Hermanuspietersfontein 2009 Die Martha

Hey Everyone,

Happily back in rainy St. Andrews, I am writing up a little review of an interesting bottle with a very difficult to pronounce name. Hermanuspietersfontein is one of my favourite producers for reasons other than the very classic Afrikaaner name. The last wine I had from their collection was the 2008 Swartskaap Cabernet Franc, a really pleasant and interesting, if slightly one-dimensional wine. It was a unique approach to a single varietal in South Africa which I have not seen elsewhere (though I do look forward with great anticipation to the Sijnn Touriga Nacional as soon as I do get a chance to try it).

Tonights wine however is a more classic example of a Rhone blend of 74% Shiraz, 23% Mourvédre and 3% Viognier. Initially the nose is pretty standard for a big South African red, with prominent cocoa, spice and black currant. It does develop a bit though and takes on a very old-world aroma of olive. Black rather than green olives, I would add, though with a few years of ageing ahead it is likely that green olive would become a dominant aroma on the nose. There is pleanty of leather and licorice with oak driven flavours of nutmeg, cinnamon and coconut as well as a touch of cigar box for added complexity.

While not a very challenging wine, it is overwhelmingly enjoyable and pleasing. While I think it might be a bit too confected for steak or lamb, I could see this going wonderfully with barbecues and slowroasted pork. I think some germanic food like sausages and boar would do nicely as well.

This is just the sort of wine I love on a cool evening in November, it's warming, pleasant and easily enjoyable. Hope you are enjoying something equally satisfying these days!

Much Love,

G

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Wines tasted in Paris

Hey Everyone,

Today I am putting out the tasting notes for a few rather nice wines I have had the chance to try during my travels in Paris.  These are not particularly available in the UK, but hopefully when a better representation of their styles becomes available, you will think back and recall that you heard good things about these appellations.

First off, I spent my first night searching the streets for a good wine bar, and after realising that such a thing in Paris is tremendously expensive, I looked instead for a good wine shop, which I was fortunate enough to find.  The first wine I tried was a 2009 Rigal Cahors.  Made up of 70% Malbec and 30% Merlot, this wine was big and dark, earning it's historic title of 'Black Wine' which dates to the middle ages.  It had aromas of black berries, and smoke, currants and flint as well as the classic Malbec aromas of clove, coffee and cocoa after a few hours left to breathe.  It was deep, bold and satisfying and representative of a style of wine which I hope makes it more regularly to the rest of the world.

Next I was able to get a hold of the second tasty Bergerac of my trip, being a 2009 Roc de Miremont.  I was interested in this one in particular as it was not Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot based, but rather it focused on Cabernet Franc as the lead varietal.  It was softer than the standard Bergerac wines with which I am familiar, but it was definitely complex and pleasing on par with the rest of the Bordeaux I experienced on this trip.

The last wine I will write about here is the most recent of my trip, being that I am drinking it now..  It is a 2011 Château Auney L'Hermitage Graves Blanc.  It was about 10 euros and for the price I found the most satisfying white of the trip.  It was oaky with hints of peach, lychee and a bit of that rocky gravel character that does such a service to Graves wine.  It was refreshing and possessed a zesty acidic edge allowing balance for it's big, opulent flavours.  Over all a pleasing wine.  I wish with all my heart that oaky Bordeaux blanc under £10 were a reality in Britain. If I could make a wine in a particular style, it would be along the lines of Bordeaux Blanc.  Great stuff.

Anyways, there were plenty more wines tasted in restaurants and from bottles during my trip to Paris but I only wanted to highlight these three for their general interest.  They are styles of wines which should be available to the punter in Britain because they fill a gap in the market.  I hope you get to try some interesting French wines in the future and if you find something of interest, please send your discoveries to me at grapepresswines@gmail.com.

Much Love,
G