6/10/22 Friday Sips
FRIDAY SIPS
Drop by today, Friday June 10 from 4:00 - 6:00 to taste four toothsome choices from smaller South African producers.
2018 KLOOF STREET
SWARTLAND ROUGE
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
SWARTLAND ROUGE
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
Like many wine growing regions of the world, South Africa is experiencing a youth movement. Wines being produced are in balance, many times on much smaller scales and are making great attempts at highlighting the terroirs. Chris and Andrea Mullineux are one such producer at the forefront of what is hip in this longtime wine producing nation.
The Swartland Rouge is made from eight parcels in the Swartland region and the blend changes every year. For vintage 2018 the grape composition is 51% Tinta Barocca (a grape known for its presence in Portugal’s Douro Valley and thrives in South Africa), 38% Syrah, 6% Grenache, 4% Cinsault & 1% Carignan grown on shale and granite. Aged in used barrels, this hearty, Mediterranean-inspired blend reveals pronounced chocolate-covered strawberry with underlying balsamico, finely placed black pepper notes and sneaky minerality. Bountiful and very stylish flavors captivate the palate with an almost-Italian plum-like quality before advancing through to the arousing finish that brings it all home. Enjoy with lamb, grilled sausage or a hearty stew.
The Swartland Rouge is made from eight parcels in the Swartland region and the blend changes every year. For vintage 2018 the grape composition is 51% Tinta Barocca (a grape known for its presence in Portugal’s Douro Valley and thrives in South Africa), 38% Syrah, 6% Grenache, 4% Cinsault & 1% Carignan grown on shale and granite. Aged in used barrels, this hearty, Mediterranean-inspired blend reveals pronounced chocolate-covered strawberry with underlying balsamico, finely placed black pepper notes and sneaky minerality. Bountiful and very stylish flavors captivate the palate with an almost-Italian plum-like quality before advancing through to the arousing finish that brings it all home. Enjoy with lamb, grilled sausage or a hearty stew.
2018 GABRIELSKLOOF SYRAH
WALKER BAY
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
WALKER BAY
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
Different than Kloof Street, Gabrielskloof is a sustainable winery founded in 2001 by Bernhard Heyns and grower Barry Anderson. A cool-climate growing region heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, these wines are the epitome of freshness, detail and drinkability from the moment they are poured.
Alluring smoke, red berry, white pepper, and meaty tones on the nose. In the mouth it is expansive with lots of strawberry, plum, and pepper notes. This very accessible and delicious wine shows impeccable balance and excellent depth and poise with its 13.7% alcohol. A steal for the price, if you love traditional “Northern Rhone style” Syrah, or think that all Southern Hemisphere versions taste like Lindemans Bin 666 Shiraz, then you must give this a go. Enjoy with grilled sirloin, grilled chicken thighs or breasts with a spicy sauce as well as fine minestrone.
Alluring smoke, red berry, white pepper, and meaty tones on the nose. In the mouth it is expansive with lots of strawberry, plum, and pepper notes. This very accessible and delicious wine shows impeccable balance and excellent depth and poise with its 13.7% alcohol. A steal for the price, if you love traditional “Northern Rhone style” Syrah, or think that all Southern Hemisphere versions taste like Lindemans Bin 666 Shiraz, then you must give this a go. Enjoy with grilled sirloin, grilled chicken thighs or breasts with a spicy sauce as well as fine minestrone.
2020 GABRIELSKLOOF CHENIN BLANC
WALKER BAY
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
WALKER BAY
$19.99 BTL./$239.88 CASE
If there were to a declaration of a spiritual white wine grape from South Africa it would be Chenin Blanc. Also known as Steen, this grape accounts for 18% of the white wines produced and was first noted as arriving sometime on the mid-1600s.
Coming specifically from the Bot River section of the Walker Bay region, this cool site and wine bowled me over. Frankly, it out Loire’d things that I tasted earlier that week. Engaging scents of quince paste, yellow apple, lanolin, and peach. Driven by vertical mineral acidity, there is nice body behind the briskness. Finishes long and lingering and will pair beautifully with salmon on a cedar plank, grilled prawns or a tangy goat cheese.
Coming specifically from the Bot River section of the Walker Bay region, this cool site and wine bowled me over. Frankly, it out Loire’d things that I tasted earlier that week. Engaging scents of quince paste, yellow apple, lanolin, and peach. Driven by vertical mineral acidity, there is nice body behind the briskness. Finishes long and lingering and will pair beautifully with salmon on a cedar plank, grilled prawns or a tangy goat cheese.
2021 GABRIELSKLOOF SAUVIGNON BLANC
WALKER BAY
$14.99 BTL./$179.88 CASE
WALKER BAY
$14.99 BTL./$179.88 CASE
Sauvignon Blanc is also grown in South Africa but many producers, including Gabrielskloof have made a point to not make them in the same style of New Zealand’s explosive versions.
No greenness or overblown tropical fruit, this offering reveals elevated notes of melon and fleshy tangerine that bounce off crisp minerality, white flowers and tangy Meyer lemon creating a slow building wave in the glass. Fleshy, yet focused on the palate with a crisp and clean lingering finish of bright citrus and subtle mineral spice. A piquant way to kick off a meal and it is a game winning touchdown with pan-seared halibut, lemon-infused chicken or Japanese-inspired shellfish dishes.
No greenness or overblown tropical fruit, this offering reveals elevated notes of melon and fleshy tangerine that bounce off crisp minerality, white flowers and tangy Meyer lemon creating a slow building wave in the glass. Fleshy, yet focused on the palate with a crisp and clean lingering finish of bright citrus and subtle mineral spice. A piquant way to kick off a meal and it is a game winning touchdown with pan-seared halibut, lemon-infused chicken or Japanese-inspired shellfish dishes.
