Evolution and price
On her most recent visit to Cape Town in 2015 Jancis Robinson MW tasted a bottle of the legendary *GS Cabernet 1966 – and awarded it a perfect 20/20, describing it as absolutely stunning. “Such a beautiful combination of maturity and delicacy – but with far more fruit integrity than most 1966 red Bordeaux would have now,” she wrote.
A week or two ago Klein Constantia hosted a tasting of 18 bottles of their library stock. “There’s no agenda behind this event other than to hear what you have to say about some of these old wines from our library,” said Klein Constantia’s MD Hans Astrom before the tasting started. The 18 wines included old – really old! – Sauvignons Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux-style blends, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Shiraz.
Kicking things off was the first wine ever made at Klein Constantia: a Sauvignon Blanc from 1986. Would it have scored 20/20? Probably not, because it was quite obviously developed and tertiary with distinct asparagus and vegetal notes but it was still eminently drinkable, notably fresh and lively. For a 30 year old Sauvignon Blanc, the wine was stupendous. “A lot of people aren’t looking at older vintages – especially Sauvignon Blanc,” said winemaker Matthew Day.
The discussion after the tasting kept on returning to how surprisingly well the wines had performed. Not all were in perfect shape, it must be said, but they were far from undrinkable. Those which weren’t holding up as well as others were showing more wrinkles, laugh lines and liver spots but Astrom and Day said some of this could be attributed to less than ideal storage over the intervening decades.
Calling on his experience as a retailer of fine wine, Roland Peens of the Wine Cellar said his clientele were beginning to actively seek out older South African wines – but they had to be wines with provenance and a track record of sound winemaking as well as good storage.
There’s a groundswell of interest in South African wine. It’s not necessary to repeat the accolades of top international commentators and the scores ascribed to individual wines. In July 2015 Will Lyons wrote in the Wall Street Journal that, in his opinion, South Africa offered the best ‘bang for your buck’, particularly when it came to fine wine. He cited a Vergelegen vertical tasting he’d attended: “I was impressed by the freshness, the bright natural acidity and evolved fruit of the wines.” Those wines were all post-2000 vintage.
South Africa’s ability to produce outstanding quality is no longer in question. Appreciation for what previous generations made is growing but the question must be asked: How many old vinous gems remain out there? Which then begs another question: How many producers are actively holding back stock for later release? But that’s the topic for another blog…
*For the full story behind the GS Cabernet Sauvignon 1966 visit
http://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/the-mystery-of-south-africas-greatest-red
- Fiona McDonald