Vineyard’s bubbly a jewel in crown
Awards pile up for winery as it adds new trio
A mere 15 minutes drive from the Cape Town city centre around the back of Table Mountain takes one to the exquisite Constantia valley, which is tucked away from the CBD bustle and is home to 10 iconic wine farms producing some world-class wines.
One undeniable jewel in the crown of this valley and one winery that proudly puts this country on the world map is Steenberg Vineyards, a prolific producer of award-winning bubbly and other wines. But it would be remiss not to give a mention to other equally illustrious Constantia jewels – like Groot Constantia, Klein Constantia, Constantia Glen, Eagles Nest and Buitenverwach ting.
Steenberg, though, is arguably generating a greater buzz among the Constantia route wineries, what with British wine cognoscenti Tim Atkin’s South African 2017 Special Report scoring every one of the 12 wines he tasted across their range 91 points or more out of 100 towards the end of last year. No small feat for a winery that is already basking in the glory of the news that its top bubbly, Lady R MCC 2012, is one of just three Cap Classiques to be awarded five stars by Platter’s 2018 wine guide. The other two bubblies to get five stars are Colmant Brut Chardonnay NV and Pongracz Desiderius 2012. Atkin has found Lady R 2012 just as irresistible, giving it a total score of 93 points out of 100 in his 2017 report. Steenberg winemaker JD Pretorius is equally proud of his bubbly, describing it “as a grande cuvée of great finesse”. He says it resonates with the colourful life of the feisty Catharina Ras, after whom it is named. Ras was Steenberg’s 17th-century founder.
The wine is made according to the classic French tradition of pinot noir (70%) and chardonnay (30%).
Launching a range of three super-premium wines at Coobs Restaurant in Parkhurst, Johannesburg, Pretorius said: “We are excited to launch these new wines as they fill a gap in our portfolio, allowing us to offer wine lovers more choice at an attractive price point.”
Steenberg Ruby Rosé 2017 (R86) is a rare blend of syrah (51%) and cinsault (49%), Steenberg Sphynx Chardonnay 2017 (R135) is a light-bodied chardonnay. Steenberg Stately 2015 (R135) exudes a graceful, full-bodied palate that owes its richness to skilful blending by Pretorius of cabernet sauvignon (63%) and shiraz (37%).
Meanwhile, the annual tasting hosted at Hyde Park’s Summer Place by major wine distributor Vinimark is a grandiose one-night affair featuring at least 30 premier South African wineries.
The line-up comprises the who’s who of the cellars from the Cape winelands, and gives a sense of which wines will be trending in 2018 and beyond.