Hazendal Fit for a Tsar, a Hare and a God of Wine
HAZENDAL WINE ESTATE
Saturday 29 June 2019
https://www.hazendal.co.za/
Dr Peter Rating – Experience: 4.5/5
Dr Peter Rating – Wines: 4/5
Call me silly but somehow I get Hazendal and Hartenberg muddled up. I have tasted their wines at festivals and award evenings but never visited either estate. Both wineries are on the Bottleray Road to the North West of Stellenbosch together with Mooiplaas, Kaapzicht, Groenland, Bellevue, Goede Hoop, Fort Simon and many more, some not open to the public without appointment. The mystery deepens for Hazendal as the 2019 Platter’s Wine Guide does not list or rate any wine for the winery as it was recently closed for extensive renovation. My tasting plan for today was to visit both wine estates, with Fort Simon between, to put my confusion to rest.
The approach to the Bottleray Road wine region from Cape Town is through dwindling, untidy suburbs so it is always a pleasure to reach the undulating winelands with their gentle slopes. Hazendal is the first estate reached from Brackenfell. Security at the entrance gate was extra tight – my UK driving licence being barely adequate – but I successfully gained entry. I had not been before so I had no idea what to expect and so I was pleasantly surprised when the tree-lined approach, with young vines and olives beside, crossed a small brook to a large grassed area surrounded by impressive historic Cape Dutch buildings with their whitewash walls, characteristic gables and thatch roofs. My eye was immediately drawn to the Jonkerhuis after parking at the rear. Built in 1781, it is believed that the building was constructed by Joost van As who was the son of Willem van As who bought the farm in 1729 and who was responsible for introducing the Cape Dutch style of architecture to Hazendal.
The Jonkerhuis housed slaves after the Homestead was built in 1790 but is now home to the Marvol Gallery. I now realised why there was the heavy security on entry when I saw the armed guard at the entrance with chest GoPro looking like a member of an American SWAT tactical team (photographs strictly not allowed). The Gallery houses works of Russian and South African art from owner Dr Voloshin’s private collection, who bought Hazendal in 1994. The rotating collection contained a display of modern-day Fabergé eggs. Made for Tsar Alexander III in 1885 for his wife, the eggs became symbols of splendour, power and wealth of the Romanov Dynasty and the Russian Empire. Production ceased after the 1918 Bolshevik Revolution when the factory was nationalised and the Fabergé family fled Russia. The trademark has since changed hands many times with most of the impressive, gilt and detailed eggs with inlaid previous and semi-precious stones at Hazendal, including 1 of only 2 ‘Mandela’ eggs, made under licence by the Victor Mayer jewellery company. The collection was impressive – as well as celebrating the history, relationship and art between Russia and South Africa – and well worth seeing if you visit Hazendal. As if to remind, the sign outside leading me to the Tasting Building had directions in Cyrillic as well as Roman lettering.
The Tasting Room and adjoining Avant-Garde Restaurant were equally impressive. Tall ceilings and modern décor bring a contemporary and rich touch to contrast the historic building. A number of diners were enjoying an extravagant Russian tea ‘brunch’ in the plush dining room, with large, exotic marine fish tank and bar at one end and the cellar with stainless steel tanks worthy of an art installation itself visible through glass panelling to the side. The Tasting Lounge, aptly housed in the original 1870 wine cellar, was grandiose and luxuriant as if for a Tsar with its signature shiny black, gold and copper coloured theme reminiscent of a Russian Orthodox Christian icon painting, babushka doll, or even the Fabergé eggs themselves. Tastings are either in the open lounge with welcome winter open log fire or around a bar beneath a cleverly designed mezzanine private room above. I chose to taste at the bar though the raised bar stools were not the most comfortable. Brent was my eager, polite and attentive host who remembered me from my tasting visit to Ken Forrester more than 2 years ago.
Tasting options include the 3 wines of the Christoffel Hazenwinkel Range (R35), 3 wines from the premium Hazendal Range (R65), or both (R90). I was fortunate to be able to sample the wines from across both ranges together with the Scarlet Sails MCC, usually not for tasting. The grapes are planted on 13 hectares of the 145 hectare property and include a wide range of common and less common cultivars (Carignan, Carménère, Albarinho, Marsanne and Roussanne being the less widely planted varieties) to suit the varied granite-based, red, yellow and brown soils amid the terroir at 150 metres to 400 metres above sea level. Besides being the most popular novel by the Russian author Grin, Scarlet Sails is a spectacular firework celebration during the White Nights Festival in St Petersburg, Russia. This is reflected in the elegant wine label with ship made with gold, bronze and copper coloured sails.
The very pale blush coloured MCC is aged for longer on the lees than most in South Africa (48 months for the 2015 vintage, 58 months for the 2014 vintage) to give distinct yeasty brioche notes on the nose. It was good to sample and compare both vintages. I rated them equally though they were not the same. The grapey nose, smooth moussante mouthfeel and fresh green apple and citrus flavours were similar. The 2014 vintage, containing 10% more Pinot Noir, was more subtle and elegant with a fuller body greater depth and length. The younger, 2013 wine showed a lighter but sweeter character with good acidity and grip on the palate.
The Christoffel Hazenwinkel Range includes easy drinking wines with the name being a tribute to the farm’s first owner who changed production from grain and cattle to vines to make Hazendal one of the first independent winemakers in the region. He was also a German settler and messenger to Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel who granted him 60 hectares of land. South African white blends are usually a nod to white Bordeaux wines and made from Sauvignon Blanc with added Sémillon for extra body, moderated acidity, complexity and softer texture. The White Blend was thus unusual in being a mix of 4 common white cultivars – the Cremello at Cavalli and Laurens Campher White Blend at Muratie excepted – in broadly similar overall proportion. The wine benefitted with a fresh and complex nose of honeyed, floral and herbaceous apple and citrus aromas. The apparent sweetness of aroma hid a dry wine on the palate that was more rounded and with more body than a Sauvignon Blanc.
Hazendal translates from Dutch to mean ‘the valley of the hares’ and the painting of a hare in Regency styled clothing features on the wrap around labels of the Hazenwinkel wines. The Blanc de Noir made from Shiraz was medium pink in colour, much deeper than many a Rosé, from 6 hours skin contact before pressing. I was again fortunate to be able to taste from 2 vintages of this popular wine. The 2018 vintage showed a good intensity of raspberry and wild strawberry aromas – avoiding the temptation for customary sweet candy notes – and was better for it. This helped for a dry, clean, refreshing wine with good acidity and average length. I preferred, just, the older 2017 wine due to its more honey, perfumed and subtler aromas.
My favourite wine was the Bordeaux-styled Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc that, again unusual for the style, was mostly Sémillon (67%). The wine, like those in the Hazendal Range, came in distinct Italian-imported, prosecco-shaped bottle. Why do anything the same as elsewhere? I liked the layered nose of guava, preach, nectarine and pear notes that overlaid those of more herbaceous and grassy green pepper. This made for an interesting wine with vanilla, oaked flavours (9 months in French and Hungarian 500 litre barrels) that emerged with extra complexity on the palate to give a rounding and balance.
The bush vine Chenin Blanc could only have been a Chenin Blanc due to its distinct white honey, tropical fruit salad, guava, litchi and vanilla aromas. These followed through to a flavoursome palate in which fruit, acidity and sweetness balanced. Oak flavours again come to the fore on the palate but freshness was retained by blending back 30% from stainless steel tanks. The same vinification and oaking techniques were used for the Chardonnay, the final white wine and penultimate wine of the tasting. Green and yellow apple aromas mingled with distinct vanilla and acacia (Hungarian oak) notes for a fresh and floral nose. The wine was youthful and fresh on the palate with a subtle oaking to show off the fruit flavours. This is an excellent wine for those of the ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) movement or for those who do not enjoy the more traditional or heavier oaked Chardonnay.
The sole red wine of the tasting (Hazendal has plans to produce more red wines) was the Red Blend from the Christoffel Hazenwinkel Range served with hare’s ear-shaped palate cleanser. This was another unusual blend. Besides being a less common Cape Blend (a Bordeaux-styled wine containing Pinotage) the Red Blend contained Pinot Noir. The wine was just full bodied and most likely less filtered than the white wines due to its slight opacity. Spiciness from each of the cultivars made for another interesting wine with the Pinotage contributing sweet banana notes to those of dark plum, red cherry, cinnamon and white pepper. Additional spiciness on the palate balanced the fruit flavours and fine, integrated tannins with a good finish for a well-priced red blend.
Hazendal, much like Cavalli, Waterford and Waterkloof, is a statement wine estate. Not only is there a signature restaurant but also other activities to tempt the wine drinker and family. There is the Marvol Gallery, Wonderdal children’s Edutainment Centre, family BMX Park, the Babushka Deli, Russian Tea experiences and Babushka picnics. The plus for Hazendal is that the quality of the wines has not suffered with owner and management attention being focused on the vinitourism activities as at Meerendal and Spier. The extensive restoration and redevelopment that was completed in 2018 cleverly combines 300 year old history and architecture with modern, contemporary living and adventure. New meets old but so too does South Africa meet Russia in seamless, integrated fashion. The avant-garde brand, even down to the unusual wine blends, wine labels and bottle shape, cleverly ties everything together to balance rather than clash. The Bacchus (Roman God of Wine) bronze logo, in use since 1831 to signify a commitment to produce fine, quality wines, is as relevant today as over the past 180 years. I thoroughly recommend a visit (noting winter closure of many activities until early August) and especially if you prefer white wines. Hazendal will embrace you whether Capetonian or from Stellenbosch, Franschhoek or the Wine Lands, or the rest of South Africa or visitor from overseas. Make a trip to the valley of the hares …
#capewinelover #DrPeter
Wines tasted (bought *):
Sparkling:
2015 Scarlet Sails MCC (54% Pinot Noir, 46% Chardonnay) – R360
2014 Scarlet Sails MCC (64% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay) – R360
White:
2018 Christoffel Hazenwinkel White Blend (34% Chenin Blanc, 29% Sémillon, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 12% Chardonnay) – R120
2017 Hazendal Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc (67% Sémillon, 33% Sauvignon Blanc) – R295 FAVOURITE WINE
2017 Hazendal Chenin Blanc – R285
2017 Hazendal Chardonnay – R285
Rosé:
2018 Christoffel Hazenwinkel Blanc de Noir (100% Shiraz) – R120
2017 Christoffel Hazenwinkel Blanc de Noir (100% Shiraz) – R120
Red:
2017 Christoffel Hazenwinkel Red Blend (59% Shiraz, 26% Pinotage, 15% Pinot Noir) – R120
Super Surprises at Super Single Vineyards
SUPER SINGLE VINEYARDS – PELLA & MOUNT SUTHERLAND WINES
Thursday 27 June 2019
https://supersinglevineyards.co.za/
Experience: 4.5/5
Wines: 4.5/5
Same but Different End to the Diploma Lectures
CAPE WINE ACADEMY – DIPLOMA COURSE – MODULE 4 – DAY 3
Saturday 18 May 2019
http://www.capewineacademy.co.za/index.php
Experience: 4.5/5
Superb Views of Guardian Peak
GUARDIAN PEAK WINES
Friday 26 April 2019
https://www.guardianpeak.com/
Experience: 3.5/5
Wines: 3.5/5
Superb De Trafford Worthy of Being My 200th Wine Estate
DE TRAFFORD WINES
Friday 26 April 2019
https://www.detrafford.co.za/
Experience: 4.5/5
Wines: 4.5/5
I Needed to be Guided by the Angel Gabriel
GABRIËLSKLOOF WINE ESTATE
Friday 29 April 2019
https://www.gabrielskloof.co.za/
Experience: 4/5
Wines: 4/5
Let us get this out of the way now but I was not on a good mood when I arrived at Gabriëlskloof. I had taken well over an hour to get here from Villion and Barton vineyards, a distance of barely 10 kilometres. My mobile had no signal for satnav or routing and there is only one way over the N2 in Bot Rivier between the two estates. I had been up and over the Houw Hoek Pass twice. It did not help that there was a broken down truck right in the middle of the road at the requisite turning point to distract me. I left Villion and Barton ahead of my planned time and arrived at Gabriëlskloof behind schedule. Rant over!
I first tasted Gabriëlskloof wines nearly 2 years ago at a Monday evening tasting at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town. I vowed then to taste at the estate though did not expect it to take me so long to do so. Interestingly, looking back at the wines I sampled in May 2017, there was not one that I tasted today. The reason for this was because wines from the Estate and Reserve Range (R60 for 6 wines) were brought to the Vineyard Hotel and I sampled from the flagship Landscape Series (R150 for 6 wines) today. Marianna was my calming, patient and attentive host in the large, comfortable Tasting Room.
The 2 white wines I tasted were priced the same and similarly made, being barrel fermented and matured for 6 months in old, large (400/500 litre) French oak barrels. The Magdalena Sauvignon Blanc-led Bordeaux-style white blend, from 36-year old Franschhoek bush vines, offered lime citrus and green pepper herbaceous aromas on the nose. Sauvignon Blanc acidity and minerality was offset by smoother and honeyed Sémillon to make an interesting palate.
I preferred the single variety Chenin Blanc due to its excellent palate and long, leesy finish. The pale straw wine showed similar white honey notes together with those of tropical fruit salad, mango and slight white blossom on the nose. The wine showed great intensity and smooth texture on the palate.
Gabriëlskloof is a few kilometres east of the village of Bot Rivier and just south of where the N2 and R43 follow each other. The estate buildings sit on top of a low hill and are easily visible from the approach road. The setting reminded me of Tuscany except for the smaller hill and lack of tall cypress trees. It is a relatively new estate, as many in Bot Rivier, having been bought by South African Bernhard Heyns in 2001 as land to ‘root him to the spot’. It was canola and wheat land at the time but is now planted with 66 hectares of red and white Bordeaux and Rhône cultivar vines. Gabriëlskloof seeks to make wines with the minimum of intervention, distinct and of high quality that reflect the soils and terroir.
Marianna, sensing that I did not have time to eat any of the hearty food in the Restaurant, brought me a welcome taster of bread and olive oil, the latter from 5 varieties grown, extracted, blended and bottled on the farm. Cabernet Franc from the second vintage made on the estate was my first red wine. It was my favourite wine of the tasting due to its superb elegant yet powerful palate with near perfect balance between red cherry and redcurrant fruits, light tannin touch (18 months in large old barrels) and fresh acidity. The wine showed just enough restraint on the nose to interest with natural fynbos and herbs giving green aromas to match the red fruits.
The last wines were poured together in large open glasses to maximise their aromas. The 2 Syrah were identical in viticulture and winemaking (light extraction, minimal pumpover, 18 months maturation in 30% new French oak) but come from grapes on different soil types: shale, near to the Tasting Room, and Table Mountain sandstone on the far hill visible from the Tasting Room. It is always a treat to taste wines from different soils. I recall doing so with Chardonnay at De Wetshof and, more recently, tasting Syrah from different blocks at Haskell. The soil rocks beside the glasses was a nice touch.
The wines were different in colour – the shale wine slightly redder and the sandstone Syrah a little more purple – and had recognisably different aromas and flavours. The Syrah on Shale was fruitier with sweet/sour cherry, cranberry and oregano aromas on the nose and clean, tight, weightier, structured tannins on the excellent palate. In contrast, the Syrah on Sandstone showed an earthier character of slightly smoky sour cherry notes that opened out with greater intensity in the mouth with a sweetness that led to a spicier finish.
I am pleased to report that I left Gabriëlskloof in much better mood than when I arrived. The scattered clouds had gone and the views from the courtyard arranged buildings over the surrounding hills were magnificent. I departed clutching my 2 bottles of Syrah ready and waiting for the right chance to enjoy them with my wine lover friends.
Wines tasted (bought*):
White:
2016 Magdalena (69% Sauvignon Blanc, 31% Sémillon) – R290
2017 Elodie Chenin Blanc – R290
Red:
2016 Cabernet Franc – R375 FAVOURITE WINE
2016 Syrah on Shale – R375*
2016 Syrah on Sandstone – R375*
Villion Pairs with Barton in Bot Rivier
VILLION FAMILY WINES
BARTON VINEYARDS & VILLAS
Friday 14 April 2019
http://www.villionwines.com/
https://www.bartonvineyards.co.za/
Experience: 4/5
Wines: 4.5/5
Wine Dinners are Not For Me
ALLUVIA BOUTIQUE CELLAR GOBLETS & WINE CLUBS SA DINNER
Tuesday 9 April 2019
http://wineclubssa.co.za/
http://www.alluvia.co.za/
http://www.camberley.co.za/#home-section
Experience: 3/5
Wines: 3/5
The Cut ‘n’ Paste Stellenbosch Wine Festival Comes to Cape Town
STELLENBOSCH WINE FESTIVAL
Sunday 7 April 2019
http://www.stellenboschwinefestival.co.za/
Experience: 3.5/5
Wines: 3.5/5
Rain Meets Earth at Newton Johnson
NEWTON JOHNSON FAMILY VINEYARDS
Thursday 4 April 2019
http://www.newtonjohnson.com/
Experience: 4/5
Wines: 4/5