The hills are alive
Do yourself a favour and make sure that this winery is one that you visit. Don’t be put off by an exterior that may appear rather imposing; it has some unique finds inside. Durbanville Hills enjoys a solid history along with some innovative new food-andwine- tasting experiences.
The cellar is set against the hillside, its position connecting its surrounds and its name, and the view from the upstairs restaurant is panoramic. One of the cooler areas in the Western Cape, Durbanville Hills’ cellar is situated on a north–south axis. The vineyards enjoy direct sunlight and make the most of exposure to the Southeaster, essential for the slow ripening of quality grapes. Too warm a climate leads to overripe grapes, which can impart less desirable characteristics in a wine. The initial impression of the exterior is dispelled by a very warm reception from the tasting-room assistant, who is incredibly passionate about the wine and the estate’s ethos – “I love these wines! I’d pour them over my cornflakes if I could!”
Go through this wine tasting in its entirety as far as possible – the ranges are threefold – and it is important to get a sense of all the styles on offer. Grapes come from a group of neighbouring historic farms, mostly established at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Among them are Bloemendal, allocated as a freehold farm in 1698 to an early Dutch settler at the Cape, Maastricht, Hooggelegen and Ongegund. The wines in The Hills Range, Durbanville Hills’ Premium wines, are restrained yet still retain primary fruit flavours. The Rhinofields Reserve Range, named for the indigenous Renosterveld of the area, is produced by combining no more than two or three vineyard blocks, often from opposite hillsides, which allows the combination of fruit from different mesoclimates.
The Single-Vineyard Range is made from special blocks. Durbanville Hills has a great way of describing this: “Wines blended from multiple vineyards are more like a Broadway musical’s chorus. The character may be less exciting, but if a singer is off-key, the rest of the chorus make up for it. Single-vineyard wines however, like true stars, have to perform, or face not being released. Single-vineyard wines and true Broadway stars are rare, and thus command higher prices than ‘chorus’ wines.”
The chocolate-and-wine pairing is not to be missed (R50). It is approached from dry to sweet (dark to white chocolate). Test the chocolate – see, sniff, snap. Test the wine – swirl, smell, sip. Look for complementing flavours. The chocolates are specially sourced from a Knysna producer and vary from 72% Ecuador Grand Cru, for example, to 49% Venezuela, which is paired with the excellent-value Bastion 2009 (R67), a Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz with a velvety and fruity palate. A White Lemon Verbena is extraordinary with the Rhinofi elds Chardonnay 2009 (R95), full bodied with a lemon finish.
A biltong tasting is now available too. Ranging from the intense to the subtle, the selection of Durbanville Hills’ red and white wines complements the taste profi les of various styles of venison and beef biltong as well as droëwors. Tastings cost.R60 per person and include Durbanville Hills’ wines matched with a.selection of biltong and droëwors. The straight wine tasting costs R35.
VERDICT
LIKES
Friendly tasting-room assistant, the interesting chocolate and wine and biltong pairing.
DISLIKES
The room does echo and feel a bit like a hall or museum.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE?
Nitida, with its splendilicious wines and restaurant Cassia, is a must.
Try: the MCC at Bloemendal (its restaurant has 360-degree views), De Grendel’s Koetshuis and Pinot Noir, D’Aria’s ‘song wines’ (eat at The Poplars) and Diemersdal’s
Eight Rows Sauvignon Blanc.
DURBANVILLE HILLS is on the M13 to Durbanville. Open Monday –Friday 09:00–16:30, Saturday 10:00–15:00 and Sunday 11:00–15:00. Tel 021 558 1300 www.durbanvillehills.co.za
