Sporting wine at Haskell Vineyards
What a sport!
Although the rugby Tri Nations may not have ended well for SA, one can relive the trans-Atlantic contest on the grounds of Haskell Vineyards – this time with a more favourable result.
Haskell is not the sort of place you coincidentally drive by and decide to pop in. After all, it is at the end of the long Annandale Road snaking up towards the Helderberg, past names that include some of the royalty of the wine industry – Alto, Ernie Els, Rust en Vrede, Bilton – this in the heart of Stellenbosch’s Golden Triangle.
Maybe the signposting is inadequate, or maybe we’re just distracted by the scenery, but when we arrive one Saturday morning we struggle to find the tasting room. It initially appears closed, until we discover that the entrance to the on-site Long Table restaurant is also home to a small tasting area. (We’re later told that the main tasting room is now mostly used for groups and functions.)
The attendant, who is refreshingly friendly, knowledgeable and clearly passionate about the estate’s wines, presents us with two tasting options; the normal, free tasting of the Dombeya range of wines (produced by Haskell) and a trinations tasting available only on weekends for a fee of R40, comparing Haskell’s flagship Shiraz against some of the best the Antipodeans have to offer (that are stocked by Haskell). Being a Saturday, and being an interesting alternative to the normal tasting, we choose the latter. Plus, I was hoping to restore some pride after a disappointing version of the rugby Tri Nations.
First up is the Dombeya Boulder Road Shiraz 2007 (R96). Previously rated 4 Stars by Wine, it doesn’t disappoint, with a lively spicy, leathery nose and smooth, soft, classic palate.
The tri-nations wine on offer on the day is the Wild Rock ‘The Underarm’ Syrah 2006 from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. This wine takes a friendly trans-Tasman jab by commemorating the infamous 1981 cricketing episode when, with the Kiwis requiring a six off the last ball to win the match, the Australian captain instructed his bowler to make the delivery underarm along the ground. Technically this was legal, but it was far outside the spirit of the gentleman’s game. Needless to say, Australia won the game, and the series, and the New Zealanders have been sour about it since.
Made in an Old World style from cool-climate grapes, The Underarm’s soft pepper and earthy characteristics on the nose lead to a palate of black fruit coulis. Delicious, but we come to the conclusion that at R160 a bottle, it is not twice as good as the Dombeya at R96 a bottle. Next up is the Haskell Aeon Syrah 2007 (R290). Black pepper, smoke and dark fruit on the nose follow through to a complex palate with ripe tannins that suggests good ageing potential.
Finally, we taste the ultra-premium Haskell Pillars Syrah 2007 made from a single vineyard block that, somewhat incongruously, is right next to the parking lot. Somehow one expects the grapes of a R400 bottle of wine to be grown, I don’t know, somewhere close to heaven... The wine is superb, with peppery notes, more white than black, and lots of inviting red fruit on the nose. Is it four times better than the Dombeya? Maybe I’m one of those people knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing…
We sink back into the plush chairs around the coffee table, but they face away from the bar and the attendant. One is clearly meant to stand – or gravitate towards the restaurant, which is exactly what we do.
VERDICT
LIKES
The surprisingly knowledgable and passionate service.
DISLIKES
The lack of seating and feeling a bit out of place in the restaurant entrance area.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
As you drive up Annandale Road, stop at Alto, Ernie Els, Rust en Vrede and Bilton for equally impressive tasting experiences. The on-site Long Table restaurant is a must for Sunday lunch.
HASKELL VINEYARDS is the very last farm on the Annandale Road (off the R44). The tasting room is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 17:00. Contact the winery on 021 881 3895.
