Midway through the blind tasting, a minor bombshell was
dropped. “Not all of these wines are South African,” came the warning. “Some of
them may be French.”
Glasses were given a second sniff; tasting notes
re-examined. The sense of mild unease was heightened moments later by the
revelation that “there may be an Australian in there too”.
Five independents had been invited to Kensington Roof Garden
for a close encounter with some of South Africa’s most interesting winemakers.
A blind tasting before lunch got everyone into their stride; the covers were
taken off during the meal, often with surprising results.The aim, as Ken
Forrester explained, was to put the South African wines into context with
similarly-priced wines, rather than to decide which were better.
Flight 1: Chenin
• Ken Forrester Chenin Blanc 2000
• Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2009
Flight 2: Chardonnay
• Grand Vin de Glenelly Chardonnay 2013
• Domaine Jacques Prieur, PulignyMontrachet Premier Cru,
‘Les Combettes’ 2009
• Journeys End Destination Chardonnay
2012
• Paul Cluver Chardonnay 2013
Flight 3: Syrah
• Radford Dale ‘Nudity’ Syrah 2013
• Mullineux Syrah, Swartland 2012
• Ben Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2012
Flight 4: Bordeaux varieties
• Mvemve Raats de Compostella 2012
• Château de France, Pessac Leognan 2009
• Shannon Mt Bullet Merlot 2011
Flight 5: Pinot Noir
• Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot
Noir 2012
• The Drift ‘There are Still Mysteries’ Pinot
Noir 2012
DID THE TASTING change perceptions of South Africa? “I was already a big supporter of South African wines, and the tasting served to reinforce my enthusiasm,” says Stephen Finch. “I did come away, however, with a greater appreciation for the amazing variety of wines and styles that are coming out of South Africa. I tasted a couple that I could have sworn were Bordeaux or Northern Rhone, yet were a Bordeaux blend from Raats and a Syrah from Radford Dale, respectively. So for anyone who thinks South African wines are too ‘fruity’, time to hang up that outdated misconception.”
Jonathan Charles agrees. “The tasting also helped to further
highlight the value for money and quality that the country has to offer,
especially by the inclusion of ringers from France and Australia. I am happy
and keen to push our South African offering as I like the crossover appeal that
the country’s wines have to offer, and thus find them easy to sell to both New
and Old World drinkers with confidence.”
Both Jamie Tonkin and Richard Jones have visited Cape
winelands in the recent past, so the quality on offer at the event came as no
surprise.
THE FOOD MATCHES were a mixed bag as guests had a choice of courses and a wide range of wines at their disposal. “The stand-out match for me was the Ken Forrester Chenin with the sardines – power and elegance and a fabulous mouthfeel,” says Alex Roberts. Finch agrees. “My goodness, that was fantastic. The slightly oxidised character of the aged Chenin, with the faint yellow and stone fruits in the background, really complemented the salty, fleshy fish.”
Others are reluctant to highlight individual pairings but agree that the wines were food-friendly. “South Africa is making many wines at this level with more restrained European attributes which tend to be more interesting after the first few sips and are certainly very well suited to food,” says Jones. Charles argues that the wines were generally “better with food than without”, especially the Bordeaux varieties and the Chardonnay flight.
WHAT DOES SOUTH AFRICA need to do to build its profile in the independent sector? For Tonkin, the key is to ensure that retailers get opportunities to sample the wines as often as possible. “These focused tastings are good and they should make sure that samples are accessible via their agents,” he says. “Short-term, genuine special offers also often result in me adding a couple of cases to an order.”
Roberts believes more personal visits are important. “The guys I met were, without exception, knowledgeable, personable and in many respects the best marketers of their wines. Don’t hide in the vineyards!”
Chenin is South Africa’s “trump card”, Jones says. “It can be very powerful to develop a reputation for being the top country producing a certain variety. This can only be done where terroir, climate and winemaking come together to produce the best situation in the world. This is the case with South Africa and Chenin.
“Above entry level the wines taste wonderful and can be good value for money in the key price area £8 to £15.” Charles believes South Africa can make more of its geography. “A lot of the discussion from the merchant point of view seemed to be generic about South Africa rather than the regions,” he says. “This wouldn’t happen in Europe and we would talk about Bordeaux, Rioja and Tuscany as opposed to France, Spain or Italy. The diversity of the wines tasted highlighted just what the country is capable of and it also showed how exciting it is for the adventurous wine drinker. “I don’t think there is any stuffiness to the South African wine industry and the lunch highlighted that they are making quite classically-styled wines that really deliver on many fronts, yet without any of the pomp that one would expect from classic regions in Europe.”
Finch says Cape producers should “keep doing what they’re doing, and be patient”. He says: “There’s already been a huge change in perception in the UK towards South African wines, for the better, in the last three to five years, and I firmly believe that will only get better with the passage of time, because more and more customers will come into contact with those wines and, when they do, they’ll invariably fall in love with them.
“For me, South Africa is arguably the most exciting country for wine at the moment. The variety of wines they’re producing is just massive, and the winemaking is now world class. Best of all, they’re making wines that have character and complexity, but with good, clean fruit. That’s a style that today’s consumers really are drawn to.”