Everything old is new again, as the saying goes. And so it is for a small but growing range of remarkable wines coming out of the Western Cape region of South Africa. In recent years there has been a belated rediscovery and reappraisal of the Cape’s older heritage vineyards, some of which date back 40 or 50 years or even longer. That may not seem very long in Old World wine region terms, but in South Africa there are precious few very old vineyards left, after many were replaced with more productive and higher paying international grape varieties, or simply pulled up and converted to more profitable crops. There are estimated to be just ten vineyards in South Africa that are older than 100 years.
Local viticultural guru Rosa Kruger (who proudly notes that she is not formally trained as a viticulturist, but is widely regarded as the Cape’s preeminent expert in old vines) has been counting those Cape vineyards that are over 35 years old (see www.oldvineproject.co.za), and her latest estimate is that there are only around 2,650 hectares of such older vines left in the Cape. But more are still being discovered as interest grows in making wines (and paying higher prices for grapes) from old vines. These heritage vineyards are typically in more remote parts of the Cape which most wine tourists have not heard of, let alone visited. Places such as Citrusdal Mountain, Piekenierskloof and Skurfberg. Yet the wines now emerging from these obscure regions – especially old bush-vine Chenin Blancs – display an entirely different and compelling side to South African winemaking.
I’m writing about this ‘new’ Cape wine phenomenon because it just so happens that I’ve had two very good – even excellent – examples of such wines from the Cape in recent days, and have a few more tucked away in the cellar, and wanted to share my observations with you, dear reader. While very few of these wines are available here in Vancouver, it is well worth seeking them out wherever you can. Here goes:
The first example was Badenhorst Family Wines’ Secateurs Chenin Blanc (aka Steen in South Africa) 2016 from the Cape’s prized Swartland Wine of Origin region. Secateurs is the regular, ‘value’ label from this family owned winery, and Adi Badenhorst is a highly-regarded iconoclastic winemaker in South African circles, making some of the Cape’s most experimental, authentic wines. A deep rich golden yellow colour presaged lanolin, beeswax, brioche, pear and lime notes on the nose, and a full-bodied yet surprisingly taut, mineral taste with fresh green apples, pear and citrus flavours. With great length and poise, its creamy mouthfeel offset by brilliant acidity augurs well for aging this beauty.
I bought this wine at Everything Wine in North Vancouver for about $36 a bottle including taxes. I believe they may also still have some of the Badenhorst Family Wines Secateurs Red, which is a complex multi-varietal blend also from older Swartland vineyards.
The second wine was a bit of a mystery to me: Tania & Vincent Careme’s Terre Brulée 2016, a blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Cinsault. I say mystery because Domaine Careme, as some of you will know, is based in the Loire Valley’s Vouvray region, and is known for their elegant Chenin Blancs from there. Online research revealed that Vincent’s wife Tania is South African and they have recently begun making wines from there as well, not surprisingly including an old vine Chenin Blanc. This is their second red wine vintage, and is sourced from selected old bush-vine vineyards in and around the Paardeberg in the Swartland. It was delicious: very fresh, with lifted red fruits, undertones of forest floor and mocha, supple tannins and a smooth, bright finish. Great value at about $23 plus taxes from the BCLDB.
Other examples of this type in my cellar, some of which may still be available with a bit of hunting around, include:
Anthonij Rupert Laing Semillon 2014, Citrusdal Mountain (New District wine store)
Anthonij Rupert Riebeeksrivier Western Slopes 2013 red blend, Swartland (New District)
Ken Forrester Old Vine Chenin Blanc Reserve 2015, Stellenbosch (BCLDB)
Bellingham Bernard Series Old Vine Chenin Blanc 2014/2015, Agter-Paarl/Durbanville/Bottelary Hills (BCLDB)
Raats Original Chenin Blanc 2014, Stellenbosch (Everything Wine)
Radford Dale The Winery of Good Hope Black Rock 2013, Swartland (Everything Wine)
Finally, a wine I grabbed up in Calgary recently: Alheit Cartology 2015, a Chenin Blanc–Semillon blend from selected old dryland bush-vine vineyards across the Western Cape that is a Cape benchmark white wine and very difficult to find. Not cheap at around $60, but compare that to what you’d likely pay for a top Californian white wine, let alone Premier Cru or Grand Cru Burgundy blanc.
If you can get hold of any of these wines, you will experience some of the best, most authentic wines that the Cape can offer. It is a revelation.