Recommendation: Nice South African red blend.
Winery/Producer: Vriesenhof Vineyards; Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Grape Variety: Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Geographic Region, Appellation: Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Vintage: 2009
Price: 231.05 (SAR) about $19.00 (US$) plus a $20 corking fee.
Purchased From: Vaughan Johnson Wine Shop, Dock Road, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa.
Paired With: Caesar salad with garlic and parmesan cheese. Medallions of pork fillet with celeriac dauphinoise, creamed savoy cabbage, roasted celeriac and a grain mustard jus.
Tasting:
He said: Clear, dark garnet color with a light purple/red rim. Dark fruit and cherry aromas with lots of leather. Unusual taste with dark fruit, wet leather and mustiness you could chew on. A spicy finish that’s dry, long, fruity and with lots of mineral. Very nice with its strong flavors and slightly grippy tannins. A nice change from the jammy reds we have been drinking. Paired with the pork it was WONDERFUL. Nice South African red blend.
She said: Almost opaque with a full chorus of thin legs dashing downward. Moderately intense aroma with lots of different scents including leather and fruit. The flavor was similarly complex and included minerality. Good body with gripping tannins ending in the long finish. Perfection! That’s the best word to describe this pairing. The food and wine complemented and balanced each other so that the result was a great dining experience. The complexity of the flavors and aromas make this a hit for me. The lively tannins and body were a bonus and added greatly to the overall experience. Definitely a buy again wine.
Comments: Purchased from a Cape Town, South Africa wine shop and consumed in the Britannia Restaurant on board the Cunard Queen Mary 2.
Alcohol: 14%
Bar code: 6 005921 004124
Imported by: NA