One of the Cape winelands’ best spots for breakfast or lunch now gives us even more reason to spend a good few hours of quality time there. Joostenberg Bistro is the domain of Frenchman Christophe Dehosse and his meats, breads and light meals are deservedly renowned.
All the while, the wines from the farm, also marketed under the Joostenberg name, have steadily been improving in quality, the 2003 Chenin Blanc Noble Late Harvest reaping local and international awards and serving as notice that there was serious intent at this historic Paarl farm.
Tyrrel Myburgh is the winemaker and brother-in-law to Christophe, so it made sense that they have teamed up their food and wine talents. The result is a new tasting menu for you to enjoy the wine and the food sensitively and successfully matched. Just make sure to call and book at least four days in advance (021 884-4208), with a minimum of four people in your party.
I am not a lover of Cape viognier in any form, but Myburgh, who sneaks it into almost all his wines, makes a good case for it. Viognier has become highly fashionable as a single variety in more and more examples of flabby and flagrant high alcohol whites; as well as a blending component with the other uber-fashionista, shiraz. Rather than coax the sweeter and lighter notes from shiraz itself, winemakers take the shortcut of viognier with its obvious florals and in so doing mask the shiraz.
The secret, says Myburgh, lies in co-fermenting the shiraz and viognier so that they are well integrated. It also helps not to add too much of this bold variety. In his fantastically priced (R29) Chenin Blanc-Viognier 2005, the 5% viognier is restrained, never dominating the fresh chenin fruits. In his 2005 Fairhead, a white blend, it stands at 38% and is certainly dominant, but not strident. This wine is a great balancing act of spice, florals and elegant reserve.
The last to incorporate the variety (at 7%) is one of his pricier reds, the Joostenberg Shiraz-Viognier 2005 (R85). Made along organic vineyard principles, it’s a wine of suppleness with a medium body but deceptive power. From younger vines, this is a wine to watch in later vintages, and well-worth investigating now.
“Wine and food matches are best when the one covers the defects of the other – fortunately, Tyrrel’s wines have no defects…” was Christophe’s description, delivered with refreshing humour. This is modest family, not vowing to change the world, but concentrating on good wine and food and certainly making a country lunch a very fine place to be.
0 Responses to “Joostenberg”