Not before time has winter moved into the Western Cape. This time the Robertson valley and our little village of McGregor have also benefitted from rain, and the veld in the nature reserve filled the air with fresh, herby aromas this morning.
Two wines of pleasing quality added great pleasure to mellow autumn days recently which is why I have paired them in this review.
Cape chardonnay can be very rich and intense, which has me leaning toward the unwooded examples. But Fleur du Cap’s unfiltered chard 2015 is a delight in every aspect, as it retains an elegance and restraint that few wooded ones do. Made by their white winemaker Kristin Basson from Stellenbosch grapes, it offers layered flavour that’s never intrusive, in spite of quite high alcohol levels. It partnered Spanish poultry particularly well, but would complement a range of autumn dishes with relaxed flair. It sells for around R119.
A delicious rosé is nearly always the choice when it comes to late summer al fresco lunches and gourmet picnics. The very title – Gabriëlskloof Rosebud 2016 – brings to mind a pink off-dry partner for strawberry desserts. How wrong this prediction was! This is a dry and delightful rosé, a meld of shiraz and viognier, with enough structure and zest to take on a range of Provencal and Asian classics. It is well worth its R70 price-tag, and is one of the best pinks sampled in a long while.
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