Four Partners (not Cousins) at the Vineyard Hotel

KLEIN CONSTANTIA, MEERLUST, SIMONSIG AND WARWICK WINE ESTATES
Monday 20 March 2017
http://www.kleinconstantia.com/
http://www.meerlust.co.za/
http://www.simonsig.co.za/
http://warwickwine.com/
https://www.vineyard.co.za/

Experience: 3/5
Wines: 4/5

Tasting at the Vineyard Hotel, Claremont in the Cape Town southern suburbs this evening was different to those usually attended. The Hotel provided wines from 4 of its 5 wine partners: Klein Constantia, Meerlust, Simonsig and Warwick wine estates. The wines all came from the Hotel cellar and so not all available for general sale.

The usual flow and sequence of wines was consequently interrupted. I started with a Chenin Blanc from Simonsig. It had a noticeably green tinge to its pale straw yellow colour together with a mix of herby, citrus and light tropical notes. It was herbier than light tropical to me and so not an entirely typical Chenin Blanc. The Chardonnay that followed certainly was. It was powerful, unctuous and wooded with a forward aroma on the nose. It was a 2009 vintage, relatively old for a Chardonnay, but not as dark a deep straw colour as I would have expected. Highly wooded Chardonnays are not generally my favourite style but I enjoyed this.

The Sauvignon Blanc from the Warwick estate was light to medium-bodied and classic green pale straw in colour. Decidedly herbaceous on the palate and with a lingering finish, I wish I could have stayed for a light supper after with the rest of the bottle.

The fourth and final was the only red, a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend from Klein Constantia. This entry-level vintage is no longer available to buy and so a real treat to taste. I could see the gradation in colour at the rim of the deep ruby appearance which indicated its age. It was a pleasant fruity, plum flavour on the palate with some spice and with rounded tannins.

Though not a regular tasting at the Vineyard, it was nonetheless a pleasant tasting. I even met some of my fellow students from the Cape Wine Academy Certificate Course from the end of last week ….

Wines tasted (bought *):

White:

2011 Simonsig Chenin Blanc – R unknown (R60 for 2016 vintage)
2009 Meerlust Chardonnay – R unknown (R215 for 2015 vintage) FAVOURITE WINE
2010 Warwick Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc – R110

Red:

2006 Klein Constantia Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot – R unknown (R70 for 2013 vintage)