Hidden Gems | Tasting Reports | News & Features | Wine Spectator 12.06.12 10:52 Home > Magazine Archives > May 31, 2012 Issue > Tasting Reports Hidden Gems South Africa’s rich array of high quality wines waits to be discovered James Molesworth Issue: May 31, 2012 South Africa offers a wide range of delicious wines. The country's Cabernet Sauvignons are solid, muscular and ageworthy, while its Syrahs range from plush and broad to perfumy and minerally. There are pure, bright Chardonnays; brisk, chiseled Sauvignon Blancs; and mouthwatering Chenin Blancs filled with quince and heather. Adding to the allure are the wines currently entering the market from 2009, which is the best South African vintage since 2005. The growing season featured steady, moderate temperatures and beneficial late rains, resulting in high quality for both cool coastal and warm inland growing areas. "The hype is well-placed on 2009," says Adam Mason, winemaker at Mulderbosch in Stellenbosch. "It was a perfect growing season on the back of a cold, wet winter." View the entire table of contents And there's even more going for South Africa. The country's winemakers are for the May 31, 2012 issue committed to upping the ante on quality and increasingly employ sustainable vineyard practices, yet prices for the wines remain modest. Simply put, South See Also African wine has it all. But despite these positives, the category has yet to catch fire in the United States, for a variety of reasons. South Africa Alphabetical Listing The global economic woes of the past few years haven't helped. Since 2007, Austria’s Upfront Appeal U.S. imports of South African wines have remained relatively flat, holding steady at about 1 million cases in the U.S. market, according to Wines of South Africa, Austria Alphabetical Listing the industry-funded marketing and research organization. The lack of a strong identity in a crowded global field may also play a role. South Africa lies at a unique juncture between the Old and New Worlds. Its winemaking history stretches back to the 17th century, yet its modern winemaking era dates only to the fall of apartheid 20 years ago. While a young generation of South African vintners are making large strides in quality, their exposure is limited due to marginal distribution within American borders. For now, the doors of discovery are wide open to those willing to hunt down these flavorful and expressive wines. Since my last report on the wines of South Africa ("Quietly Climbing," May 31, 2011), I have reviewed more than 475 wines, nearly one-quarter of them earning outstanding ratings of 90 points or higher on the Wine Spectator 100-point scale. That marks an improvement over the previous year's performance, once again pushing the quality bar higher for Cape wines. And as a rising tide lifts all boats, another 250 wines earned very good scores of 85 to 89 points. (A free alphabetical list of scores and prices for all wines tasted is available.) This impressive quality is augmented by the wines' exceptional value, with the vast majority of bottlings-more than 75 percent-retailing for $30 or less. Another hallmark of South African wine is diversity, and here this report shines as well, representing a range of vintages. One counterpoint to 2009 is 2010, which shows more irregularities. The growing season was marked by windy weather during flowering, drastically reducing yields, and a very hot spell in February that may have cost some wines their freshness. Heavy rains added disease pressures, making the vintage the most inconsistent of the last decade. Leading the way in the quality sweepstakes this year is the Klein Constantia Vin de Constance Constantia 2006 (95 http://www.winespectator.com/magazine/show/id/46623 Seite 1 von 4 Hidden Gems | Tasting Reports | News & Features | Wine Spectator 12.06.12 10:52 points, $50/500ml), a dessert wine made from Muscat de Frontignan that has quietly established a superb track record over the past decade. Delivering gorgeous tangerine and clementine fruit flavors laced with date and green tea notes, it's only the fifth South African wine to earn a classic rating of 95 points or higher-and the first non-red. Reds remain the strong suit overall, however, with Cabernet Sauvignon and blends at the forefront, followed by a growing range of Syrah and other Rhône Valley varietals. Among the leaders are Ernie Els, where winemaker Louis Strydom continues to deliver distinctive Cabernet bottlings such as the winery's flagship Stellenbosch Signature 2007 (93, $95), a ripe, suave red that shows alluring blackberry, plum sauce and roasted fig notes. Located next door to Ernie Els' winery is Jean Engelbrecht's Rust en Vrede, where winemaker Coenie Snyman crafts the equally compelling Stellenbosch 2008 (93, $45), which shows beautiful red currant, blackberry and plum fruit. Farther north, from the Franschhoek Valley, Johann Rupert's reconfigured L'Ormarins winery has firmly established itself as a player with its Cabernet Sauvignon Coastal Region Anthonij Rupert 2007 (93, $65) and Cabernet Franc Coastal Region Anthonij Rupert 2007 (92, $85). In total, there are nearly 80 Cabernet Sauvignons and blends in this report, with 25 of them earning scores of 90 points or higher. While most of the top Cabernets check in north of $40 a bottle, there are excellent values to be had, including the Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 2009 (92, $28), the Stark-Condé Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch 2008 (91, $27) and the Glenelly Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch The Glass Collection 2010 (88, $20). Other top Cabernet producers include De Toren, de Trafford, Guardian Peak (owned by Jean Engelbrecht), Kanonkop, MR Mvemve Raats, Thelema and Warwick. South Africa's Syrahs and other Rhône-style reds are also worth exploring. Both ripe, powerful versions and more mineral- and acid-driven styles can be found. Cape winemakers have only started taking Rhône varieties seriously over the past decade, and though plantings of these grapes still lag far behind Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and others, they are on the rise. Of the nearly 100 Syrahs and other Rhône-style reds under review, about one-third rate outstanding. David Trafford continues to set the pace with his de Trafford Shiraz Stellenbosch 2008 (93, $80), which is packed with dark, winey blackberry, fig and anise flavors. The Rust en Vrede Syrah Stellenbosch Single Vineyard 2009 (93, $130) matches it in quality, delivering dense flavors of currant and linzer torte enlivened by a hint of white pepper. Another Syrah with a solid track record is the Boekenhoutskloof Syrah Coastal Region 2008 (92, $43) from winemaker Marc Kent, a wine that typically develops Cornas-like notes of pepper and olive as it ages, with fresh acidity for balance. Christophe Durand, a French expat who moved to South Africa in 1995 to sell wine barrels but soon found himself producing his own wines, is now making one of the Cape's most distinctive Syrahs. Durand's Vins d'Orrance Syrah Western Cape Cuvée Ameena 2007 (92, $39) exhibits a lush, silky core of plum sauce and blackberry fruit. Fairview, Hartenberg, Mullineux, Reyneke, Rudi Schultz, Spice Route and Stark-Condé all help to round out the group of top-rated Syrahs and Rhône-style blends. There's plenty of value in this category as well, starting with the A.A. Badenhorst Family Secateurs Coastal Region 2010 (88, $18), a blend of Shiraz, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Carignane and Mourvèdre that delivers a mouthfilling plum and sweet tobacco profile. The Mullineux Kloof Street Swartland 2009 (89, $20) is also delicious, combining Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Carignane and Grenache. Charles Back's Fairview Carignan Swartland Pegleg 2009 (88, $30) and Spice Route Mourvèdre Swartland 2008 (88, $18) show good varietal character and should spur South Africa's producers to continue exploring. The country's white wines are also brimming with delicious bottlings from a range of grapes. The blue-chip varietals Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc excel, while the country's signature Chenin Blanc adds diversity to the mix. The Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is a perennial top bottling that has steadily improved in recent vintages, and the 2010 (93, $32) doesn't disappoint, providing lush mango and fig notes with cut and definition to match its weight. The Vins d'Orrance Chardonnay Western Cape Cuvée Anaïs 2010 (92, $33) is another ripe, mouthfilling offering. The Buitenverwachting Chardonnay Constantia 2010 (92, $20) is a top value, with a range of fruit and floral notes backed by a long, stony finish. Also offering great value is the De Morgenzon Chardonnay Western Cape DMZ 2010 (89, $15), a ripe white sporting pure yellow and green apple fruit. Other top Chardonnay producers include Ataraxia Mountain, Cape http://www.winespectator.com/magazine/show/id/46623 Seite 2 von 4 KapWeine De toren Vergelegen eagles’ nest KapWeine Fusion V red Shiraz 2008 2004 2009 PREMIUM Premium Set-angebot 18.5 Punkte bLiCK 94 Stephen Doppel-gold 1. Platz rotWein- tanzer uSa in australien vor 93 Wine * Penfolds rWt Shiraz Set enthusiast uSa 189.– 17.5 nZZ statt 273.– Das KapWeine 90 Wine Spectator Premium rotwein *max. 3 Sets pro Kunde, Degu-Set 2012 mit inkl. 8% mwSt. Preise in CHF. anpassungen, Verfügbarkeit, Weinen von top- Preis- und Jahrgangsänderungen Constantia glen glenelly Veenwouden vorbehalten. nicht kumulierbar Produzenten die sich mit andern rabatten. gültig bis Punkto Qualität und Five Lady may merlot ende 2012. Preis/Leistung vor 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 2009 keinem Wein dieser 91 Wine 4.5* von 5* Platters Welt verstecken enthusiast uSa 94 Parker - ehemals Wine guide South Pichon Longueville africa gold mundus Vini müssen. C.d.L.