Hermanuspietersfontein Swartskaap

Swartskaap; Afrikaans for Black Sheep

Hey Everyone,

Despite the nearly incomprehensible name, this wine is beautiful stuff.  I am a huge fan of South African wine in general and when winemakers embrace the fact that they are perfectly suited to such complex wines and grape varieties, I think they can truly achieve a great deal.  Today's wine, the 'Swartskaap' 2008 by Hermanuspietersfontein, is a solid example of a %100 Cabernet Franc.  So many great wines these days are being made from this grape, which rarely gets the spotlight (though when it does, it performs wonderfully!) and often they are well priced.

This wine is superbly vegetal with lots of green bell pepper supported by dark cherries and a bit of strawberry with a touch of thyme and rosemary sprinkled in for a herbal balance.  On the palate it isn't too tannic and has a nice lingering acidic finish with a near perfect balance.  If anything it could be a bit more fruit forward and let the vegetal character be less prevalent.  Other than that, I am certainly pleasantly surprised by the fullness of character and the complexity.

I had this wine with some braised herb-crusted pork loin, and I am afraid it didn't quite work together, but had I gone for a pork accompanied by some berries or some other such style, I am confident that this Cabernet would have worked nicely.  Of course, the ideal pairing would have been a rack of lamb with a mustard and breadcrumb crust, as I am sure the acidity of this wine would take on the fatty texture of the lamb and the herbal notes would compliment the sweet meat flavours.  I also this a good roast duck would be splendid stuff with such a great example of Cabernet Franc.

It sells for about £17 so it's not a badly priced bottle for a really complex and intriguing wine.  It is yet another example of just how interesting South Africa's wine makers can be when they set their minds to being so adventurous.  %100 Cabernet Franc is certainly adventurous, without any supporting grapes for fruitiness, and to pull it all off with such class, it is clear that Hermanuspietersfontein has a skillful winemaker at work!

Much Love,
G

Thanks again to Flickinger Photography for the help with the photo! www.flickingerphotography.com

Work of Time- Springfield

Hey Everyone,

Today's wine to try is an interesting concept.  A well known estate in South Africa's Robertson region, namely Springfield Estate, has made an attempt at a Bordeaux-style red blend.  While I believe wholeheartedly that South Africa is in many ways an old soul when it comes to wine-making (for my post of South Africa click here), this winery has largely been a new-world operation in my book, producing fruity, forthcoming reds and crisp whites.  That said, I really enjoy all of their wines and think that they are indeed a class-act when it comes to the wines they produce, and I was intrigued at this years Bibendum tasting in London when I saw a more recent addition to their range.

Rich and full-flavoured, it has a lot of class.

The wine is known by the somewhat over-grand sobriquet, "the Work of Time," written in a sort of pseudo-seventeen-hundreds script on the label.  It is a Bordeaux style blend, but the wine-makers have done something rather interesting here by leading with Bordeaux's third wheel grape, Cabernet Franc.  Generally, I am a huge fan of anything made from Cabernet Franc, from the reds of the Loire, to Pulenta's  Gran Cabernet Franc.  It is a herbal, complex and satisfying variety which I hope to see more of in the future.  The assemblage is further comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a dash of Petit Verdot.

A long time (2 years) aging in barrels after a long period of maceration (that's the time when the juice is left on the crushed skins to allow colour and flavour extraction) show a lot of thought went into producing this wine.  Obviously it is the result of a confident wine-maker looking to produce something a bit more interesting that his standard range.  One thing that I am always impressed by with this estate, is that it is determined to use the natural yeast which develops on the grapes rather than adding cultured yeast to encourage more controlled fermentation.  I think that is an adventurous thing to do, and in this wine, I am glad it was done so.

The wine itself shows a deep colour despite nearly 8 years gone since the vintage, though the edge is developing an attractive brick-red colour.  It is quite viscous in texture, and is really very appealing in the glass.  The nose is very oaky and rich.  Lots of vanilla, clove and other spices as well as stewed blackberries and jammy currants.  There's a tad of eucalyptus, which is classic to South Africa's red wines.  On the palate, there is a heap of vanilla and black fruits, alongside some moderate tannins.  It's definitely at it's peak now as the herbal notes are light but tasteful and the acidity is mellow but still fresh enough to hold it all together.

In general it's a tasty wine and an estimable product from the wine-maker which I imagine would go wonderfully with a lamb casserole and a nice bit of mature cheddar cheese.  I hope you get the chance to give this one a go, it'd sure be a crowd pleaser if you're having folks over for dinner, are needing a gift for someone or just plain old want a good bottle of wine for you an a friend for a night in.

Much Love,
G

Wine Specs