In the bigger picture, South Africa’s white wines have, for a while now, been consistently better than our reds. This is based not only to shows and awards, but the reception of our wines internationally and the price to quality ratio on local shelves. Our sauvignon blancs are gathering notable momentum and I know of a good number of wineries that sell out of this wine well before any other. This clearly has a lot to do with this variety’s fashionable status, but we also make good juice from the grape.
Semillon is happily on the comeback trail after being ignored for a few decades, a variety that expresses as a rich and flavoursome wine on its own and blends happily with sauvignon blanc. I am a big fan of Cape Point Vineyard’s Semillon, the 2003 was one of the best wines about. Unfortunately, the 2004 grapes were blended away, but be on the lookout for the 2005. Also check Bloemendal’s and Landau du Val’s for satisfying drinking.
Then there’s chardonnay, a variety that makes some of the world’s best wines when enough attention is given it, some of the world’s most joyless when it’s made for numbers. Retasting the Sterhuis 2004 this last week was a wonderful experience, and the wine still has years to grow. It positively flourishes with food too. Meerlust’s 2005 is intriguing at this youthful stage, and for more casual drinking, try Rietvallei.
Many Chenin Blancs came my way and if you are after light and fresh drinking, taste Wildekrans 2005. By far the best recently tasted is a new label called Sagila, the 2004 spent a longer that usual time on the lees to pick up remarkable palate density and great flavours.
Our success with white varieties has something to do with the warmth of our climate. While we ripen reds in the later phases of summer when the vines are being pushed for water and hammered by the wind, our whites reach ripeness earlier and with less stress. When planted in complementary sites that add the flavour and structural complexities a wine-maker wants, the fruit is often superb. From here on, if handled well through the cellar, a good wine is the result. To begin to talk about a great wine, I expect distinct personality to some through.
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