Red is the colour to love as winter days approach
WINTER chills rolling in mean the arrival of new release red wines on the Vine Time doorstep, often along with food suggestions and recipes from the winemakers’ kitchens.
Yonder Hill is a relatively young and small estate on the slopes of the Helderberg outside Stellenbosch, focusing mostly on red wines from Bordeaux varieties, with the Inanda 2013 as the latest offering.
A bold Bordeaux blend led by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, with dashes of Merlot and Petit Verdot, the wine (around R90) is full-bodied and flavourful, and will likely be even better after a few years stashed in the cellar.
The two Cabernets complement each other with earthy leatheriness and hints of coffee beans, balanced with aromatic ripe fruit that carries through from the nose to the palate.
The wine is complex and elegant and, says the winemaker, ideally suited to a hearty oxtail.
The recipe helpfully supplied with the tasting sample suggests 500ml of Inanda in the pot and the rest in your glass, and to make the oxtail the day before serving.
You’ll need a second bottle to open with the meal, of course, and the ripe richness of both oxtail and wine sound like a match made in heaven.
From youthful vibrance to venerable elegance, Franschhoek’s Grande Provence recently released their 2010 Shiraz (R140 from the cellar), a full-bodied red with concentrated fruit and spice flavours.
A little rough around the edges on opening, it needs a bit of air to come into its own – the tannins soften out and it delivers deep blackberries, plums and wafts of white pepper. Another one that could handle some ageing, it would be great with smoked meats, game dishes and peppery sauces.
Bargain of the week goes to Obikwa Pinotage. Widely available at around R30, this could be the go-to wine for winter braais.
Medium-bodied, with characteristic savouriness and rich fruit flavours, it’s easy, uncomplicated drinking, but not completely unsophisticated. It would make an interesting contender in a blind tasting against higher-priced wines.
Along with the Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s the highest-rated of this cheap ‘n cheerful range with a characterful, appealing three stars from Platter’s.