I
think like me, she wanted to extend this brilliant lunchtime session but as with all MW trips, the
itinerary is King and, Mrs. Big is Queen. Or should that be the other way round?
29th September
32
Meerlust with Chris Williams – Liz Thach MW
Over fifty palm trees line the driveway as you entered the gates of Meerlust Wine Estate in
Stellenbosch and approach the historic Cape Dutch Architecture of the winery (see photo). Even the
rain that spattered our windshield could not dampen our spirits as we passed the vineyards and a
large pond on the right with over fifty different birds and a magnificent black and white South African
Fish Eagle posed on a tree branch.
Chris Williams, Meerlust winemaker and MW candidate, welcomed us as we alighted from our vans
and ushered us into the barrel room where a long table with white tables clothes and wine glasses was
set for twenty people (see photo).
Meerlust Cape Dutch Architecture
Meerlust Wine Tasting
Brief History of Meerlust
As we settled into our seats, Chris provided a quick overview of the history of Meerlust, which is one of
the oldest and most historic wineries in South Africa, established in 1692. The name “Meerlust”
means “Pleasure of the Sea,” which is an apt name because it is located 3.5 kilometers from False Bay,
which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. Meerlust comprises 400 hectares, of which 110 are planted to
vineyards. It bottles, on average, 50,000 cases of 100% estate wines annually. Grape varieties include
cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and cab franc on the warmer valley floor, and chardonnay and pinot noir
in the cooler climate and higher elevation (1000 meters) of the hills. These higher points are also
accosted by the “Cape Doctor” - the southeast wind that sweeps across this part of Africa – effectively
cooling these vineyards further.
Chris informed us that in 1756, the estate was purchased by the family of the current owner, Hans
Myburgh. Hans is the 8th generation to manage the estate, and is apparently a shy reclusive person
whom we did not meet, but apparently cooked our complete lunch and brought it into the barrel
room, hidden behind a base cap, and then departed. When Chris told us this, it just made me want to
meet Hans even more!
Through most of its history, Meerlust was known for producing sweet white wines, which were
popular at the time, and also used as a medicine for sailors to combat scurvy. However, in the 1960’s,
on his Gap year (a year which many Europeans, South Africans, Australians, and New Zealanders have
between high school and university in which they travel the world), Hans went to Bordeaux and
Burgundy and fell in love with their wines. He returned to the estate and tried to convince his father
to switch to dry reds, but when he refused, Hans purchased the farm and replanted the vineyards.
In 1974 the winery was one of the first in South Africa to modernize with stainless steel tanks and
cooling systems. From 1975 – 1980, they began to establish their reputation as a high quality
producer of cabernet sauvignon, with Giorgio Dalla Cia at the helm as head winemaker. Then in 1980
they introduced Rubicon – a Bordeaux blend – which has become their flagship. (Interestingly they
have recently come to a collegial co-marketing agreement with Rubicon Estates in Napa Valley, owned
33
by Francis Ford Coppola. Both wineries are allowed to use the name “Rubicon” when selling on the
international market but must also include the winery estate name on the label.)
Tasting of Six Meerlust Estate Wines
Christ poured six wines from the estate, and then kindly gave us some quiet time to taste and evaluate
them. Then we reviewed each wine as a group. The line-up included:






2010 Meerlust Chardonnay
2011 Meerlust Pinot Noir
2009 Meerlust Merlot
2009 Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 Meerlust Rubicon
2005 Meerlust Rubicon
Of these my favorite was the 2005 Meerlust Rubicon, which was amazingly fresh for its age with
ripe red berries, herbs, and cassis. This followed through on the palate with spice, pepper, big
tannins, high acid, and a very long finish. Chris said it was 70% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, and
10% cabernet franc with two years aging on 70% new French oak and 2 years in bottle. In general
Rubicon is designed to be aged 7 to 8 years before opening. Interestingly the 2007 was not nearly as
fresh, and instead had a stewed earthy note with big chalky tannins, which Chris explained was due to
a cooler vintage, whereas 2005 was quite warm.
Excellent Lunch at Meerlust
After the tasting huge platters of sliced beef with white mustard sauce appeared on a banquet table,
along with loaves of freshly baked bread, butter, vegetables and rice. For dessert we had Slow Cooked
Poached Pears and Cambrinie – a local cheese that is a combination of brie and camembert. We
enjoyed this feast with the Rubicon and other wines from the tasting.
Lunch at Meerlust
Meerlust Vineyard
A Walk in the Vineyards
Fortunately by the time we finished lunch the rain had abated and we were able to walk a short way
from the cellar to a near-by cabernet sauvignon vineyard. Chris said it was planted in 1994, and the
vines showed their age with thick shaggy trunks and spur-pruned cordons spread bi-laterally along a
VSP trellis system. The spacing was 1 meter by 2.5 meters and the soil an alluvial deposit called
Dundee soil. Chris said it was quite fertile and produced vigor in the vines, which required much
thinning of shoots, leaves and clusters to control. The vines are irrigated as they only receive 500 –
600 ml of rain each year. The farming method is lutte raisonnée, though Chris said he is pushing
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toward all organic practices. Indeed the vineyard had a healthy cover crop of wheat that they will disk
in soon, with further plans to use organic fertilizer.
Fair Trade Practices at Meerlust
Though not Fair Trade certified, Chris reported that Meerlust has adopted many of the practices,
which include providing support for schooling, health insurance, housing, and other social services for
the workers on the estate. Meerlust currently has 35 families, many who have been with them for 8
centuries. Each family is provided a house on the property free of rent, as well as basic healthcare,
and subsidized utilities and schooling.
They have recently started a new trust company with two other wineries called Meerlust Logistics,
which handles packaging and shipping for all wines. The workers are trained to manage and operate
the company, and so far it is working very smoothly and is already profitable.
Average Vineyard Worker Wages in South Africa
Several times throughout the trip I asked winemakers the average wage they paid their vineyard
workers. The answer was it depends on the region, as well as whether or not the workers have
housing and benefits on the property.
In terms of regional pay differences, it appears that Stellenbosch is most expensive at 170 Rand ($21)
per day for a basic vineyard worker who does not live on the estate. Wineries in Cape Point and the
Constantia region said they paid 120 – 150R per day ($15 - $18). In Swartland I was told they pay 100
to 120R ($12 - $15) per day, but also provide food in the form of a large BBQ.
For wineries that provide worker housing and other benefits, the rates also vary by region. At
Meerlust in Stellenbosch, Christ informed us that the monthly rages for a basic vineyard worker are
3000 R per month, or 143 R ($18) per day with housing. However, I had another person tell me that
basic farm workers in the outlying areas often receive only 60 R ($8) per day with housing. More
experienced workers receive higher wages. For example, at Meerlust , a vineyard supervisor living on
the estate makes around 8000 R per month ($1000 per month, or $47 per day assuming 21 work days
per month).
Considering the official unemployment rate in South Africa is currently 20%, and the unofficial rate is
30%, it is interesting to learn of these wages. They are higher than China, which is only around $8 to
$10 per day in the Xinjiang wine region, but much lower than Napa Valley which pays an average of
$12 per hour ($96 per day) for vineyard workers and around $16 per hour ($128 per day) for
supervisors.
After seeing the townships that surround Capetown with tiny shacks made of corrugated metal and
wood fires built in old oil containers in the front yard for cooking, the houses of the vineyard workers
appear plusher. They are usually larger and built of brick, clay or wood with green grass instead of
dirt and pavement as seen in the townships.
I asked the spouse of one winery owner what was different in the vineyards since Apartheid had
ended. She said not much had changed, and that most of the workers had remained to work the farm.
The main difference, she noted, was that they were becoming more independent. In the past she had
to drive them to doctor, the store and other places, but now they were doing it themselves.
At the same time, keeping children in school seems to be an issue. Several people told me that many
farm children drop out of school around the 7th and 8th grade because it is the custom with their
friends. The current culture doesn’t encourage being different or sticking out from the crowd. In fact,
when I asked Chris how many of the workers had finished school and gone to university, he said “none
- yet.”
Cause of “Burnt Rubber” Tastes in South African Wines
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During the course of my eight day visit to South Africa, I realized that the vast majority of the more
than 300 South African wines I tasted did not include the telltale “burnt rubber” note that I used to
rely upon to identify “South Africa” in a blind MW tasting. Some people also refer to this taste as
“eraser or band aid,” but it is a unique note that has plagued South African wines for many years now
– especially in reds and primarily in pinotage. This has caused many people around the world who
have tried pinotage to refuse to try it again. Yet this time I found pinotages that were so fresh and
fruity I could have been tasting a lighter bodied spicy syrah.
Therefore, I asked several South African winemakers to explain how they had resolved the problem,
but ended up receiving a variety of responses including denial of the issue. The most common answer
revolved around the topic of viruses in the vineyard, and a few winemakers mentioned a strange form
of brettanomyces as well as traditional (not very clean) winemaking. One winemaker told me they had
been fermenting reds at too high of a level, whereas another told me the issue was fermenting reds at
too low of a level. In the end, the most comprehensive and believable answer came from Chris.
“It was a variety of factors,” he explained, “and as an industry, we have worked very hard over the past
few years to eliminate these issues.” He then proceeded to name four factors:
1) Viruses in the vineyard -- both leafroll and fan leaf virus, which delay ripening.
Therefore many grapes were picked at an unripe “green” level in the past.
2) Reductive winemaking – wines not protected from oxygen and sometimes temperature
control issues, which emphasized green notes and created a “burnt” taste
3) Brett in the Cellar – given the fact that wine has been made in South Africa for over 300
years, there is brettanomyces in many cellars. Though considered an interesting note of
complexity in some wines, brett added to the above conditions only exacerbated the problem.
4) Choice of Wood – the choice of barrel, usually older foudres for fermentation, can also
emphasize the “burnt rubber” note and/or brett characters.
Solution: Many South African wineries have replaced virused vines with new vines. Hundreds of
hectares have been replanted in the last few years, and more are still scheduled for replanting.
Cleaner and more anaerobic winemaking practices, new barrels, lower fermentation temperatures,
and methods to reduce brett, have also assisted in reducing the problem. More thinning in the
vineyard and crop reduction has also resulted in riper fruit.
Interestingly, I have encountered several people who enjoy the “burnt rubber” taste of old South
African wines. They say they appreciate it as it reminds them of “home and/or South Africa.” I can
understand this, because once you become used to a taste and smell, it becomes part of your “world of
meaning.” The sense of smell – one of the least researched and understood senses—can immediately
transport you to another time and place.
It is possible that a few South African wineries will continue to produce this style, and that can be part
of their “strategy of differentiation.” However, in my opinion, South Africa is producing a very unique
style of wine that is truly a mix of old and new World. No one else has achieved this. They should
continue in their efforts to reduce the “burnt rubber” notes, and move forward in producing fresh and
exciting wines with a ripe fruit nose, but crisp acids and terroir notes that no other country can
replicate. Careful vineyard cultivation, unique terroir, clean winemaking, and innovative winemakers
can make this a reality. In fact, it is already occurring.
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Master of Wine Biographies
Stephen Charters MW
I qualified as a lawyer but was seduced by the allure of wine, and worked in retail and wine education
in both London and Sydney. I'm now Professor of Champagne Management at Reims Management
School, responsible for developing teaching and research programmes focusing on all aspects of the
business of Champagne. In 1997, as well as becoming an MW, I passed the Australian Vin de
Champagne Award, and started teaching Wine Studies and Marketing at Edith Cowan University,
where I gained my PhD in 2004 for a thesis entitled "Perceptions of Wine Quality". I'm the author of
"Wine & Society: The social and cultural context of a drink", and have also contributed to a number of
popular books on wine.
Mark de Vere MW
Educated at St Edward's School, Oxford and Christ Church, Oxford. Worked for Oddbins in Oxford
and Windrush Wines in Cirencester, Hungerford and Oxford. Worked in vineyards and wineries in
Australia and New Zealand for one year before joining Robert Mondavi.
John Downes MW
John's activities include corporate entertainment - speaking to experts and beginners alike;
broadcasting on both television and radio; writing and journalism; wine courses - runs the wine
courses at the Gordon Ramsay owned Tante Marie School of Cookery; wine and food matching working with celebrated and celebrity chefs; and wine consultancy.
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Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW
Mary is a prominent wine educator, writer and author. She runs International Wine Center, a school
founded in 1982 that offers WSET courses; is Executive Director of WSET programs in the U.S.; has
co-authored (with Ed McCarthy) the best-selling 'Wine for Dummies' and seven other books; is a
columnist for Wine Review Online; and is a freelance writer and consultant. Mary is a past President
of the Institute of Masters of Wine (North America) Ltd.
Adrian Garforth MW
Adrian spent 15 years in Diageo, prior to leaving for South Africa, where he was integrally involved in
establishing the Spier business. He currently runs a successful trading and consultancy business,
enjoying extensive involvement with wineries in South Africa and New Zealand, business in over 15
markets, consultant responsibility for wine lists in over 1000 restaurants in the UK and I am a
founding partner in 1876 Wines - Jamaica's only specialist fine wine importer. In his spare time he
likes to run with his dog and play golf very badly (not with his dog!)
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Nancy Gilchrist MW
Wine correspondent for The Boston Globe, 1985-1987. Lecturer and Head of Grants of St James's
School of Wine, UK 1988-1990. MW in 1995. Freelance wine lecturer since 1990 working with a varied
client base including Marks & Spencer, Christie's Wine Education, Leith's School of Food & Wine and
many corporate customers. Speak to both trade and consumer groups throughout the UK on a wide
range of topics but with particular interest and experience in champagne, wine and food combinations
and South Africa. Run wine tours, especially to South Africa. Regional Chair for South Africa for
Decanter World Wine Awards. Also judge for international chocolate competitions.
Lisa Granik MW
Formerly a lawyer in private practice, I taught law at Georgetown University and then both at Moscow
State University and the Institute of State and Law (Tbilisi, Georgia) as a Fulbright Scholar. Additional
time served at Yale Law School, Moscow and St Petersburg resulted in a doctorate in law, after which I
decided life was too short to be consigned to a life of vodka, potatoes and litigation. A felicitous change
of career to the wine trade resulted in experience both with small importers and large distributors.
Along with periodic writing for The World of Fine Wine and Sommelier Journal, I presently run
Tastingworks, which offers a broad range of management consulting services to wineries seeking
improved access and sales in the US market.
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Justin Howard-Sneyd MW
Early indications of Justin's interest in wine were the blind tastings of wine gums in the back of
physics lessons at school, but he didn't enter the profession until 1991, as a 'helper' on the IWC. In the
following 6 years, he worked in a small wine shop, ran tasting courses, did a stint with Oddbins, and
worked 6 vintages in South Africa, France, Hungary and Romania. In 1997, he joined Safeway as a
buyer, and began to study for the MW. Justin became a Master of Wine in 1999. He spent 5 years as a
wine buyer for Sainsbury's and joined to manage the Waitrose wine team in 2005. In early 2010, he
moved to Direct Wines as Global Wine Director. In his spare time, Justin owns a small block of vines
in the Roussillon, near Maury, and released his first vintage of 'Domaine of the Bee' in Spring 2009.
Richard Kershaw MW
Born and raised in Sheffield, UK, Richard worked as a chef before moving to the wine trade. He got a
basic winemaking diploma by correspondence and traveled as a cellar-hand to various countries –
California, Chile, France, Germany, Hungary and finally South Africa in 1999. Richard became
assistant winemaker at Mulderbosch where he then took the opportunity as winemaker at Nelson
Estate in Paarl for 2 seasons before becoming Cellarmaster at Kanu in 2003 and then as Group
Winemaker of both Mulderbosch and Kanu in late 2009. In 2011 he left to pursue his dream of
making his own wine from his farm in Elgin, South Africa. In the same year Richard passed his Master
of Wine and becomes the second residential South African and first winemaker in South Africa. He
also has a blog post www.rikipedia.co featuring winemaking blogs, technical information and more
light-hearted notes on weekly tasting experiences."
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Peter Koff MW
Peter was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. On completion of High School he spent a year in the
South African Airforce before attending the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg where
he obtained a degree in civil engineering. Bitten by the wine bug, Peter became a Cape Wine Master in
1984. He attended the University South Africa qualifying with an MBA in 1980. In 1988 Peter left
South Africa to settle in the USA. He gained his MW in the USA in 1993. He is the President of Fairest
Cape Beverage Company, an importer and wholesaler of premium wines. Peter lives in Los Angeles
with his wife, Valerie, and sons Joshua and Benjamin.
Jo Locke MW
After a great introduction to the trade in Harrods Wine Department in London, Jo spent four years
with wholesaler Michael Morgan Ltd. From there, she joined Grants of St. James' as Buying Assistant
to Angela Muir MW, then soon joined Angela at Cellarworld Ltd. and The Fulham Road Wine Centre
in London. This invaluable experience, working with Angela and Peter Muir, and the late James
Rogers, allowed her to pass the MW Exam in 1990, when she was also awarded The Madame Bollinger
Award for tasting.
In 1991 Jo was appointed wine buyer at UK High Street retailer, Thresher, where she remained for
nine years, moving from wine buying to retail brand management (Wine Rack) and then public
relations (Corporate and Wine). In September 2000 Jo joined John E. Fells & Sons Ltd. as
Commercial Manager, France, with responsibility for Bouchard Père et Fils, Champagne Henriot,
William Fèvre, and E. Guigal. Since February 2004, Jo has been a wine buyer at The Wine Society.
Her buying responsibilities currently include table wines of Austria, Bordeaux, the Loire, Portugal,
and South Africa.
Jo has held a number of roles within the Institute including that of Chairman from 2006 to 2008.
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Sheri Morano MW
Sheri Sauter Morano MW found her interest in wine initially sparked during a trip to Italy when she
was 17. She began her formal wine education at the International Wine Center in New York City in
1997 following graduation from Duke University, where she majored in Medieval and Renaissance
Studies and Classical Studies. In October of 2000 Sheri became one of the youngest Americans to
complete the WSET Diploma and the following year passed the Certified Wine Educator (CWE) exam
designed by the Society of Wine Educators to promote higher standards among wine educators in the
United States. In November 2003, Sheri earned the title Master of Wine.
She is an independent wine educator, writer and judge, as well as a consultant with Strategic Insights,
a full-service marketing research firm. From 2004 through 2011, Sheri also served as the
spokesperson for the Wines of France campaign in the United States. She is currently in the process of
establishing the Triangle Wine School in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area in order to offer WSET
certifications to local trade professionals. An experienced wine judge, Sheri has judged at
competitions in the US, the UK and Argentina.
Sheri resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her husband, son, and an assortment of cats and
dogs. In her spare time she enjoys running, gardening, traveling and cooking.
Igor Ryjenkov
Born in Russia, Igor has a degree in Journalism from the Moscow Institute for Foreign Relations.
Having settled in Canada in the early 90s Igor spend the first few years in his new country as a duty
officer in the Operations department of an aviation company, securing the overflight and landing
rights for the international relief flights. His journey in wine got started with a visit to a Niagara
Peninsula winery in 1995. That was followed by a serious reading, tasting, traveling and studying
binge, which took him through the WSET Certificates and Diploma and straight into the MW program
in 1999. His wine study journey culminated with achieving the MW qualification in 2003. He "turned
pro" in 1999, having done a short part-time stint as an on-license salesman for a wine agency, then
going full time as a retail product specialist with the Ontario liquor board (LCBO). After 7 years on the
front line in the two largest retail locations in Ontario, he is now in a buying position as the European
Wines Product Manager for Vintages Department (Premium Division) of the LCBO that is responsible
for over 300 mln CAD in annual sales.
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Mark Savage MW
Mark Savage was born in Uganda in 1949 and educated at Ampleforth College and University College
Oxford (MA Classics). He was president of the Oxford University Wine Circle and a member of the
Blind Wine Tasting Team. After leaving Oxford, he gained varied experience with Moet & Chandon,
Harrods, OW Loeb & Co. and Tanners of Shrewsbury before establishing his own business. Mark
became a Master of Wine in 1980.
He has served as a judge on several occasions for the Enological Society of the Pacific North West, the
International Wine Challenge and Decanter World Wine Awards. He was also a director of the first
International Pinot Noir Celebration held in Oregon in 1987 and is a regular visitor to the vineyards of
that region. His has represented Chateau Tertre Roteboeuf in the UK since 1982. Other specialised
areas of interest include Austria, Hungary and Slovenia, Piedmont and South Africa.
As owner of Savage Selection Ltd he currently works directly with about 50 small family wine estates
in a dozen different countries. He has served for 10 years as an advisor to HM Government Hospitality
Fund and is consultant to Winefields Auction House in Amsterdam. He is the author of ‘The Red
Wines of Burgundy’ (Octopus Press) and is an occasional contributor to ‘The World of Fine Wine’ and
‘The Drinks Business’.
Lynne Sherriff MW
Lynne was elected Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine in 2010, the first South African to
hold the post. She is an independent wine consultant based in London who consults to a number of
global blue chip companies on production, blending and market requirements.
Having originally trained as a winemaker, from 1991-2000 she was Commercial Director of Vinfruco
Ltd, South Africa, and conceived the Arniston Bay lifestyle concept in 1996. From 1990-1991 she
served as Director of the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Academy. Lynne is also a respected
figure on the international judging circuit.
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Rod Smith MW
Rod came to wine, as so many people in the UK trade, through a Christmas vacation job with Oddbins,
whilst studying at Chelsea School of Art, in 1987. He completed his degree in illustration and graphic
design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. Whilst working as a freelance illustrator,
he ended up working part-time in Oddbins again. Here he decided that wine for a living, with pictures
as a hobby, was more secure, affordable and rewarding than the other way round.
After many years in Oddbins from branches to head office to parent company, Rod established a
consultancy business involving wine education and marketing. In 2005 Rod joined wine importer
Mentzendorff, a company largely owned by Champagne Bollinger. Here he completed his Master of
Wine, taking as his dissertation subject "Chenin Blanc in Anjou-Saumur".
In 2007 Rod found irresistible the lure of dealing with the world's finest wines and the world's most
discerning customers, when the chance to work for Vins Sans Frontières in Nice came up. He has
enjoyed living and working in the Côte d'Azur since then.
Beverly Tabbron MW
Having started in the wine trade back in 1978, 1996 was a busy year as I passed my MW and in the
same year, took on the responsibility for buying at Hallgarten Druitt based in Bedfordshire. Looking
after our worldwide portfolio is always a challenge and life is never dull but I always relish the
opportunity to discover new areas and wines in this ever changing and dynamic role.
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Liz Thach MW
Dr. Liz Thach is a management and wine business professor at Sonoma State University in the Wine
Business Institute where she teaches in both the undergraduate and Wine MBA programmes. In
addition, she has 15 years of executive and management level experience at Fortune 500 companies
and has done consulting and research projects for more than 30 different wineries. Liz's passion is
wine, and she has visited most of the major wine regions of the world and more than 25 countries. In
addition, she has published over 90 articles and five wine textbooks, including Wine - A Global
Business and Wine Marketing & Sales. A fifth generation Californian, Liz finished her Ph.D. at Texas
A&M and now lives on Sonoma Mountain, where she tends a small hobby vineyard and makes
garagiste wine. She also works as a wine judge in various competitions, and has served on many nonprofit wine boards.
Mai Tjemsland MW
Mai holds a Bachelor degree in Business Economy from Oslo and has worked for over 25 years as a
manager with varying roles within the hospitality business, including at the Norwegian Embassy in
Paris, Marriott Marquis in the US, the QE2, SAS Airlines and has owned a group of restaurants in Oslo
for over a decade.
She became a certified sommelier in 1996, gained the WSET Diploma in 2004 and achieved her
Master of Wine in 2009. Mai now works as a lecturer teaching WSET Diploma students, MW
students and is a part of the IMW Education Committee.
Mai consults as wine buyer for Norway’s largest brewery, conducts tastings held for international
producers and importers and is a frequent speaker at key trade events.
Mai is a born globetrotter, speaks five languages and has travelled to the four corners of the globe
including all the main wine producing areas. She is passionate about wine and travel and shares her
experiences by feature writing in key consumer publications.
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Cathy Van Zyl MW
I run a small public relations company specialising in the advertising and general business fields to
'fund' my wine activities. Unfortunately, this does tend to interfere with what I love doing most travelling the world's wine regions, judging wine competitions, mentoring MW students and others,
assisting to edit the Platter's South African Wine Guide, and attending wine shows.
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