To cheer ourselves up during national lockdown, on Monday 9th November, the Teddington Wine Society met for the first time online as we tasted through a sensational range of eight South African wines, which I had supplied to everyone in precise tasting quantities (in individual bottles) that morning.
Via Zoom I hosted 28 people over 19 screens and, like Richmond the previous week, it was a great success! Our lineup of wines was slightly different, with the fabulous medal-winning Ataraxia Chardonnay from Hemel-en-Aarde showing beautifully.
Two wines from Afrikan Ridge showed the quality and value South Africa can produce – the Chenin Blanc was clean and fresh, and the Merlot was delicious.Sat billing among the whites went to the much lauded Mullineux Granite Chenin Blanc: at £50.00 it ranks as the most expensive South African Chenin Blanc I have tasted and it was seriously intense, balanced with oodles of ripe mineral fruit and a phenomenal length.
The Bergsig Gewurztraminer was deliciously light and fresh yet showed all the quintessential lychee and rose petal characteristics of the grape.
Our other reds were the Fairview Pinotage and the Crystallum Pinot Noir, a youthful, powerful and full of promise wine.
We finished off with the Vin de Constance from Klein Constantia, enjoyed by Napoleon, Tsars of Russia, American presidents and even Queen Victoria. The 2015 vintage that we tasted is described by critics as one of the best ever made.
It was great to be able to meet and enjoy wine despite national lockdown, and I am pleased we’ve worked out how to keep on tasting wine together so enjoyably!
All the wines are listed in the wines we have tasted page.
