One must start by stating one´s own personal interests.
And I have no financial interest with South Africa, I have a soft spot for it! Its the climate, its the nature, its the history (a note on my wishes of a good recovery for Nelson Mandela, a man who changed the course of the world, an inspiration and a hero for me), its is also the wine.
I remember reading this article:
http://www.winereviewonline.com/Michael_Franz_South_Africa_Update_Thirteen.cfm
that considers South Africa as the fastest improving wine country and thinking that as much as I found SA wines really good, there was not many new producers, with different styles to make such a statement. I had the pleasure of being proved wrong.
http://www.winereviewonline.com/Michael_Franz_South_Africa_Update_Thirteen.cfm
that considers South Africa as the fastest improving wine country and thinking that as much as I found SA wines really good, there was not many new producers, with different styles to make such a statement. I had the pleasure of being proved wrong.
Last week I attended a Wine Press tasting organized by WOSA with a selection just over 100 wines from producers under 35 years old, a new vision and a new know how for the renewed force of SA wines.
Pinotage and Chardonnay have been the biggest names driving the wines from South Africa, and you can find a broad range of styles for this, from the big bulk productions for the supermarket range to the more fine wine styles with significant price tags, you certainly will find something that really pleases you and makes a good bridge between the new world exotic flavours and the balanced elegance and body, more traditional on the "conservative" old world.
What I found in this tasting was that a new generation is wanting to go far beyond what made South African wines secure. Risk more, more edgier wines that bring a completely different wine experience. And if you have the quality and the knowledge, you can really deliver what you aim, and most of the wines I tasted did deliver it.
From lovely blends,with rousanne and clarinet, to pure sauvignon blancs, on the reds nebiollo and 100% merlots did make me rethink my idea of south african wines.
I will be posting a few individual reviews, but on a general note this was a very good tasting and I will certainly follow many of these wines and producers much more closely.
