Four South African Wines - Episode #75

Four South African Wines - Episode #75

August 21, 2006

episode75

2001 Warwick Estate Reserve Red

2002 Warwick Three Cape Ladies Red

2001 Rudera Cabernet Sauvignon

2003 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon

Today Gary talks about four wines from an underatted region, South Africa. He reviews wines from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa. A new QOD and a new feature for you at the end. Watch for it!

84 Responses

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about 6 months ago

thefanjestic
Episode rating - B+ 89 points

Qotd: Chateau Haut Brion 1999 - my wife and I openned a bottle before we decided to start the journey of making our daughter. I have since gone back and bought another bottle for when we make a second edition.
about 6 months ago

Chris
QOTD-

I won a 3L of 2002 Insignia in a raffle (bought 2 Le Mistrals). Not sure when I will open it. Maybe if I ever get married. Any ladies out there? LOL
about 11 months ago

GrapeThinking | Wine, Culture, Lifestyle
[...] Pinotage required to make this a Cape Blend offers spontaneous combustion of fruit profiles with undercurrents of sweet spice from the Merlot [...]
about 11 months ago

GrapeStuff
Lovin’ S.A. thanks to a lot of your encouragement and I agree - its a great region that is definitely under the radar. I have been consistently trying to buy a bottle or two from S.A. for the past few months and have really enjoyed it.
about 13 months ago

Michael H
Just got a chance to watch this episode. Great questions of the day around these episodes.

QOTD: My prized bottle in my collection and why — 1996 Ch. Lafite Rothschild. I wanted to get a “Parker Perfect” about 7-8 years ago to have in my collection. I have since deemed it a bottle to open with my son when he turns 21. That gives it 20 more years of cellaring. I hope I can wait.
about 13 months ago

David Canada
I’d give it an 87….but I have advantage of having see episode 138-260 already.
QOTD - Hmmmm, probably the 1970 Domaine de Chevalier….I just love this wine.
about 20 months ago

sebastien
interesting website and videos..

here is a list of the best south africans you can find today,

5 top whites
1. palladius eben sadie 2003,2004 and 2005
2. springfield estate methode ancienne chardonnay 2002 ,2004
3. lammershoek chenin blanc barriques 2004
4. Scali white blend , chenin and grenache 2005
5. vergelegen white 2003

5 top reds.
1. columella eben sadie 2003,2004
2. observatory syrah 2004
3. boekenhoutskloof cabernet sauvingon 2003
4. Vriesenhof pinot noir 2003
5. Rudera cabernet Sauvingon 2000

and the best pinotage(unique to south africa)

1.scali pinotage 2003.

taste those and come back to me..
p.s eben sadie has recently made dits del terra priorat 2003 ( voted best old world wine )

pps.. dom perignon 1998 is crap..only 1990 and 1996 are good. ( also NEVER keep any wine in your fridge!!!!)

cheers
about 24 months ago

Craig K
Gary,
I’d rate this episode an 88 or so. JohnM said it best: Watchable but not memorable. Always better when you take a few extra minutes to address viewer questions/comments. Most cherished wine in my cellar is an ‘89 Jaboulet La Chapelle Hermitage, because it carries fond memories of our initial learning of Rhone wines in the early 90’s — and there were so many great ones to choose from between the 89 & 90 vintages. Have to mention runner up cherished wine is the ‘91 Dominus because it was the year my wife and I got married.
about 24 months ago

DaBear
Gary,

Had some good South African wines from the Paarl Valley. Can you review some wines from that region?

Steelers are better than the Jets. Are not they the defending Super Bowl Champions…?
about 24 months ago

MikeMe
Most cherished wine in cellar - 2004 Amansio Gualdo del Re (Passito) from Tuscany - amazing taste, lots of care and time into making it, and the winemakers daughter was “hot”.

93 ranking for show

Sorry Gary but this is the decade of the Hawks.
about 24 months ago

MarcT
Easy…Cigarral Pago Del Ama 2001. This is not the best wine I have had ever…but it is one of the best…I need more!!! This is not my best wine in my cellar….but I need more!!!
This was the best recommendation you have ever made Gary. What a deal and what a wine.
Great episode…96 pts…although because in my tasting journal I use a 20 point scale I have to say 16 pts…
Keep up the good work and LET ME KNOW ABOUT THE PICTURES I HAVE BEEN ASKING ABOUT!!!!!
Thanks
about 24 months ago

Tony
MAtty Van & CGF:

Thanks for the info! I’m sure it will come in handy on my trip. Time to get into Riesling!
about 24 months ago

Mike S.
Gary,

Pretty subpar episode. Why is South Africa so underrated? Is it because they’ve been making wine for 350+ years? Is it because the wineries are making an extraordinary strides since the end of apartheid? Unfortunately, there was no discussion about the history of South African wine and except for one brief mention as a blending grape in one of the bottles you were tasting, you said virtually nothing about pinotage. Nor did you discuss the wine regions, except to say that these bottles came from Stellenbosch. Does that make them better than something from the Western Cape or Paarl or Robertson? And, I can name at least a half dozen other reds that are far superior to anything you had in this episode. Maybe it’s because I’ve been drinking South African wine for a number of years now, but I was really expecting a lot more.

As for my most cherished bottle, everything in my rather modest collection is equally valued, albeit for different reasons (i.e. some are sentimental, some were heavily sought out, some I had my eye one for a long time, etc.). That’s just the way I buy my wine.
about 24 months ago

cgf
tony-
i went to school in the finger lakes and love the region.
I agree with matty van about Finger Lakes reds being average at best. The one exception for me is Cabernet Franc, which does very well in the Finger Lakes in my opinion. Good producers of Cab Franc are Miles and Fox Run on Seneca West; Red Newt, Standing Stone(which has the only good Bordeaux blend in the finger lakes), and Lamoreaux Landing on Seneca East; and Ravines and Dr. Frank’s on Keuka.
Besides for that I would stick to the rieslings. The best rieslings and my favorite place to visit is Hermann Wiemer on Seneca West. I would say pick a region (Seneca West or Keuka, etc.) and stick to it for the day.
For Lunch, Stonecat Cafe on Seneca East is great and serves local wines, and Fox Run has a decent bistro on Seneca west.
For dinner, Suzanne is the place to go on Seneca east. If you are at Keuka, the Village tavern inn has decent food and a wine list that includes local wines that go back to the early 90’s if you are interested in seeing how finger lakes wines evolve.
Good luck and enjoy!
about 24 months ago

Bill T.
Gary - A solid 88 - 89! Good job!

Most prized bottle - would have to be a bottle of Boones Farm Apple wine that I have had since I was 18 or 19 years old …30 years ago! (yes, it was legal to drink at that age back then!). Somehow it made it through my college years and never got drunk …although I sure did. BTW - Boones Farm was way ahead of its time and saw the value in a screw top!
I’m sure I’ll never open it but it sure is fun to pull it out every now and then for a laugh!

Does anyone know if Boones Farm apple wine is even sold anymore?
about 24 months ago

Lawrence Leichtman
I would score this episode a 88 just short of a 90. I’m not a fan of South African wines and your comments didn’t inspire me to get them.

My most cherished bottles are 3 empties that I have kept. all 1974 Krug Vintage Brut that were used to toast each new child 1978, 1981, 1983.

One other question. I was totally blown away with your review of the Viogner but now I see WL is out.
Will you be getting any more of that one?
about 24 months ago

ChipsterFL
The S Africa episode was very good. Score: 90

Great advice for the people that dump an entire varietal or region based on one glass.

Most prized bottle? Split between two:

A 1994 Harlan Estate that I have been holding for eight years. I got it from friend and former assistant winemaker, Bob Egelhoff.

A 1997 Marcassin Lorenzo chardonnay that I was able to coerce the good people at the 21 Club out of back in 2000.

Good luck in the AFC. I will scicker to myself if your Jets beat my wife’s beloved Dolphins (because she always giggles when I am watching WLTV at top volume!)

Regards,
Chip LaMarca
Lighthouse Point, FL
about 24 months ago

SeanM
Rated: 85 Speaking pace was fine for me but you rushed the wines, makes it hard to follow the analysis. And you forgot the viewer QUESTIONS. You know you have us spoiled if we start to expect something of you.

I second Rick McQ’s recommendation to the point that I think a pre-announced list would be helpful say once every two weeks. That way you could keep surprising us and we’d have that one episode of “Gary said he smelled WHAT in this swill?”

I haven’t been into wine long enough to have a favorite bottle. I have a 52 bottle cooler of “lessons” and “returned to purchase more” because I liked the first one I tried. I do have a 2004 Colonia Las Liebres Bonarda Mendoza which I truely wish I could find more of in the DC area. Now that the ‘05 is out I guess I’ll have to give that a try and maybe give up on finding the ‘04.
about 24 months ago

Jessica W.
JETS JETS JETS
about 24 months ago

Matty Van
Hey Tony…here is link to our new wine and culinary center is on your way to the finger lakes from rochester, i recemend any NY wine tour start here. I live in rochester and have never really had a NY red that I rated better than average, we have a lot of great resling and dessert wines.

http://nywcc.com/

http://www.fingerlakes.org/wine.htm
about 24 months ago

Jessica W.
Thanks Gary for giving an episode to South Afica, although I did want you to try the 100% Pinotage;),
This show is great, they are all different therefore they all have their own unique aspects.
As well I think for the educational aspects you should touch base a bit more on the vineyard site and the winemaker. Perhaps a map in the backround.
As well you should introduce a new “winespeak” vocab word, and explain why you are using this to descibe the particular wine.
By the way I am A JERSEY GIRL
about 24 months ago

Jared
j-e-t-s jets jets jets…

I would rate this episode as “your typical california cab…$15 veriety.” I think you put that at about 84.

QOD: I would have to say my most cherished bottle would be the 1976 Chateau D’Yquem becuase of how much both my wife and i enjoy sauterns and this one is year older than my wife.
about 24 months ago

Rick McQ
Gary:

How about picking three wines from a specific region ahead of time. One $10-15, $20-25, then a $30-$40. They would have to be wines that have a good GV score. The WLTV croud could order the wine a couple weeks ahead. Then we would taste as you taste. It would help learn about different regions and see if we like it.
about 24 months ago

boz151
Gary,
I’d rate the episode an 88. No big suprises. Love the WLTV blog though, keep up the good work !!

My favorite bottle of wine in the cellar now is probably 1997 Illuminatti “Lumen” Why? Because this is the first time we started buying wine seriously…led me to buy a wine cellar etc etc. I’ve had the 1995, 1997 and 1999 and they are all great. Tough to find thought. I’d be interested in your thoughts on the wine.
about 24 months ago

Tony S.
Gary,

I’ve missed your show the last week and a half because I was on vacation…doing nothing. So, I’m glad to catch back up.

First off: WEEK 10 (Nov. 19th) THE BEARS WILL EAT UP YOUR JETS ONE WEEK AFTER TEARING UP THE GIANTS!!! And you know it too.

Secondly: On a scale from 147-253 I give today’s show (well, actually yesterday’s show, I watched this on Tuesday morning) a 247. The reason for the dumb point scale…c’mon, points are dumb. They make sense at times, but I just like knowing someone’s reaction to wine that’s the key thing. Either way, I’m saying your show was tops, not the best today, but consistantly a good watch.

Third: My prized wine, currently (I usually have a prized wine and then drink it) is a 98 Mouton. The only reason it’s the 98 is cause I got this to have on December 19th, 2008 for my 10 year wedding anniversary with my wife. I figure 10 years is good for a 98…not too strong of a vintage for Pauillac.

OK, see you later. Go Bears!!
Tony

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