Bacchus Wine Tasting hosted by Joanne and Brian
Our first wine tasting of Natal wines @ 88 de Werf Joanne and Brian as the hosts. .
Thank you Brian and Joanne for being so hospitable. For most of us – it was the first time we visited their home. It really has some outstanding features and views. Congratulations to both of you.
Jo and Brian hale from Natal and therefore felt – we Western Cape people needed to be introduced to the wines made in the Natal Midlands region.
Some adventerous people wanted to be challenged and have succeeded. More information on the estates and their journey can be found in the other attachment.
In line with the Natal theme – we enjoyed Samoosas and Chillybites to compliment the welcome sip of the 2017 Abbington unwooded Viognier
Hennie and Ann, who have been part of various wine appreciating groups since their student days have offered a run down on the various wines we appreciated:
Unwooded Viognier 12/20
A medium bodied wine that is light and pleasing leading to an off dry characteristic with low acidity making for easy drinking. It could be mistaken for one of the modern SA chenin blancs from old bushvines with plenty of extract and honey, peach taste.
Wooded Viognier 14/20
Much fuller and more weight due to wood with an almost sweet character (possibly due to the wood as well) and full lingering mouthfeel.
Sauvignon Blanc 14/20
Label description accurately reflected the herbaceous nose with hints of green pepper and peppercorns. Taste more fruity, granadillas & watermelon – Stellenbosch area rather than West Coast/Elgin/Elim/Augulhas – and not extreme austere acidic style with a good acid balance. Very drinkable
Merlot. 10/20
Nose suggested soft red berry fruit with a bit of a funny chemical note. Taste bit harsh and tannic, lacking fruit , with chemical character, Not very favourably received.
Pinotage 13/20
Pleasant plummy darker berry nose with subtle hint of wood promising a soft taste which indeed is the case. The mouthfeel is round with no harsh tannins and nicely integrated, following thru on mid palate with long soft finish. A surprise indeed.
Syrah 14/20
Intense dark colour, nose fairly prominent with hints of spice and some vanilla. Taste well rounded, tasting much smoother after being opened for an hour
Blend (Unesco) 14/20
Wood prominent on nose with mix of berry fruits which is reflected in the taste which has complexity with no cultivar dominant. Well integrated and nice lingering aftertaste.
Here is a comment from a wine appreciater, Mauritz –
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Natal Midlands wines. Never before have I encountered a wooded Viognier and this wine changed my opinion of Viognier being a light weight wine. It was full, smooth with just the right amount of oak infused to make it a delectable wine. The Sauvignon Blank was a surprise. The green nose was contradicting the fruity flavours on the tongue. I found it very quaffable. I also enjoyed both the Pinotage and Shiraz but less so the Merlot which came across as quite aggressive for a 5 year old wine. The Unesco Blend wine was a perfect companion with the tasty Durban curry. All in all, I was impressed with what is happening in KZN on the viticulture side of the sugar cane fields. The Bacchus evening lived up to its mandate to entertain, educate and broaden our experiences with wines from near and far and the KZN flavour made it special and different.
My closing comment – it must be tough to make wine and sell it at a price so you have a sustainable business.
We found the prices high compared to similar quality wines available in the Western Cape. So, thumbs up for Natal Midlands wine producers who seem to be selling all the wines they can produce at proud prices. I think a few wineries in the WC need to learn a lesson from them.
Thanks for being part of it and thanks again to Joanne and Brian for a most entertaining evening – and the Curry was just soooooo good, I need the receipe (so Pam can cook it). What Jo managed to do was to make it flavoursome without being so hot that it burns the palate. Thanks Jo.
Till the 14th of March @ Carantana, Inge and Dieter being the host.
