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January 2007
Hello [Firstname]
Whites have included: Cape Point Stonehaven Sav/Blanc – sold out both on the farm and at Winesonline; Jordan Sav/Blanc – intense, with a complex fruit structure of green and red pepper, hints of star sweets and aromatic herbaceous blackcurrant on the nose. This follows through on the palate, adding tropical fruit and a complex green fig minerality on the finish; Groot Constantia Semillon-Sav/Blanc – a blend of 60% Semillon and 40% Sauvignon Blanc which oozes tropical fruit and fresh lime flavours on the nose. Rosé's: Rushdale Rose – This is a very fruity but dry rosé made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has a lovely peach, almost salmon pink colour and the nose explodes with a cocktail of fruit flavours. The palate in return reveals the strong varietal flavours of the Cabernet with a mixture of red and black berry flavours. High Constantia Rose – 90% Cabernet Franc, 8% MCC (base wine: 70% Cardonnay/30% Pinot Noir), 2% Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc & Gewürztraminer from grapes grown on the Constantia slopes were used to produce this Constantia styled Rose. The fragrant strawberry bouquet and dry, crisp finish makes this a fun wine for uncritical drinking. It's that ideal time of year to match any of the wines above to a stunning fish BBQ. What would we BBQ? – fresh Tuna, cut fresh, thick and chunky. Marinate for a few hours in a balsamic (little), olive oil and salsa mix – tomatoes & peppers finely chopped mixed with red wine, spring onions, freshly ground black pepper, crushed garlic & fresh chilli. Get the fire real hot, open a chilled bottle (or 2) of wine and start lunch or early dinner while the sun is still up. Sear the Tuna over the coals for just a few minutes on each side, ensuring that it is still rare. Serve with a tossed green salad and fresh rocket. For dessert, have a little more wine and fresh strawberries coated in melted (then chilled) chocolate. And don't forget to browse the great offers at Wines Online and place your orders soon! Use the opportunity to browse our tasting notes, buy for yourself or send as a gift to a friend. Tony @ Manuka Monthly Column from a Manuka Merchant: continuing his alphabetical journey
When I started this vinous voyage through the alphabet, I realized there would eventually come a time where I might struggle to find an appropriate link; I thought that Q,X, & Z, all the 10 point Scrabble letters, would probably tax the grey matter, but they were far enough way not to have to worry for a while. I certainly wasn't reckoning on getting stumped at E! Egypt, Estonia and East London just don't seem to warrant a mention in the world's wine-production league tables. So, I had to come up with something else, and hey presto, there is a world renowned name – perhaps even an icon? – with a strong wine connection, and the double benefit of being connected with another E, in Jean Engelbrecht, and all of a sudden it became Easy! Ernie Els Wines, aka Engelbrecht-Els, are to be found at a magnificent setting on the slopes of the Helderberg, along the road containing arguably the most prized red wine-growing real estate in the country. When your neighbours consist of Annandale, Bilton, Alto, Rust en Vrede, Webersburg, Hidden Valley and the up-and-coming Uva Mira, you've got to know that this is Cabernet-heaven! Add in sunshine, mountains, sea-views, Table Mountain in the distance, and Cape Point on a good day, and you start to get the picture that the location is Excellent, and Ernie must be Ecstatic! It must certainly help to ease the trauma of not winning a couple of majors this year. And so to the wines themselves – do they live up to their proposed iconic status? The Ernie Els, a Bordeaux-style blend, has warranted a 5* rating in John Platter for the 2004, the Engelbrecht-Els Proprietor's Blend cracked 4˝*, and the Cirrus Syrah 4*. The Proprietor's Blend contains all the Bordeaux varietals, plus a healthy dollop of Shiraz, a reflection of JE's Rust en Vrede heritage, and the Cirrus is a joint venture with California-based Silver Oak Winery. Of course, not only do these wines achieve sky-high ratings, but also carry fairly stratospheric prices, and people will argue ad infinitum and ad nauseum, the fact that you can get 6 other 4* wines for the price of 1 bottle of EE, but you can also get 6 burgers for the price of a good steak, and 6 Citi Golfs for the price of 1 Merc; value is in eye of the wallet-holder! For those who don't want to have the status of a bottle of EE on the dinner table, you can still have the Guardian Peak range from the same stable, all rating 3˝ or 4*, and priced for us mere mortals to enjoy on a regular basis. As for icon status, in my opinion, only time can determine whether a wine will perform so consistently well, that the public recognizes it as a benchmark for quality and excellence, themselves the two words which underscore the Ernie Els/Jean Engelbrecht philosophy. So if you want to try something Els(e), pay a visit to your nearest Manuka Fine Wines Boutique, or swing by our website at www.manuka.co.za Stephen Digby Manuka @ Southeys To change your details and subscribe to other newsletters, please use this link To unsubscribe, please use this link To subscribe, please use this link You are subscribed as [Email] URL: capeinfo.com/winesonline email: wine@capeinfo.com
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