Curious Case - April 2022 - Cape Crusaders
The Curious Case contains 6 bottles of wine chosen by us from our varied and eclectic range of over 1000 different wines from all parts of the world.
The Curious Case is a 'mystery' case that changes every month whereby you find out what is in it when you receive it! Could be red, white, rosé, orange, sparkling from a classic region or a boutique producer in some remote far-flung region using indigenous rare varieties.
Cape Crusaders
Out of all the New World, South Africa’s Cape region is the one that’s been around the longest. Vines were first planted in the Stellenbosch area, near the Cape of Good Hope, by Dutch settlers in the late 1600s and it was soon evident that this southwestern corner of the country would make an ideal wine-producing country. Today, with several of the country’s wine estates having a history to rival those of some of Europe’s famous names, South Africa is considered the most ‘Old World’ of the ‘New World’, if you get our drift. It has the traditions and heritage from long-established vineyards and estates along with the disregard for convention and general go-ahead innovation which are the hallmark of the world’s newer wine-producing areas. It’s a winning combination, and when you add in great bang for your buck price-wise, South African wines are worthy of the most serious consideration.
For this month’s Curious Case we’ve assembled a collection of reds and white aimed to give a good idea of the classic and cutting-edge styles coming out of this part of the world.
The Reds
Reds featuring the likes of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, often known as Bordeaux Blends in a nod to their origins, are a traditional speciality so we’ve included a nicely rounded and elegant one of these in this month’s case. Another red we couldn’t miss out is made from South Africa’s signature variety, Pinotage. In the past, this has been a grape with a bit of a ‘marmite’ reputation, but modern winemakers are producing really appealing and approachable styles which the one we’ve included here demonstrates perfectly. To complete the reds we’ve picked a firm and spicy Cabernet Franc made at a forward-looking biodynamic estate that exemplifies the best of up-to-minute winemaking.
The Whites
For the whites, Chenin Blanc is a variety we just had to include as it’s certainly one of South Africa’s favourites these days. We’ve gone for a rich and subtly oaked version which might be a bit fuller and weighty than many but really gives a good insight into the more ‘serious’ side of this variety. The second white is a pure and fruity, unoaked Chardonnay – a grape that’s been grown in South Africa for centuries and part of its viticultural heritage. And to complete the case we’ve selected a delicious Sauvignon Blanc that combines the flinty minerality to be found in Loire Valley expressions of this grape together with the exuberant southern hemisphere tropicality of the New World.
Case Contents
• Meerlust Red
• Spier Signature Pinotage
• Waterkloof Circumstance Cabernet Franc
• Post House 'Stamp of Chenin' Chenin Blanc
• Chamonix Unoaked Chardonnay
• Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc
