Johan Malan of Simonsig

Tasting a selection of wines from Past Auctions of The Cape Winemakers Guild in the presence of three members, Johan Malan, Etienne le Riche and newboy Duncan Savage was an experience to be remembered for a long time.

Not only were the wines utterly memorable, being in the company of these three gents and being fed fabulous food by George Jardine on a perfect Cape Day, made it all the more enjoyable.

In the first flight Bruce Jack’s Flagstone Weather Girl 2006 brought on a huge debate as to whether the wine was over the hill or whether it had a way to go.  I loved its minerality, the good palate weight, fruit and pepper and its sparky acidity.  Kevin Grant’s Ataraxia Chardonnay 2007 was a dream excellent oak “frame” for the wonderful stylish Chardonnay.

George Jardine

The second flight was of older reds.  A regal Kanonkop 1997 Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc and Merlot Blend was poured, excellent and brilliantly austere cassis fruit and superb oak.  One of my fellow guests said it had a “Kanonkopness” about it.   Jeremy Walker’s fabulous 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was a magisterial wine – wonderful Cabernet fruit, fennel undertow, great wood and definitely a bottle I would want to cuddle up to.  The third wine was Danie Steytler’s KaapzichtCabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2002, its colour moving to terra cotta, lovely sweet minty ripe fruit with just fabulous oak.  Very dry.  The fourth wine was Pieter Ferreira’s slightly out of place Graham Beck Shiraz Barrel Select 2002.  May have been out of place, but that did not prevent it being a great New World wine with a French kick to it – lovely lovely peppery fruit, well oaked.

Flight three was a gathering of four 2003s. Waterford Auction Reserve, recessive shy fruit and oak on the nose and plate.  Fynbos on the nose, complex fruit with cloves and coriander.  De Trafford Perspective, a Cabernet Franc and Merlot blend.  Minty nose ahead of juicy savoury fruit with whiffs of fennel, coriander and violets. I really liked the freshness of this wine. Jordan Sophia Auction Reserve.  A people’s wine.  Sweet fruit on the nose, layered fruit on the palate with vanilla spice and a leafiness to it.  Le Riche Auction Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.  Full round wonderful fruit with incense smoke and warm spices.  Beautifully oaked.  A real privilege to drink this wine. And finally the Boplaas Auction reserve Port 2001.  Stunning glass of full rich sweet sumptuous Christmas cake fruit.

George Jardine who runs the restaurant on Jordan gave us a delicious lunch at which a further selection of wines was served.  The ones, which stood out for me, were the Jordan Chardonnay Reserve 2007, Kanonkop Pinotage 2001 and an utterly fabulous Boplaas Auction Reserve Muscadel 2000.

Jeremy and Mandy Walker’s home and winery, Grangehurst, is on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain midway between Stellenbosch and the False Bay coastline with a spectacular view to the west of the Table Mountain Reserve all the way from Cape Point to Signal Hill.  To sit there, as I have, on their balcony in the early morning is a unique Cape treat.  With a glass of Grangehurst wine in your hand a little later in the day, it is even more so.

Jeremy and his team have specialised in classical, handcrafted red wines since 1992. Grangehurst wines have received significant acclaim including winning the Jan Smuts Trophy in 1992 for the SA Champion Wine for its maiden vintage, two 5-star ratings by Wine Magazine and regular 4 to 4½-star ratings by the John Platter South African Wines Guide, plus one Platter 5 star accolade. They use traditional winemaking methods such as fermentation in open vats, manual punching down of skins for colour and tannin extraction, pressing the grapes in wooden basket presses and maturation of wines in small French and American oak barrels. Up to the vintage of 2004, Jeremy bought in grapes from prime Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage & Merlot vineyards in Stellenbosch. The 2005 vintage saw the start of Grangehurst’s second development phase – the supply of grapes from its own “Sunset Vineyard” which will supply up to 80 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Merlot, Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Petit Verdot within the next few years.  Up to a further 60 tons of grapes will continue to be purchased from existing suppliers.

There is a charming tasting room where wines can be tasted and purchased from Monday to Friday and weekends by special arrangement (or take a chance if you are in the area). The quaint Grange Cottage, comfortable and classy, is available should you want a peaceful overnight experience in the winelands.

Grangehurst has four wines in its range. My personal favourite is the Grangehurst Nikela, a Cape Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage & Merlot, the 2000 being the current vintage available – a complex wine with outstanding fruit. “Nikela” is an African word meaning “to offer dedication, respect or a tribute to one’s ancestors” – in this case to winemaker Jeremy Walker’s late parents, Eddie & Betty, who helped to establish Grangehurst Winery in 1992 when Eddie gave up his squash court to enable Jeremy to squash the first grapes at Grangehurst. The name Grangehurst is an amalgamation of The Grange – Betty’s childhood home in Birmingham – and Hurst Close – the street in which Eddie lived as a child in London. Coincidentally, “grange” is a “country house with farm buildings” and “hurst” means “hillock or on a hill” – a very apt description of Grangehurst.

The Grangehurst Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot is a silken textured blend of two of the most important Bordeaux grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon (± 80%) and Merlot (± 20%). Jeremy’s Grangehurst Pinotage is barrel matured with a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon and, as with the other wines in the range, leans more towards the European (rather than New World) style.

Says Jeremy, “Grangehurst wines are produced to complement fine cuisine, and besides the standard 750ml packaging are also available in 1,5 litre magnums for those special dining occasions.”

Jeremy is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) and has produced a special, limited release Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve for sale at the annual CWG auction since the 1995 vintage. To date he has also made two special Auction Reserve blends – a Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage & Merlot blend in 1999 and a Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage & Shiraz blend in 2001. The CWG Auction Wines are only available for purchase at the annual October CWG Auction and are not sold from the cellar.

A visit to Grangehurst is a friendly occasion.

Nice way to drink serious wine made by passionate people.

Stellenbosch Winegrowing Region,
on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountains

Winemaker:  Jeremy Walker, Member of the Cape Winemakers Guild.

Eikendal Road (off the R44 between Stellenbosch and Somerset West)
PO Box 206, Stellenbosch, 7599, Western Cape, South Africa
Telephone +27 (0)21-855-3625
Email: winery@grangehurst.co.za Web: www.grangehurst.co.za