One Year On- A year of the Grape Press

 

Hey Everyone,

So I have now come to the first year anniversary (well a bit past it) since I first posted. A lot changes in a year; graduation, and amazing summer in St. Andrews and the United States, time spent working in New York City and helping set up a new company in the Auld Grey Toon. Visa problems for myself - and it seems most of my friends and now I am at new heights in my wine experience. It has certainly been an interesting year for the Grape Press and myself.

I have been in South Africa now for 8 days and my experiences have been tremendous. I have seen the most beautiful landscapes I've ever laid eyes on, I've tasted some amazing food and meat some amazing people. My objective; to explore the wines of this country has been well under way for some time, with some exciting results. I have meat young, ambitious and energetic wine makers, old hands with tremendous experience and plenty of other characters in and around this great town of Stellenbosch.

The enthusiasm that these people breathe is infectious, and if you come to a wine farm ambivalent to the product, you will leave an hour later as devoted to the wines as the winemaker himself. It is easy to get caught up in things here in Stellenbosch; because everything about the place is emotive. Every night there is a carnival atmosphere in the town and you can't help but have fun. Beyond the streets of town there is the countryside where the most striking landscapes imaginable can stun you without fail every single day.

I for one am finding myself increasingly devoted to South Africa's wines and the people behind the bottles. There are stories here that ring true with everything I want wine to be. There is romance and there is love for the land as well as artistry and awareness. I know that wine, unlike any other product has a penchant for getting passion from it's devotees but there is an intensity in South Africa that vindicates my devotion to the subject. There are themes that are beyond my ability to vocalise so I will not attempt to do them justice, but suffice to say that they are as great as the Helderberg Mountains and as complex as the country's past.

I hope over the past year you have enjoyed my writing and I look forward to continuing in 2013 and into the future. To see the huge changes over the course of the year, I am filled with great hope to know that just as much can happen in the coming year. Tonight find a glass of something nice, be it wine, beer, juice (whatever!) and enjoy it. I'll be doing the same!

(As always) Much Love,

G

 

Posted with Blogsy

Try this great Rhône!

Here's a nice wine from right in the middle of the Sweet Spot. Not only is the price great, but it comes from a region loaded with great value wines, the Rhône. Why bother with the immature, or hastily made Bordeaux available under £20 when you can get a real beauty from the Rhône. One of my favourite wines for regular drinking, especially as accompaniment to a nice juicy steak or barbecue, is this 2008 Crozes-Hermitage from Paul Jaboulet-Aîné.

A bit of background to the wines of Crozes-Hermitage; they are always made from Syrah (sometimes with a bit of white grapes Marsanne and Rousanne in the blend but I don't think this one has any), and in their youth they have a gorgeous nose of dry roasted black peppercorns. They are usually drunk young as their big brother, Hermitage usually ages more gracefully,but a couple of years brings out some amazing aromas of green olives, brine and sea-breezes. A friend of mine said rock-pools as a tasting note for Crozes-Hermitage and it was definitely a good call.

This wine is super classic Northern Rhône. It has all the big black pepper you could want, but it doesn't dominate. There is a lot of great complexity, with some lovely red currants and black cherries, with those aged aromas of brine, olives and rock pool coming through. There's a bit of a sea breeze coming in as well carrying with it some floral fragrances. Apparently the smell of violets is standard in Rhône Syrah, but as I think about it, I've never properly smelled a violet... What kind of person has never smelled a violet? Seriously!

The palate is toasty and dry with all that pepper hanging around but mingling well with the tannins, acidity, fruit flavours and other spices, making for an elegant example of the Northern Rhône. Pair it with a nice steak, some barbecued pork or some nice slow roasted lamb. All in all, it's a really great food wine, and it can be thought of as another ingredient to the meal, almost like a condiment you put directly in your mouth rather than on the food. Give it a go sometime!

Much love, G

Paul Jaboulet-Aîné
Crozes-Hermitage
2008 Les Jalets
About £14-£15