Kranskop of Klaasvoogds

Newald Marais from Kranskop of the Klaasvoogds valley near Robertson braved the cold and windy weather to share his wine with the Hermanus Wine Club on Tuesday, 3 June. He has been interested in wine making from a young age and had made his first wine at the age of 14. He walked 1 kilometre to his neighbour for the yeast he needed, which shows his dedication to winemaking came from a young age. He got into trouble when he tested his first vintage by sharing it with the local children. The experience could’ve made him give up winemaking, but luckily he kept his passion but vowed that he “won’t make wine that people can abuse”.

Newald worked for many years at Nederburg where he was in charge of ensuring that the blended wines were similar each and every year. “Blending is boring, single varietals change yearly,” is Newald’s answer as to why Kranskop doesn’t have any blended vintages. He started working at Kranskop in 2003 and became the owner of the farm in 2010. The farm is situated in the small Klaasvoogds valley near Robertson on the R62. Most of the vineyards are between 300 and 350 m above sea level, with all but one face south. The single north facing vineyard is where Newald planted Tannat, and the maiden 2012 vintage will be released within the next few months.

Kranskop currently have eight wines in their portfolio, and the Hermanus Wine Club tasted 7 out of the 8. The Sauvignon Blanc 2013 was tasted and had an excellent nose. The grapes are only picked when they are ripe, which negates the need for skin contact. Kranskop Sauvignon Blanc is never picked before the 14^th of February. Some of the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc has already been bottled to keep up with demands with the rest being left on the lees.

The Viognier is a 2011 vintage, which shows that the wine can age well. The Viognier has been aged on the lees, which gives it stability and allows for the fruit characteristics to come to the foreground. It had been fermented in small French oak barrels, of which 20% are from new oak. The 2012 Viognier had been fermented in 25% new oak, the wood has been well integrated. Viognier had mostly been used to blend with Shiraz and Kranskop Viognier shines on its own with the 2012 vintage winning the National Novare SA Terroir Wine award for the top Viognier.

“Chardonnay without wood is like cooking without salt.” The wood brings forth the flavours and characteristics of the wine and without it; it is more difficult to bring the best that Chardonnay has to offer to the forefront. Kranskop Chardonnay is a food wine, it’s meant to be enjoyed with a meal, but it is also very nice on its own. Chardonnay is fermented in 50% new oak barrels for six months, in order for the wood not to overpower the fruit.

The highlight of the evening had to be when Newald presented the Pinot Noir. It is one of the most difficult varietals to grow. Newald planted the vines very close to each other in order for the roots to compete and reach down further for water and minerals. This makes the vines stronger. The yield of Pinot Noir is at most 7 tonnes per hectare, in a place where 16-17 tonnes per hectare is the norm. The Pinot Noir is fermented in 10% new oak for 12 months, no more; otherwise the wood will overpower the fruit. The Pinot Noir is earthy with berry notes and well worth the trip to the Klaasvoogds valley to try. The 2014 Pinot Noir is Burgandian in style.

The Merlot is a soft and easy drinking wine with soft tannins. The wine had been left in 15% new oak with the rest in second and third fill barrels. As with the other wines, Newald does not believe in overpowering the fruit with excessive use of wood. All of the wine from Kranskop is still closed with a cork. Newald believes that there is still a relationship between good wine and the natural cork.

The Shiraz had a sweeter nose than expected but was a pleasant surprise. There are also elements of smokey plumminess to the wine. It is made in the classic style and has certain elegance to it. Newald states that a young Shiraz thar is soft and eassy to drink, won’t last long, so it is better to enjoy it now rather than waiting. He also believes that his Kranskop wines can last up to 10 years, and that most red wines can last as long as a good cork is involved.

The final wine of the evening was the Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine had a lot of nuttiness to it, and some years the wine has nuttier and other years, more fruity characteristics. Newald shows true passion for the wines he makes and will not sacrifice quality in order to produce more wine. And as he says "Everyday is a lekker day."

It's that time of year

Wine Village is once again proud to host the 17^th Hermanus Wine and Food Festival, one of South Africa’s Top 10 Wine Festivals. This is a celebration of great wines from the Elgin to Elim region. It is a true country festival where you will experience more than 320 impressive wines.

The Elgin to Elim region has grown to more than 80 wine producers in 2014. From Ataraxia to Zoetendal encompasses a wine region full of wine gems. Present will be giants in the wine industry such as Hamilton Russell, Creation and Domaine des Dieux.

Wine Village has more that 1 600 carefully selected South Africa wines on its shelves and offer daily, 7 days a week, free tastings of at least six wines. Wines are shipped to every continent on earth, even to Antarctica.

In the Food Marquee, our local chefs, cooks and yummy food creators will take you on a culinary experience. Specialities of our region include lip smacking snacks to gourmet meals on the go. The Professors and Gypsy Jones will keep you entertained with their rich sounds. The Festival promises to be a delectable journey in the presence of great music, friends and wine.

Entrance to the Food Marquee is free whilst entrance to the Wine Tent, where more than 300 wines are on show, is R120 per person. This includes a wine glass and an information booklet on all of the producers. As always, children are more than welcome and will be entertained in the special activity center where they can play and partake in activities for free while you explore the offerings on show.

The Hermanus Wine and Food Festival promises to be a wine experience where you will meet new friends, discover new wines and find that whales are not the only reason for people visiting Hermanus. Savour local flavours at the Hermanus Wine and Food Festival 2014! All the wines will be available for purchase at cellar door prices. The Festival is proudly presented to you by Wine Village. Diarise 8, 9 and 10 August 2014. Visit www.hermanuswineandfood.co.za for more information.

Join us for a fine wine time.

Charming Chardonnay

Chardonnay is one of the most versatile grape varietals in the world, as well as one of the most planted. This was the theme of the Hermanus Wine Club and was presented by Reino Thiart from Whalehaven Wines.

    The evening started off with a rosé from Whalehaven wines. The winery is the third oldest in the Hemel en Aarde and had its first vintage in 1994. The cellar is situated at the very beginning of the Hermanus Wine route but the farm is situated in the Somerset West area, near the Hottentots Holland Mountains. It is a difficult area in which to grow grapes. The rosé is made from pinotage and “the wine is made for itself, I don’t use the runoff to make my rosé” states Reino.

    Bouchard Finlayson Sans Barrique, the first and only unwooded chardonnay, sources its grapes from the Villiersdorp area. Chardonnay is one of the most neutral of the varietals, and picks up the flavours of barrels and soil very easily. “Chardonnay loves wood, they are best friends.” It is difficult to make a Chardonnay that did not spend time in barrels to have the same full bodied flavours and can become a “thin” wine if not handled properly. “The Sans Barrique spent more time on the lees in order to bulk up” says Reino.

    Weltevrede Place of Rocks Chardonnay was the second wine of the evening. The winery is in the Roberston region. The vineyard is planted where broken shale rocks are found. There is marmalade on the nose and is intense and focused. The acidity of the wine is mellower and is buttery, round and has fatness of a Chardonnay which has spent time in barrels.

     The two Chardonnays from Whalehaven Wines were done as a vertical pairing. The 2012 Chardonnay was the first time that Reino had been able to source wine from the Hemel en Aarde and he states that the grapes are from the Upper Hemel en Aarde area. The previous vintages’ grapes were sourced from the Elgin region. The two wines are vastly different, which goes to show that the climate and soil does make a difference when it comes to wine. The 2011 Chardonnay is more fruit driven than the 2012, and could spend more time in barrels. The barrels for both wines were 50% new French oak where the 2011 spend 14 months in barrels, the 2012 spend a total of eight months in barrels; otherwise “the wood would've overwhelmed the wine”. The Elgin sourced 2011 contained more fruit flavours, including that of pineapple, which is rare in a Chardonnay. The 2012 has got more minerality and can be described as burgandian in style. The 2012 Whalehaven Chardonnay will be released mid to end of 2014. Whalehaven has won a Taj Hotel Classic Wine trophy for the 2012 Chardonnay. 

     Sumsaré from the Robertson area is the newest cellar in the line-up and is the only wild yeast Chardonnay. The wine opens up in the glass, which indicates that it is a good idea to decant it. The bottles are hand labelled and R2 from every bottle sold will be donated to the Wilderness Foundation Rhino Protection Initiative to help protect rhinos from poaching. The wild yeast is produced from the natural yeast found on the skin of the grapes.

    Durbanville Hills Rhinofields Chardonnay was the final wine of the evening. The wine is well integrated with balance between the fruit, barrel and lees contact. The wine is slightly sweeter as it was allowed to hang longer on the vines and botrytis, found in Noble Late Harvest, started to set in. The label is named after the Renosterveld fynbos which the winery is conserving. The Rhinofields Chardonnay was one of the top 10 Chardonnays in the World.

    The Chardonnays on taste was from vastly different climates as well as styles, which goes to show that Chardonnay is versatile but Reino believes that “Chardonnay should be made in a style supportive of the grape.”

     The next wine club will take place on Tuesday 3 June and the theme is the wines from Kranskop. Guests are welcome to join for the evening at R30 per person. 

An Evening with Vondeling

The third Hermanus Wine Club tasting was all about the Vondeling wines in the Greater Paarl area. The farm is situated between Paarl and Swartland against the lush side of the Paardenberg. Winemaker, Matthew Copeland, spoke about the area as well as seven of the ten wines in Vondeling’s portfolio.

The style of the wine can be described as a “hint of old world - charismatic and minimal intervention style” with alcohol between 12.5% and 13.5%. The lush side of the mountain where the farm is situated contains many species of fynbos, including some which have not been seen in many years. The fynbos is referenced to through the names of some of the wines, most noticeably in the flagship wine, Erica Shiraz.

The Sauvignon Blanc is made in a more scientific style where the wine is fruit driven. The vineyards also only receive three lots of water during the year, which is very little considering that the farm is in a warmer area. The Chardonnay that was tasted is a 2011 vintage, which is older than some of the red wines offered. Matthew’s personal belief is to drink a wine young and enjoy its vibrancy or allow it to significantly age and enjoy the complexities it releases.

The Chardonnay is made in a more Burgandian fashion where the balance is heavier. There is minimal intervention in the making of the Chardonnay. The grapes are pre-chilled and there is no settling or sulphur added. There is also no yeast added nor tartic acid to the wine. The barrels are also double format which allows the Chardonnay a good expression of the vintage.

The Babiana is a white blend which is led by Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay and Grenache Blanc. The name of the wine is derived from the fynbos flower, the last of which had been seen in 1957, until recently after a controlled burn of the fynbos on the Vondeling farm. The blend is contains no less than 50% Chenin Blanc as it is a grape that forms a part of the South African wine heritage. The wine has a long finish and can still be enjoyed in three years’ time.

The Baldrick Shiraz has got a more bright hue which is an indication of acidity and pH levels. The Shiraz is made with five clones and contains Mouvèdre and Viognier, which allows for a more subtle and peppery characteristics to be showcased. There are raspberries and violets on the nose and palate, where the Mouvèdre brings more earthinesses to the wine.

The Erica Shiraz is the Flagship wine of the cellar and is named after the indigenous flower that grows on the farm. The colour of the flower is the same hue as the capsule of the bottle. The Shiraz is made with three clones, which increase in richness. Matthew states that it is “Hard to make great wine off Shiraz”.

The final wine of the evening was the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon which was only in the second year of production. The Cabernet Sauvignon is made from a single vineyard which indicates that it from a single clone and location. The wine has mint characteristics and is eager and sleek.

Vondeling is the only known location of the Babiana noctiflora flower, a fynbos which had not been seen since 1957. There has been a new fynbos discovered, which the name of will be auctioned off in the near future. A photography book about the fynbos on Vondeling will also be released soon. Vondeling is open to the public from Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00 and Saturdays and public holidays by appointment.

The Hermanus Wine Club meets the first Tuesday of every month and each evening has a theme. The full roster is available on the website and guests are more than welcome to join.

2012 Pinot Noir Tasting with Hannes Storm

Hannes Storm and Paul du Toit 

 The theme of the third Wine Village Wine Club was Pinot Noir and was presented by Hannes Storm where he introduced the two wines from his own label, Storm Wines. Hannes has been the winemaker at Hamilton Russell for the last 10 years and has been with the farm for 13 years. He has a history with Pinot Noir as the subject of his final year seminar at university. His brother is also a wine maker but is situated in California, where he also focuses on Pinot Noir and created the label in 2006.

Five Pinot Noirs were tasted over the duration of the evening and the vintage of all of the wines were from 2012. The wines tasted were Newton Johnson’s Family Vineyards Pinot Noir, Storm Wines’ Moya and Vrede Pinot Noir, Sumaridge Pinot Noir 2012 and Bouchard Finlayson’s Galpin Peak Pinot Noir. Of the wines, three were from the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, while the last two were from the Hemel an Aarde Valley itself. The distance between the two areas is not large but the differences in the soil allows for different characteristics of the wine to be showcased.

The 2012 year was one of the best in terms of weather as it was dry and moderately warm throughout the ripening period as it allowed for the grapes to ripen slowly. “Pinot Noir need a few years to reach optimal drinking time, but we drink it when the wines are too young, but it is very hard to keep wines for four to five years due to financial constraints or popularity,” states Hannes.

Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir is made in the classic style with a European feel to the wine. The colour of the wine is slightly more garnet than the rest of the wine tasted and the nose of the wine has notes of mushroom. The vines are situated in the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley, where it is cooler than the Valley below them, which causes the harvest to lag for about 2 weeks than their neighbours in the Hemel en Aarde Valley.

The Sumaridge Pinot Noir 2012 is unreleased as of this moment and the wine was presented from unlabelled bottles. The vines are in the Upper Hemel en Aarde Valley and are situated close to the Onrus River on unique decompressed granite soil which allows for more feminine characteristics of the Pinot Noir to be showcased. The Pinot Noir makes use of 16 year old vine material, which adds intensity to the wine. There is grunt strength tannin structure in the wine which allows for a bigger style of Pinot Noir to be produced. Dark cherries are a predominant characteristic of the Sumaridge Pinot Noir.

The Storm Wines are interesting in the sense that no yeast is added to the wine and it is not filtrated. The Moya and the Vrede were handpicked and destemmed and the bottles were labelled on the same day as the tasting. There were only 25 cases made of the Moya 2012 and Hannes tries to stay as close as organic as he can by using soft chemicals on the vineyards and no intervention to the wine itself. The Moya is “fine and perfumy” with rose petals and violets on the nose. There are big pebbles on the topsoil which is unique and allows for the fruit to yield differently. “There is good balance and don’t need 14% alcohol,” is Hannes’ answer to the lower alcohol of the Moya Pinot Noir.

Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir’s vineyards are situated in the Hemel en Aarde Valley and have firm tannins which are brought on by prolonged skin contact. The vines are densely planted with7000-8000 vines per hectare, almost double of the standard 4000-45000 vines per hectare. This allows for a dense root system. The wine is stored in medium toasted barrels and is a very robust wine. There is coriander on the nose and is more spicy and dusty on the palette of the other Pinot Noirs.

Storm Vrede Pinot Noir 2012 has a simplistic label and is the maiden vintage of the vineyard. The vines face to the north and the soil is shallow shale and clay based and is only 1, 5 hectares. The harvest of the grapes took place January 26 and was in barrels by mid-February, earlier than most Pinot Noirs. The wine has been described that it “speaks of purity” with a linear and fruit focus with violets and rose petals on the nose. Hannes was able to have special toasting added to the French oak barrels. There is 25% new oak and the perfume is in the background. The wine is a dark plum colour and as with the Moya Pinot Noir, no yeast was added and is unfiltered. The alcohol is 13, 8% which is lower than most of the other producers’. The wine is well balanced and fruit driven with a chalky end. The maiden vintage produced 250 cases of 12, of which 75% is accounted for export to America.

Five Pinot Noirs, each with different predominant characteristics of the varietal, made for an interesting and informative evening. Pinot Noir is one of the most difficult wines to make and the best approach to the wine is as Hannes states, “Treat Pinot Noir with an iron fist with a silk glove.” The Wine Village Wine Club meets the first Tuesday of each month and guests are more than welcome.