Arriving at the 2013 Cape Winemakers Guild I had high expectations. Last year’s Guild offerings produced some real stunners. I was not disappointed. Listed below are some of the wines that really impressed me. There were so many fine wines on offer that my choices are just impressions so don’t take them as gospel.
The Kanonkop CWG Paul Sauer 2010 by Abrie Beeslaar was dark garnet with the nose shy. Lovely cassis and a creamy palate.
The Paul Cluver The Wagon Trail Chardonnay 2012 by Andries Burger was one of the wines of the evening. Very pale with an intense creamy nose together with citrus and minerality. The palate very austere. This is an austere wine with a sensuous nose.
Beyers Truter from Beyerskloof the king of Pinotage showed what can be done with Pinotage in the Cape. The Beyerskloof Faith 2009 is medium garnet with a strong bouquet. It is a fine example of the modern CapeBlend. The Beyerskoof Traildust Pinotage 2011 is clear garnet with the nose shy but with lovely red crushed fruits. The palate sensuous but lean.
Bruce Jack with The Drift. My ebullient, friendly neighbour. His Happy Hour 2009. Off gold with asparagus on the nose and lovely asparagus on the palate. A really funky, intense and fun wine.
I always have high expectations for Gary Jordan’s Guild Chardonnay. His Jordan Chardonnay Auction Reserve 2012 is pale gold. The nose lemon and buttery with minerality. The palate tight. A step up from his highly regarded Nine Yards this Chardonnay has real finesse.
Etienne Le Riche long time exponent of fine Cabernet Sauvignon really impressed with his Auction Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010. Dark ruby. Cream, cassis and black currents on the nose. Lovely tannic structure on the palate.
Jeremy Walker from Grangehurst has long been a reputable red wine producer in the Cape. His Grangehurst Auction Reserve 2007 is deeply coloured with a complex nose. Cedary it has a smooth palate.
Kevin Grant, former wine maker at Hamilton Russell, has made a cult name with his label Ataraxia. His Ataraxia Under the Gavel Chardonnay 2012 is pale straw with the nose shy and creamy with the palate lovely and lean with citrus characteristics.
His red Ataraxia Serenity 2008 is even ruby with warm pebbles on the nose. The palate soft with red fruits. I must say that his Chardonnay really shone out amongst the group of Chardonnays of the evening.
Mark Kent, the magician from Franschoek produced one of the red wines of the evening. His Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Auction Reserve 2011 is even garnet with lovely black fruits on the nose and an equally lovely soft syrapy palate. The flavours just explode in the mouth and the wine has an almost ineffable magic to it.
Luddite
Neils Verburg the large, jovial man from Luddite shown with his Luddite Shiraz Mourverdre 2010. Deep coloured with the nose shy and brooding and plenty of spice on the palate. Verburg has a knack for getting the best out of Shiraz. He produces a distinctive Shiraz that combines power with accessibility. Something that few SA producers are able to achieve with Shiraz.
Finally, on a sweet note Teddy Hall’s Eva Chenin Blanc NLH 2012 is sheer bliss. Grapey in colour with a Muscat nose and incredible apricots that one gets from botrytis on the palate. I could not help gulping down a few glasses. Luckily I was not driving!
All in all the wines on offer were of an extremely high standard. The Cape Wine Guild offers wine makers the opportunity to produce wines of an individualistic nature. To express themselves without the constraints of commercial considerations. Obviously they want to get good prices at the Auction but the real motivation is to enable them to express their viticultural individualism. Wine makers are really artists and the Guild wines were vinous art of the top order.
