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."