Saskia Chenin Blanc Viognier 2009

If you have some extra cash or would like to buy someone a really good bottle of wine as a gift, then see if you can find this bottle. Called Saskia, and is from Miles Mossop Wines in South Africa. It's a blend of 71% percent Chenin Blanc and 29% Viognier. The wine is named after Miles (Winemaker) and Samantha Mossop's daughter, Saski-Jo. I love the way they write on the label, that this wine capture the character of a mischievous young daughter.

According to the Miles, the wine is an intensely complex wine with aromas of toasted almonds, honeysuckle, limes and white peach. There are hints of tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple which are interwoven with stunning spicy aromas of flint and white pepper.

For me the smell was so intense, as if you'd cut through a huge mellon and stuck your nose right in the middle. The colour is a golden yellow with hints of green.

He carries on to say that the palate is full and rich, mirroring the nose with flavours of toasted almond brioche, apricots and peach. A rich mid palate accentuated by a creaminess and finishing with a long textured mouth-feel and a vibrant acidity. The blend is beautifully balanced with no dominant varietal or notes.

Our food pairing tonight was lasagna, made with homemade fresh pasta sheets, paired with a simple green salad and Fresh Mozzarella. I loved the spiciness off the food with the softness of the wine, especially the Vionier aftertaste. According to the winemaker you should try it with seared yellowfin tuna marinated in wasabi, soy sauce and pickled ginger served on wilted spinach and aromatic basmati rice or crayfish bouillabaisse.

A fantastic wine. A bit pricy at 189SEK, but really worth a try, you won't be disappointed.

Here's the link to Systembolaget and to Mossop Wines if you'd like to read more.

Flat Roof Manor Shiraz Mourvèdre Viognier 2008

South Africa, here we come. I have a friend who always tries and finds a wine from South Africa that I haven't had. Today was another surprise from a well known wine farm in South Africa called Uitkyk, called Flat Roof Manor. The wine is named after one the Cape's three surviving, two storied, flat roofed 18th Century houses near Stellenbosch.

I wrote a month ago about a wine from the Darling district North of Cape Town that was a blend of Shiraz and Mourvèdre. This wine however is a blend of three well known grapes in the red grapes Shiraz and Mourvèdre, along with the white grape Viognier. Estelle Lourens, the winemaker, did a fantastic job. Those three grapes work really well together, the peppery, dry Shiraz mixed with earthy, fruity Mourvèdre and a dash of floral Viognier. It's smooth and very round in your mouth, with a long after taste of flowers and pepper.

To match this wine tonight, we thought we'd make a very traditional South African dish called Bobotie. It arrived with the Indonesian, malay slaves in the 1700s along with a host of new spices. This dish is excellent with yellow rise and raisins. The spices mixed very well with this wine, however, I'd like to try some more meatier dishes with the wine in the future.

Another bargain at 89kr, have a look atSystemBolaget.se

Zonnebloem Shiraz 2008

I have said this before, that after Pinotage, comes Shiraz. Well for me anyway. Tonight was roast night. Had a large piace of roast, rolled in ground pepper and rough salt after cooking, with butternut and mixed vegetables, roasted in the oven on the side. Butternut is a very much overlooked vegetable and so easy to cook.

With this meal we had a bottle of Zonnebloem Shiraz 2008. I thought the peppery meat would go well with a wine which is known to taste of pepper and spice. The first thing with this wine is the smell of fruit and spices, and then some more fruit on the taste, mixed up with hints of barrel and pepper. Some say coffee too, but that one is not what I tasted. The mix of pepper on the meat worked well with this wine, and made the vegetables taste sweeter. I would really like to age this wine for 5-8 years to see the potential, it would probably turn out fantastic.

Although there's a lot of wines competing for attention in this price range, it's worth a try. 82kr is well worth it, have a look at SystemBolaget.se

Lomond Syrah 2008

Shiraz has always been a favourite for me. Spicy, peppery and smokey. This wine from Cape Agulhas in South Africa is no exception. Tonight we're having it with Pesto Pasta and chicken fried in pepper. Talk about bringing out the pepper taste in the wine. Along with lots of pepper it is also very spicy with hints of fruit. Lots of flavour in your mouth, especially with food.

The wine is well worth a try and not expensive at all at 89kr. Especially if you're a Shiraz fan.

Cape Agulhas is the most southern tip of Africa and the wines made in the area are heavily influenced by soils and climate in the area.

Babylon's Peak Shiraz/Mourvédre/Grenache 2008

It's that grape again. Mourvédre. This time in a wine, I've never had, from South Africa. It's called Babylon's Peak. Lots of cinnamon, and fynbos characters, spicy and some dark fruit. Lots of spicy Shiraz on the nose. It's got a bit of strong taste in the beginning with real red wine taste in the end. You know the one where you look at the glass and say, geepers, this is really good red wine. Which this is.

Babylon's Peak is a boutique private cellar, tucked away in the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, north-east of Cape Town. The Basson family produces this wine on the Nooitgedacht farm.

Hercules Paragon Sauvignon Blanc 2009

 

I'm still on my South Africa hunt for wines that I haven't had before and especially that I have never heard of before. Here we have one of them. It's called Hercules Paragon, and tonight we had the Sauvignon Blanc. It's good if you're into crisp white wines with tastes of Goosberries and tropical fruits. Lots of fruit on the nose and the taste is very fruity indeed with sour and sweet tones thrown into the mix.

We had the wine with Chicken fillet and Risotto with freshly picked Yellowfoot mushrooms. In Swedish the mushrooms are called trattkantarell, but in English they're called Yellowfoot, winter mushroom, or Funnel Chanterelle. Perfect fit for this wine with so many flavours already in the mix.

The name Hercules Paragon is very interesting because it's from the 17th century. When Hercules van Loon was granted a farm by Simon van der Stel his first concern was to establish the best vineyards in the valley. Being a man with flair, determined to be a symbol of excellence, he gained the nickname Hercules Paragon. And so today we have a wine named after him.

Darling Cellars Shiraz Mourvedre

Don't ask me why, but lately I've been delving back into some South African wines, especially those I haven't had before. This one from Darling Cellars falls into that category, especially with a blend of Shiraz and Mourvedre. An unusual blend, as Mourvedre is not a popular or well know grape
 variety in South Africa. It is usually used to make strong and dark red wines, as well as the odd Rosé. The grape originates from France.

This wine however has a typical South African smell or nose to it. The spicyness of the Shiraz, blended with the pepperiness of the Mourvedre. An elegant wine with soft, ripe fruit flavours and a subtle hint of oak on the aftertaste. I had it together with a Sirloin steak dipped in course salt and ground pepper, cut up into a salad of baby spinach, mixed with Avocado, sweet peppers and cucumber. It was delicious together. The wine is really soft and well worth a try.

Darling Cellar is an hours drive north of Cape Town on the cool West coast of South Africa. The soild in the area are granite based and bush vines are used to grow the grapes. See the wine online on systembolaget's website.

Van Loveren Chardonnay 2009

I was introduced to this wine here in Sweden by a very close friend. She always liked saying Van Love in hushed tones. And that I do. Love this wine. Chardonnay is for me usually a wine to have with food. Not this one so much. This is your typical, with friends on the grass, chatting and laughing, waiting for the sun to set, wine.

Fruity, lovely aromas and a lingering taste of citrus, smokey and nutty tones. You won't be disappointed. Van Loveren or if you wish Van Love.

Had a lot of Van Loveren wine in South Africa, but mostly reds. I was pleasantly surprised to learn they have come to Sweden.

See the wine online at Systembolaget

Best Chardonnay

If you can get your hands on this Chardonnay from Meerlust, then buy it. It is the best in my opinion by a long shot. Think very wooded, aged and powerful. I have never had it with food though, as I love enjoying it by itself, ice cold.

Systembolaget sells the Meerlust Rubicon, but I've not seen the Chardonnay in Sweden yet. If you have, please let me know. This bottle is from my collection in South Africa.

Anura Merlot (2007)

Wine tasting 6

An elegant bottle with a really nice label. My favourite wine, during the sixth wine tasting. I think it was really smooth with a sort of creamy finish. I would open this wine while cooking a creamy pasta dish, because I think it's really good by itself, but should be really good with pasta in particular.

Panel's rating: 3,39 out of 5




Country: Simonsberg, Paarl, South Africa
Grape: 100% Merlot
Price: 99SEK

Colour: Dark red colour.

Nose: Large, fruity, smoky aroma with barrel character, hints of plums, green pepper, dark chocolate and liquorice. Hints of herbal and violet aromas are folded in layers of dark chocolate.

Taste: Very fruity, smoky wine with barrel character, hints of plums, green pepper, dark chocolate, liquorice and coffee. The wine has loads of ripe blackberry, red berry and blackcurrant flavours. This full-bodied, well balanced wine and has a long lingering flavour or berries and mint leaves.

Cafe Culture Pinotage (2008)

Wine tasting 6

In short, buy this wine. Not because it is the best wine, but because it's so interesting and like a chameleon it changes the whole time. At first, the smell is fantastic. Imagine walking into a coffee roastery, layers of Mocha coffee that lingers in the air. Then moving onto the taste, which is deep, rich, creamy and really smooth. The wine was loved by all and was the first wine to almost score 4 1/2 stars. Pinotage however, is not supposed to be easy drinking. It's supposed to be strong, dark and powerful and should take a while before you get used to it. That's the reason I love Pinotage.

The problem with this wine is that it gets too much too soon. Way to much. From loving it in the beginning most hated it in the end, and most I believe won't buy it again. The coffee smell and taste becomes overpowering, and I'm scared people will think that this is what all Pinotage wines are like. Having said all of that, buy it and try it and let me know what you think. It surely is interesting.

Panel's rating: 4,24 out of 5




Country: South Africa (KWV)
Grape: 100% Pinotage
Price: 89SEK

Colour: Dark, blue red colour.

Nose: Large fragrance with distinctive character of toasted oak barrels, hints of coffee, dark berries and smoke.

Taste: Wine has distinctive character of coffee-caramel, sweet and hard toasted barrels, hints of tar, smoke and cherries. This rich and juicy Pinotage has concentrated ripe fruit and mocha flavours.

Some more info: Launched in 2007, to be a Pinotage that's based on coffee characters, or more closer to the point, Mocha. This accounts for its mocha and chocolate flavours – the richness of coffee beans, the smoothness of creamy chocolate and the freshness of ripe fruit. ”

Jacobsdal Pinotage (2004)

Wine tasting 6

Here we have my favourite wine in the world. OK not really but I love it. This is what a Pinotage is supposed to smell and taste like. It's a 2004 vintage, so 5 years in the bottle only made it so much better. We've tasted it before during wine tasting 1, where it also scored 4 stars. Have this wine one night with a cheese platter of strong blue vein cheeses and some preserves, just to bring the best out of it, you won't be disappointed.

Panel's rating: 3,84 out of 5




Country: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape: 100% Pinotage
Price: 110SEK

Colour: Deep ruby, garnet.

Nose: Large, slightly developed, fruity, burnt aromas with hints of barrel, tobacco, plums and meats. Plum and cherry. Subtle oak and vanilla spice.

Taste: Something developed, lightly smoked, tasteful wine, with hints of barrel, tobacco, tar pastilles and plums. Mulberry, raspberry and hints of cedar. No rough edges with fresh succulent fruit and great tannin structure.

Stellenzicht Pinotage (2006)

Wine tasting 6

During wine tasting 5 we tasted the Double gold Veritas award winning Stellenzicht Golden Triangle Shiraz (2005) which didn't score so high with the panel. This time around it was their Pinotage, which managed 4 stars. During the Veritas 2008 awards which is South Africa's premier award ceremony, no less than 6 wines from this farm scored bronze medals or better, including this wine, which scored a Silver medal. Really quality wines from a fairly unknown South African wine farm. If you can get your hands on a wine from their Cellar Master release, then buy some. It's really fantastic wines and still fairly well priced.

Panel's rating: 3,94 out of 5




Country: Stellenbosch, South Africa
Grape: 100% Pinotage
Price: 110SEK

Colour: Dense, blue red colour. Dark ruby colour.

Nose: Very fruity, slightly smoky aroma with barrel character, elements of dark berries, plums and chocolate. Mulberry fruit with rich plum, blackcurrant and earthy aromas.

Taste: Very tasteful, fruity, slightly smoky wine barrel character, plums, herbs and chocolate. Darker berry flavours on the mouth- filling palate with oak and fruit seamlessly integrated. The solid tannin structure and sturdy acidity will allow this wine to improve with further maturation.

The fifth wine tasting

Viva South Africa. That's what the night was all about. The theme was South Africa, so those attending were only alowed to buy wines from South Africa.

I often get asked which South African wines I would recommend here in Sweden and I really struggle because I don't have a lot of answers. The reason you see, is that when you're in South Africa, you're exposed to so much more wines at so much more afforable prices. I have however been trying more of the South African wines available here in Sweden and this night was especially good for that. There's eight good wines to try, although I should mention that none of the wines scored 4 stars. I found this very surprising.

We started off outside in the sun with a very good Sparkling wine called Pongrácz and strawberries. This was followed by one really good crisp white wine and six red wines. It really made me miss home.

Pongrácz Brut

Wine tasting 5

If I buy Champagne, or more correctly, Sparkling wine here in Sweden, this is what I buy. It has a lot to do with the fact that it comes from South Africa, but more so with the fact that it's a really tasty well balanced sparkling wine, with just the right amount of bubbles. We had this with strawberries out in the garden as it's a brut and very dry and the strawberries compliment it really well. Serve nice and chilled.

Panel's rating: 3,47 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Berg Kelder
Grape: 37% Chardonnay and 63% Pinot Noir
Price: 109 SEK

Colour: Light yellow colour.

Nose: Youthful, fruity fragrance with little bread smell, elements of apples and nougat.

Taste: Dry, slightly roasted flavor with hints of apples, nougat and grapefruit.

Neethlingshof Sauvignon Blanc (2008)

Wine tasting 5

South African white wines remind me of summer, sitting on the grass under the trees and pinics. This wine is no exception. Crisp and full of flavour. One of my favourites. It's not a wine that's made for drinking with heavy meals, but a good salad, a fruit bowl or a light lunch outside in the sun would be perfect. It's flavours are a mix of green peppers (Paparika), grass and asparagus, which sounds weird, but is worth a try.

Panel's rating: 3.27 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Stellenbosch
Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Price: 80 SEK
Colour: Light yellow colour

Nose: Youthful scent, aromatic fragrance with hints of nettle, gooseberry, kiwi, asparagus, and lime.

Taste: Dry, very fresh, aromatic flavour with a hint of nettle, gooseberry, kiwi and green marmalade balls 

Porcupine Ridge Syrah (2008)

Wine tasting 5

According to the wine maker, this wine is called the "Wild One", because it is powerful and full bodied with concentrated flavours of Black Pepper, Raspberry, Mulberry and liquorice. It's not one of my favourites, because it's a bit over-powering and not real value for money at 98SEK a bottle. If I was going to spend that amount I would opt for their Porcupine Ridge Merlot, which is much smoother and tastier.

Panel's rating: 3,16 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Franschoek
Grape: 100% Shiraz
Price: 98 SEK

Colour: Dark purple colour.

Nose: Large, savoury, slightly smoky aroma with barrel character, elements of blackberry, violet, laurel and liquorice.

Taste: Tasteful, savoury, smoky wine with barrel character, elements of blackberry, violet, laurel and liquorice.

Allesverloren Tinta Barroca (2007)

Wine tasting 5

Tinta Barroca is a Portuguese red wine grape that is grown primarily in the Douro region with some plantings in South Africa. It's a common blending grape in Port wine while in South Africa it is normally made into a varietal. It's a fairly unknown variety in South Africa, so it's not very common. It took some getting used to for me, because it's not a taste that fits the regular South African palate, but has since been a regular purchase of mine. It goes really well with meat dishes that have lots of flavours. Do not try it as a stand along wine with your favourite book, because you'll be disappointed. This wine needs a busy kitchen with lot of action around it, lots of colours and lots of flavours.

Panel's rating: 3,36 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Swartland
Grape: 100% Tinta Barroca
Price: 109 SEK

Colour: Purple.

Nose: Fruity, spicy, slightly burnt aroma with a hint of barrel, cherry, liquorice and grass.

Taste: Fruity, spicy, slightly burnt taste with hints of barrel, plums, cherries and liquorice.

Graham Beck Pinotage (2008)

Wine tasting 5

This wine has been tasted before during the 2nd wine tasting, and really disappointed. This time around however it was a tad better with everyone commenting favourably on it. Graham Beck is one of South Africa's best wine makers, but he also knows a thing or two about markting, and that's where this wine comes in. Selling it purely off the knowledge of his good name, which isn't always a good thing. I still think this wine needs some time to rest before it's consumed, perhaps 3-5 years. At the moment it's like a naughty child that needs to sit in the corner for a while until it matures a little.

Panel's rating: 3,69 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Robertson
Grape: Pinotage
Price: 75 SEK

Colour: Blue purple colour.

Nose: Fruity, smoky aroma with a hint of barrel, forest berries and herbs.

Taste: “Ripe cherry, strawberries and plums on the nose with ripe red berry fruit and spices on the palate. A full structured and well balanced wine with an elegant mouthfeel and silky soft tannins”. Youthful, fruity, clear and smoky flavor with hints of barrel, forest and grass.

Neethlingshof Cabernet Sauvignon (2004)

Wine tasting 5

Aaahh... Cabernet Sauvignon, that trusty wine that never disappoints. Here's another good example of one, full of flavour, full bodied, long after taste. If I were to guess, I'd say a chicken dish or pasta. Open the bottle 3 hours before you have it to calm the flavours down a bit and give the wine a chance to breathe. Try it before you eat, as well as during the meal, to see just how a wine can change. It's was also fantastic just by itself, with strong barrel flavours that seem to just linger forever.

Panel's rating: 3,64 out of 5




Country: South Africa - Stellenbosch
Grape: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Price: 89 SEK

Colour: Dark purple colour

Nose: Large, fruity, slightly smoky aroma with barrel character, elements of blackberry, blackcurrant and herbs.

Taste: Tasteful, fruity, smoky wine with barrel character, elements of black currant, licorice and herbs.