handtomouth

I’ve been told it’s a Russian thing. From the red carpet with its classical ensemble and roses where vintage Dom Perignon flowed to the bountiful glasses of some of the world’s great wines – there was a palpable tang of excess in the air. This was wine bling, there was as much as you desired, and the next incredible wine arriving even before you’d had the chance to really get to know the last. This was the launch of Haskell Vineyards, a new winery on the Annandale Road in Stellenbosch.

In the spirit of the day, here are the wines we were poured: McWilliams Mt Pleasant Lovedale Semillon 2006; Domaine du Closel Savennieres 2002; Giaconda Chardonnay 1999; Bonneau du Martray Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2000; Leguin-Colin Batard Montrachet Grand Cru 2002; Bonnes Mares Grand Cru Drouhin Laroze 2002; Louis Jadot Theurons 1er 1999; JL Chave Hermitage 1995; Chateau Rieussec 1986; Seppelt Para Liqueur Port 1939.

I didn’t even get round to tasting the Seppelt, stuck in the vast flavours of the Hermitage, lost in the wonders of the Rieussec. You would have to be well heeled and a drinker of the finest wines to be familiar with all of these, and you would have to be pretty blasé about them to drink at the speed they were poured before you were asked to make space in your glass for the next wine. Preston Haskell, an American who has property interests in Russia, is apparently legendary for his parties, and after one lunch, I can see why.

You may by now be wondering, since this is the launch of Haskell Vineyards in Stellenbosch, why all these posh wines were served instead of Haskell wines. Because they are still work in progress is the answer, but we were clearly being introduced to the company that the Haskell wines intended to keep.

As precocious as this is, Haskell do have a very fine winemaker in Rianie Strydom, previously of Morgenhof. Their “second” range is called Dombeya after the blanket and fibres factory that is still on the farm and these are now available, although I for one will rather wait for the next, upper range of wines – which are promised to be full of surprises. Whether they match Grand Cru in quality is yet to be tested, a test which of course needs to run for many decades.

But perhaps I only want to wait because I am now very spoilt when it comes to Haskell. In an industry that is making great strides in quality but is sometimes hampered by a lack of self-belief, we can certainly take a leaf out of the diary of Preston Haskell, who clearly has no intention of waiting his turn.