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| Johann Rupert |
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| Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa |
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| Making Good Wine |
| 05 June 2008 by Neil Pendock |
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| Neil Pendock reports on the social whirl of the launch of the long awaited Anthonij Rupert range from L'Ormarins.
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The launch of the Anthonij Rupert range of icon wines at the Court House in Sandown this week was a feature straight out of the pages of Wanted magazine, that knock-off of the Financial Times supplement How to Spend it, that appears at the end of each month in Business Day.
There were certainly more "high-end bling" wristwatches and predatory black limousines than you could shake a stick at. Host Johann Rupert signaled the end of the affair (as he dashed off to Lanseria for his private jet back to Cape Town as the pumpkin hour of 11pm approached) with a question: "Why am I going back to Cape Town? Because I can."
Which raised hearty chuckles from Dimension Data chairman Jeremy Ord, Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa, Vodacom chairperson Wendy Luhabe and banking mogul Laurie Dippenaar, who had no need of a lift as they already live in Johannesburg, the centre of gravity of South African wine for a night.
A couple of bombshells were dropped over glasses of Montaudon Champagne (Brut and Rosé) while guests waited for the tasting to begin: Bordeaux über-consultant Michel Rolland has dropped all his South African consultancies.
In addition to L'Ormarins, there was Rupert & Rothschild (also in Franschhoek) and Marianne and Remhoogte on the Simonsberg. The official word is he's cutting back, slowing down after hitting sixty the day before Christmas last year. Although the mauling he received at the hands of Jonathan Nossiter in Mondovino, a film which portrayed him as the unacceptable face of wine globalization, can't have helped.
Ditto the failure of his Bonne Nouvelle red to make any real impact on the South African scene - a wine with a ridiculous postage stamp label that suffered when compared to its stable mate, the excellent Remhoogte estate blend, which was cheaper and better regarded by those with more classical tastes. What a case of bad timing: Rolland leaves just as I arrive in Paris for a tasting of wine made outside France by French winemakers to be written up in Le Figaro.
Equally shocking was the news that Butcher's Shop & Grill owner Alan Pick has bought 2,000 bottles of First Sighting Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 from Nick Diemont and Carrie Adams' Agulhas operation. This is a variety Pick loved to ridicule with an offhand: "the best thing about Pinot is you can never tell if a bottle is corked or not". While Merlot remains the top seller in his steakhouse, Pinot Noir is catching up fast "especially for the lunchtime trade, as Pinot carries a perception of lightness."
Some of the most entertaining admissions came from host Johann Rupert. "All we're trying to do" he commented "is make good wine. There is good wine and bad wine and good wine at a bad price. Like Château Ausone. 1100 Euro en-primeur is crazy. The market for fine wine is becoming like the art market - mad." He also regrets the fact that a bottle of top-end Bordeaux from the excellent 2005 vintage is destined to travel right around the world, as it moves from producer, to retailer, to first, second, third, etc owner. Fine wine is a commodity with an awesome carbon footprint.
Snobbism also came under fire. "Let's demystify wine. Most people prefer to drink sweeter, but they won't say it. Most people say they prefer Cabernet yet they drink Merlot. And there are plenty of beer drinkers out there terrified of wine. Even the pronunciation of L'Ormarins is an issue for me. As Schalk Burger says 'life is about moments'. It's about social lubrication. What's most important is the occasion and who you enjoy it with. Not the fifteen flavours you've never heard of that the wine guide tells you, you should taste." Although when challenged by Laurie about the notes of "cassis, cigar box and cedar wood" used to describe the Anthonij Cabernet in the elegant tasting note, he raised a laugh by admitting "I didn't write that. Not guilty".
At the end of the evening, I could only agree with the "succession of moments" theory as the man whose name was on the label, was absent. Killed in a motor car accident back in 2001, Anthonij Rupert was a larger than life individual and the six wines launched (four single variety reds, a Chardonnay and a white blend) are well suited to their author, with big, bold flavours and punchy alcohols.
Although Johann started off his comments with the statement: "I never wanted to be in the industry. I am just finishing off my brother's project," beneath all the bonhomie and jollity, the launch must have broken his heart.
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