The Cellar: South African Wines to Love

The Cellar: South African Wines to Love

This week The Cellar features two wines from South Africa; a country whose relevance in the wine trade dates back centuries when the port of Cape Town was a major trading hub for eastern and western merchants. As a world-class producer however, South Africa is considered a ‘new world’ wine producing nation. If you have never tried a South African wine I urge you to get tasting.  

2010 Secateurs Swartland, Chenin Blanc

The grape that is most widely planted in South Africa is Chenin Blanc, known locally as ‘Steen’. The province of Swartland, (Black Land) is named after the indigenous rhenoster bush which covers the landscape and is

said to turn black after rain. While vineyards in Swartland have long been a source of premium grapes for the country’s top producers, only recently have family farms started making premium wine from their own grapes under their own labels. While having been growing grapes for more than 50 years, the Badenhorst family's wine, the  Secateurs, is only the second vintage under their own label.  

The 2010 Secateurs Chenin Blanc is made from grapes sourced from the 70 acre Kalmoesfontein farm and its 40-year-old low-yielding, unirrigated mountain sloped bush wines. This wine is vibrant and delicious. The warm and dry climate with cool Atlantic breezes, allows the grape to cool down overnight so as to retain their natural acidity. The result is a wine that displays both pronounced fruit and acidity. The wine is medium-bodied - slightly creamy in fact; an attribute probably given to it after 7 months of maturation on the lees. This wine offers minerals, citrus and green fruit notes up front. It is on the transition to the finish that melon notes and the creaminess kick in. 

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2004 Boschetto Stellekaya

The wine growing district of Stellenbosch, located just east of Cape Town, is considered South Africa’s oldest and most respected winegrowing district. Among the leading red varietals grown in the district are many

international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is therefore not unusual for producers to experiment with various sorts of blends, like this week's second wine; a ‘Bordeaux-like’ blend that is primarily Cabernet and Merlot but also contains Shiraz and a little bit of Sangiovese. 

When Ntsiki Biyela joined Stellekaya Winery in 2004 she became the first African female head-winemaker at a large producer in South Africa. Her reliance on traditional winemaking techniques has brought great success to the winery. The grapes that make the Boschetto are sourced from the cool areas around the Helderberg Mountains; conditions that cause the grapes to ripen slowly and maintain their natural acidity. Their entry-level Boschetto is not a fruit bomb, but a wine that is spicy, savory and complex. It’s a 2004, so all the earthy, red and dark fruit flavors have had time to mingle together with the tannins. As a result the wine comes across multi-faceted and balanced.