Best SA wines from our trip

Finally I've found the time to sort out my holiday stuff from our trip to Cape Town and the Western Cape area. Due to the sheer unbelievelable amount of very good wines this blog post features just the very best wines for my palate (Rating at least vg/del). We didn't always agree on the rating of these wines but I think that's actually impossible as we tried some 200 wines from about 30+ estates in 2 weeks!

All wines were tasted open in the several tasting venues of the wineries or accompanied lunch or dinner.

1. Glen Carlou Gravel Quarry Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - del
minty, eucalyptus, super typical SA Cab style, some nice oak on the nose, same flavors on the palate, complex and lingering, shows blackberries and coffe with more air, changing.

2. Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2009 - del
slmond, nutty, complex flavor profile, some oak, pungent butterscotch, herbal, fynbos, very good acid structure, super lingering, multilayered.

3.Vrede en Lust Viognier 2010 - del
pure apricot and peaches, super intense, quince and pears, soft and mellow with good acid backbone, very nicely integrated oak.

4.Waterkloof Circle of Life White 2009 - vg/del
blend of SB/CB/SE, 15% oaked, green hints, multilayered, fynbos, very good acid structure, herbaceous, lingering with a spicy finish. Should go very well with food.

5. Waterkloof Circle of Life Red 2008 - vg/del
70%CF/10%PV/10%SZ/10%ME - blend with 12 months oak, ripe, black olives, soft and juicy tannin structure, lingering, not far from peak.

6. De Grendel Pinot Gris 2010 - vg/del
fruity, nutty, faintest hints of oak, smooth and complex, very good acid structure, herbaceous, some lime in the finish.

7. De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - del
super elegant wine, very pure and pristine flavors, subtle green and exotic, flinty, perfect acidity, lingering, very good aftertaste, quinces in the end.

8. De Grendel Koetshuis Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - vg/del
boxwood, tinned peas, prototype of SA SB, zesty, lingering with very good acid backbone.

9. De Grendel Winifred 2009 - del
A blend of SE 44%, CH 26% and Viognier 30%, buttery oaky style, lime, flinty, very elegant structure with good acid backbone, multilayered, very good length, complex flavor profile.

10. De Grendel Shiraz 2007 - ext
black pepper combined with black olives upfront, mix of black forest fruits, spicy on the palate, lingering, very well integrated oak, multilayered, super good!!

11. De Grendel Rubaiyat 2007 - ext
Blend of 86% CS, ME, Malbec and Petit Verdot matured in 100% new French oak, mocca and black berries, soft but very pungent structure, violets, mulitlayered, black fruits.

12. Cape Point Vineyards Woolworths Lim. Rel. Sauvingon Blanc 2010 - ext
tropical style, complex and multilayered, some green asparaugs, gooseberries, changing with O2, flinty, shows super mineraltiy on midpalate.

13. Cape Point Vineyards Cape Point Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - del/ext
green pepper, hay, ripe apples, multilayered, complex tropical fruit, mango.

14. Waterford Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2009 - del
exotic, gooseberry, powerful minerality on the palate, super flinty, elegant. complex.

15. Waterford Chardonnay Reserve 2009 - del
oak and butterscotch, lingering, nice acid backbone, caramel, still very young.

16. Kevin Arnold Shiraz 2008 - del/ext
elegant, spicy, ripe cherries, soft tannin structure, lingering, liorice, hints of violets, super.

17. Waterford Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - del
fruitforward CS style, Cassis, sweet licorice, soft tannin strucutre, lingering.

18. Waterford The Library Collection 2004 - ext
fruitforward, cassis, shows minerality, sfot tannin strucutre, lingering, velvety, still young, moccha.

19. Waterford The Jem 2006 - del
bit restrained, elegant, cigarbox, super lingering, soft tannin strucutre, smoke.

20. Heatherleigh The Family Reserve NV - del
superfruity, musky, roses, light and fresh, chocolate, lime, elegant, lingering.

21. Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvingon 2008 - vg/del
Cassis, ripe blackberry, licorice, very well integrated oak, hints of sweet vanilla, moccha, sweet tannin struct, lingering.

22. Rust en Vrede Single Vineyard Shiraz 2008 - vg/del
sweet vanilla, new world style, super soft, super dense, needs time, lingering, extremely concentrated, not my style of wine though.

23. Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification 2007 - del/ext
very elegant, spicy, black pepper, lingering, cassis, licorice, super soft tannins, elegant structure.

24. Ernie Els Merlot 2009 - del
fruity and elegant, red berries, super soft tannins, lingering, cherries, very balanced.

25. Ernie Els Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 - del
fruity, cassis, blackberries, very soft tannins, still very young, lingering, ripe tannins, very elegant.

26. Ernie Els Proprietor's Shiraz 2009 - ext
spicy, violets, floral, nice balance in acid and tannin structure, ingenious length.

27. Ernie Els Proprietor's Blend 2008 - del
cassis and spices upfront, ripe red fruit, multilayered, chocolate, good acid/tannin backbone, very well integrated oak.

28. Ernie Els Signature Blend 2006 - del
intense, moccha, chocolate, licorice, super lingering, soft tannins, sturcutred, still young.

29. Tokara Reserve White 2009 - del
blend of 70%SB and 30% SE, well judged oak, fruits with underlying minerality, very balanced, multilayered, lingering with boxwood and gooseberries in the finish.

30. Tokara Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Noble Late Harvest 2009 - vg/del
fruity, lovely, accacia, white flowers, honeysuckle, nice blalance between acid and sugar, fresh palate, lingering, very nice.

31. Thelema Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - vg/del
grassy green style, melons, goosberries, very balanced, lingering.

32. Thelema Sutherland Chardonnay 2009 - vg/del
fresh citrus flavors, hints of oak, white flowers, complex and lingering, oak supports wine beautifully on the palate.

33. Thelema Sutherland Shiraz 2007 - vg/del
red berries, spice, wonderful nose, super soft tannins on midpalate, lingering and very balanced.

34. Thelema Sutherland Cabernet Sauvignon / Petit Verdoot 2008 - vg/del
pure blackberries, spicy, black currant, lingering and bold.

35. Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - vg/del
fruit forward style, cassis, bold but elegant, black currant, super soft tannins, lingering.

36. Thelema The Mint 2008 - ext
super minty, eucalyptus, intense multilayered palate, cassis and black berries underlying, powerfull on mid palate, lingering, very distinctive style.

37. Neil Ellis Elgin Chardonnay 2009 - vg/del
upfront butterscotch and caramel, white flower flavors, balanced, still young, flinty minerality, elegant.

38. Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - vg/del
black currant, black forest fruit, nicely structured, lingering, still young but with very good potential.

39. Neil Ellis Vineyard Selection Pinot Noir 2008 - vg/del
fruity and bold, moccha, soft and balanced, will need time to integrate oak, underlaying varietal aroma. lingering.

40. Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - vg/del
fresh, green style, gooseberry, flinty Constanstia style, showing underlying minerality.

41. Buitenverwachting Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2010 - del
grassy green style with pungent minerality, flinty, lingering, complex palate with nice gooseberries in the finish.

42. Buitenverwachting Cabernet Franc 2006 - del
fruity, cassis, black olives, intense, super soft tannin structure, black forest fruit. lingering.

43. Buitenverwachting Rough Diamond 2006 - del/ext
60% Petit Verdot and 40% Malbec, 1st fill barrels for 24 to 30 months, intense, black truffels, opens up with more O2, revealing lyers of black fruit, very soft tannin structure, shows some overripeness in the finish, drink now as it's close to perfection.

44. Buitenverwachting Christine 2007 - vg/del
black and white pepper, gunpowerder, multilayered and lingering, will need more time.

45. Constantia Glen Glen Three 2007 - del
100% new oak, smoky, black fruits, tobacco and moccha, very strucutred, still young, potential.

46. Constantia Glen Glen Five 2007 - del
oak, cherries, elegant and layered, black currant, fruity, still young, very structured, tobacco and red fruits in the finish.

47. Cape Chamonix Sauvingon Blanc Reserve 2009 - vg/del
11 months in 1st and 2nd fill barrels, honey, green figs, very well integrated oak, lingering, very balanced, elegant, sublte.

48. Cape Chamonix Chardonnay 2009 - vg/del
11 months 80% new oak, well judeged oak treatment, line, hhints of vanilla, unddelying notes of biscuit, ingering.

49. Cape Chamonix Pinot Noir Reserve 2009 - del/ext
16 months barrel fermented, red fruit, nice typical color, elegant and fruity, fresh, very good balance btw acid and tannin, lingering , violets.

50. Cape Chamonix Pinotage 2008 - del
24 months oak, fruity, spicy, red fruits, sweet black licorice, elegant but structured, very beautiful tannins.

51. Cape Chamonix Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 - del/ext
3yr oak, 50% new, super elegant, fruity, CAssis, lingering, strucutred bot soft tannins, very balalcned, super nice wine.

52. Cape Chamonix Troika 2008 - ext
52% CF, 38% CS, 10% ME, CF driven flavor profile, violets, spice, fred fruit, very complex and multilayered, keeps changing with every minute, close to perfection, lingering, maybe the best red wine this year.

53. Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2008 - del
27 months used oak treatment, fresh and elegant style, gripping, powerful on midpalate, lingering.

Some other superb wines were from Klein Constantia Estate. Due to the fact we've tasted the wines during my birthday party no written commmets exist. A must is definitely the MCC 2005, SB Perdeblokke, Estate Chardonnay, Mde Marlbrook, Cabernet Sauvingon and last but not least the famous Vin de Constance.