Hartenberg Wine Estate has just released two more wines for the enjoyment of the already committed Hartenberg follower, yet guaranteed to interest and attract the uninitiated as well.
The Hartenberg Cabernet Shiraz 2013 is a wine worthy of attention. Consistency of character and beautiful Hartenberg fruit marry happily in this bottle. The harvest conditions leading up to the 2013 vintage provided the cellar with small berries and concentrated flavours that developed into a wine with the characteristic Hartenberg promise. Barrel aged in third and fourth fill barrels for 16 months, with Cabernet Sauvignon (47%) as the lead component, it is partnered with Shiraz (43%), and a splash of Malbec (6%) and Petit Verdot (4%). This results in a juicy and versatile wine. In your glass the Hartenberg Cabernet Shiraz is a skillful blend with ripe red fruit flavours and spicy, savoury characteristics ending with a smooth finish. Raspberry and cassis notes abound. The 16 months in third and fourth fill French oak means that the oak is sensed in subtle structure rather than in flavor and aroma. It has made for supple malleable tannins that finish with a gentle nip on the inner cheek. It provides an eminently pleasurable drinking experience, both at formal and relaxed meals, happily complementing red meat, pizza or pears. It is equally at home alone in your glass unsupported by food. All it needs is your good company and lends itself to companionship and relaxation. Eminently drinkable! The perfect winter wine, available at select retail outlets nationwide at R75 per bottle.
The Hartenberg Chardonnay 2015 proves to be another noteworthy wine from this award-winning estate. As its track records show, the Hartenberg Chardonnay is poised to jostle with Hartenberg Shiraz for international acclaim. This wine has shown consistency in ratings and awards. In 2015 the fruit was hand picked with care in the cool of seven mornings during harvest to capture the subtle primary flavours found in Chardonnay grapes. Each day’s batch was vinified separately to be blended later. The wine was nurtured carefully in the cellar, fermented and matured for 12 months in French Oak, 33% new, 33% second fill and the balance third fill. The resultant libation is fit for the gods. For mere mortals it is a sublime partner to chicken, duck or tuna and especially dishes with a creamy base. Offering a lively fresh palate and oak finish, with the freshness of lemon and lime – on the nose and on the palate – this is an elegant Chardonnay that deserves attention. The gently opulent fruit is well balanced against the fresh acidity and the subtle structure imparted by its time in French oak. Available from select retail outlets nationwide at R100 per bottle.
