Ex Animo Wine Co.

I first met David Clarke a few years ago when I traded him lessons on wine (he is a sommelier, after all) for Afrikaans lessons. He’d just moved to SA – married to an Afrikaans-speaking local and he wanted to improve his local lingo. Packed schedules eventually got the better of us both and we only really had a few lessons, but his incredibly knowledge and honest, down-to-earth love for wine stayed with me. Back to present day, David and his wife Jeannette have started Ex Animo Wine Co. and they’ve been bloody busy since. They had their first trade show in early March and it was packed to the rafters with some of the most exciting and enjoyable wines I’ve encountered in ages.

First, a bit of an intro for Ex Animo. I think of them as “not just another wine company”. In their own words: “…work with and represent a select group of producers who are passionate about vineyards and aspire to reflect them in the cellar.” and “Our aim is to get South Africans to drink better wine, thus quality ‘in the glass’ is paramount.”. 

This vision translates into Ex Animo sourcing some of the most exciting, talked about and paradigm-shifting wines, wineries and wine-makers to be involved with. Each partner reflects the core idea that David and Jeannette have in mind: getting SA to drink better wine through service, knowledge and education. It’s impossible to miss the love these two have for the wine industry and it’s hard to not get excited when chatting to either of them about wine. Their trade show was a collection of the new, the unexpected and in some cases (I’m looking at you, Testalonga El Bandito), the downright incomparable. The complete list of producers featured at the trade tasting is at the end of the post. Choosing out special mentions is tricky (the merits of the likes of Julien Schaal, Testalonga El Bandito and Thorne&Daughters is no surprise to anyone), so I’ll just go for the ones I enjoyed the most – which is also tricky because the wines were all exceptional in their own way.

Craven Wines – I fell in love with their Pinot Noir last year, while continuing a stormy and tumultuous relationship with the heart-break grape. I still love it as much as the first time I tasted it. I also had the chance to taste their Clairette Blanche, which I found fresh and fascinating.

Lammershoek – They brought the longest wine list to the show and I worked diligently through all of them. They make a Hárslevelü (the only other winery I’m aware of that makes one is Lemberg in Tulbagh), the unusual nature of the wine is quite noticeable though it’s probably not to everyone’s taste. As recent self-appointed champion for rosé and Blanc de Noir wines, the LAM Rosé 2013 was a great find, good strong acidity and just the faintest hint of spice from the Syrah with a great finish. The Bush Vines Chenin Blanc was by far my favourite though, good body and a complexity that makes it moreish and engaging.

Spioenkop – Elgin based producer, crazy Belgian Koen Roose makes wines in more a French style (though I wouldn’t presume to try and box their wines in too tightly). The vibrant, cool climate Pinotage 2013 stuck with me, an elegant wine made more like a Pinot Noir than it’s progeny normally is.

I adore what Ex Animo are doing, I think it’s exciting to see people with the knowledge and the (ugh…I hate this next word, but in this case it is authentically appropriate) passion of the Clarke’s doing their bit to breathe new life into industry, adding to the mix in ways that ultimately means that we – the wine consumers – are in for a treat.

The Ex Animo Trade Tasting was held on the 9th of March, 2015 and feature the following producers: Craven, Intellego, JH Meyer Signature Wines, Julien Schaal, Lammershoek, Restless River, Skinny Legs, Spioenkop, Testalonga El Bandito, Thorne & Daughters, Trizanne Signature Wines. The Ex Animo website will be launched soon. For more information, contact David or Jeannette.

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Wine Concepts

As someone who attempts to blog about their full-time hobby while holding down a full-time (unrelated) job, I’m the first to admit writing when you’re working 10-12 hour days is pretty tough at times. As a wine lover with the occasional opportunity to attend really exceptional events, I’m stubborn about putting content I care about out there, even if it is a couple of weeks after the fact. The Wine Concepts Burgundy Lover’s Festival is one of those events. I was aiming for a more constructive, informative and generally well composed piece, but in truth I adore Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir stole my heart years ago, so my analytical mind shut down shortly after the first drop of heavenly liquid hit my glass. For this round, I’ll leave the proper wine reviewing aside for a bit and just run through some of the more interesting and downright divine finds of the evening.

Knowing where my favourite wines were to be found and also which new ones wanted to try, I plunged into the fray randomly, approaching the first stand with a gap for me to fill my glass. This led me to Lothian Vineyards. I found their Chardonnay to be perfectly pleasant, hints of melon and lime and the most delicate touch of oak. Their Pinot Noir is well balanced, a mouthful of strawberry with a hint of tobacco on the other end of the spectrum.

The next new find was Winters Drift. Also from the Elgin Valley, I’ve seen the label around but had never tried their wines. The Chardonnay is very nice, smooth and lightly wooded with a honeydew fresh taste and good, soft acidity. The Pinot Noir is quite fruity, light and drinkable.

With great anticipation, I made my way to the Springfield stand to indulge in my longstanding love affair with their Wild Yeast and Methode Ancienne Chardonnay. Upon arrival, I was surprised to see they had a Pinot Noir on offer. I’m a great proponent of out-of-character wines in terms of styles, cultivars and where they are grown and made, but even so I wasn’t expecting a Pinot Noir (typically better suited to cooler areas) from Robertson, where summers can be merciless. I was delighted to find a sexy Pinot Noir in that bottle, slightly more muted and less fresh and fruity than others but with lots going on and lots to appreciate.

It was shortly after my stop at the Springfield station that I stopped taking pictures, finding conversing with my companions while discussing the exquisite wines far too consuming to keep snapping away with my phone. Other more than notable mentions include Vriesenhof, Creation (both their Pinot Noir and Reserve Pinot Noir are excellent) and Ataraxia (they had a sort of micro-flighted tasting, with their 2010 and 2013 Chardonnay available for tasting, a solid indication of what the younger wine could potentially grow into).

My absolute top finds of the evening were without question the Richard Kershaw Wines Chardonnay and both the Crystallum and Craven Wines Pinot Noirs. The Kershaw Chardonnay stops you dead in your tracks. A more composed, elegant and truly beautiful Chardonnay I have never encountered. Exquisitely wooded, complex fruit and a grounded character that invites you to just finish the bottle and make sure you pack a case in the car to take hom.

The Crystallum Pinot Noir is the stuff of dreams. If you love Pinot Noir, this is the one to seek out. And the Craven Wines Pinot Noir is magnificently exciting, a breath of fresh air from the seemingly new trend of “Young Guns” winemakers on the SA wine scene. Incredibly wine makers doing fantastically exciting things, shaking up the wine scene and producing tastebud-blowing stuff.

I’ll say it again. I love Chardonnay and I adore Pinot Noir. The Burgundy Lover’s festival was a treat, well organised and presented by the team from Wine Concepts. And if Sauvignon is more your thing, then you should keep an eye on their website for the Seductive Sauvignon festival coming up in September. It promises to be a spectacular collection of the best Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon around. I’m saving the date.

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Wine Concepts Burgundy Lover’s Festival 2014

If you love wine (surely everyone reading this does?), and you love the Burgundies, then you’ll love this: Wine Concepts is hosting the fourth annual Burgundy Lover’s Festival. And I can assure you, this year we are all in for a treat. Definitely an event all lovers of fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay need to take note of.

The Cape Town event will be hosted at the Vineyard Hotel & Spa in Newlands on Friday 13 June 2014, from 17:00 to 20:00. Incogvino has gotten a sneak preview of what’s in store at this year’s popular event.

The festival is all about getting the big names in the business of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in one room and offering tasters some undiscovered gems in between.

The 2014 Festival promises to have the very best in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on offer. 40 of the country’s top producers of these varietals will be offering their finest wines to festival goers. The wines will be complimented by snacks suited to the style of wine, enhancing the overall experience.

The Johannesburg festival was held on the 29th of May at The Wanderers Club in Illovo. One of our SuperFANS, Brian Arentsen attended the event and had the following to say about it:

“If you love small, focused, niche, boutique wine fests and enjoy Chards and Pinot then you would have died and gone to heaven at the Wanderers last Thursday! All the classiest Pinots were there, rubbing shoulders with a few French Bourgogne’s (shown off by Great Domaines). I could imagine driving from Elgin to Hermanus and up the Hemel and Aarde with all my favourite stops catered for. From Hamilton Russell to Creation and most inbetween, just heavenly Pinot Noir treats. The Chardonnays were a lot more diverse in location and in finished product. Big oak was present, but a good spread of lightly oak kissed and unoaked were all worthy of being thoroughly tested. My picks of the Pinot Noirs that offer good value were the new La Vierge and Oak Valley vintages while in the Chards I couldn’t look beyond the Jordan offerings, all 9 yards of them.

Think I’ll try the Cape Town Burgundy Festival on the 13^th just in case I missed something.”

I think that testimonial speaks for itself, ladies and gentlemen. A wino traveling from Johannesburg to Cape Town just so he can experience the festival again.

Other offerings to keep an eye out for include Richard Kershaw’s Chardonnay, Andy Mitchell Crooked Path Pinot Noir, Groote Post Kapokberg Pinot Noir, Craven Pinot Noir and De Grendel Op Die Berg Chardonnay.

If by now you are as excited to be part of this delicious event as we are, go to Webtickets to book your spots. You can also buy tickets directly from Wine Concepts Newlands (021 671 9030 or [email protected]) and Wine Concepts on Kloof (021 426 4401). Tickets are R160 pp pre-booked and R170 at the door (subject to availability, of course). Best of all, wines will be on offer at 10% discount, so be ready to stock up on some hot buys for the cold winter. There’s even a lucky draw with some great prizes up for grabs.

And if you’re feeling lucky, you can click on over to wine.co.za where you can win tickets to the festival simply by naming a South African wine made in the Burgundy style. Two tickets up for grabs!

Watch this space, as we will be reporting back on the event and all the delectable finds.

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One of the first wine farms to be established in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley, Bouchard Finlayson has become synonymous with the production of outstanding Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Winemaker Peter Finlayson remembers starting to make wine there before it was the buzzing wine route of today. Mostly dirt roads and largely underdeveloped for viticulture, it became apparent that the area had the ideal soil for vineyards. 

As we sat down to begin the tasting, a glance at the tasting sheet revealed a flighted tasting of four wines, all different vintages, with a Hamilton Russel Sauvignon Blanc and an Australian Chardonnay thrown in for good measure.

The first flight was three vintages of the Bouchard Finlayson Blanc de Mer, a Riesling-based blend, with Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The make-up of the blend is vintage dependant. According to Peter, wine blending is like a Rubix cube. He also mentioned the advantage of smaller wineries, not being so limited with regards to time restraints as larger operations often are.

We tasted the 1998, 2003 and 2012. The 1998 had been the last vintage to be hand bottled, possibly contributing to it ageing exceptionally well. Peter refers to it as a star performer and it’s not difficult to see why. Softly aged, straw on the nose and a fresh, crisp acidity one would expect from a young wine. The 2012 vintage was the first non-French wine to be sold at the Moulin Rouge. 

The next flight was Sauvignon Blanc, including the Bouchard Finlayson 2006, the Reserve 2010 and the Hamilton Russell Ashbourne 2006. Sauvignon Blanc is usually consumed within 18 months, but there is no reason for it not to keep, as it can age quite well. 

The third flight was what I was eagerly awaiting all evening; the showstoppers as far as I am concerned: Tête de Cuvée Pinot Noir.  Not considered a typical Pinot Noir in the classical sense, but then very few people will ever have the opportunity to taste a Grand Crux Pinot Noir. This will do quite nicely as a replacement. “A white wine grape variety that only makes red wine under certain conditions” – Peter Finlayson on Pinot Noir. 

The 2000, 2009 and 2010 vintages were on offer. It was nearly impossible to choose a favourite. The 2000 was a work of art, elegant tannins and overall balance that can make grown men weep. The 2010 (current release) was slightly meatier and ripe but the 2009 was positively infatuating, with fine, balanced tannins, fruit and the slightest hint of jamminess that doesn’t detract but rather adds to the wine.

Rather unusually, we ended off with the Chardonnay flight. A 2004 Seppelt Jaluka from Australia, the 2004 BF Missionvale and the 2003 BF Crocodile’s Lair. The Australian offering had aged well, even with a screw top and being only very lightly wooded. The Missionvale showed a gorgeous amber colour, rich and dreamy. The Crocodile’s Lair took the cake with a caramel and toffee nose, smooth as velvet and perfectly drinkable. While the Pinot Noir has my eternal love and devotion, the Chardonnay seduced me into an delicious tryst, one I would gladly fall into again and again and again…

The marvellous wines were complemented excellently by tapas dishes, prepared by Chef Oliver Cattermole and his team. Special thanks to Peter Finlayson for hosting a marvellous tasting and Janie van der Spuy and Five Star PR for inviting us.

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A confession. Until recently, I have never really known Pinot Noir. I knew it as a cultivar. I knew it was quite a light, red wine. I knew it was popular in other parts of the world. Yet I had never truly known it to be popular here. I must have encountered it in tastings over the years, but none so memorable as to stand out or encourage me to pursue this slightly unusual varietal.

The mystery of Pinot…

I have, I fear, been missing out.

A chance discussion with friends brought up the topic of this underrated cultivar, with one friend in particular waxing lyrical, calling it a ‘seductive mistress’. I was intrigued. My affections have moved, as they do, from cultivar to cultivar over the years. Merlot was my first love, whereafter Shiraz ripped me away for a whirlwind but short-lived relationship. Cabernet is the patient, trustworthy lover always ready to take me back. And I have ongoing romances with complex Sauvignon Blancs and rich, decadent Chardonnays, often interrupted by exotic dalliances with Malbec, Grenache and Mourvédre.

But Pinot Noir. She seemed so…unremarkable.

Cue last week, when I rounded up 5 bottles and an equal number of friends, convinced to delve deeper into this mysterious wine that has been off my radar for so long. I did some research, considered my budgetary constraints and picked a selection that would hopefully cover a range of different styles and tastes. I used my friends to crowd-source some opinions and the “score” out of 5 indicates how many of us would choose to purchase this wine in future.

Note: I won’t bore your with technical details about Pinot Noir as a cultivar. If you are totally unfamiliar with it, all you need to know is that the berries are quite small and have a very thin skin, making a very light-coloured wine, usually with very little tannins. The hue and clarity is near that of a rosé, perhaps slightly darker, and even more so when wooded. In South Africa, the best Pinot Noirs generally come from the Hemel-and-Aarde Valley as well as Elgin, with the cooler climates suiting the cultivar down to the ground.

First up was the Haute Cabriére Unwooded Pinot Noir 2011 (R91). Remarkably light, only slightly darker in colour than an average rosé. Fresh red berries all over the place, like biting into a ripe cherry, thought the fruity fragrances don’t quite translate to the tongue. Gloriously light. A wine for summer days. Served chilled with salads, pastas and even a light braai. 4/6

We moved on to the Felicité from Newton Johnson Family 2012 (R87). Sweet, sweet nose with more fruity red berries. More complex than the Haute Cabriére, this wine could work well with pairings. 14% alcohol seems high but is masked very well by the innate complexity in the wine. Consensus was that it might be even better if left to age for 2 years. 2/6

Arguably the favourite for the day turned out to be Mr. P from Iona 2012. A description from the table was “it’s like it has an under-wire, it gives it support and shape”. Deep cherry both on the nose and the tongue, with a hint of spice. Perfectly rounded from ageing in 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill barrels. An unequivocal 6/6

After breaking for lunch, we approached the slightly more serious candidates. The David Finlayson 2012: Small Batch Series (R125) showed bursts of strawberry, with a touch of vanilla (almost caramel) flavours. Perfectly quaffable now, but this one should age incredibly well. 4/6

We ended off with the Waterford Pinot Noir 2011. This one fell a bit flat. Darker fruits and berries emanate from the glass, but the high tannins cause it to fall flat on the palate. Possibly ageing will curb the effect and soften it up a bit. Not a bad wine, but definitely more for pairings than general consumption. 1/6

The wines explored here seem to be a good way to introduce oneself to this marvelous cultivar. Tastes, as always, differ greatly. And the variety of Pinot Noir available is as extensive as it is diverse. She’s not everyone’s cup of vino. But if she is, you’ll never shake her. I can testify to that.

If you want to continue your own Pinot Noir education, I would recommend the following wines:

• Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir (R297)

• Creation Pinot Noir 2012 (R189)

• Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2010 (R317)

• Newton Johnson Family Vineyards Pinot Noir 2011 (R255)

• Paradyskloof (Vriesenhof) Pinot Noir 2011 (R122)

• Vriesenhof Pinot Noir 2010 (R254)

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