ROBERTSON RULES
hen it comes to value for money the Robertson wine district is hard to beat, but at this year’s Novare Terroir Awards (www.terroirwineawards.co.za), the judges felt it outperformed all other wine areas on quality regardless of price.
Of the 15 national winners, five were from Robertson — the Inkará Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 and Jacques Bruère Brut Rosé 2007 from Bon Courage; the Viognier 2012 and Viognier Noble Late Harvest 2011 from Kranskop Wines; and the Bateleur Chardonnay 2009 from De Wetshof.
The two Bon Courage wines were also included in the Top 5 Estate Wines, with the Bruwer family walking away with the ultimate prize: Novare Trophy for top wine estate overall. “Robertson disproves the idea that lower prices mean poorer quality,” says thirdgeneration winemaker Jacques Bruwer. The Breede River is the lifeblood of this arid valley between the Langeberg and Sonderend mountain ranges. “We can manipulate everything through irrigation.”
Without getting too technical, strict yield control results in small grapes (giving concentrated flavours) and/but lots more small grapes per vine than in other areas. This gives winemakers abundant fruit to choose from for their top wines, such as those in Bon Courage’s Inkará range (which derives its name from Bruwer’s three children, Inge, Karli and André).
The Inkará cab is no stranger to competition success. Its previous awards include a national trophy for the 2009 at the 2011 Terroir Awards. This time the 2011 impressed the judges with its soft round tannins and rich black fruit flavours (due to being picked very ripe), yet with high natural acidity (a result of Robertson’s calcareous clay soils) and moderate alcohol by volume of 13%. It sells for R130 a bottle from the cellar, where Bruwer promises “award-winning wines to suit every palate and pocket”. .............................................