Club Wines - May 2018

DELUXE CASE

Pairs With

Enjoy with chicken/rabbit in white wine sauce and shallots. Simple, aromatic Asian dishes or rich seafood.

Vondeling Babiana

(Chenin Blanc 64%, Viognier 19%, Roussanne 8.5% & Grenache Blanc 8.5%) The Babiana Noctiflora is a rare species of fynbos found only on the Paardeberg Mountain. It has a delicate yellow flower, which releases its scent in the evenings to attract moths for pollination.

The wine has a pale, straw-like yellow colour with a bright green hue. The nose gives great tension and poise brimming with roasted almonds, sweet cashew, Turkish delight, lime zest, apricot and orange marmalade, wild honey and pineapple. Fresh, vibrant and textured palate with weighted density and length. Layers of rolled oats, white pepper, floral jasmine, mint, ginger and creamy lemon meringue aptly supported by subtle and reserved oak presence.

Pairs with

Creamy dishes from white wine pasta sauces to Hollandaise, white fish and chicken as well as light truffle and blue cheese flavours. It works well with sushi but also delicious with fresh and roasted nuts.

Babylonstoren Chardonnay

Grapes were cold pressed and fermentation was started in stainless steel tanks. On the third day after fermentation started the wine was transferred into 300 litre French oak barrels – 80% new and 20% second fill. After fermentation the wine was kept on the thick lees for about three to four months and was batonnaged every three weeks. It was then racked and went back into the barrels for another eight months, totalling twelve months, and then bottled.

Classy, sleek structure with subtle citrus fruit softened with textured creaminess, vanilla and nutty complexity. Tangy mineral tones with fine intensity and balance; good focus and length with a refreshing finish.

Pairs With

Strong flavoured fish and seafood, mild curries such as bobotie and chicken korma, and some Asian foods.

Mellasat White Pinotage

The world’s first White Pinotage! Our first vintage of this wine was in 2007.

The paradox of this wine is that the eye belies the other senses! Making white wine from red grapes using South Africa’s unique Pinotage grape. Whole bunch pressing prevented the juice from obtaining colour from the skins. Barrel fermented and matured for eleven months with lees stirring gives this wine a slightly creamy, nutty character to balance the tropical pineapple fruit and banana flavours.”

Pairs With

Smoked duck and pulled pork. Bobotie, ratatouille and curry all taste better with a glass of Pinotage.

Cloof Pinotage

The winemaker spends months tasting and testing in their cellar, until they find those prodigious wines that complement the blends that provide only the best expression of the extreme low yielding, dry land, bush vines vineyards in Darling. Handcrafted, this exclusive and complex collection truly reflects the artistry and expertise of our master winemaker.

This wine has a deep ruby red colour, with elegant and concentrated aromas of plums, honey-bush and hints of cigar box on the nose. Rich flavours of prune follows through on the palate, supported by the fruits found on the nose. This wine is well supported with soft integrated tannins that leads to an elegant and smooth finish.

One is greeted by the flavours of plums and chocolate on a platform of well-integrated oak flavours on entry, followed by elegant raspberry and red currant flavours backed by well-pronounced spice from the Syrah. Medium to full-bodied, juicy with a firm, ripe tannin structure backed by well-balanced acidity. Mid palate is full of dark fruit with a long and lingering finish.

Pairs With

Steaks, roasts, casseroles, stews, venison

Mt Vernon Cabernet Sauvignon

The flavours follow the nose with sweet spice at the edge where vanilla leads the way. It all comes together with long, smooth, ripe fruited finish.

Vibrant, young characters that drink well now yet lots of potential development.

Pairs With

Leg of lamb barbequed over a hot bed of coals or a hearty slow roasted pork belly with root vegetables and herb roasted tomatoes.

Vondeling Erica

Vondeling Erica is named in honour of Erica hippurus, a species of fynbos (vegetation type occurring in the Western Cape region of South Africa) that is endemic to the Paardeburg mountain, the home of Vondeling Wines.

Shiraz 73%, Mourvedre 12%, Grenache 7%, Carignan 5%,Viognier 3%. Rich deep red / purple colour. Bold and dominant, dark fruit with liquorice abound, interlaced with this are hints of spicy cloves, nutmeg and coriander seeds. An initial explosion of plump dark fruit, flowing smoothly into a broad textured palate of surprising redberry, pepper and earthy truffles. The wine has a full, viscous texture and a long complex finish.

CLASSIC CASE

Pairs With

Chicken, pork, Thai, salads, most fish & seafood.

Buitenverwachting Buiten Blanc

97% Sauvignon Blanc, 3% Semillon. This full bodied Sauvignon Blanc based blend offers a variation of fruit characters including ripe gooseberry, green peppers, green melon and hints of tropical fruit.

Pairs with

Spicy Thai prawns, grilled Portuguese sardines or a fresh tomato, feta and pomegranate salad.

Vondeling Rose

Grapes are picked at optimum ripeness in the early hours of the morning before being destemmed and chilled before pressing. This short route, from vine to press, ensures minimal degradation of the fruit aromas and a very moderate extraction of colour. All free run juice is kept separate from the “colour fraction” to ensure a deliciously subtle salmon colour. The juice is cold settled to remove any coarseness and fermentation is done in stainless steel tanks. The wine is 100% unoaked. A six-month period of maturation on the yeast lees promotes richness and complexity.

The wine has a pale, salmon pink colour. It displays a bright bouquet of rose petal, red current, raspberry, tropical fruits and citrus on the nose. The palate is refreshing and vibrant, with red berry flavours, seductive floral undertones and a crisp finish.

Pairs With

Terra Mare Green Salad, Smoked salmon served with rösti, Spicy Calamari Salad with Chorizo and chilli dressing

Niel Joubert Sauvignon Blanc

Almost colourless. Delicate aromas with fresh grass cuttings, hints of lime and nettle. Lively, fruit filled flavours lifted by crisp acidity. Some developing fruit with zesty attraction. Dry, crisp, finish.

Pairs With

Lamb or beef grilled, roasted, braised or stewed or with a variety of soft and hard cheese.

Front Row Red

Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier. The Front Row wines are made for us by Stefan Basson at his estate on the Perdeberg in Swartland. Blending estate wines with cuvées sourced from long-term collaborators, Stefan has crafted a pair of wines which demonstrate the style and value for money the Cape can offer. These surprisingly serious Rhône-influenced blends display balanced, ripe fruit flavours with tremendous drinkability.

Mocha and chocolate with dark berry flavours are complimented by spicy undertones; the mouthfeel is soft elegant, with fine length on the finish.

Red plum in colour, with blackberry, cherry, truffle and cedar wood on the nose. The palate, medium in body, shows an abundance of fruit, softness and fine subtle tannins towards the back. The wine has a dry and lingering finish.

Pairs With

Smoked salmon, Tomato risotto with Ricotta and pickle onions, Pan-fried Ostrich Fillet Served with Spaetzlie

Niel Joubert Pinotage

Medium to light, grainy edge, blue purple. Ripe plum on the nose with light spice backing. Hints of cherry and light earthiness. Good full mouth with more flavours than the nose suggested. Ripe plum with slight smoky trace. Light, supple tannins with smooth flow across the plate. Dry finish with ripe berry notes and lasting spice.

Pairs With

Spaghetti Bolognaise, Sweet casseroles, Sunday Roasts and of course a barbeque!

Signal Cannon Merlot

On the highest peak of Vondeling farm, lies a piece of heritage. One of the Cape’s original Signal Cannons rests where it was once used to communicate to farmers that a ship had arrived in Cape Town’s Table Bay harbour. Farmers would then hasten to the docks to trade their wares, swap stories and receive mail. In recognition of these brave pioneer farmers, we’ve named our wine after this symbol of their era. We hope you enjoy the wine.

A deep ruby red. A cheerful aroma of ripe red fruits, peppery spice and a hint of toasted oak. A wonderful example of Merlot, with loads of red berry flavours and gentle tannins. The wine has a well rounded, vibrant palate with subtle oak and a delightfully long finish.

 


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