How does SA compare with the very best of France – the home of the most revered wines in the world and often used as the benchmark for most SA winemaking? Here is a write-up of a private tasting that compared some of the finest wines from each country. Many styles and varieties could have been chosen, but I decided on wines with good track records and varieties that traditionally work well in each country. Each of the important regions in France were highlighted, except for Alsace and Champagne where SA would perhaps not have fared as well. The wines were tasted blind by 18 tasters and in each pair votes were tallied for a favourite and an overall winner.

Flight 1 Beaumont Hope Marguerite 2011 (R147) Huet Vouvray Le Haut-Lieu Sec 2011 (R295)

A terrific match-up! Both are made from old-vine Chenin; the Huet from mostly 50-year-old vines and the Beaumont from 30-year-old vines, and older. Both are made in an elegant, fresh style without malolactic fermentation or heavy barrique influence. The Beaumont does see 400l oak fermentation, which gives it a slightly wider feel on the palate. Hope Marguerite has a tremendous track record with a string of Platter five stars; it is probably the most lauded Chenin from SA made in a classical style. Le Haut-Lieu is renowned for being the most fragrant and fruity of the three Huet vineyards. Typically steely and mineral from tuffeau limestone, it showed well but didn’t have the complexity and mouthfeel of the Hope Marguerite. An interesting exercise would be to compare the two wines in a decade’s time. Winner – SA

For the full article go to http://winecellarplus.co.za/2013/03/01/ultimate-taste-off-sa-vs-france/beaumont/

The complete list of the 20 finalists:

Altydgedacht Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Beaumont Pinotage 2010 (Bot River)
Delheim Pinotage 2011 (Stellenbosch)
Diemersdal Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Durbanville Hills Rhinofields Pinotage 2011 (Durbanville)
Fairview Pinotage 2011 (Costal Region)
KWV Cathedral Cellar Pinotage 2009 (Western Cape)
Mount Vernon Three Peaks Pinotage 2011 (Paarl Simonsberg)
Painted Wolf Guillermo Pinotage 2009 (Swartland)
Painted Wolf The Den Pinotage 2010 (Coastal Region)
Riebeek Cellars Reserve Pinotage 2011 (Swartland)
Rijk’s Private Cellar Pinotage 2008 (Tulbagh)
Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2008 (Tulbagh)
Simonsig Red Hill Pinotage 2010 (Stellenbosch)
Spier 21 Gables Pinotage 2010 (Stellenbosch)
Springfontein Jonathan’s Ridge Pinotage 2009 (Walker Bay)
Swartland Winery Bush Vine Pinotage 2010 (Swartland)
Tukulu Pinotage 2009 (Darling)
Wellington Wines La Cave Pinotage 2010 (Wellington)
Windmeul Reserve Pinotage 2011 (Paarl)

For the full article go to http://www.wine.co.za/News/news.aspx?NEWSID=20982&Source=News

Presenting a tasting to industry experts is no easy task. Unlike consumers, these guys don’t fall for witty stories or back label waffle – it’s all about what’s in the glass, whether it’s good or bad and exactly why it presents the way it does.

VinPro’s consultation team asked me to present a tasting of “interesting wines that caught my eye” to end off one of their technical discussions. The criteria is a bit broad (luckily, many wines have caught my eye this past year) and I decided to limit my selection to unusual varietals or blends thereof.

Although the wines were required to be technically sound, I was happy to see that my audience (which comprised the VinPro team, as well as other viticulture experts) had a real appreciation for wines with an atypical edge constantly seeking that curiosity factor. This was also reflected in the favourite wines of the day:

Beaumont Mourvédre 2009

This “wild thing” was tamed in Bot River. According to most of the tasters, Mourvédre is known to be a somewhat ruthless character in both vineyard and bottle, growing like “wingerd woude” and being somewhat edgy as a wine.
While the Beaumont didn’t lose its characterful wild side, it’s a remarkably rounded and elegant wine – showcasing a good balance of rich fruit, spiciness and an appealing meatiness. This can probably be ascribed to the age of these vines, the cooler climate in which they grow and the track record and experience that Beaumont boasts with in this varietal.

…continue reading on www.wineland.co.za

by Edo Heyns – Wynland

Laid-back surfer, Beaumont winemaker and popular Chenin dude, Sebastian Beaumont, has contagious confidence in Botrivier and the Cape. He suggests that there is a new generation of South African winemakers that are not copying the French, Aussies or Americans, but confidently embrace the South Africanness of their wines.

“There seemingly used to be an obsession with trying to keep up with the trends of other wine producing countries, but winemakers are now more often well-travelled and world-wise in wine terms – and they know that they can confidently take on the best,” explains Sebastian.

And he also puts his money where his mouth is: Chenin is Beaumont’s key varietal, followed by Pinotage, as the red flag-bearer.

“It is impossible to make a Loire Chenin in Botrivier, but it is possible to make world class Chenin here – which is exactly what we are intending to do.”

The Hope Marguerite Chenin Blanc has earned its place among SA’s leading Chenins and the single block is now being rejuvenated by young vines, replacing the old stalwarts that didn’t endure the journey, which started in 1978.

Sebastian’s off the beaten track approach is also reflected in Beaumont’s unconventional blend…   …continue reading on www.wineland.co.za

by Edo Heyns – Wynland

Sekere manne mág maar baard dra. Samarie Smith het die Bot­ rivier­wynmakers se baarde gaan beoordeel en nuwe wyn­ juwele gaan soek.

Peter­Alan Finlayson van Crystallum, Braam Gericke en sy seun van Wildekrans, Kobie Viljoen van Gabriëlskloof en voor is PJ Geyer van Barton met sy wenbaard. Foto’s: SAMARIE SMITH

As dogtertjies het ons gewoond geraak aan die legendariese baarde van Kersva- der en Heidi se oupa.
Maar toe ons grootgeword het, het ons skielik agtergekom dat daardie selfde baarde nou op Adonisse soos Johnny Depp en Aragorn van The Lord of the Rings groei.
Hoor ’n vrou – jonk of oud – daai diep stem onder Sean Connery se wit baard, word die gryse hemel skielik blou en die swaeltjies kom terug ná die winter.
Hier in die Kaap is ons gelukkig ge- noeg om ’n plaaslike eweknie van dié helde te hê, in die persoon van Peter Fin- layson van Bouchard Finlayson-wyne.
Seker dié dat die wynmakers van Bot- rivier dit goed gedink het om in die voet- spore van groot bebaarde gestaltes te volg en die einde van die 2012-oesjaar on- der baard te vier.
Die tradisie van “Beards & Barrels” sorg vir groot geesdrif wanneer die oes in die Overberg afgesluit word. Vanjaar was dit gehou by The Old Shed op die Anysbos-plaas – met ’n vark op die spit, plaaslike disse en ’n boereorkes.
In die wyne is daar altyd iets nuuts of besonders wat wag: Ryper en meer ele- gante sauvignon blanc, chenin en viog- nier; ’n Portugese kultivar soos verdelho; diep en aardse rooies soos shiraz, mour- vedre tot pinot noir; gehout en ongehoute chardonnay-juwele; en hul eie vonkels.
Die wynstyle is so uiteenlopend soos die wynmakers se baarde: Daar was alles van Amies, Boerseun, digter-filosoof, iets uit ’n hygroman, ’n seerower tot hul eie Spaanse veroweraar. Dit was juis dié ve- roweraar wat die titel van Beste Baard verower het.
Die braai-en-baard-aand was natuurlik ook ’n geleentheid om die jongste oesjaar uit die vate met besoekers te deel.

Sabastian Beaumont van Beaumont­wyne laat die besoekers van die jonger shiraz­ mourvedre versnit proe.

Die Burger, Saterdag 8 April 2012