Pick six: May 2009
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc typically possesses purity of fruit and lively acidity. It's the perfect aperitif but is also well suited to lighter, healthier meals. No wonder it's the white wine of the moment.
EVERYDAY
WELMOED 2008
Approx. retail price: R34.99
Available from all good wine retailers
Why we like it:
This wine charms with lots of upfront fruitiness on both nose and palate. It's ripe and full in the mouth with flavours of melon and pineapple while the acidity is relatively soft, good news for those that are inclined to find Sauvignon excessively tart. Grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Stellenbosch region with an average yield of 10 tons/hectare. Welmoed is owned by the company of wine people, formed after a merger between Stellenbosch Vineyards and Vinfruco in 2004.
WEEKENDS
DE GRENDEL 2008
Cellar price: R60
Tel 021 558 6280
Why we like it:
Though shy on the nose, this wine has juicy fruit and a wonderful, bracing line of acidity on the palate. The De Grendel vineyards are situated in Durbanville, 7km from the Atlantic Ocean, and this maritime location ensures optimal flavour development. Proof once again that with careful site selection, South Africa can make Sauvignon Blanc of great clarity and precision. Try it with a smoked salmon salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette.
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
DURBANVILLE HILLS
BIESJES CRAAL 2008
Cellar price: R98
Tel 021 558 1300
Why we like it:
This single-vineyard wine takes its name from an early outpost in what is now Milnerton, where oxen out-spanned to graze and rest. The nose shows some grassiness but does little to herald the intensity of the palate, with its flavours of green pepper and asparagus. The wine is full bodied but balanced thanks to tangy acidity. It should easily stand up to more substantial dishes, like a seafood pasta, for instance.
Merlot
If any variety has gained a following thanks to texture rather than flavour, it is Merlot, which at its best makes wines that are smooth, fleshy and round.
EVERYDAY
KLEINE ZALZE
CELLAR SELECTION 2007
Cellar price: R42
Tel 021 880 0717
Why we like it:
Everything an entry-level Merlot should be. The wine shows red berries and just a hint of oak spice on the nose, while the palate is fruit-driven with fresh acidity and smooth tannins. The wine was subjected to very little oak treatment, having been matured in third-fill 300l French oak barrels for 12 months. Pleasingly dry on the finish.
WEEKENDS
FLEUR DU CAP 2007
Approx. retail price: R56
Available from all good wine retailers
Why we like it:
The first Fleur du Cap vintages were released in 1968, shortly after the completion of the famous Bergkelder, built into the side of Stellenbosch's Papegaaiberg, and this is nothing if not a reliable brand. This wine shows red fruit and violets on the nose, while the palate is medium bodied and well balanced: juicy fruit matched by fine tannins and fresh acidity. We particularly admire the carefully judged oaking and suggest you drink it now or over the next two years.
SPECIAL OCCASIONS
STEENBERG 2007
Cellar price: R110
Tel 021 713 2211
Why we like it:
South African Merlot does not get any more plush than this. The nose shows ripe berry fruit, some attractive herbal notes and chocolate, while the palate is sweet, rich and concentrated. Flavours of both red and black fruit as well as trademark mint. The tannins are still firm thanks to 14 months in 100% new French oak so the wine will benefit from some bottle maturation. Conceived in a modern style but very well executed.
