Gad Kaplan's Wine Wisdom

My first contact with the fine High Constantia wines came when I bought a bottle of their sparkling Clos Andre MMC 2005. I was very impressed with this Champagne method wine full of toast and brioche and so I started visiting the farm regularly; buying and tasting their wines.

The setting is small but beautiful situated in the Constantia Valley in shouting distance of Groot Constantia. I sat down recently with the wine maker and owner David van Niekerk for an intimate tasting one early morning on his veranda overlooking the green vista of the valley.

We started with the Clos Andre MMC Sparkling 2009. 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir. Pale gold with a lovely yeasty nose and palate. Fresh, with a residual sugar of 1.3 grams and no sulphur. The free sulphur is a positive for people like a friend of mine intolerant to sulphur. The wine, like past examples, is very fresh and clean to drink with an added toasty richness. Definitely, one of the leading sparkling wines made in the Champagne method in South Africa. And one of my local favourites!

Then onto a series of three Sauvignon Blanc’s.  A tank sample of the 2013 High Constantia Sauvignon Blanc Silverhurst Reserve. A blend of fruit from Constantia and Stellenbosch. Green hues, fig, melon, pineapple and guava, lime and citrus on the nose. A complex, bouquet of aromas on the nose. A soft, rounded palate with tropical fruit coming through.

The High Constantia Sauvignon Blanc 2012. Nova Zonnestraal. Very pale straw. Nose shy with lemons and white peaches. On the palate, minerality, flintiness and elegance. Restrained on the palate.

The High Constantia Sauvignon 2012. Cielo Wel Capo (Heaven in the Cape) 8 months in French acacia wood. Bright gold. Nose of lemon butter and citrus. Palate rich rounded and smooth.

All three Sauvignon Blanc’s showed complexity and intensity of flavour. Whilst also containing an element of restraint and elegance. The next flight of four reds all came from the Silverhurst range. A good value for money range.

The Silverhurst Pinotage 2008. Medium ruby. Nose of typical Pinotage ripe bananas.

The Silverhurst Merlot 2009. Even ruby. Minty character. Red fruits. Lovely smooth palate with mint coming through. Not heavily wooded. An excellent value for money red and for me the pick of the Silverhurst reds.

The Silverhurst Shiraz 2009. Deep garnet. White oak aromas with vanilla. Sweet, dark fruits. Dry palate.

The Silverhurst Cabernet Sauvignon 2008. Nose of toffee with palate stern.

Unfortunately, owner and winemaker David van Niekerk did not have his full range of wines available for the tasting. The Silverhurst wines represent excellent value for money and there are some fine wines there amongst both the whites and reds but to taste the heights of the High Constantia range I encourage you to seek out the High Constantia range when they are available.

We finished the tasting with the High Constantia Sebastian Bordeaux blend 2006. Perhaps the jewel in the crown of the High Constantia reds? Medium ruby with dark berries, cedar wood on the nose. And complemented by a lovely, rich, rounded and complex palate.

The 2004 Sebastian Bordeaux blend was a sleek and graceful wine and I got a lot of pleasure out of it. It is also certainly worthwhile buying the High Constantia single red varietal Bordeaux wines. They show you what each variety is about. Something you sometimes loose in the symphony of a blend.

The Cabernet Franc 2004 was a concentrated and yet powerful wine with the lovely aromatics that Cabernet Franc should give one. I thoroughly enjoyed drinking through the half case of this wine that I purchased. More recently, I bought some of the 2006 Malbec. Very powerful, intense and yet plush. Don’t worry about the dry tannins encased in the rich fruit if you want drink some now as I will. Simply put it into a decanter and 45 minutes later the wine will soften. Or wait a few more years for bottle development. Your choice…  Always keep an eye open for the sparkling Clos Andre MCC, whatever vintage it is reliably one of the finest bubbly in the country and one of the most individualistic.

I don’t want to get into a complex argument into what constitutes an Old World feel to a wine as opposed to a New World one. Needless to say that New World wines tend to be more fruit driven and more obvious in their charms. Old World wines tend to be more restrained, elegant and understated. I would definitely say that the High Constantia wines have a touch of an Old World feel about them. They have power and yet restraint. Whatever your preferences, they are fine wines.