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Rijk’s Shiraz, 2002, Tulbagh, South Africa

Shiraz, a grape which has enjoyed greatly increased popularity in recent years, is, in actuality, simply a new name for an old French varietal: Syrah. The Australians and South Africans adopted this name to pay homage to the ancient Iranian city of Shiraz, the place where winemaking is rumored to have begun.

Rijk’s offering is a rich, savory experience; hearty and full as I believe Shiraz should be. First impressions on the nose are black currant and pepper, which are joined by licorice and other dark fruits on the palate. Well structured tannins linger on the palate, along with toasty oak. This wine will be great for the next 10 years. Enjoy it with heartier meets like beef, venison and lamb.

A few months ago I wrote a post about Rijk’s Pinotage. I hailed Rijk’s as possibly the most capable of all the South African producers. I stand by this claim, and intend to support it with some upcoming posts that will review their Shiraz and Chardonnay. If you can get your hands on these wines make sure and scoop a few up. I’ll be following up with some very favorable reviews over the next few weeks. Cheers for now!

Okay here’s a quick one for you.  I rarely drink a South African Chenin Blanc. My good friend insited on the quality here so we gave it a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised, not amazed, but none the less surprised.  Stellenbosch is a huge wine making area of South Africa located roughly 30 miles East of Cape Town.  Chenin makes up about 30 percent of all the vines in South Africa and is known in the area as “Steen”.  This particular Steen has a nice round fruit flavor of honeydew, with notes of grassy minerality.  The Forrester website would state the wine presents a “refreshingly long finish”.  Here I would strongly disagree!  The wine is refreshing; the finish is however, anything but long.  Regardless, we got a great deal for this bottle at only $11.  Find it at this price and it’s worth a case!

Puligny-Montrachet is in the near the southernmost regions of Burgundy.  Its cool climate and temperate breezes make for awesome Chardonnay production.  In this region, coopers are known to employ unique barrel-making techniques.  A cooper would normally bend the casks of a barrel, clamp them in place, and patiently wait for the appropriate bow.   Not in Puligny-Montrachet!  Here the casks are steamed to create the curve.  This steaming creates an oatmeal flavor in the wines of this region (95% of which are Chardonnay).  Besides the interesting cooperage, what makes Puligny-Montrachet so special? More than anything else it is the balance and harmony. The result is a finesse and breed that sets Puligny-Montrachet apart. In addition, Pulignys are noted for having a steely, vibrant core in the very center of their flavors.  

Chateau Genot-Boulanger produces an amazing bottle with the 2003 “Les Folatieres”.  A nose like your standing in an apple and peach grove.  A whirlwind of flavor grabs you with every fatty imbibe.  Nuts, fresh flowers and honey fight to capture you every taste bud.

Burgundy produces a huge selection of wines within its boarders.  Each town represents a sub-viniculture area where wine may be produced.  Most people think Burgundian wine to be only Pinot Noir; however much of the wine produced here is Chardonnay.  Named after the town found in Burgundy, chardonnay began its days in this beautiful landscape.  More specifically, most of the southern vineyards produce almost nothing but Chardonnay.  These wines are often aged in a combination of both barrel and stainless, and go through little to no malolactic fermentation.  The result is a dry, crisp wine with no heavy butter, and a classic minerality.  In my next three posts I will review three of my favorite Burgundian whites.