Boekenhoutskloof Semillon

A vertical tasting of Boekenhoutskloof Semillon reveals a wine that is not particularly demonstrative in its youth but, rather, is built to last. Christian Eedes reports.

That Franschhoek cellar Boekenhoutskloof is so highly regarded is largely due to the quality of its red wines, with two 5 Star ratings for its Syrah in WINE magazine since production began in 1996, not to mention three 5 Star ratings for its Syrah and four for its Cabernet Sauvignon in Platter’s. Last year, when Shiraz was the category under review to determine the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year, it came as very little surprise to see Marc Kent walk away with the title for his Syrah 2005…

 

However, some 800 cases out of Boekenhoutskloof’s total annual production of around 3 300 cases are white wine in the form of Semillon, and though it does not attract nearly the same hype as its red counterparts, it is still very much worthy of contemplation.

Frankly, the Semillon has tended to under-perform when tasted on release by WINE magazine. However, this is something that leaves Kent largely unperturbed. He insists he’s trying to make “something that will be interesting after 10 to 15 years” rather than a wine that shows dramatic primary characteristics in its youth, only to fade quickly – hence his decision to hold a vertical tasting of all 11 vintages to date.

Kent relates that grapes are acquired from vineyards situated on the Franschhoek valley floor, the alluvial soils so poor that he jokingly remarks it would have been more appropriate to plant potatoes! The same three blocks have been used since inception, the oldest dating from 1889, the other two from the 1940s and 1960s respectively.

In the cellar, vinification is oxidative – Kent is not overly interested in aromatics but is rather looking for intensity of flavour and palate weight. Fermentation and consequent maturation take place in 100% new French oak barrels – the wine spends 13 months in barrique with no sulphur additions, racking or batonnage, and because Semillon is a variety low in acidity, malolactic fermentation is inhibited by maturing the wine at a very low temperature (5°C). This hands-off approach throughout is in order to achieve the most subtle flavour development possible.

Come the vertical tasting and it’s time to see whether Kent’s claim that his Semillon can last a decade holds up. While the maiden 1997 vintage shows a waxiness on the nose often associated with the variety as it develops, it still proves very lively on the palate.

Tasting from oldest to youngest, it becomes clear that this is a wine that comes into its own once it has acquired some secondary and tertiary character.

It is the 2002 that is probably most accessible right now, the primary aromatics on the nose matched by an oily citrus quality on the palate that the younger vintages have still to develop. In an effort to prevent the wine being drunk altogether too early, Kent typically gives it 15 months of bottle maturation – the 2006 will only be released towards the fourth quarter of this year.

The wines that Semillon produces generally tend to fatness and Kent quickly realised that a “splash” of Sauvignon Blanc would be useful in his wine. From the 1999 vintage, he has added around 5 to 6% of Sauvignon Blanc from the following vintage to add “racy acidity”.

The model for Boekenhoutskloof Semillon is unashamedly the white wines of Pessac-Léognan and Graves in Bordeaux. “They’re all about texture,” says Kent, who reckons that the acclaimed Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc blends of Cape Point Vineyards and Vergelegen bear little comparison, being typically “very primary” as well as failing to get significantly more interesting with time.

You feel Messrs Savage (of CPV) and Van Rensburg (Vergelegen) might beg to differ with their colleague but, whatever the case, Boekenhoutskloof Semillon easily holds its own among the characterful and age-worthy white wines that South Africa seems increasingly capable of producing.