A wine from the Free State called Thornbury
The Free State province is known for mielies, golden plains, thunderstorms, khaki two-tone shirts and bakkies - but definitely not for wine. In terms of its positioning, it lies in the heart of South Africa. It is my central homeland. It is also where a group of wine enthusiasts, including my dad, of the Free State Wine Tasters Guild, tend to and make wine from a small patch of Cabernet Sauvignon vines. What started as a bold but slightly uncertain venture has grown into an annual undertaking that the group approaches with absolute vigour.
This year I joined the team on their fifth harvest. I've been receiving progress reports on the grapes almost daily, and like the rather dismal news of the 2010 harvest in the Western Cape, reports from the Free State front weren't looking much better. Heavy rains during the crucial phenolic ripening period caused sugar levels to drop and subsequent delay in vintage. In the end, the group had to concede that the grapes were not going to achieve optimal ripeness and on 7 March the grapes were harvested at approximately 22˚ Balling.
The grapes are grown in Jacobsdal, Free State, on Thornbury which is a mixed farm owned by Mias and Lizette Kriel. The wine is named after the farm, and true to its environment the wine label depicts an Acacia Tree. One special vintage (2007) even includes a modest "ongefiltreer" (unfiltered) printed above it.
From Jacobsdal the grapes are transported to Douglas Cellar not far from where the Vaal and Orange Rivers meet. On the banks of this mighty confluence, cellar master Ian Sieg runs an equally Goliath-sized operation.
Douglas Cellar is not basket press territory - the co-op receives grapes from Free State and some Northern Cape vineyards, and presses close to 7 000 tons of grapes annually. At Douglas Cellar (owned by GWK Limited) it isn't unusual for Ian and the team to receive and process 40-ton grape loads (delivered in a single container) throughout the day. In all fairness it is perhaps not the most conducive environment for a boutique operation whose total pickings weigh in at 800kg.
Therefore, given environmental and cellaring challenges, it is amazing that the Guild manages to produce a wine that is gentle, full of character and remarkably gentle.
During a vertical tasting of vintages '06 to '09 the expression of vintage was also unmistakable - 2007 shows lots of dark fruit and liquorice with a solid tannin structure and evident acidity. In comparison the 2008 reflects aromas more closely associated with the ‘feminine' taste spectrum, which is also echoed on the palate that is softer and more approachable than the 2007. Barrel samples from 2009 suggest that this vintage's sensorial ‘wheel' will mirror that of 2007.
A tasting of wines from the region further emphasised that the Free State should not be disregarded when a map of SA's winelands is drawn up. I wanted to blow on a vuvuzela when I tasted the Landzicht Dry Red - a Bordeaux-blend with the depth, structure and balance of a much higher-priced wine. At R25 this wine is perhaps the best value Bordeaux-blend in the country.
Viva Vrystaat viva!
