Both Teddington and Richmond Wine Societies explored some innovative wines coming out of South Africa in January. Though categorised ‘New World’ South Africa has made wine for centuries but in the last few decades there has been huge investment in vineyards and winemaking, allowing a talented generation of winemakers to make wines from grapes they grow themselves or source in small parcels from growers around the Western Cape.
We kicked off with a fizz, a Méthode Cap Classique, from Fairview, one of Paarl’s top wine estates. Unusually this was a blend of Viognier, Grenache Blanc and Grenache Noir, so was considerably more aromatic than most MCC wines which are made from the more neutral varieties such as Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. At £19/bottle, its pleasant florality made it a real winner.
At Teddington we tasted a Semillon Gris (a mutation of a normally white grape variety, so skins are a deeper colour). Some of the grapes had been fermented whole, ie with skin contact, like a red wine, so this wine had some more savoury flavours and a hint of tannin on the structure. It lacked the easy appeal that we come to expect from South Africa, and at £24/bottle was a bit pricey. At Richmond we tried a Chenin Blanc, from Mullineux, one of the leading innovators. Like the Semillon Gris, the grapes were from Swartland, a huge area to the north of Stellenbosch and Paarl where parcels of old vines are producing grapes at low yields with great complexity of flavours. This was more like it – classic Chenin flavours of fresh apple and melon with a textured mouthfeel. And price at £15/bottle was more like what we expect from South Africa.
Our third white at both societies was another ‘gris’ mutation, this time a Grenache Gris, from a tiny area within Paarl called voor Paarderberg. Marelise Niemann sources fruit in tiny parcels from growers, and the quality shone through – complex flavours, lovely texture and a long finish.
Both societies tasted three reds: a Pinot Noir, a Cabernet Franc and a Syrah. The Pinot and Cabernet Franc were perfect examples of their grape varieties – the former with cherry raspberry fruit and gamey earthy notes, the latter with ripe fruit, notes of capsicum, and tannins that added a good foody structure. The Syrah, named ‘Schist’ after the soils it is grown on in Swartland by Mullineux, despite being four years old, felt like it needed a lot more time to mature, but its complex concentrated flavours and firm structure would make it worth the wait. Provided one had £75 handy to secure a bottle to put aside.
At Richmond we enjoyed a heritage beetroot salad followed by a beef casserole, while at Teddington we had lasagne and some apple tart, which perfectly complemented our final wine, also from Mullineux. A ‘straw wine’, made from Chenin Blanc grapes that have been dried on straw mats for months, resulting in incredible concentration of flavour and sugar. At 300g/l residual sugar it was twice as sweet as Sauternes and a splendid end to the evening.
Full details of the wines are on the Wines we have tasted page.
