This weekend I’m drinking one of my favourite Chenin Blancs in the Cape, the Sadie Family Old Vine Series Skurfberg Chenin Blanc 2015. After hosting the larger than life king of Chenin Bruwer Raats this week, for a tasting of his epic new release Eden Single Vineyard High Density Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc 2015s, both made from only 6 to 7 year old vines, the discussion inevitably turned to old vines and the general philosophy behind many of the newer boutique old vine offerings coming out of the Cape.

This delicious Skurfberg Chenin Blanc comes from old vineyards in the Olifantsrivier region up the west coast, from vines planted between 1940 and 1955 in the bush vine method, on decomposed sandstone. But does the fact it’s made from these old vines “define” this wines quality? I have also just read the recent article by Emile Joubert on Wine Goggle Blog, with some interesting points made by Bruwer regarding the old vine debate in South Africa.

It is indeed a broad and involved subject, which to me, seems that some of the disagreement stems from a difference in perspective, or perhaps even a slightly different philosophy with regards to growing grapes and making high quality wine. I am sure both Andre Morgenthal and Rosa Kruger won’t mind me paraphrasing them when I say that old vines alone are of course not a guarantee of quality in a wine. This would be far too simplistic. Equally, even Bruwer Raats will acknowledge that some very profound wines have been and still are being made from old vine fruit in South Africa…the Sadie Skurfberg one of the very best of the lot, even if the component vineyards were never invisaged to produce high quality wine.

To me, old vines should be protected and celebrated where the vineyards are still able to provide quality fruit that can be commercially viable for the farmer growing it, even if this means that the cost threshold is R30,000 per hectare. There are producers who are prepared to pay this amount of money. But equally, if we are to have more Skurfberg’s in the future for the next generation of drinkers, more “quality by design” vineyards like the Raats Family Eden Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc will need to be planted and nurtured into old age. At their youthful 6 years of age, the quality of wine being produced from their fruit is already in the top 1 percentile of highest rated quality wines in South Africa.

For me, it’s not an either / or situation. Both old vines and meticulously planned new plantings are an essential part of taking our very special wine industry forward for the next generation of fine wine drinkers and collectors, both in South Africa and around the world. For now, I will kick back on my restful Sunday afternoon sipping my Skurfberg 2015 Chenin Blanc and contemplate the subject … pretending to be a wise old sage.

Sadie Family Old Vine Series Skurfberg 2015 Chenin Blanc, WO Olifantsrivier, 13.5 Abv.

Admittedly this is a very serious wine to be drinking so young, but its profound lifted aromatics and complexity already in its infancy are so attractive and beguiling that I would have to recommend drinking this wine at as many stages of its development as the number of bottles in your cellar will allow. On opening, the aromatics are very much spicy, pithy and dominated by dried thyme, tarragon and sweet fennel, with a subtle but defined under vein of crushed granite minerality. 10 minutes in the glass is all that’s required to unleash wave upon wave of pear purée, pithy orange peel, tangerine, crunchy white peaches and other white citrus notes. The palate is almost overpoweringly intense – yet light footed, elegant, incredibly focused, intense and sensorial. The palate resonates with delicious notes of sweet white citrus, green apples, picante orange peel, and a forceful, tart acidity that melts away into the fruit concentration, leaving your mouth salivating for another sip. I often compare great Chenin Blanc from South Africa with great white Burgundy, because few wines can pull off this kind of depth, intensity, and fruit concentration punch with taught bristling acidity, yet remain regal, noble, sophisticated and utterly compelling. This 2015 is a wine that might well define a new generation of quality, from a vintage that already defines supreme quality in the modern era of wine making in South Africa.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

This is a fantastic little 6 hectare domaine run by winemaker Armand Heitz. I first encountered his new releases at a Flint Wines importer tasting 3 years ago and was blown away by the maiden releases. 
Commencing with the 2013 vintage, Armand patiently waited for some of the family owned vineyards to come to the end of their contracted leases before taking over the growing and production again in the old winery in Chassagne Montrachet. 

Armand has clearly brought a new lease of life to these under-performing vineyards and is now producing some very exciting and accomplished white and red wines focusing on the appellations of Chassagne Montrachet, Meursault, Chevalier Montrachet and Pommard.

As can be seen with this beautiful Chassagne Montrachet, Armand is not interested in making big, rich, fat, oaky, over blown wines styles, rather preferring to focus on achieving tension, nerve, freshness with slightly reductive complexity. The 1er Cru Maltroye sees about 20% of new oak and displays a harmonious mix of wood spice and limey citrus fruit intensity. 

Heitz-Lochardet Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru La Maltroye 2013, 13 Abv.
This is another beauty from Chassagne Montrachet. Just the style I like – steely, taught, reserved, yet intense. Way too much white Burgundy out there is fat, fleshy and overblown at a very early stage when they should still be tightly wound like a coiled spring. There are tantalising aromatics of struck match, smokey lemons, gun flint, yellow grapefruit, and wet chalk. The palate is crystalline and bright, with upfront notes of salinity, tart lemons, yellow citrus, waxy green apples and intense, picante, pithy acids. This is a more linear, limey, mineral expression but still possesses ample mid palate weight and yellow citrus flesh. But it always remains taught, racy, linear and pithy, with the palate persistence growing incrementally as the wine opens up in the glass. Plenty of the 2013 Burgundy vintage typicity make this a classic example from one of my favourite newcomers in Burgundy. 

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

August 12th signalled the beginning of the shooting season and of course the return of freshly shot grouse and pheasants to dining establishments all over the UK. Over the years, I have decided I am not a massive lover of well hung game but more of fresh ‘new season’ offerings. So with a lunchtime meeting at the famous Andrew Edmunds Restaurant in Soho beckoning, grouse it was!

After some delicious starters and a fantastic bottle of Domaine Ponsot Morey St Denis 1er Cru Cuvees des Alouette 2006 from the Monts Luisants 1er Cru vineyard, we decided to go classical again and order a bottle of Leoville Barton 2005 at a very modest price it must be said. When that decanter arrived on the table, steaming grouse plated in front of us, it did pass through my mind that perhaps the Domaine Fourrier Chambolle Musigny 2006 might have been a better follow up choice.

But one sip of the Barton put that thought well and truly to rest. Delicious! Like an old, sexy ex-girlfriend that keeps popping in to your mind, Bordeaux is a love affair that is well and truly hard to break. There are ups and downs, fall outs and make ups, but always an enduring Bordeaux passion that burns deep within fine wine lovers.

The Leoville Barton 2005 is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc and still possesses a deep dark ruby colour. The nose was absolutely seductive and so perfumed, brimming with sweet red cherry pie, saline cassis, black plums and tart cranberries. Such vibrancy, brightness and complexity. The oak notes were beautifully integrated already with the intense fruit opulence, but with extra layers of minerality, herbs and grilled spice complexity. The palate showed exceptional purity and was impressively ripe, long and full, with great depth of fruit and tremendous intensity on the finish. The tannins had the Margaux’esque suaveness and elegance you so often find on great Saint Juliens, but with a little bit of extra meat and muscle on the bone, like a fine Pauillac. A really mouth watering offering that was absolutely singing and paired gloriously with the grouse. This was such an impressive wine from Anthony Barton, that struck a seductive pose and seemed to reach heights of pleasure that the 2000 Leoville Barton just never seemingly manages to achieve. No great rush for this one, but if you have an accessible case in the cellar, crack a bottle with Sunday lunch and give it a test run.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)