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South Africa Shiraz

April 29, 2008 by greg Leave a Comment

I tasted another red wine from the Dark Continent. The 2005 Neil Ellis Sincerely Shiraz. I think I liked the pinotage I had the other night better, but it was all right. It had a gorgeous dark purple color. I really liked the nose on this one. It was chock full of blueberries! I adore blueberries and haven’t smelled or tasted it in a wine for a long time. However, along with the blueberries came an awkward petroleum/soak/plastic smell. It came across on the palate as well. It was not too heavy and hand sone nice red cherry and blueberry flavors that give way to more earthy notes on the mid palate. After an our or so the strange petroleum/soap had diminished significantly, but it was still there. It has a really nice mouth feel right up front but was a little thin on the end. Overall

Dark purple red color. Blueberries on the nose with hints of petroleum, like plastic and soap. Not too heavy on the palate with nice red cherry and blueberry flavors giving way to earthy flavors. It has a slightly soapy taste with that strange petroleum flavor that mostly blew off after an hour or so. It had a nice mouth feel up front but was a little thin on the end.

Filed Under: africa, shiraz, syrah Tagged With: Neil Ellis, South Africa

Let’s go South

April 24, 2008 by greg 1 Comment

The Pinotage grape has been grown in South Africa for almost 100 years. It is a hybrid of pinot noir and cinsault. I like the big fruit that comes from this grape but it can be somewhat finicky to grow. During fermentation it has been known to produce a significant amount of isoamyl acetate giving it a paint-like smell and taste. This evening I opened a bottle of La Cave 2003 pinotage produced by the Wamakersvallei winery in Wellington, South Africa. This is a deeply colored wine with an inky quality. The nose I would say is terrific with gobs of dark red and black fruits and hints of tropical bananas (as the label says). I pick up cocoa and leather as well on the nose. On the palate the fruit is big and heavy. The tannins are very solid yet not too overpowering. Cherries and blackberries mingle with oak and chocolate in the mid-palate. Unfortunately this wine has a rather unpleasant finish reminiscent of gasoline and plastic. I wonder if that is some of the isoamyl acetate coming through. You don’t notice it too much until the long lasting fruit wanes, but it leaves you with a chemical taste at the end that is hard to overcome. Because of that I have to score this wine lower. I would give it a 90 for the up front fruit and mid-palate but an 80 for what it does on the end.

Filed Under: africa, pinotage Tagged With: South Africa, Wamakersvallei

Simonsig

December 27, 2007 by greg Leave a Comment

This evening I’m heading across the ocean to the dark continent. I have this one bottle of 2005 Simonsig chenin blanc left from a case I purchased last year. This hails from South Africa and was a good value at something like $9 per bottle when I bought it. It has aged quite a bit from what I remember it being. The color has darkened to this lovely golden color where before it was lighter with hints of greenness. On the nose it displays a lot of fruit with pears, lemon, honey and a hint of grass. This one is heavy on the palate with a very nice mouth feel. You get hit right up front with pears, sultanas and honey. The finish lingers to develop an interesting, if not a bit strange, complex vegetative experience in the back of the throat. These second tier flavors make for an interesting experience. The acids are nicely balanced. I would give this one about an 86 if I were to rate it.

Filed Under: africa, chenin blanc Tagged With: chenin blanc, Simonsig, South Africa

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