PLATTER GUIDE 2010
4½ Stars Red Blend: Remarkably textured, strikingly individual & complex 07 from shiraz-led blend Rhône varieties. Fresh roasted spice & scrub, distinctive minerality outlining abundant, rich & savoury blueberry fruit. 35% new oak. WO Swartland.
4 Stars White Blend: Distinctive, complex 08 blend spicy old bushvine chenin (56%), chard, Clairette, viognier. Complex oak regime adds weight, supports rich flavours & contributes to seamless integration & balance. WO Swartland.
***** |
Superlative. A Cape classic |
****½ |
Outstanding |
**** |
Excellent |
***½ |
Very good/promising |
*** |
Characterful, appealing |
**½ |
Good everyday drinking |
** |
Pleasant drinking |
*½ |
Casual quaffing |
* |
Plain and simple |
½ |
Very ordinary |
No Star |
Somewhat less than ordinary |
Posted: Friday, March 13, 2009
These wines were tasted for the South Africa report in the
April 30, 2009 issue of Wine Spectator magazine.
Black Rock Red Blend Swartland 2006 88 $25
Black Rock White Blend Swartland 2007 89 $24
UK : Matthew Jukes’ Top 50 South African wines
10th February 2008
Black Rock White Blend, The Winery of Good Hope, Perdeberg Swartland, 2007 - £12.00
73% Chenin Blanc, 22% Chardonnay, 5% Viognier
Alcohol: 14%
Stockists: Les Caves de Pyrene
Importers: Les Caves de Pyrene (T: 01483 538820)
“Chenin, Chardonnay and Viognier rarely have the chance to cavort together, but when they are as stunningly entwined as they are in this wine it is a wonder that so few winemakers try it. Alex Dale seasons this union with a touch of oak, too, making it utterly irresistible.“
THE WINERY OF GOOD HOPE quotes from the 2009 PLATTER GUIDE:
“There’s always something happening at this up-and-at-’em Helderberg winery.”
“Stylish & strikingly individual.”
“More Old World styling than New…”
“Exotic, individual & compelling”
RATINGS 2009 PLATTER GUIDE: Black Rock range
****½ Red Blend 2006
Soutern-Rhône-inspired exotic blend, individual & compelling. Shiraz-led, violets, dried herbs, campfire smoke & crushed blue berries. The trademark
lithe tannins welcome participation. WO Swartland for this range.
**** White Blend 2007
Majority blend 40+ yr old chenin. Rest chardonnay, dab viognier; oak plays role, roasted nuts, toasted brioche, but lime/melon flavours stand their ground. Showy & well put together; sum greater than parts.
| ***** | Superlative. A Cape classic |
| ****½ | Outstanding |
| **** | Excellent |
| ***½ | Very good/promising |
| *** | Characterful, appealing |
| **½ | Good everyday drinking |
| ** | Pleasant drinking |
| *½ | Casual quaffing |
| * | Plain and simple |
| ½ | Very ordinary |
| No Star | Somewhat less than ordinary |
Vines Magazine, Toronto, Canada –September 2008
2006 BLACK ROCK RED BLEND Scores 4½ STARS
"Big, bold and impressive, this Syrah-dominant blend (66 percent, with
smaller components of old-vine Carignan, plus Mourvedre, Grenache and a dash
of Viognier) comes from cooler parts of the otherwise hot Swartland region.
It delivers terrific structure and style in fruit and structure, and has
sweet tannins. It's an excellent choice for grilled lamb chops."
2006 BLACK ROCK RED BLEND Scores 4½ STARS
"Big, bold and impressive, this Syrah-dominant blend (66 percent, with smaller components of old-vine Carignan, plus Mourvedre, Grenache and a dash of Viognier) comes from cooler parts of the otherwise hot Swartland region. It delivers terrific structure and style in fruit and structure, and has sweet tannins. It's an excellent choice for grilled lamb chops."
Old Spice and some wine
24.com 12:04, Wednesday, 18 Jun, 2008
To the wine
Last night we tasted Viognier and Shiraz – and it was presented by the witty Mia Mortensson (aka super sommelier) from The Winery of Good Hope. Basically, a motley crew of nationalities, backgrounds in the industry, that collects grapes from specific sites to make the wines they want to make. Almost like location scouts for movies just more vino driven!
Black Rock White Blend 2006 R95
This is a lovely quaffer - gentle and just easy drinking wine of the best kind. Made up from Chenin, Viognier and Chardonnay with the Chenin singing the loudest of the bunch.
Wine Cellar
Fine Wine Brokers & Cellarers
The question generally comes up at every dinner party. What are the best wines in South Africa? Its easy to wrap-off the great names that have made consistently good wines post apartheid and the legends of the past. But I think the better question to ask is; What are the wines that South Africa should be making? As a part of the New World we have taken European wine models and applied them to our wine regions. Certainly there are great examples that emulate Bordeaux and the Loire, but what about something thats uniquely South African? What have we got in South Africa that will enable us to make the finest wines we can?
Firstly, we have a sunny Mediterranean climate. Why not produce Mediterranean cultivars well suited to the climate? Secondly, we have young vines with the only old-vines being Chenin Blanc. Why not focus on old-vine Chenin Blanc? And lastly our best wines are generally blends, think Vergelegen, Cape Point, Kanonkop, Sadie Family. Why not make more blends? Focusing on the cultivar is a new world phenomena but each variety can bring its own character and benefit to a blend as a whole.
One of the producers that is doing just this, and making the new wave of uniquely SOUTH AFRICAN wines that style and character represents our future (for me at least!) is Black Rock.
Alex Dale, co-founder of The Winery of Good Hope and his team makes Black Rock wines from grapes grown in the Perdeberg and Swartland, He “seamlessly coaxes the best from each varietal to reflect the co-existence the vines enjoy with their rugged environment and the influences of the seasons, ensuring that there is no recognisable thumbprint, only the true essence of the region”. Don't expect these to bare a 'Christmas tree' of stickers. Both are elegant, textured and fresh blends that are not entered into competitions and are tremendous with with food.
Rolamd Peens
May 2008
GRAPE
RSA, November 2008
BLACK ROCK white blend 2006
“The Black Rock range reflects the fondness The Winery’s partners have for the Southern Swartland, and area they –and many others- believe is producing some of South Africa’s most individual wines. All the grapes in both wines are drawn from predominantly dryland, bush vines growing on the slopes of the Perdeberg. The blend, which the Swartland might by now claim as its own, is Chenin-based, with 39% Chardonnay and 2% Viognier, the Chenin coming from particularly old vines of between 40 and 55 years. Both Chenin and Viognier were part barrel-, part tank-fermented, while the Chardonnay was all fermented in barrel. French oak is used, with only a third new –to allow the fruit’s individuality full rein. After just over a year, the wine was blended and bottled. In appearance, the gold tint hints at the wine’s honeyed richness… This is a deliberate stylistic feature finding sufficient, balancing freshness on the palate… Flavoursome freshness with fragrant yet restrained spice and apricots”.
Wine Tourism News
RSA, March 2008
“…this Swartland blend is Shiraz-led with Southern French cohorts Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre and a splash of Viognier. Brilliant, youthfull aromas of spice, chocolate and game accompanied by careful oaking. Ripe, textured mouthfeel and chewy tannins. An excellent wine with violets, blackberries and some earthy, hearth fire notes on the nose. It’s a complex yet easy drinking wine…”
BLACK ROCK RED BLEND 2006
“The Black Rock White Blend 2006 consists of Chenin Blanc (59%), Chardonnay (39%) and Viognier (2%). What is striking about this wine is its full palate weight, which thanks to tangy acidity isn't too much to bear. It's a creditable addition to the emerging category of premium Chenin Blanc-driven blends and worth seeking out for those looking for something out of the ordinary and a bit challenging”
Christian Eedes
Deputy Editor, WINE magazine, South Africa, October 2007
John Platter Wine Guide, 2008 Edition
4½* Red Blend 2006 - (Shiraz / Carignan / Grenache / Mourvedre / Viognier) S. Rhône-inspired exotic blend, individual & compelling. Shiraz-led ’06 doesn’t falter: violets, dried herbs, campfire smoke and crushed blueberries. The trademark lithe tannins welcome participation; this is pure hedonism.
4* White Blend 2006 - (Chenin Blanc / Chardonnay / Viognier)
Majority blend 40 yr old bush vine chenin. With chard, dash viognier, 06 almost overpowers with a peach/preserved melon and citrus intensity. Gloriously tangy, food-friendly, thanks to enlivening acidity, oak influence.
4* Stellenboch Radford Dale Merlot 2005: schönes Rubin, etwas Cassiskonfitüre, eleganter, aber auch etwas schlanker Wein mit guter Tanninstruktur
4* Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Vinum 2005: dichtes Rot, ledrig-pflaumige Aromen, feste Tanninstruktur und gute aromatische Fülle, eleganter Wein
4* Stellenbosch Good Hope Pinotage 2006: dichtes Rubinrot, pfeffrige Kirschfrucht, saftig, fruchtig, etwas wenig Tiefe und Länge
5* Stellenbosch Radford Dale Gravity 2004: dichtes Rubin, würzige, tiefe Fruchtaromen, fest strukturierter Wein mit guter Länge, braucht noch Zeit
4* Stellenbosch Radford Dale Gravity 2005: dichtes Rot, noch verhaltene Nase, feste, große Struktur, braucht noch Zeit, Tannine noch eine Spur bitter
4* Stellenbosch Radford Dale Shiraz - Viognier 2005: dichtes Rubinrot, tiefe Cassisaromen, gut strukturiert, aber mit zu viel Schärfe, 2. Probe : frisches Rubinrot, klassisches Syrahbukett mit schwarzen Beeren, elegante, feste Struktur, besser als bei der Vorprobe
3* Swartland Black Rock Shiraz - Carignan - Grenache 2006: leuchtendes, frisches Rubin, etwas zu neutral in der Nase und zu wenig Frucht am Gaumen
Dr. Eckhard Supp, Germany, October 2007.
Black Rock white blend 2006
The Winery of Good Hope –home to iconic wine brands like Gravity and Vinum –makes blends under the Black Rock label that express the concentrated fruit and minerality of the bushvines of the Swartland. The new vintage is a multi-faceted blend of barrel-fermented Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier.
The South African
Top SA ‘Flagship Blends’ feature
March 2008
Top 4 selection : Feel-good wines for Summer
FOOD & HOME, RSA -
October 2007
Black Rock White Blend 2007
An enchanting, highly drinkable blend of Chenin, Chardonnay and Viognier, this is a wine that balances crispness with lushness. Drink it cold in a big glass.
Wine Buyers Guide
2004 Black Rock
Red Blend, Swartland, $25
A Cellar Selection
- S.K. (7/1/2007)
Vinnovative Imports
90 POINTS: Black Rock White Blend 2005
“ This refreshing, citric blend of Chenin, Viognier and Chardonnay is lush but light, with an underlying minerality that offers restraint and clarity. The nose and palate are full of tropical fruit, lemon and lime and flowers. A classic, infectious wine.”
South Africa - Red
89pts The Winery Black Rock Red Swartland 2005 $24
A ripe, juicy style, with lots of blackberry, licorice & spice notes. Has solid grip, with a nice brambly edge to the finish. Deceptively concentrated. Syrah, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre & Viognier. Drink now through 2008.
The Wine Spectator, July 2007, USA.
Black Rock Red Blend 2005 ****x (4 ½ Stars)
Southern Rhône inspired exotic blend, individual & compelling. 2005 has different moods (and) aspects: lavender, scrub, blueberry; a salty liquorice and prosciutto explosion of flavour.
Black Rock White Blend 2005****
Distinctive assemblage dominated by 4o yr old+ bushvine Chenin. Beautifully integrated and fragrant 2005 shows deeply rich citrus, tropical fruit, yet a persistent minerality that refreshes..
JOHN PLATTER SOUTH AFRICAN WINE GUIDE 2007
2005 The Winery of Good Hope Black Rock Red Wine Swartland
($25; a blend of Rhone varieties) Bright red-ruby. Highly complex aromas of blueberry, smoked meat, pepper, licorice and flowers. Suave on entry, then dense, juicy and seamless, with very good energy to the flavors of black cherry, iron, pepper and bitter chocolate. Nicely concentrated, intriguing wine with excellent balance. Finishes with firm, dusty, building tannins.
USA, March 2007
The Winery of Good Hope
Black Rock White 2005 R90 16
Black Rock Red 2005 R90 16
The rugged terroir and dry heat of the Perdeberg are home to many old bushvines that survive by drawing moisture and nutrients from the deep granitic subsoils through roots more than 10 metres long. From these vines come grapes for wines that are writing a new chapter in South Africa’s winemaking history – from the Sadie Family, and The Observatory amongst others. Recognising the area’s potential a few years ago, The Winery’s founder, Alex Dale, and its lead winemaker, Edouard Labeye, added the Black Rock range to their existing list of Radford Dale, Vinum and New World. Grapes for the two blends are sourced from dryland bushvine vineyards under long-term lease to The Winery. Labeye, who has experience in similar conditions in the Rhône and Languedoc, dictates the viticulture practice.
The 2005 vintage in the Perdeberg was hot, and the alcohol contents of both these wines are over 14.5%. The White is a blend of chenin blanc, chardonnay and viognier (69/26/5); a third of the chenin, all of the chardonnay, and half of the viognier was barrel fermented; the rest of the juice was fermented on its lees in tank. In all cases, extensive lees stirring to build flavour and mouth feel was part of the regime, and malolactic fermentation was prohibited to maintain natural acidities. The wine fits into the Swartland ‘white’ category of intense, gutsy, blended, terroir-driven wines. The bouquet is initially dominated by toasty oak but this soon gives way to lemon and floral aromas. Lemon is one of the decisive flavours on the palate, where there’s a refreshing acidity, waxiness, weight and a touch of sweetness, possibly from the alcohol. The wine’s most appealing character is that it highlights its warm climate origins without being blowsy. It pleases now, but why not keep it two to three years to let its underlying complexity and minerality come to the fore?
The Red includes shiraz, carignan, grenache, mourvèdre and viognier (60/23/9/4/4). The vinification process is complex and includes punch-down in the cement tanks, co-fermentation, free-run juice, pressed juice, micro-oxygenated juice and so on. Two-thirds of the wine was aged in oak, again mostly French. The result is a deep mulberry hue with enticing nose of red and black fruits, pepper and floral notes and a savoury, liquorice-tinged palate. Granted, the style is ‘big and bold and ripe’, but the fruit has been well-handled and the oak used judiciously. The drawback is, of course, the hefty alcohol; AL also thought it lacked weight or ‘development’ in the mouth, despite its intensity, and TJ wondered how easily the sweet charm sat with the fairly ambitious aims of the wine. In fact, I found that a few hours of air contact seemed to give the more gravitas and certainly had curbed its exuberance. If you’re a fan of bold and flamboyant, well-crafted wines, you’ll like this. – CvZ
Article in Grape, January 2007
A SELECTION OF SOME OF THE COOLEST WINES IN TOWN
2ND : The Black Rock red blend 2005 from The Winery is a sumptuous and interesting Shiraz, Carignan, Grenache, Mourvedre & Viognier blend. The spicy aroma with wild bush traces catapults into a palate rich with blueberries and lavender. Pairing beautifully with game, especially Springbok, grilled or braaied meats, spicy or fusion-styled dishes and paté or cured meats, the blend can be acquired for an average price of R89.
Avocado, South Africa
February 2007
The Wine Report 2007, authored by Tom Stevenson, with SA section compiled by Cathy van Zyl MW & Tim James
Fastest Improving Producers
- Rijk’s
- Lammershoek
- Constantia Uitsig
- The Winery
- Groot Constantia
- Paul Cluver
- Kleine Zalze
- Scali
- Robertson Winery
- Bein Wine
Most Exciting or unusual finds
- The Observatory Pinotage / Syrah 2004
- Black Rock red blend 2004
i. “Enchanting Southern-Rhone-inspired blend. Unlike many peers, this trades on elegance rather than power.” - Paul Cluver Gewurztraminer 2004
- Rustenberg Rousanne 2004
- Signall Hill La Siesta Grenache Blanc
- The Observatory Syrah / Carignan 2003
- Vriesenhof Enthopio 2003
- Solms-Delta Lekkerwijn 2004
- Jack & Knox Green on Green 2004
- Fairview Agostinelli Barbera 2004
The 100 MOST EXCITING wine finds (only 2 out of 100 from SA):
25th Black Rock Red Blend 2004 -1st from SA
61st Rustenberg Roussanne 2004 2nd from SA
South African Wine, part 2
Jamie Goode, UK, May 2006
Winery of Good Hope Chenin Blanc 2005 Stellenbosch
This is Radford Dale’s more affordable, everyday Chenin, which is fermented in tank with some extended lees contact. Nice honeyed nose with a trace of herby Chenin fruit. Lovely palate is quite rich with some delicious cheesy, herbal fruit. Lots of personality to this fruit-driven wine. Very good+ 87/100
Vinum Chenin 2004 Stellenbosch
With this, Alex is looking for a wine that will age longer, with more minerality and flintiness and less fruit. A small proportion goes into small French oak barrels. There’s lots of personality here: it’s minerally, with notes of straw and herbs. The palate has a lovely savoury, herbal character together with nice minerality and weight. A lovely food wine. Very good+ 89/100
Radford Dale Chardonnay 2003 Stellenbosch
Lovely weight and richness: an expressive, slightly nutty Chardonnay with a toasty edge to it. The oak doesn’t overpower. It’s rich, but not over the top; a nice wine, made with restraint. After alcoholic fermentation this is kept at 4–7 ºC for five or six months to delay malolactic and give the wine a chance to interact with the lees and oak. Malolactic is inhibited with sulfur dioxide after this. Very good+ 88/100
Black Rock 2004 Perderberg, Swartland
The first release of this wine, which comes from the up-coming Perderberg region. It’s mainly Chenin (75%) with some Chardonnay and a touch of Viognier. There’s a nice weight of cheesy, straw-tinged herby fruit. It’s generously textured and has good acidity. A really lovely wine that combines weight with freshness. Very good/excellent 90/100
Radford Dale Shiraz 2003 Stellenbosch
Sweet dark fruits nose with a sweet vanilla and coconut edge, together with some tarriness. The palate shows good concentration of sweet, accessible red fruits. Perhaps just a touch confected but very approachable. After a while there’s a bit of dark chocolatey fruit. It’s tighter and more expressive. Very good/excellent 90/100
Radford Dale Gravity 2004 Stellenbosch
A blend of Cabernet (50%), Merlot (25%) and Shiraz (25%). Lovely ripe dark fruits nose with a minerally, slightly leafy character and a tarry edge. The palate is dominated by smooth sweet dark fruits. Well defined with an earthy, spicy savouriness adding a lovely spicy definition. Very good/excellent 92/100
Five stars
2004 Black Rock white blend (Chenin Blanc - Chardonnay – Viognier)
Generous in all respects. Fat and mouthfilling, fresh and lively, elegant and tasty.
Flemming Hvelplund in Erhversbladet (Businessmagazine, Denmark), Friday March 17
SA wines get the world-class taste
Myrna Robins –Cape Argus : Good Tastes feature, 25th March 2006
“Entrepreneurial partners and innovative plantings characterize operations at The Winery, where clever marketing complements consistent quality across four ranges.”
South African white wine feature.
The only two 5 Star wines from the top 11 SA white wines selected : ***** Black Rock, Chenin / Chardonnay / Viognier 2004
***** Radford Dale, Chardonnay 2003
Flemming Hvelplund, Erhvervsbladet, Denmark March 2006
Red Blend 2004 ****x (4 ½ Stars)
Southern Rhone-inspired exotic red blend; gamey flavours & lavender whiffs; Old World elegance rather than knock-down, drag-out power. Shiraz, Carignan & Grenache.
White Blend 2004 ****
Blend dominated by old bushvine Chenin (75%) with some fragrance from Viognier (3%), Chardonnay filling in the gaps. Not for the faint hearted, this is a powerful, idiosyncratic & full-bodied wine.
John Platter South Africa Wine Guide 2006
2004 Black Rock (Red Blend) - Shiraz with a splash of Carignan and Grenache from the Perdeberg. Mineral like its moniker. I found the aromatic lavender, spice and blueberry flavours alluring. It epitomises the search for new flavours. I also liked Alex Dale's comment likening the 6-10 year-old vines to 'all children of the new South Africa ... a delightful wine which is a breath of fresh air.'
Graham Howe, www.wine.co.za 14.12.05
Black Rock white blend 2004 (Perdeberg - Swartland): 91 points.
A blend of 75% Chenin Blanc with some Chardonnay and Viognier, the fruit for this wine comes from cool, dry-farmed vineyards in Swartland. It has pure fruit character, its ripe, generous, balancing wood and acidity along with white fruit flavours, peaches and green plums. A touch of minerality completes the picture.
WINE ENTHUSIAST, USA, 15.11.05
White is the new red. After the dramatic swing to red wine in the 1990s, when we went from drinking 70% white and 30% red to half and half, the pendulum i starting to swing back. White wine is now outselling red wine again. ... The white wines we drink have changed over the past decade. Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are still the favourites, but tehir grip is weakening. Sauvignon Blanc is the chief beneficiary, but other varieties are increasingly getting a look-in; so, too, are blended whites -wines that not so much dare not name their component varieties, but often cannot find the space on the label. This new respect for blends is overdue. Blends aren't an inferior species made from winery leftovers -at least that's not the norm. In the best cases, the sum of the parts is greater than the individuals. Try the three South African whites below.
2005 Vergelegen Sauvignon Blanc.
2004 Black Rock white blend
2005 Charles Back Chenin Blanc - Viognier
JOANNA SIMON, THE SUNDAY TIMES, UK. 06.11.05
Alex Dale of The Winery sent me two great drops recently which he described as "essences of the Perdeberg". Called Black Rock. The white wine is a Chenin/Chardonnay/Viognier blend, a yummy fragrant, minerally wine, seamless in that not one of the varieties dominates. Heavy in the mouth, great oak wafts from the Burgundian cooper and floral - gentle iceberg roses - and shining apricot and other stone fruits. The red wine is a real Rhone ranger Shiraz/Carignan/Grenache, she's like an exotic tango dancer. Alive and purple, spicy and freshly trodden fynbos on the nose and this wondrous aromatic almost minerally blueberry flavour. Oh such a different and "new" flavour! Very South of France. Clearly Bordeaux and Burgundy are not the only place to be.
Michael Oliver, NOSH NEWS, July 2005
The red blend is a wonderful smooth wine, with intense spice and herbal flavours, and a fresh, mineral character. Although the Chenin in the white blend dominates with 75%, the wine is well integrated and with an unusual, fragrant and mineral character for a Chenin-based blend.
The Winery set out to make balanced and totally honest wines from the Perdeberg and a lasting impression is that of well-made, honest wines with beautiful intensity and backbone.
Graham Howe, www.MWEB.co.za, June 2005
Black Rock’s white blend is made up of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and a touch (3%) of Viognier, all from very low-yielding vineyards. Some of the wine was fermented in barrels and the balance in tanks where it was left for some time on the lees. The result is a big, complex wine with no single variety dominating the flavour. There’s a wonderfully inviting aroma and just enough acidity to balance the fruit. The red blend, an unusual combination of Shiraz, Carignan and Grenache, also from the Perdeberg area, arrives on the palate in an explosion of big flavours –lavender, berries and spices – and new layers of flavour unfold as it lingers in the mouth. With all that intensity it still manages to avoid being too brash and retains a feeling of freshness.
These are two very serous wines that show the art of the blender can play a dramatic role in creating a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
David Biggs, Tonight South Africa, May 2005
NEIL PENDOCK'S TOP TEN WHITES: BLACK ROCK white blend 2004 -Black Rock Rocks ! and this blend of Chenin, Chardonnay with a dash of Viognier is an exciting mouthful that belts you in the buds. Made by a crowd called thefunwinery in that most unfashionable appellation, the Swartland, where it would reach 50 degrees in the shade if there were any, this maiden vintage shows a whole new direction for SA whites: exhuberant fruit, funky label and flavour delivered at full volume. Now all they have to do is use a screwcap and they'll have SA's white of tomorrow.
WINESCAPE magazine, August 2005
This Rhone-inspired blend of Shiraz, Carignan and Grenache from the Perdeberg is the result of a collaboration between a handful of young, innovative winemakers...
This unique wine has a rich mulberry colour and a distinct mineral quality which gives the spicy, berry flavours freshness and complexity.
Mary Jane Harris,
Woman & Home, August 2005
Black Rock Two superb and exciting blends from the innovative team at The Winery. Grapes from the Perdeberg part of the Swartland. A region and label to watch.
John Maytham, Cape Talk, May 2005
The Winery, with headquarters in the Helderberg, is a relatively new wine venture having been established as recently as 1998, but already its wines are making connoisseurs sit up and take notice...
Four of the wines have earned the coveted four-star rating in the John Platter Wine Guide. Not bad for beginners! The latest releases will also please those who enjoy big, gutsy wines. Bottled under the new Black Rock label, these two newcomers - a red and a white, both unusual blends - are both created from grapes grown in the Perdeberg area of the Swartland region.
The Winery's founder, Alex Dale, says he believes the Perdeberg might be one of the Cape's great undiscovered wine-producing areas.
Black Rock's white blend is made up of chenin blanc, chardonnay and a touch (3%) of viognier, all from very low-yielding vineyards.
Some of the wine was fermented in barrels and the balance in tanks where it was left for some time on the lees. The result is a big, complex wine with no single variety dominating the flavour. There's a wonderfully inviting aroma and just enough acidity to balance the fruit.
The red blend, an unusual combination of shiraz, carignan and grenache, also from the Perdeberg area, arrives on the palate in an explosion of big flavours - lavender, berries and spices - and new layers of flavour unfold as it lingers in the mouth. With all that intensity it still manages to avoid being too brash and retains a feeling of freshness.
These are two very serious wines that show the art of the blender can play a dramatic role in creating a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.
DAVID BIGGS
www.tonight.co.za - June 2005
SOMETHING SPECIAL
Black Rock red blend 2004
A Rhone Blend...this bruiser from hot and dusty Perdeberg is full of brooding intensity and meaningful glances. The first vintage of a future classic costs R85 and proves that Bordeaux blends are not the only game in town. Stunning.
Extract from the Neil Pendock column, Sunday Times, 1st May 2005
"...the Cape's best wines are invariably blends. Alex Dale's Black Rock white and Paul Sauer's blend from Kanonkop prove this."
Neil Pendock
Sunday Times (South Africa), April 2005
"From the international team at The Winery...these two Swartland wines are just so polished, poised and clever. The red...is the sort of ripe, flavoursome beverage, tightly textured but with vigour and character, that the Cape should be churning out by the million litres -but isn't... This blend of Shiraz with Grenache and Carignan... is delicious , unpretentious, unobtrusively but supportively wooded, and eminently drinkable... The white blend is mostly of Chenin, with some chardonnay and a splash of Viognier giving it a lovely peachy fragrance (happily dominating some oak-derived vanilla -part of the wine was barrel-fermented and matured). Ripe and round, with concentrated fruit, fresh clean acidity, a touch of sweetness, and Swartland-Perdeberg bigness."
"These wines show further why The Winery is building a wide reputation as one of the most interesting and valuable Cape Producers"
Tim James, GRAPE. April - June 2005