FEBRUARY 2022 FEATURED PREMIUM WINES
WINE ONE: INTELLEGO CHENIN BLANC
About: This wine is a blend of two dry-farmed sites, one planted in 1980 on decomposed granite and the second planted in 2002 on Oakleaf gravel. The two plots ripen three weeks apart, complementing each other wonderfully. They were each whole-cluster pressed into neutral 228 and 500l barrels. After ten months of élevage, the wine is racked and bottled.
Taste: This wine is pale gold in the glass. The nose is uplifting with aromas of lime leaf, coriander, meyer lemon, yellow apple, pink salt, guava, daffodil, and ginger. The palate is zesty with citrusy acidity, medium weight, and brilliant flavour intensity. It soars - swooping, gliding on thermals, weightless but muscular. On the finish, you’ll find anjou pear, yuzu, perilla leaf, river stones, gooseberry, sunflower seeds, yoghurt, and shiso. It is wonderfully focused and expansive.
Pairing for both Chenins: Since you’ve already fired up the braai, we might as well keep grilling! Crayfish are often marinated in Malay Curry, a sweet and savoury blend of fruit, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, curry powder, hot chillies, and then grilled over the coals. Serve them next to a big pile of geelrys, turmeric and raisin infused rice. Peri-Peri Chicken’s history is far too convoluted and controversial for me to delve into here, but it would also make a phenomenal pairing.
WINE TWO: CRAVEN CHENIN BLANC
About: The grapes from this vineyard were historically sold off to Distell, the prestigious creator of Two Oceans. Fortunately, when the son of the previous owner took over, he opened up sales to smaller producers instead. Despite this history, the 35-tear-old radial-bush-vines were never chemically farmed. The east facing site features typical granitic soils. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed into neutral puncheon where they slowly ferment for months. After additional lees ageing and racking, the wine is bottled.
Taste: This wine is medium gold in the glass. The nose is comforting and calming with aromas of cashew, baked apple, silver needle tea, white chocolate, lemon marmalade, fresh apricot, warm stones, chamomile, and bee’s wax. The palate is equally soft and pillowy. The acidity is held in check by an oily viscosity and nougaty texture. It is technically bone dry, but sweet fruits give it a deceiving unctuousness. On the finish, you’ll find macadamia nut, yellow plums, saffron, warm fleece, sultana, quince, and honeysuckle.
WINE THREE: INTELLEGO SYRAH
About: After working in Cote-Rotie, Jurgen fell in love with Syrah. This was the first cuvée made under his own label and has become their flagship. The fruit comes from vines planted in 2003 on the Paardeberg’s granitic soils. The southwest-facing slope helps mitigate the summer heat. Whole-cluster semi-carbonic maceration was carried out in tank for eleven days before the wine was pressed off into neutral barrel for élevage.
Taste: This wine is a vivid purple-ruby in the glass. The nose is truly an ode to the Northern Rhone with aromas of blackberry, pink peppercorns, gunpowder, violets, black tea, raspberry, and fennel seeds. The palate is equally historic with moderate grainy tannins, focused acidity, a linear mouthfeel, and a persistent finish. It is fully saturated but not overbearing. The interplay between warm rocks and cool fruit keeps me enthralled for hours. On the finish, you’ll find additional flavours of niçoise olive, charred birch, wet rose, volcanic salt, red currant, oregano flowers, and plum skins.
Pairing for both Syrahs: South Africa has a long tradition of grilling. A braai (barbeque) is a communal affair, a celebration of sorts and an excuse to gather around, share stories, recipes, and more recently, wine. A few favourites include coils of boerewors, a rich spiced sausage; sosaties, skewers of lamb marinated in tamarind and curry leaves, punctuated with apricots; or smileys, whole lambs heads. You’ll need a side of roosterkoek (a grilled bread) and phuthu (a cornmeal porridge) to sop up all the sauces. Blatjang, the traditional braai condiment, is a chutney made with stone fruits, spice (allspice, ginger), nuts and vinegar. If you plan on having it with this wine, I suggest opting for a slightly less sweet rendition to allow the wine to shine through.
WINE FOUR: CRAVEN FIRS SYRAH
About: The Cravens found this site in the Devon Valley, planted on richer red clay instead of the traditional granite. The vines are really vigorous, but they feel like they’ve achieved balance because of the warmer sub-climate. At twenty years old, these vines are really coming into their own. Whole-clusters are gently foot-tread several times per day during fermentation, trying not to disturb too many bunches. After nine days, the wine is pressed off into old puncheon for a ten-month élevage. 3.79 pH, 4.7 TA
Taste: This wine is a concentrated purple in the glass. The nose is intense and brooding with aromas of black currant, rosemary, cocoa nibs, lightly roasted gesha, dried roses, thippili, black figs, and binchotan. The palate is ripe with luxurious tannins, a rich mouthfeel despite its modest alcohol level, and a bevelled acidity. On the finish, you’ll find further flavours of date, black cardamom, clove, balsam, plum flesh, blueberries, and rooibos—lots of oomph; barrel-chested.