My long awaited trip to South African began at this historic Cape wine estate dating back to 1685 .
The first rains for three months were greeted with great glee at Groot Constantia Estate.
After a long dry summer drought the parched earth lapped up the rainstorm.
Their passionate winemaker Boela lined up a
delightful run of wines.
CEO Jean Claude joined us with a history lesson
followed by a tour of the finest surviving Cape Dutch Architecture
and the oldest Manor House in the country.
Wines tasted
Blanc de Noirs 2016 a wonderfully fresh rose
with 3 or 4 hours of skin contact
with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Sauvignon Blanc /Semillon 2016 herbaceous with added texture
Sauvignon Blanc 2016 melon passion fruit crisp and dry finish
Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 cassis tomato leaf and ripe tannin
Pinotage 2015 savoury Umami soy sauce and smoky . Good finish
Shiraz 2015 pepper spice good core of black fruit long finish , lovely
Gouverneurs Reserve 2014 ripe plums vanilla cedar firm tannins ,
a little closed needs a few more years and a good long decant , great potential.
Grand Constance 2014. Aromatic ripe apricot lavender,
fresh black tea leaves rich lush with very long length , delicious, a marvel
We had Lunch at Jonkerhuis with Cape Malay influenced dining.
After overeating we took a stroll up into the autumnal vineyards
which gave us wonderful views over False Bay making it clear why
Simon Van Der Stel chose this beautiful valley over three centuries ago.
WanderCurtis Wine 