A little wine lover must have been there, South Africa. This crazy wine country is not only vast and breathtakingly beautiful, it also has many wine regions where you can taste. We opted for a trip to the Western Cape, where it all began.
Text: Château Petri | Image: René van de Waal and packshots supplied.
Winemaker Louis Roos takes us in his jeep for a bumpy ride across the grounds of Mooiplaas. With great height differences, this is also a mountain biker's paradise. It is a bit of a struggle, but the reward follows as we stand in a breathtakingly beautiful spot, all the way up the hills with nothing but mountains and vineyards around us. On top of the world. We toast to the wine estate's new vintage. Afterwards, the rest of the wines are already ready in the Pronk room of the former residence. We taste the particularly fine range made from the well-known grape varieties chenin blanc, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinotage, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz. Our top three? The Coco Merlot and the Bean Coffee Pinotage stand out for their full-bodied flavours with chocolate, coffee and mocha-like aromas. That's because Louis ages them for five months in heavily toasted French oak. Top of the list is the Houmoed, a Chenin Blanc from bush vines With a fantastic balance in freshness, spiciness and a gossamer thread of honey.
Tasting on top of the world
One such company is Mooiplaas. When you arrive in Stellenbosch's Bottelary Hills, you literally step into the past. The original 18e-Built in the historic Cape Dutch architectural style, the farmhouse looks exactly the same outside and inside as it did two hundred years ago. You can stay overnight in the family's former home, which has now been crowned a national monument. The decoration of the Savings Room, the Front Room and the Free Room is inspired by the interiors of yesteryear, including a bed with a canopy, nice to see.
Since 1963, Mooiplaas has been run by the Roos family. Father Nicolaas bought it, sons Tielman and Louis continue the family tradition, combining traditional viticulture with nature conservation. Because in addition to the hundred hectares of vineyards, 60 hectares are dedicated to a the Mooiplaas Private Nature Reserve To protect endangered fynbos species.
We drank with Louis atop the hills, but if a trip to South Africa is not on the cards, you can just discover Mooiplaas' wines at home in lower ground. They made a nice collection in their 'Classic Discovery' wine box. In it are the Mooiplaas Classics made from sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, chenin blanc, pinotage, cabernet sauvignon and there is a blend of merlot and cabernet franc.
You can read the whole article in WINELIFE edition 95, which you shop here. Below we continue with the tasting notes, made by Petri Houweling.
Mooiplaas, Classic Sauvignon Blanc, Classic Range
Fresh wine with a soft acidity and aromas of Granny Smith apples, lemongrass and toasted fennel. Deliciously mineral and fresh with an edge of cream due to maturation on yeast cells.
Mooiplaas, Classic Chardonnay, Classic Range
Chardonnay, but in a nice fresh style. You taste grapefruit, something mineral, a hint of vanilla with a delicate butteriness.
Mooiplaas, Chenin Blanc - Bush Vines, Classic Range
The grapes come from forest canes, or bushvines. This gives just a little more power in the juice. We taste subtle aromas of quince and ripe mango, topped off with a fresh-sour mineral finish.
Mooiplaas Pinotage, Classic Range
Taste the Mooiplaas Wine Estate, Pinotage especially yourself, as it is included in the WINELIFE Plus and Premium box. Recognise the aromas of ripe plums, currant and if chilled the edge of eucalyptus alongside the powerful and intense flavour with a long, refined finish.
Mooiplaas, Cabernet Sauvignon, Classic Range
Spice, the familiar cigar box and some graphite. Typical cabernet! Give it some more time to ripen and the tannic structure builds off a bit.
Mooiplaas, Classic Merlot - Cabernet Franc, Classic Range
Nicely ripe and supple Bordeaux-style merlot-cabernet franc blend with a handful of spice, some mulberry cherry and distinctive tertiary aromas of cedar and leather. Round and supple with plenty of flavour in a smooth Bordeaux style.
Lyngrove
Lyngrove Sauvignon Blanc
Classic New Zealand style sauvignon blanc. Fresh kiwi and slightly vegetal notes such as kiwi, gooseberry, green apple and passion fruit.
Lyngrove reserve, sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc .
Beautiful blend of sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc with an excellent balance of aroma and flavour. You mainly smell the fresh sauvignon blanc, while tasting the creaminess of the chenin. Aromatic wine brimming with aromas of green apple, lime and aniseed.
Lyngrove Chardonnay reserve
Fresh style chardonnay with lots of flavour. Lime, tropical fruit, combined with something soft and creamy.
Lyngrove Platinum Chenin Old Vine
Premium Chenin with candied apple, guava, dried pineapple and some caramelised almonds. Creamy and rich in flavour and with a nice length.
Lyngrove reserve Shiraz Pinotage reserve €9.99-
That shiraz and pinotage go well together is proven by this blend. It is packed with aromas of ripe red cherry and blackcurrant, strawberry yoghurt, a little pepper and plum. With that refined touch of sage. Fine glass.
Lyngrove Lighthouse Collection Syrah €11,95
Syrah as a monocepage also does fine. It is a container of black fruit with blueberry and cherry and a pepper packed into a firm body with ditto tannins. This is an excellent meal wine.
Lyngrove reserve sauvignon cabernet €9.99
This is not for the terrace, but fine at the table. Firm cherry and more black fruit. With typical cabernet aromas like cedar and leather. Slightly higher alcohol content, though.
Lyngrove Pinotage
Gourmet pinotage for advanced with lots of ageing aromas like tar and smokiness and chocolate. In this you taste the Fynbos, combined with a lick of marmalade, vanilla and cinnamon.
Bengula Cove
Bengula Cove Collage estate wine
Bordeauxblend avant la lettre with cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec. There is a lot to taste in this super blend. Lots of fruit, spicy and clear notes of wood ageing. Lovely soft tannins. Great wine, especially at this price.
Bengula Cove WalkerBay Chardonnay
Lovely typical chardonnay with the famous fat and buttery finish. Remarkably fresh for a chardonnay. Ripe grapefruit plays an important role in this wine.
Bengula Cove vinography Cabernet sauvignon Limited edition
Only 1,500 bottles of this pure Cabernet Sauvignon are made. In the nose, it has something smoky and the smell of one of those old leather bags. Then aromas of elderberry, plum, blueberry, blackberry and dried tomato take over.
Bengula Cove Vinography Chardonnay Limited edition
Move over Burgundy! Especially when you can also buy this at a much better price-quality ratio. Gourmet chardonnay with lots of depth and flavour: We smell and taste toasted bread, lemon, candied pineapple, vanilla and a touch of butter. The wine has tremendous length and is fabulously delicious with aged cheese with a lick of truffle mayonnaise.
Bengula Cove Catalina Semillon
You keep smelling this wine: quince, floor wax, lime and hay combined with a sea breeze and lemongrass come along. Furthermore, deliciously mineral with tremendous length. In short, a dyke of a (complex) wine from a fairly unknown grape variety that is not often bottled as a monocépage.
The Benguela Cove Lighthouse collection is a beautiful series varietal as, so wines from one grape variety. Only grapes from their own vineyards are used for them, so you recognise the typical Bengula Cove Cool-Climate handwriting. The wines reflect the classic characteristics of the grapes well, with a South African touch
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