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| picnic at Boschendal |
A four-day holiday weekend in Cape Town for Heritage Day gave us another opportunity for some serious wine tasting and touring in the Cape Winelands - mostly Stellenbosch with a few strategic stops in Franschhoek, Somerset West and Constantia.
And since we were in a holiday mood, we decided to plan ahead for some other upcoming holidays. Friendsgiving is right around the corner and we will need to bring back some wine for our family Christmas dinner in Colorado.
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| Jordan |
In Stellenbosch:
Jordan: Cobblers & Chameleons
Kathy and Gary Jordan descend from the Jordan Shoe family, a fixture in South Africa since 1877. And their aptly named Cobblers Hill is a homage to their footwear heritage. It is also the ultimate expression of the Jordan terroir!
Jordan also produces a range of wines whose profits
support a PhD bursary for researchers studying the Cape dwarf chameleon, a native species commonly found on the wine estate. We tasted a 2012 Chameleon Merlot that contains no added sulphur. For anyone with a sulphur allergy who likes red wine ( and chameleons!), this is probably a godsend.
We bought two of the Bordeaux blend Cobblers Hill 2012, two of the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, a product of the oldest vines on the property and two of The Real McCoy Riesling 2015, the only 100% Reisling grape wine produced in South Africa.
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| De Morgenzon |
De Morgenzon: Maestros & Wildebeests
Right next door to Jordan is De Morgenzon. Entering the hunting lodge-turned-tasting room was more like walking into a concert hall. The sound of music echoed off the vineyard-covered slopes to the valley below. We bought two each of the beautifully orchestrated DMZ Maestro 2013, a bold blend of five varietals and the 2013 DMZ Syrah
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| "The Chinese Girl"@ Delaire Graff |
Delaire Graff: Diamonds & Tretchikoff
Delaire Graff has some serious pedigree and I do not know why it took three years for us to get here. Founded 30+ years ago by SA's dynamic wine duo John and Erica Platter, it was bought by SA's diamond king Laurence Graff about ten years ago. A Relais & Chateaux property, it is the jewel of the Cape Winelands! We bought two of their creamy and butter-y 2014 Chardonnay, two of their cinnamon-y 2015 Coastal Cuvee Sauvignon Blanc and two of their pepper-y 2014 Shiraz.
They also have quite an art collection. We were greeted at the door by Tretchikoff's "The Chinese Girl!"
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| We love Relais & Chateaux |
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| yes, that Graff |
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| vineyards and birds-of-paradise |
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| Pinotage @ Hidden Valley |
Hidden Valley: Valley Views & Pinotage
By this time we had picked up a wide variety of wines to drink for the upcoming holidays and we started to concentrate on filling in the gaps. We needed some Pinotage! So we dropped into Hidden Valley to taste and buy three bottles of their highly regarded 2013 Pinotage.
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| Port at Muratie |
Muratie: Pedigree & Port
And some Port would be nice for both Thanksgiving
and Christmas. For that, we visited Muratie. The Melck family have been making wine at Muratie since 1699! And the Muratie Cape Vintage Port is produced from a single vineyard planted in 1965. Not a bad pedigree either!
Their Ports seamlessly integrate alcohol, fruit and acidity into a delicious bundle of flavor. We purchased two bottles of their Ben Prins Cape Vintage 2011 which will go oh so well with some Christmas Stilton. (I am stopping in London on the way back to the USA for Christmas. Make a note: pick up some Stilton!)
And in Franschhoek:
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| Bean bags, baskets and blankets on the lawn @ Boschendal |
Boschendal: Picnic & Friends
We passed on the fine restaurants at Jordan and Delaire Graff to join some friends for a picnic at Boschendal. Their Olive Press restaurant provided sumptuous baskets filled with cheese, charcuterie, salads, pates and tapenades. Delicious bread, some Boschendal Rose and Chardonnay, and some lively conversation. A perfect picnic!
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| fresh strawberries from Zetler's Berry Farm |
For dessert, vanilla pots de creme made with fresh strawberries
. It's strawberry picking time in the Cape Winelands!
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| La Motte |
La Motte: Pierneef
Honestly, we mainly went to La Motte to visit their museum ...
... filled with original works of art by acclaimed South African artist Jacob Hendrik Pierneef. But we tasted too of course! FYI: La Motte even has a Pierneef Collection of premium wines named in honor of the artist. Tasting Pierneef in a room filled with his art? Priceless!
In Somerset West:
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| conservation at Waterkloof |
Waterkloof: Biodiversity & Organic Wine Farming
Waterkloof is committed to conservation ... and wine! And at Waterkloof, they can go hand in hand.
Situated in the Cape Floral Region, Waterkloof has set aside 50% of their farm for conservation of the unique fynbos habitat. And the other 50% is set aside for biodynamic wine farming. Some of the strategies they implement include drip irrigation and biological pest control, mulching, clearing invasive and re-establishing native vegetation, maintaining flocks of chickens for for pest control and compost (and fresh eggs for their kitchen!), herds of cows for compost tea, flocks of Dorper sheep for weed control and Nitrogen replenishment, and developing an earthworm farms to replenish the soil on the farm and occasionally in the vineyards.
And there wine reflects their sense of place and commitment to the earth that nurtures it. We particularly like the infinitely drinkable Waterkloof Circle of Life Red - a blend of Merlot, Shiraz, and a tiny dollop of three other red varietals - and the Circle of Life White, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon..
And finally, in Constantia:
Groot Constantia: Celebrations!
Christmas dinner is going to be huge! Along with real family (my sons, my sister and her family, hopefully my brother and his family), we will probably be spending Christmas Eve with our adopted family - Charley and Mary Lou and Ric. This calls for some serious celebratory wines. For that, we went to Groot Constantia to pick up a couple of bottles of their top 100 award-winning vintage 2012
Grand Constance and a few bottles of their
birthday commemorative 2014 Reserve Red.
God bless us, everyone!
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| rosemary (hedges) and Darlene |
