It is an opinion that Morgenster owner, Giulio Bertrand, shares. He has long held the view that South African wines over-deliver substantially on quality versus price on world markets. “Our wines are consistently rated highly against more expensive international examples. Stephen Tanzer’s recent rating of four of our Bordeaux and two of our Italian styled wines at 90 and over is a great validation of our winemaking philosophy which was developed with the Estate’s winemaker consultant Pierre Lurton of Château Cheval Blanc. Our objective is to create wines with good ageing potential from the best possible blend of the vintage and a true reflection of the terroir”, Bertrand says.
Tanzer rating of Morgenster White Reserve 2015 – 90 points
Bright straw-yellow. Pungent aromas of lemon, mirabelle, dusty herbs, jasmine, almond and marzipan. Rich, ripe, smooth and dry, displaying a lovely umami melting texture but also sound acid lift. Very sexy nutty oak notes add interest as well as a suggestion of evolution to the citrus and herbal flavors. A fat, ripe, broad vintage for this relatively new white wine from a red wine specialist. But seriously rich, broad and subtly long. Balanced to give early pleasure but has the grip to age for a while. Drinking window 2017 – 2020.
Tanzer rating of Morgenster Lourens River Valley 2012 – 92 points
Dark red with ruby highlights. Mulberry, raspberry, licorice, cocoa powder, fresh herbs and a touch of woodsmoke on the sexy nose. Plush, sweet and utterly seamless; wonderfully silky, fine-grained, glossy wine with red berry flavors enlivened by subtle herb and menthol elements. Really lovely texture and restrained sweetness here. Finishes very long, with utterly suave tannins. Wonderfully complete wine, balanced from the start. An outstanding vintage for this bottling. Drinking window 2017 – 2026.
Tanzer rating of Morgenster Reserve 2012 – 92+ points
Bright, saturated medium ruby. Brooding, oak-dominated scents of cassis, black cherry, cocoa powder, graphite and cigar box, with hints of leather and tobacco in an Old World way. Plush, rich, sweet and deep; less sexy today than the Lourens River Valley wine from the same vintage but fuller in the mouth, showing more graphite minerality, dark chocolate and herb flavors than easygoing berry fruit. Finishes with broad, palate-dusting tannins and excellent length. This still needs a year or three in bottle. More chewy and tannic than the Lourens despite the high percentage of Merlot. Drinking window 2019 – 2027.
Tanzer rating of Morgenster Reserve 2011 – 91 points
Bright full ruby. Burnished aromas of cassis, blackberry, blueberry and licorice are much fruitier and fresher than those of the 2011 Lourens River. At once silky and bright in the mouth, showing a captivating fine-grained texture to its dark berry flavors. Doesn't have quite the nuance of the 2012 version but finishes very suave, ripely tannic, shapely and long, and much deeper and more harmonious than the Lourens River version, not to mention fresher. Drinking window 2017 – 2023.
Two Morgenster Italian styled wines rated 90 and above for the first time
Morgenster Tosca 2013 – 90 points
Medium ruby. Expressive scents of cherry, tobacco, spices and herbs; includes the highest percentage to date of Sangiovese and it shows in the wine's tobacco and floral notes. Suave, fine-grained and juicy, with brisk integrated acidity and a menthol note energizing the middle palate of this midweight wine. Finishes juicy and persistent, with firm but suave tongue-dusting tannins that will not get in the way of relatively early enjoyment. Should be food-flexible too. I like this. Drinking window 2018 – 2022.
Morgenster Nabucco 2013 – 91+ points
Good full medium red. Musky scents of cherry, mocha, tobacco, spices and underbrush, plus hints of dried flowers and peppery herbs. Juicy, spicy and penetrating but suave too, with strawberry, cherry and lavender flavors showing terrific cut and definition. More sophisticated than the Sangiovese blend, and distinctly more structured and backward without going dry. This is nicely balanced right now but should age gracefully. Between a generic Langhe Nebbiolo and a Barolo in style, and of course bottled much earlier than a Barolo. But this wine boasts lovely penetration and cut and firm, dusty, building tannins. I like this! Drinking window 2019 – 2025.
All available from Morgenster cellar door (www.morgenster.co.za); the online shop http://shop.morgenster.co.za or selected retailers nationally and internationally.