https://malulambert.com Malu Lambert Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:23:11 +0000 https://malulambert.com en https://malulambert.com/Wines-from-the-edge-intro Fri, 10 Mar 2023 10:23:11 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Wines-from-the-edge-intro 11. Wines from the edge This article originally appeared in the August issue of Decanter Agulhas Wine Triangle: South Africa’s southernmost wines Home to a forceful, ever-present wind, this remarkable region feeds off the elements, allowing them to cool and shape the environment – something winemakers use to their advantage when making South Africa’s southernmost wines. Malu Lambert discovers this unique, extreme region and picks her 12 must-try wines. There are many places on earth defined by wind. It shapes the landscape – from dunes in deserts to bent trees along the coast, battering all into submission. It also informs viticulture, such as in the Rhône Valley, where vines are trained straight to avoid damage from the dogged Mistral. Likewise, on the southwest edge of Africa is the Agulhas Wine Triangle, which lies between the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans at the point where the two giant masses meet, and is stalked by ocean gales and the strong wind and rain phenomenon known as the Black Southeaster. <img width="920" height="607" width_o="920" height_o="607" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0e8b04caff1fd96eecd6110e29f9540cfed3eeabc095b29c9013777e98c828bc/Decanter.-The-dam-and-vines-at-Lomond-Wines.-Credit--Lomond-Wines.png" data-mid="171191985" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/920/i/0e8b04caff1fd96eecd6110e29f9540cfed3eeabc095b29c9013777e98c828bc/Decanter.-The-dam-and-vines-at-Lomond-Wines.-Credit--Lomond-Wines.png" /> Here, the vines clinging to the edge of the continent are under perpetual assault from sea winds that whip along the Strandveld coastline – the resting place, unsurprisingly, of more than 130 shipwrecks. This daily bombardment naturally limits vine growth, so vineyards here generally produce small yields, suited for quality production. The cooling effects help with acid retention in the grapes and lengthen the ripening period, resulting in more concentrated aroma and flavour development. The wind dries moisture in the vine canopy, too, lowering disease pressure and allowing more sustainable farming methods. At the Triangle’s core, the speciality is saline, site-expressive Sauvignon Blanc. Syrah&nbsp;fares well too, manifesting as fine and elegant. Set within an obtuse triangle taking in Elim and Napier on the western side, Malgas and Swellendam to the east, and Cape Agulhas at the southernmost point, are the 10 members of the Agulhas Wine Triangle – a winemakers’ group established in 2019. In Elim, this incorporates Black Oystercatcher, Strandveld Vineyards and The Giant Periwinkle as well as producers who source from the area: Trizanne Signature Wines, Ghost Corner and Land’s End. Then there’s Sijnn from Malgas, Olivedale from Swellendam, Lomond from Cape Agulhas and Bruce Jack’s The Drift Estate in Napier. Trizanne Barnard, winemaker and owner of Trizanne Signature Wines, was drawn both to the cool-climate elegance of Elim’s grapes and to the pioneering spirit of the area. <img width="920" height="613" width_o="920" height_o="613" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f0c78acc0dc583cad1a4749a5fdd9bf5156de7a10fd6aab6b1919b98b383930d/Decanter.-Trizanne_barnard_trizanne_signature_wines_2-920x613.jpeg" data-mid="171191986" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/920/i/f0c78acc0dc583cad1a4749a5fdd9bf5156de7a10fd6aab6b1919b98b383930d/Decanter.-Trizanne_barnard_trizanne_signature_wines_2-920x613.jpeg" /> ‘It has this energy I find nowhere else,’ she says. ‘Every time I enter the Agulhas Plains there’s this incredible light intensity. I’m always struck by it. And you can feel this bright tension in the wines too.’ Losing yourself Like other famous triangles, Agulhas is easy to disappear in. I discover this for myself on a two-day road trip, following the lines of the Triangle, beginning at its sharpest point, in Swellendam. The route is punctuated by characters, such as the eccentric Carl van Wijck of Olivedale, who greets us at his cellar door with bare feet (it was not a warm day), declaring: ‘Welcome to the palace of no pretensions!’ His winery is decked out with antiques, paintings and Persian carpets, and classical music is piped through the air. The wines are correspondingly eclectic. The range includes a bottling of that teinturier (red-fleshed) South African oddity, Roobernet, a cross between&nbsp;Cabernet Sauvignon&nbsp;and Alicante Bouschet created in the 1960s by Professor Christiaan Johannes Orffer of the University of Stellenbosch. A skin-macerated white, Wild Melody, was particularly appealing. The trip continues over rolling dirt roads, sucking us ever closer to the coast. To get to Sijnn we have to park on a yellow steel pontoon that chugs across the serpentine Breede river. Sijnn is in Malgas, near the river’s mouth, its terrain characterised by river stones reminiscent of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s famous galets. The vineyards share space with orange-tipped aloes and other fynbos; grape-loving birds are a perennial hazard. Owner David Trafford (of De Trafford Wines in Stellenbosch) has handed day-to-day responsibility for viticulture and winemaking to young rising star Charla Bosman. Here, the focus is simply on a red and a white blend, both excellent. More gravel roads swell beneath us as we make our way west to our home for the night at Black Oystercatcher. Proprietor and winemaker Dirk Human’s family have been farming this land for generations. Built like a rugby player, Human feels as immutable as the landscape, though there’s a finesse and gentle intelligence to his winemaking. Continue Reading ︎︎︎ https://malulambert.com/Latest-Wine-reviews-new-10032021 Wed, 10 Mar 2021 13:31:19 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Latest-Wine-reviews-new-10032021 Lastest Wine Reviews <img width="360" height="450" width_o="360" height_o="450" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/dac01c972dd296327b907eb274ddcf4965ae9b14e1162fc5bed24c106f829847/winshaw-vineyards-bill-2017.png" data-mid="135385120" border="0" data-scale="69" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/360/i/dac01c972dd296327b907eb274ddcf4965ae9b14e1162fc5bed24c106f829847/winshaw-vineyards-bill-2017.png" /> Winshaw Family Vineyards Bill Winshaw 2017 <img width="1250" height="1525" width_o="1250" height_o="1525" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0be5a9d80fed0362476426136e97367e4ca6715dff2586e67056135d8469284f/Lanzerac-Pinotage-2019-NB.png" data-mid="135385165" border="0" data-scale="72" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0be5a9d80fed0362476426136e97367e4ca6715dff2586e67056135d8469284f/Lanzerac-Pinotage-2019-NB.png" /> Lanzerac 1959 Commemoration Pinotage 2019 <img width="1080" height="1200" width_o="1080" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b9f5290b9a107a3dc3ef5d678bd5de15bbe8f0b625cb43174cab5494facd091a/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwMmdyb3VwIiwia2V5IjoiaXRlbUltYWdlcy82MjBiYTA5NmQ0ZWI2ZjAwMTQ2N2ViNzcvMTY0NTAwOTQ1NzQ5NC0xNjQ1MDA5NDU1NTE3LUpvcmRhbi1XaW5lLUVzdGF0ZS1UaW1lcGllY2UtY2FzZS0xLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJoZWlnaHQiOjEyMDAsImZpdCI6ImNvbnRhaW4i.png" data-mid="135773750" border="0" data-scale="77" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/b9f5290b9a107a3dc3ef5d678bd5de15bbe8f0b625cb43174cab5494facd091a/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwMmdyb3VwIiwia2V5IjoiaXRlbUltYWdlcy82MjBiYTA5NmQ0ZWI2ZjAwMTQ2N2ViNzcvMTY0NTAwOTQ1NzQ5NC0xNjQ1MDA5NDU1NTE3LUpvcmRhbi1XaW5lLUVzdGF0ZS1UaW1lcGllY2UtY2FzZS0xLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJoZWlnaHQiOjEyMDAsImZpdCI6ImNvbnRhaW4i.png" /> Jordan Timepiece Sauvignon Blanc 2020 https://malulambert.com/Latest-articles Wed, 22 Jul 2020 20:23:14 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Latest-articles Lastest Articles <img width="3308" height="4968" width_o="3308" height_o="4968" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e9d83ef0201fb2bbe232272530a9a4c02f6a48d8e8e2bba8b93c4b90903a789d/ML_LOGO-02.png" data-mid="78085016" border="0" data-scale="44" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/e9d83ef0201fb2bbe232272530a9a4c02f6a48d8e8e2bba8b93c4b90903a789d/ML_LOGO-02.png" /> Some thoughts on some wines, Cape Winemakers Guild 2020 A love letter to South African wineWine Wizard Semillon Gris South Africa’s old-vine oddityDecanter https://malulambert.com/Delheim-Wild-Ferment-Chenin-Blanc-2021 Mon, 07 Nov 2022 11:48:35 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Delheim-Wild-Ferment-Chenin-Blanc-2021 Delheim Wild&nbsp;Ferment Chenin Blanc 2021 From a vineyard planted in 1986, 2021 is the first vintage since achieving official heritage vineyard status. Only this one block is used and is wild fermented in a mix of different vessels (older 500L, concrete and eggs). Exotic aromas of quince, yellow apple, jasmine, quite wild and woolly though not uncomposed, delightfully so. 9 months in the lees has imbued the scent of baking bread. More apples, pears and orange fruit on the palate, a tangy marmalade core ribboned with a nervy, tingly acid. This is confidently South African chenin, showing off a wealth of sunshiny fruit. (92) ML <img width="283" height="827" width_o="283" height_o="827" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d7c548eae25d53392c30abdf7c34d83e1e753712a3f1d168226dd34aa0c0518c/Delheim-WF-Chenin-Blanc-2021-LR.jpg" data-mid="169827486" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/283/i/d7c548eae25d53392c30abdf7c34d83e1e753712a3f1d168226dd34aa0c0518c/Delheim-WF-Chenin-Blanc-2021-LR.jpg" /> https://malulambert.com/Raats-MR-de-Compostella-2020 Sat, 05 Nov 2022 08:14:30 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Raats-MR-de-Compostella-2020 Raats MR de Compostella 2020 “Almost like a nut that’s cracked open by the acidity, and the fruit floods in.” I love this line by winemaker Bruwer Raats; it aptly describes the 2020 vintage of this famous Cape Bordeaux blend, in that it’s pure and precise. It’s comprised of cabernet franc (43%), cabernet sauvignon (30%), merlot (11%), malbec (10%) and petit verdot (6%). Cab franc’s leafy perfume is here, fragrant with violets, rosemary, crushed cherries, raspberries and an undercurrent of cassis, seamed with subtle vanilla-spice of 15% new oak. The palate rushes in with red-fruited verve, tangy and lifted. Crystallising acidity sculpts and shapes around plums, berries and cherries. This vibrancy of fruit crests with paper-fine, savoury tannins, effortlessly going to appetising dryness on the finish. Remarkable precision without sacrificing pleasure. Drink to 2039. (98) ML <img width="1000" height="1000" width_o="1000" height_o="1000" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/9bf1edbf8fab5b4fa7522d120688a82f6970a58089cd69ffc47b9704c3e2cc4e/6-Raats-MR-De-Compostella-H.jpeg" data-mid="157999632" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/9bf1edbf8fab5b4fa7522d120688a82f6970a58089cd69ffc47b9704c3e2cc4e/6-Raats-MR-De-Compostella-H.jpeg" /> https://malulambert.com/Vilafonte-Series-C-2020 Thu, 27 Oct 2022 06:57:04 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Vilafonte-Series-C-2020 Vilafonté Series C 2020 Growing on the estate’s namesake vilafontes soils, low yields from high-density plantings deliver concentrated pearls of flavour. This is premium fruit reared for luxury red winemaking. Vilafonté Series C 2020 has just a touch more cabernet sauvignon than 2019, the blend comprising of cabernet (58%), merlot (24%), malbec (10%) and cabernet franc (8%). Hand-harvested the wine was aged for 22 months in new French oak (68%) with the remainder maturing in old oak. And luxury it delivers. Immediately fragrant with red hibiscus, violets, black tea, incense and a mix of crushed red and black plums, cassis; this ebullience is sheathed in Cedar toast and ribbons of cinnamon, vanilla spice. The aromatics smoothly tunnel into the succulent palate. At first overt with maraschino cherries, this sun-kissed glow recedes into black cherries, blackcurrant on the mid-palate, growing tonally darker to the edges with cherry-pip moreishness. Full and rich, the fruit is encased in a dusting of velvet tannins going to classic savoury dryness on the finish. Luxury drinking for sure, but with its modern, lifted aesthetic promising pleasure now as well as another decade of development to come. (96) ML <img width="600" height="600" width_o="600" height_o="600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3038795eacef797bb8b855703924b6d2eab77575da6bc5f69e73b25f9397e323/series-c-2020-bottle-shot-high-res-1664195789448.jpeg" data-mid="157128204" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/600/i/3038795eacef797bb8b855703924b6d2eab77575da6bc5f69e73b25f9397e323/series-c-2020-bottle-shot-high-res-1664195789448.jpeg" /> https://malulambert.com/Billecart-Salmon-Louis-Salmon-Blanc-de-Blancs-2008 Fri, 13 May 2022 12:29:37 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Billecart-Salmon-Louis-Salmon-Blanc-de-Blancs-2008 Billecart-Salmon ‘Louis Salmon’ Blanc de Blancs 2008 While taking part in the Decanter Awards recently the judges were invited for a special preview tasting of Billecart-Salmon’s ‘Louis Salmon’ Blanc de Blancs 2008; after a full day of tannins, the exquisite Champagne was pure balm. While certainly more famous for their rosé Champagnes, the blanc de blancs is part of the founder series of the house. Named after co-founder Louis Salmon (the pink is in tribute to Elisabeth Salmon). The Louis Salmon is a blend of the four grands crus in the Côte de Blancs, Chouilly, Cramant, Avize and Le Mesnil. One third of the base wine was fermented in barrel; the wine then underwent partial malo and was disgorged in May 2021 after 11 years of lees ageing. &nbsp;Immediately fragrant, savoury-caramel, golden baking apples, hints of cinnamon and clove; a lift of lime zest and lemongrass freshness as the wine continues to open in the glass, never-ending really. The palate is piercing, long and concentrated. A creamy almost transparent mousse wraps around fresh stone fruit and citrus, with that salted caramel undertow; a sense of flaky buttery pastries, well integrated leesy complexity, travels well along a polished mineral backbone. Steel and opulence. (98) ML <img width="1366" height="2048" width_o="1366" height_o="2048" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0b6fb8ab9204be8716f56d9f69194cfcd85635a6f517be6da454ac88fb2f388e/billecart_salmon_cuvee_louis_blanc_de_blancs_2007__42100.1650485748.jpg" data-mid="142627787" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/0b6fb8ab9204be8716f56d9f69194cfcd85635a6f517be6da454ac88fb2f388e/billecart_salmon_cuvee_louis_blanc_de_blancs_2007__42100.1650485748.jpg" /> https://malulambert.com/Jordan-Timepiece-Sauvignon-Blanc-2020 Wed, 09 Mar 2022 13:45:46 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Jordan-Timepiece-Sauvignon-Blanc-2020 Jordan Timepiece Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Often the word ‘elegance’ is used as a scapegoat for thin wines, but this maiden release from Timepiece by Jordan Wines is true, understated elegance. Just two wines in the range, there is also a chenin, the purpose is to present single variety wines from the Stellenbosch estate’s oldest vineyards. The standout is the sauvignon; the majority was fermented and matured in clay amphorae for six months, with 30% in older French oak barrels. Crushed fresh lime and elderflower on the nose evolves to nectarine and white peach on the palate, with that certain old vine texture, buoyed by soft, mineral acids. Appetisingly pithy clementine bite on the long, lovely finish. Classy. R370 (94) ML <img width="1080" height="1200" width_o="1080" height_o="1200" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/2e148f031031648b331e8c81d6ee550581cc9b0a654febbe391219899fbab17e/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwMmdyb3VwIiwia2V5IjoiaXRlbUltYWdlcy82MjBiYTA5NmQ0ZWI2ZjAwMTQ2N2ViNzcvMTY0NTAwOTQ1NzQ5NC0xNjQ1MDA5NDU1NTE3LUpvcmRhbi1XaW5lLUVzdGF0ZS1UaW1lcGllY2UtY2FzZS0xLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJoZWlnaHQiOjEyMDAsImZpdCI6ImNvbnRhaW4i.png" data-mid="135772340" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/2e148f031031648b331e8c81d6ee550581cc9b0a654febbe391219899fbab17e/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJwMmdyb3VwIiwia2V5IjoiaXRlbUltYWdlcy82MjBiYTA5NmQ0ZWI2ZjAwMTQ2N2ViNzcvMTY0NTAwOTQ1NzQ5NC0xNjQ1MDA5NDU1NTE3LUpvcmRhbi1XaW5lLUVzdGF0ZS1UaW1lcGllY2UtY2FzZS0xLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJoZWlnaHQiOjEyMDAsImZpdCI6ImNvbnRhaW4i.png" /> https://malulambert.com/Winshaw-Family-Vineyards-Bill-Winshaw-2017 Sat, 05 Mar 2022 14:16:06 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Winshaw-Family-Vineyards-Bill-Winshaw-2017 Vilafonté Series C 2020 Growing on the estate’s namesake vilfontes soils, low yields from high-density plantings deliver concentrated pearls of flavour. This is premium fruit reared for luxury red winemaking. Vilafonté Series C 2020 has just a touch more cabernet sauvignon than 2019, the blend comprising of cabernet (58%), merlot (24%), malbec (10%) and cabernet franc (8%). Hand-harvested the wine was aged for 22 months in new French oak (68%) with the remainder maturing in old oak. Immediately fragrant with red hibiscus, violets, black tea, incense and a mix of crushed red and black plums, cassis; this ebullience is sheathed in Cedar toast and ribbons of cinnamon, vanilla spice. The aromatics smoothly tunnel into the succulent palate. At first overt with maraschino cherries, this sun-kissed glow recedes into black cherries, blackcurrant on the mid-palate, growing tonally darker to the edges with cherry-pip moreishness. Full and rich, the fruit is encased in a dusting of velvet tannins going to classic savoury dryness on the finish. Luxury drinking for sure, but with its modern, lifted aesthetic promising pleasure now as well as another decade of development to come. (96) ML <img width="600" height="600" width_o="600" height_o="600" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5f7003a71e0bf6d5b0f68321dd64fa9bd58a1d76146572b20d1516082963bb6a/series-c-2020-bottle-shot-high-res-1664195789448.jpeg" data-mid="157128680" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/600/i/5f7003a71e0bf6d5b0f68321dd64fa9bd58a1d76146572b20d1516082963bb6a/series-c-2020-bottle-shot-high-res-1664195789448.jpeg" /> https://malulambert.com/Lanzerac-1959-Commemoration-Pinotage-2019 Tue, 22 Feb 2022 10:39:45 +0000 Malu Lambert https://malulambert.com/Lanzerac-1959-Commemoration-Pinotage-2019 Lanzerac 1959 Commemoration Pinotage 2019 The first time the name ‘Pinotage’ was officially used on a label was the 1959 Lanzerac, released in 1961, from a vineyard planted in 1953 on Bellevue estate.&nbsp; In tribute to these beginnings, made from the very same vineyard planted in 1953, is the ‘Lanzerac 1959 Commemoration Pinotage 2019’. It comes with a serious price tag (R1950) but the contents deliver. Aromatics of dark floral perfume, ash, pencil shavings, black cherries and dark chocolate are layered and inviting with a wholesome scent of roasting meat. The palate is silky smooth, with powdery tannins, a blackcurrant core and a twist of blood orange on the vivid, refreshing finish. Wonderfully focused and fresh – not at all heavy-handed as you might expect.. (93) ML <img width="2876" height="3508" width_o="2876" height_o="3508" data-src="https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f4997345c7994faeb5d0af1ac40ad30f1011705ee89f8332fce6893cb2e3341d/Lanzerac-Pinotage-2019-NB.png" data-mid="134315066" border="0" src="https://freight.cargo.site/w/1000/i/f4997345c7994faeb5d0af1ac40ad30f1011705ee89f8332fce6893cb2e3341d/Lanzerac-Pinotage-2019-NB.png" />