|
4X4 Routes
Accommodation
Adventure
Arts & Crafts
Auto
Rentals
Beaches
Book Stores
Catering
Clothing
Computer Supplies
Confectionery
Gifts
Golf
Hand Crafts
Health & Beauty
Hikes & Trails
Hospitality
Financial & Business
Internet Cafes
Kidz Zone
Kitchen Supplies
Medical
Medical Emergency
Pharmacies
Pet Supplies
Property 4 SALE
Restaurants
Pubs & Clubs
Schools & Facilities
Security
Shopping Variety
Legal Services
Real Estate
Shopping Malls
Travel & Leisure
Weddings and Events
Wine Cellars
Wine Land
Magnetic Observatory
|
|
|
Parlez-vous Vino?
Lianda Beyers-Cronje, world traveller,
passionate wine lover
and wine columnist on Nosy Rosy.
|
Another icon of excellence
The bevy of beautiful, rich, famous and artistic people who gathered
at the opening of the new Southern Right cellar and tasting room on
the evening of 15 December 2009, all had one thing in common – their
love for wine of excellence.
Situated high on a beautiful green slope in the Hemel-en-Aarde
valley, some three km from Hermanus, the Southern Right Cellar and
tasting room is not only a monument to old Overberg architectural
style but also another icon of excellence in the Walker Bay wine
ward.
Not easily detected from the main road winding through the
Hemel-en-Aarde valley, Southern Right founder Anthony Hamilton
Russell, had good reason to build the cellar and tasting room at
that particular spot high up the slope from where one has a bird’s
eye view of the historic brick factory that was the first to provide
the Hermanus area with bricks, and the valley below.
Passionate about the value that history lends to a sense of place,
Anthony Hamilton Russell insisted on using exact replicas of the red
bricks from which the old brick factory was structured in the
tasting room that forms the centre of the cellar. Stones from the
vineyards are used in the foundation of the cellar and tasting room
and a big rock excavated at the first Sauvignon blanc vineyard
destined for the Southern Right cellar, takes pride of place in the
middle of the tasting room.
Guests at this illustrious function were plied with generous
tastings of the Southern Right Sauvignon Blanc and Southern Right
Pinotage for which the cellar has became famous over the past decade
and more, while nibbling on cheese, olives, strawberries and other
delicacies from the area. Each of the guests was presented with a
bottle of exquisite Southern Right olive oil on departure.
Anthony Hamilton Russell founded Southern Right Cellars in 1994 as a
Pinotage specialist convinced that Pinotage has the intrinsic
qualities to produce truly world class wine with a distinct South
African expression and typicity. As an early ripening grape, it was
his believe that Pinotage would perform best in cooler maritime
areas where a longer slower ripening season would afford fuller
developed tannins and greater fruit complexity.
In 1998 a 113 hectare farm adjacent to the existing Hamilton Russell
Vineyards was purchased in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley as a central
home for the Southern Right cellar.
The first Pinotage and Sauvignon Blanc were released in 1995.
With each bottle of Southern Right wine sold, Southern Right Cellars
make a contribution to the Southern Right whale in the Walker Bay
after which the winery was named.
The new Southern Right cellar and tasting room is testimony to not
only great winemaking but a sense of place that is unique in the
world.
Visit the cellar and tasting room yourself to experience this
special place and wines in the truest sense of the word.
A charming chapel
Ataraxia Mountain Vineyards’ new tasting room is situated on a
foothill in the shadow of the majestic Babylon’s Toren in the
Hemel-en-Aarde valley.
The charming building, built in the style of a simple Overberg
chapel is a dream come true for award-winning winemaking
perfectionist Kevin Grant.
I had the honour to stood on that hill some two years ago with Kevin
when he showed me the incredible view from there and told me about
his envisaged tasting room.
When I visited the tasting room that opened for the first time for
the public earlier in December 2009, the realisation of that
imaginary sketch surpassed my expectations…
Says the winemaker: “It has being a long time coming and if fear
were the basis on which decisions were made, then Ataraxia would
never have been born”.
Kevin pours his heart into expressing the land’s sense of place
through four handcrafted wines under the label “Ataraxia” –
Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot noir and a red blend, Serenity.
Tasting room assistant Johan Kriek told me that they were
surprisingly busy over the festive period, taking in view that they
have not really advertised the opening of the tasting room.
“We had a lot of visitors, mainly foreign tourists who recognised
the Ataraxia label while passing on their way through the valley and
then decided to stop at the tasting room,” he said.
Tasting Kevin Grant’s highly acclaimed Ataraxia wines is an
experience worth writing home about …
Says Kevin about Sauvignon blanc: “Sauvignon blanc has shown itself
to be an enduringly popular and interesting variety in South Africa
and has the ability, when planted in judiciously selected sites to
produce wines of class and finesse. What is so intriguing about this
variety is that it is also very much a viticulturist’s grape, where
attention to detail in the vineyards is an absolute prerequisite and
cornerstone to the production of quality wines.”
The Ataraxia Sauvignon blanc has been awarded four stars by the John
Platter Wine Guide in 2006 as well as five stars by Decanter and a
further four and a half stars by Platter in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
“Chardonnay is a grape variety that I have been romanced by for more
than 14 years, and the love affair deepens with each passing
vintage,” says Kevin, “To my mind, Chardonnay is the complete white
grape variety. Although it demands respect, attention to detail, a
comprehensive understanding of the terroir where the grapes grow and
in intuitive flair, the wine gives itself so completely when you get
everything right that it’s hard not to become totally awed with it.
Life without Chardonnay is like not being able to breathe!”
Ataraxia Chardonnay 2005 was awarded four and a half stars by John
Platter in 2007, named one of the 10 best wines tasted during 2006
by Michael Fridjhon in Wine Magazine, named Best New World White
Wine by Stephen Purrier in Decanter Magazine in February 2007 and
called one of the best South African Chardonnays tasted by James
Molesworth in The Wine Spectator (US) 2007.
The 2006 Chardonnay achieved a rating of 92/100 in The Wine
Spectator (US) 2007, became one of only five South African
Chardonnay producers to be recommended in a comprehensive review of
Chardonnay from around the world in The Wine Spectator and was
awarded four and a half stars by John Platter.
The 2007 Ataraxia Chardonnay was selected by blind tasting, out of
38 top SA wines tasted, believed to be the finest SA whites
currently available, to be showcased at the prestigious
International Wine and Food Society Festival held in Cape Town in
February 2009. The vintage was awarded five stars by John Platter
and was named winner of the Chardonnay Trophy in the fiercely
contested Tri Nations Wine Challenge 2008 between Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa.
The 2008 vintage was once again awarded five stars by John Platter
and achieved a gold medal in the Classic Wine Trophy Competition
2009.
On Pinot noir Kevin says: “It remains one of those elusive grape
varieties that once it cast its spell on you becomes and remains a
life-long obsession and passion. In South Africa , experience and
research has shown the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley to be unequivocally the
most exciting and promising area for quality Pinot noir production,
easily on par and often exceeding the quality attained in other New
World Pinot noir producing regions. I believe I can take Pinot noir
to heights not yet seen in this country.”
Ataraxia’s red blend has as its primary goal the ultimate expression
of a red blend from South Africa. At present Kevin does not
concentrate on the cultivars that make up this blend. The quest is
to show that “where from” is far more decisive than “what from” and
is the truest expression of a wine’s personality. Kevin has,
however, always been excited at the notion of a seven, twelve, even
fifteen variety blend, where the true art of blending is taken to
its logical and comprehensive conclusion.”
Serenity 2005 vintage was named one of the top 20 Hot New Wines by
British Airways in 2007 while also winning a silver medal at the
Decanter World Wine Awards 2007. It was awarded four stars by John
Platter.
The 2006 vintage was awarded four stars by Platter and achieved a
bronze medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards while the 2007
vintage once again achieved a four star rating by Platter.
Visiting this beautiful tasting room is granting a favour to your
soul!
Busy, busy, busy…
A quick survey among wineries in the Hemel and Aarde valley has
shown that they were very busy between Christmas and New Year while
business was slower during the first part of December. Surprisingly,
most visitors are from Cape Town and Johannesburg with only a few
locals taking the time to explore the valley!
The Wines of Hermanus and Overberg Region Summer Festival proved to
be probably the most popular ever with 20 cellars showcasing their
wine and hundreds of people browsing through the stalls and enjoying
the excellent wines made in our region!
Why not making a wine tasting trip to our local cellars one of your
new year’s resolutions? I am taking some close friends of mine on
such a trip – soon!
PS. The Newton Johnson Sauvignon blanc 2009 just found itself a
place on British Airways’ menu and this exquisite wine is selling
out fast. Hurry-up to get your share!
An here is a toast to 2010, dear friends! Let us hope that this will
be the year that our local people will start discovering the winery
jewels on their doorstep!
|
|
