Adamastor Asleep

Sixty Shiraz down this morning at a category tasting for Classic Wine magazine. A similar number tomorrow and the finals on Thursday confirm Shiraz to be in rude health. Judge Karl Lambour, now residing in Wellington with a squatter at the bottom of his garden, had us all in stitches when he announced that panel chair Christine Rudman would be replaced by Kevin Kidson, a komputer nerd who runs a pin-up board for trolls in Somerset West. He was joking. Fellow judge Teddy Hall remarked on how neglected he feels as he hasn’t been abused on the internet for at least six months.

Last week the Classic Winos put 38 Pinot Noirs through their paces and I do hope the Two Oceans 2012 was in the line-up as I tasted it blind in Stellenbosch yesterday and was blown away by the purity of fruit, acid freshness and explosive cherry flavours. A huge step up from the 2011 – real Next Level stuff. Synchronicity placed Luan Nel’s wonderful image of Cape Point on page 10 of Die Burger yesterday:

adamastor

The work will be shown at the Aardklop Festival in Potchefstroom in September as part of an exhibition called Suid, curated by Theo Kleynhans. Let’s hope the sponsors secure some Two Oceans Pinot Noir for opening night as the intensity of the artist’s vision is reflected in the dense vinous flavours in the glass. The work is called Adamastor Asleep which suits brand owner Distell to a “T.”

At under R40 a bottle, Adamastor aka Distell has the power to create a whole new wine category – affordable, quality Pinot Noir. Linked to fine art, the tsunami will be irresistible. Who needs pricey monsters on the southern coast when you have Burgundy in the Boland of Philadelphia and Darling?