Franschhoek Literary Festival Entry

King Cabernet and Seductress Shiraz

Cabernet may be king but the throne is faux and the real power lies with the seductress Shiraz. Cabernet is regarded as one of the great interlopers of indigenous and new vineyards worldwide, and is a chance crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc - a bastard, one might say. But like all bastards, Cabernet can be as suave and sophisticated as any blue-blood, with no compunction about pretending to be king, or even Elvis.

Shiraz, cast for so long as a Persian belly dancer, actually has a more noble - and now fashionable - lineage. Unlike relative newcomer Cabernet in Bordeaux, Shiraz has reigned in the Rhone since Roman times and DNA profiling reveals it as progeny of Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche in southeast France. Shiraz is now estimated to be at least the world’s fifth most planted grape.

Cabernet’s conqueror reputation is yet another pretence, for while he strode far and wide, he ruled neither his conquests nor his backyard with any real authority. As one Australian winemaker puts it “Bordeaux’s greatest coup was in convincing the rest of the world that the great red Bordeaux is pure Cabernet”.

Ironically, that is probably what early Bordelaise intended since it was only judicious fruit farming as a hedge against late-ripening Cabernet that saw its less famous blending consorts being planted – it was fortuitous that the blend worked in the cellar. Besides, Cabernet plantings are now greatly exceeded by Merlot, the next pretender to the throne. 

Seducers can leave the seduced the better for it and Shiraz is no exception. In the South of France, Shiraz or Syrah, has been added as a cépage améliorateur or ‘improver’ variety to the appellation wines of Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence. Syrah is used to add colour and structure. In fact, unlike Cabernet and Merlot for example, it's allowed in all the fine red appellations.

In the Côte-Rôtie, up to 20% Viogner can be added to Syrah, and in Hermitage 15%  may comprise Marsanne and/or Roussane. Improved tannin management has seen this practice all but disappear, with Syrah increasingly confident in its solo act, while regally helping others put on a show.

So envious was the King of the seductress he became – for hundreds of years - a cross -dresser. During the 18^th and 19^th centuries many red Bordeaux were in fact Hermitage as Bordeaux merchants desperately needed to puff up King Cabernet. Early in the 19^th century, merchant Nathaniel Johnston wrote “The Lafitte of 1795, which was made up with Hermitage, was the best liked of any of that year.’   

The truth is Cabernet needs his consorts. He needs the flesh of Merlot, the perfume of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot’s colour and scent of violets. Without these his throne would be lacklustre and his royal accoutrements threadbare, his blue skin concealing his lack of blue blood.  

Cabernet also reveals less than regal conduct in the vineyard where he needs rootstocks to control his vigour,a permanent training wheel if you like. He is also susceptible to powdery mildew and doesn’t care much when you pick him from the vine. Shiraz, however, demands a more punctual harvest for she maybe perfectly ripe the one day and over-ripe the next. Shiraz is quite fussy about where she grows. You simply have to treat her right, just like the queen.

Meanwhile Cabernet has been happy to pimp himself to powerful retailers, believing his own hype, laying waste to indigenous varieties world over. A brand unto himself, Cabernet is often readily identifiable in the glass regardless of where it is grown, showing at least 2-3 of his character traits. However, doubt surrounding Cabernet’s true credentials continue to grow.

Both Cabernet and Shiraz need plenty of heat and light to ripen, but the seductress can do it with less water, for she is made of sterner stuff. Unlike the king, she also holds her composure at higher alcohols, remaining true to self, while the king often loses character and focus above 14,5%.   

Shiraz‘s makeover is complete – transformed from belly dancer to popular superstar, as comfortable taking the lead role as playing back up singer. The King – for now – is lost in the audience.    

ends

SO this year the organisers and sponsors decided not to award the prize. This is symptomatic of many issues one of which is that - to my knowledge - Classic Wine is the only mag to commission articles longer than 700 words so next year I will have longer pieces to submit. Anyway this topic deserves a seperate post which I will do asap including on the pending wine writers guild (or whatever we agree to formalise).See also Tim's post.

2012 entry - Ode to Pinot

2011 entry - £1.5bn Cork Dork Combat.

Seeking Afro Jazz

I heard these guys busking in Stellenbosch last night and they are fantasties. The Winelands is full of beautiful venues crying to be filled and a community craving for more live entertainement. These guys should get regular gigs and everybody wins. You can reach them at oceansriff@gmail.com

Launch of a Cult

Savage Wines, launched to great anticipation last night, did not disappoint and were welcomed for a number of reasons. The red shows the same precise winemaking and sympathetic fruit handling that Duncan has shown in his whites and the big bonus for this writer is the now very rare 12.8% alc. 

Duncan Savage

This is far easier to achieve with whites than reds without losing for example generous mouth feel (too which we have become far too accustomed) and power and elegance - which has always been rare.

If one had to be picky possibly a touch too much whole berry ferment but this will integrate with time which is something these wines have in abundance. However, immaculate fruit is probably the more likely.

These wines will soon have a cult following – find them, buy them, and if you have the discipline, keep them – well some of them anyway.

I believe they are both priced at R180 which - for world class age-worthy wines - is good value and will seem a bargain of a lifetime when you open them in say 5 years time. 

The 2011 red is 72% Syrah, 21% Grenache, 7% Cinsaut, aged in old large format oak while the 2012 white is 70% Sauvignon Blanc 30% Semillon 100% aged in 25% new 500 and 600lt barrels, both wines WO Western Cape.

find out more at info@savagewines.com and presumably in time at www.savagewines.com  

Chenin Blanc - our only great white hope

My lighthearted take on Chenin for Playboy March 2013 edition 

Once upon a time Chenin Blanc lived in the beautiful Cape winelands with her step-sisters Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The sisters received lots of attention – parties, trellises, favoured sites - never wanting for anything other than a true Romeo to woo them. But they were spoilt and petulant and failed to find a suitor.  What the sisters didn’t have was Chenin’s beauty and versatility.

Chenin had to work hard all day with little rest or comfort other than to sit near the fire cinders late in the evening, earning the nickname Cinderella.  One day some new oak arrived to take the sisters to the palace ball.

Chenin was left all alone to do the housework. Suddenly – in a burst of light - an old oak by the name of Madiba appeared and offered to take Chenin to the ball. ‘But the wine snobs won’t let me in’ cried Chenin. Not to worry assured Madiba, Michael Fridjhon has been doing your PR for many years and soon you will appear in the finest regalia.  

With a swish of his virge, Madiba turned grapes into a pimpmobile and nine winemakers – Jeff Grier, Teddy Hall, Jean Daneel, Irina von Holt, Mike Dobrovic, Eben Sadie, Bruwer Raats, David Trafford, into eight white steeds and coachman Ken Forrester. 

At the ball, globally renowned critics loved Chenin so much that Madiba decided that if the shoe fits wear it and rescinded the spell to turn the pimpmobile and winemakers into pumpkin and mice at midnight.

WOSA reports record exports

Following a few very tough years, the South African wine industry is being buoyed by a new sense of optimism on the back of record export levels, the likelihood of one of the best harvests this year, the penetration of new markets and growing praise from some of the wine world's most influential opinion formers.

WOSA CEO Su Birch

 Su Birch, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), confirmed that exports for 2012 had reached 417 million litres, 10 million litres more than the previous record of 407 million litres achieved in 2008 and a 17% increase on volumes in 2011. "The record levels are the result of a more favourable currency, as well as the global shortage of wines, stemming from a significant drop in the recent harvests of competitor wine-producing nations in Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

"At this stage, all indications are that this year's local crop could be the third biggest in recorded history.  This is assuming that good weather conditions continue, there is a speedy and peaceful resolution to the farmworker strikes and harvests come in on time. The anticipated crop size is despite a decrease in total plantings, thanks to one of the best winter seasons in the Western Cape for many years."

2012 Nedbank Green Wine Awards

Some of the highlights of judging at this year's competition include seeing how well the organic wines performed (see my previous post organic trend ), the increase in the number of entries (190) and the introduction of the WWF Biodiversity and Wine Initiative wine category.

Reyneke Wines scooped top honours (again) in the organic category, with its Reyneke Reserve Red 2009 winning awards for Best Wine Overall and Best Red. Paul Cluver Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2012 won Best Wine Overall in the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative Category.

The full results:
 
Wines made from Organically Grown Grapes

Best Wine Overall: Reyneke Reserve Red 2009

Best Red: Reyneke Reserve Red 2009

Best White: Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2011

Best Value: Stellar Winery Live-a-Little Really Ravishing Red N/V

Bloggers’ Choice: Green Shebeen Cabernet Sauvignon 2010