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A Selection of South Africans

South Africa has much to offer where wine is concerned. There have certainly been problems over the years, some recognised, some less so, and some overstated. Nevertheless there is undoubtedly progress; wiser choices as to variety planted, the replacement of virus-ridden vineyards with healthier, more disease-resistant clones (albeit very slowly) and greater skill in the cellar, sometimes seen with the arrival of a new generation, have all helped. I have had a handful of delicious bottles over the years, and I know that I have not so much as scraped the surface. One or two recent tastings, such as the Wines of South Africa tasting that I attended earlier this year have certainly increased my knowledge a little, but I am still grateful for any opportunity to increase my understanding of South Africa today.

A Selection of South Africans This selection of wines comes from two estates located in Worcester, a region to the northeast of Stellenbosch and Constantia, perhaps more familiar names. This is an extensive and fertile region which does not, as I understand it, have a reputation for turning out great quality. It certainly has a reputation for quantity, however, as this is the source of up to 25% of South Africa's annual grape harvest. Large co-operatives dominate the scene, sourcing wines from the extensive, hot and usually irrigated vineyards. Much of what is grown here is used for making fortified wines, or distilled for other purposes. A smaller amount is sold as table wine, featuring all the usual culprits, namely Chenin Blanc, Colombar, Pinotage, Ruby Cabernet and more.

Aan de Doorns is one such co-operative; established in 1954, this group of 57 estates bottles just 1% of their production, and this includes the fortified and sweet styles led by hanepoot (which translates as honey pot), a sweet wine made from Muscat of Alexandria. Brandvlei Cellar, frequently abbreviated to BC Wines, is another co-operative founded just one year after Aan de Doorns and today it sources fruit from more than 1200 hectares. I recently had the opportunity to taste the wines of these two operations, and to judge them for myself. The results were certainly interesting, with a number of wines turning out to be really quite disappointing. My notes, as taken at the time of writing, are presented below. The only wine not included was the 2008 Colombar (known elsewhere as Colombard), which was corked. (2/10/08)

A Selection of South Africans - Tasting Notes

Tasted in September 2008. Click for stockists.

Sparkling Wines

Aan de Doorns Sparkling Demi-Sec (Worcester) NV: Certainly a compelling colour in the glass here, a deep orange-salmon hue, rich in pigment, topped off by a bone-white frothing mousse which quickly settles in the glass. The nose carries aromas of confectionery, boiled sweets and canned strawberries, and these impressions carry through onto the palate which displays its residual sugar very plainly. Unlike a few sparkling demi-sec wines, where a soupcon of sugar conveys breadth and creaminess, this is a much fatter and overtly sweeter style. Flavours of sweet candy, with a fat finish, with little nuances of raspberry toffee on the finish, which lingers for a short while. Not a style that really appeals to me, although it might work better with certain foods, such as a sweet strawberry tart. 13/20

White Wines

Aan de Doorns Chenin Blanc (Worcester) 2008: A pale and shimmering but quite clear hue here. The nose has spicy, peppery, tropical fruit aromas with a breezy although slightly honeyed feel. Lots of nice flesh on the palate, a little residual sugar helping to form this impression although I think it is largely the texture and richness of the fruit rather than overt sweetness. There is a bright and fairly incisive appley character too. This has a good, fleshy, rich but lifted style, with a bitter grip near the finish. Nice substance. Pretty good unfussy wine. 14.5/20

BC Wines Sauvignon Blanc (Worcester) 2008: One of those wines that surprises with a water-clear appearance, but hold it up and we see a little tinge of colour. Hugely expressive on the nose, with forceful aromas of capsicum, green pea, asparagus and gooseberry, all with a very zippy, grassy character. There's no mistaking this for anything other than Sauvignon. The palate has a full and nicely composed midpalate presence, with piles of zip and acid, but also an intense depth of flavour. It is a wine for those in love with in-your-face side of New World Sauvignon, preferably with a vegetable twist. I found this simple wine refreshing, in small doses. 14.5/20

BC Wines Chenin Blanc (Worcester) 2008: Another very pale hue. The nose has fresh stone fruit, with white pepper and wet pebbles. Quite an appealing palate follows this, with a fleshy but not overtly sweet character, although there is certainly a little residual sugar from the ripeness of the fruit giving this a slightly fat texture. There is a firm body, and the wine seems to have a lot of substance, although the alcohol is only declared to be 12.8%. Underneath, there is also a nice, zippy acidity. Fresh, pear and apple notes on the finish. This is another workaday wine which has some refreshment appeal and would no doubt go down well over a braai. 15/20

BC Wines Chardonnay (Worcester) 2008: A pale, yellow-gold colour. A warm climate wine, with a very warm climate nose, of sweet and slightly honeyed tropical fruit. Guava and mango abound. This sweet and ripe character come through on the palate, which starts with a very viscous mouthfeel, and maintains a huge, sweet character through to the end. There is peppery wood in the background, and some sherbetty acidity behind the fruit salad, here with more pears and tangerines alongside. It all culminates in a really sweet and fleshy mango sorbet finish. It is a style that will no doubt appeal to many, but it is not my preference. 13.5/20

Rosé Wines

Aan de Doorns Blanc de Noirs Rosé (Worcester) 2008: This is a cherry-red, rather medicinal-looking wine with a tinge of orange to it. The nose carries notes of plum skin, cream and confectionery, with a black pepper edge. The palate is simple and fat, rather oily or indeed slippery in character, with a full, sweet, strawberries-and-cream flavour. Plenty of residual sugar here, rather subdued although doubtless present acidity, and a flabby finish. There is little that appeals to me here. 11/20

BC Wines Rose Shiraz (Worcester) 2008: A vibrant pink hue here which matches the vibrant pink tones found on the label. The nose carries similar aromas of strawberry confectionery and cream to the preceding wine, and the palate follows on in a similar vein, living up to the declaration on the label that this is a semi-sweet wine. There is a slightly fizzy, sherbetty feel to the acidity, again rather reminiscent of sweet shop fare, with a bright and sweet strawberry and nettle flavour ensconced in a fleshy, slippery texture. All in all this I personally find this a difficult wine to enjoy. 11/20

Red Wines

Aan de Doorns Pinotage (Worcester) 2007: A fairly dense but vibrant hue here. An unusual nose, of confected banana, sweet and slightly herby cherry fruit, smoke and toasted marshmallow no doubt from some oak treatment. A rounded, creamy texture on the palate, although with a dry bite underneath. This has lots of confected fruit like that on the nose, with that same marshmallow character, with toffee vanilla ice cream at the finish. This is swamped by high toast oak and really isn't to my liking, which is a shame as I think there was some decent fruit underneath it all. Having said that, it was appreciated by a guest at this tasting, and taste is clearly individual. 12.5/20

Aan de Doorns Doornroodt (Worcester) 2006: This wine, which features Ruby Cabernet and Merlot, has a bright colour, not particularly dense at the core, and a raspberry pink rim. There is a caramelised sugar, toasted marshmallow, high-toast oak aroma dominating the nose, and underneath that there is a little dense cherry fruit, but it really struggles to emerge from behind all that woody influence. A full, rather oily, plainly oak-influenced texture on the palate, which seems rich in polyphenols, but with some fruit substance beneath. But the flavours don't really come through. It has rather bitter oak, still displaying that confected burnt sugar note from the nose, some integrated tannins and firmly incisive acidity. For me, this doesn't work well at all. 11/20

BC Wines Ruby Cabernet Merlot (Worcester) 2006: Quite a dense colour, more so than I was expecting after the above two wines. The nose offers some sweet and dense fruit, in a quite bright and aromatic style, unfettered by excessive oak. On the palate this characteristic continues, as there is a handsome portion of dark fruits helped along by fresh acidity and a supple texture. It is simple but certainly ticks quite a few boxes with its uncomplicated style, and for that I think it one of the better red wines here. Decent and serviceable unfussy drinking. 14.5/20

BC Wines Cabernet Sauvignon (Worcester) 2007: Bright red and vibrant in appearance, we return to the heavy-handed oak here I think, as the nose is dominated by a mocha, caramel and cola character, with some redcurrant and raspberry notes underneath. There is a nicely fresh style on the palate, but with that same mocha note alongside. Quite a firm structure, somewhat prominent alcohol I feel, firm tannins but quite fresh acidity. It seems rather rustic, coarsely composed, with a bitter twist of wood, and I confess I prefer the Ruby Cabernet-Merlot blend above. 13/20