Farewell with a last sip
Article by Karin Wild
Dear customers, the reporting on my South Africa wine trip is slowly but surely coming to an end. However, before it’s time to say goodbye, I would like to take you on a tour of some more wonderful wineries.
A visit to Ernie Els: a paradise for golf lovers and wine enthusiasts
We start with a visit to the Ernie Els winery, named after its founder, a South African golfing legend. For every golfer, the visit is a “must” in itself. For me personally, the cellar master Louis Strydom is a legend who has been responsible for the excellent wines since the estate was founded in 1999.
A place to fall in love with
In my eyes, this is one of the most beautiful wineries in Stellenbosch. In addition to the wines, I immediately fell in love with the club-style atmosphere and the unique view of the vines and the Helderberg region. Sitting on the terrace and enjoying a glass of Big Easy with a burger – be it the white Chenin Blanc, the rosé or one of the two red wines, either the Cabernet Sauvignon or the Red Blend from the Big Easy line – you inevitably get the feeling that life is easy and completely relaxed. What more could you want than to have exactly this feeling on vacation?
Pleasure for the palate
I treated myself to the rosé, made from the flagship variety Cabernet Sauvignon (90%). This is aged for 3 months in oak barrels, which gives it more strength – the perfect accompaniment to the burger I ordered. The vineyard’s location is predestined for masterful Cabernet Sauvignon wines, which can be found in both the Signature and Major Series.
With my well-known preference for Cabsav and Bordeaux blends, I was particularly impressed by the Signature Blend 2017. This wine offers everything a great wine needs in terms of complexity, character and elegance. Notes of cassis, plums and black cherries, complemented by cedar wood and leather, make every sip a pleasure – and will certainly be for at least the next 15 years…
Next stop: Thelema – An Eldorado for Cabernet lovers
Cabernet Sauvignon is the keyword for the next winery I would like to take you to. Thelema, located high up on the Helshoogte Pass of the Simonsberg in Stellenbosch, is known for its characterful Cabernets and produces top wines in abundance.
A particularly impressive wine is the 2020 vintage, which delights with dark chocolate, sweet dark fruit and the typical mint note – a trademark of Thelema, which comes from the many eucalyptus trees on the vineyard.
Of course, our flagship red wine Rabelais was not to be missed during our tasting. The 2021 vintage impresses with plenty of structure, integrated tannins, elegance and great potential to age gracefully. Thomas Webb, the owner of the winery, said that the 2015 Rabelais is magical to drink at the moment. My tip: keep a few bottles of the 2021 vintage in your cellar so that you can experience the same pleasure in 2030.
One last trip to Cape Town: a visit to Duncan Savage
Before we end our journey, I must take you on another short detour to Cape Town to visit Duncan Savage – a star of the South African wine scene – who produces his excellent garage wines in the Woodstock district. Duncan’s aim is to create elegant wines with moderate alcohol and strong terroir expression. I think he’s a really cool guy with incredibly high quality standards.
Pure perfection
For me, the Savage White (95 Parker points) is one of South Africa’s great white wines. With around 70% Sauvignon Blanc and the rest Semillon, it is an excellent accompaniment to fish dishes and white meat. My favorite wine from Duncan, however, is the Follow The Line (92 Parker points), a 100% Cinsault from over 40-year-old bush vines from Darling. The elegance of this wine is impressive, and the irresistible notes of red berries and a hint of rooibos always make you want to take another sip. A wine that also tastes wonderful slightly chilled in summer and always goes well on its own or with a cold dish or paella. Definitely worth trying!
A grand finale: Quoin Rock in Stellenbosch
To round off my trip to South Africa, I would like to introduce you to a special highlight: The Quoin Rock winery, new to the KapWeine range and simply great – there’s no other way to describe it. As a lover of sparkling wines, Quoin Rock won me over with the very first sip of the MCC Brut Black Series. Every other wine I tasted confirmed my impression: these wines are real gems.
But let’s start from the beginning…
One day before my journey home, on a sunny Sunday afternoon, we were warmly welcomed by Schalk Opperman, the winemaker from Quoin Rock Wines, at the winery in the Knorhoek Valley. This winery leaves nothing to be desired in terms of exclusivity and good taste. The wine cellar is impressive, the restaurant sets new standards and the sparkling wine cellar transports you straight to Champagne.
The expressive blends
The White Blend is just as expressive. Its minerality, combined with aromas of passion fruit and gooseberries, as well as freshness and creaminess, make it an excellent accompaniment to many dishes. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes that dominate this blend come 50% from the Cap Agulhas region and 50% from vines in Stellenbosch, where they ripen at almost 400 meters above sea level.
Among the estate’s red wines, I would particularly like to recommend the Red Blend 2016, which was awarded 92 Parker points. This wine is made from grapes from the best vineyards and matures for 20 months in French wooden barrels – 55% in new barrels, the rest in barrels that are used for the second and third time. The blend consists mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon, supplemented by Cabernet Franc and a touch of Merlot. The notes of graphite and eucalyptus are particularly impressive, combined with dark fruit, some vanilla and cocoa.
My enthusiasm for this new winery in the KapWeine range is so great that my aim is to accompany Schalk at work for a few weeks during the harvest so that I can then tell you much more. Until then, my advice to you: Discover these new wines for yourself at KapWeine!
I hope that you have been as inspired as I have been by my reports on the wine trip to South Africa and that you have perhaps made one or two new discoveries. The variety and quality of the wines I have presented to you are truly special and I look forward to sharing these treasures with you. I invite you to discover these wines at KapWeine and see their uniqueness for yourself. Thank you for joining me on this journey – I look forward to many more wine discoveries with you.
Sincerely,
Your Karin
