In WineLand’s
Which Wine tastings over the past year, eight of the 12 Picks of the Bunch of
2014 were white wines, with Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Viognier the
strongest performers. Other Picks of the Bunch included a white blend,
Chardonnay, red blend, Shiraz, port and special late harvest.
For chairman Higgo Jacobs, these are all
worthy winners and world-class wines. “We have awarded a nice spectrum of
styles and cultivars, just confirming once again the versatility and spread of
quality that South Africa is enjoying at the moment,” he says.
“Only two red wines made it to the Pick of
the Bunch list. I think that the issue may be purity of fruit – there is still
some heavy-handed cellar manipulation with red wines, while South African
whites seem to be more unassuming and naturally pretty.”
Charming
whites
Two Chenin Blancs fittingly made the Pick
of the Bunch list, namely the Opstal Carl Everson 2013 and Rijk’s Private
Cellar 2009. David Clarke, certified sommelier and Which Wine taster, explains
that there is a depth of flavour that is possible in South African Chenin, which
isn’t there in some other varieties. “The naturally high acidity helps keep the
resulting wine fresh and vibrant,” he says. “Obviously, these factors only
impact when the vineyard and cellar are managed carefully.”
The fact that two Viogniers – the Idiom
2011 and Saronsberg 2012 – were among the Picks of the Bunch is quite
surprising, but these wines outperformed other stellar white, red, sweet and
fortified wines at each of their respective tastings. Compared to other niche
white cultivars tasted – such as Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Grenache Blanc and
Pinot Grigio – Viognier was the only cultivar to receive the ultimate nod.
While Idiom and Saronsberg are good
examples of what can be done with Viognier, Higgo is not convinced by the
category in general. “I still don’t think that Viognier is a first class grape
variety for single cultivar wines on a large scale in South Africa, like Chenin
Blanc for instance,” he says.
“However, there is no denying the
contribution Viognier can make in white blends and, more than that, the massive
improvement that a handful of producers have shown with the variety, making
very classy expressions that deliver on the palate what they promise on the
nose.”
Picking
at price
For Higgo, the one consistent thing across
the board in 2014 was that wines ranged from truly inspirational to simply
ordinary, regardless of where they were bought. “Price point is a good
indicator, but with the good value pricing of our wines, we discovered many
gems in the premium to super-premium price points, while there were
unfortunately also plenty of disappointments in the luxury high-end.”
The average price for the 2014 Picks of the
Bunch – purchased at a variety of retailers and specialist wine shops, ranging
from the likes of Makro and Pick n Pay, to Vineyard Connection and Caroline’s
Fine Wine Cellar – was R143,33 per bottle. The highest priced Pick of the Bunch
was the Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2010, bought at Checkers for R400. The lowest
priced pick of the bunch, at R48,95 from Makro, was the Nederburg Special Late
Harvest 2013.
“Since this is a one-bottle tasting, viewed
as the consumer would, many of the wines are undoubtedly affected by storage
conditions and maturing on the shelf,” Higgo says. “This is unfortunate for the
producers when their wines underperform, but it’s an undeniable market reality.
The responsibility to iron out this problem lies with the entire supply chain.”
50
shades of pink and red
No Méthode Cap Classique, sparkling wine or
rosé made the Pick of the Bunch list in 2014. The rosé category in particular
was disappointing, with wines ranging from lean and weedy, to overly
tutti-fruity.
This category comes in many shapes and
sizes, and winemaker and Which Wine taster, Francois Haasbroek, explains that
there is a general misconception among producers and consumers; “it is a
category in its own right and should not be made as an afterthought,” he says.
The Vrede en Lust Jess 2014 was a delicious
exception to the rule and the best rosé of 2014. “The wine offers melon,
strawberry, rosewater and aromatic spice, with a hint of minerality in a dry,
light and crisp frame. It is a commercial, easy drinking expression, with
immense charm,” Higgo says.
While the good Pinotages are getting better
and better, there are still some woeful examples in-between. These ranged from
over-the-top “coffee” styles, to yesteryear’s hard, forced and spirity
examples.
On the positive side, cool climate Shiraz,
or Syrah, was most impressive. The Sijnn Syrah 2011 was a stand-out Pick of the
Bunch, with many other good examples also tasted. The full potential of this
complex, elegant and fresh style is perhaps still largely undiscovered, but these
wines are already reaping the rewards.
Wines are bought from a different retailer
each month. They are chosen at random, as the consumer would, across a broad
spectrum of styles and prices. Different tasters from different sectors of the
industry join each month as judges, along with Higgo Jacobs as chairman.