Landskroon Cinsaut 2020 | Michael Olivier

Landskroon Cinsaut 2020

Landskroon Wine Estate on the South West facing slopes of the iconic Paarl Mountain has been owned and managed by the De Villiers Family for five Generations. Each Cellarmaster has been called Paul, and the current Paul de Villiers V is in charge of the Cellar with Fanie Geyser as Winemaker and Kaylin Baxter as Assistant Winemaker.

Cinsaut on the vine, large loosely packed bunches

Cinsaut, formerly known as Hermitage, was brought into South Africa as a heavy bearing vine after Phylloxera decimated the Cape Wine Industry. It was brought in to save the wine farmers. It was used by Professor Abraham Perold to cross with Pinot Noir to create Pinotage, the first vintage of which, 1942, was made by Perold’s Friend, CT de Waal. Perold sadly never tasted it as a wine. Cinsaut was the main stay of many of the Cape Reds of the 60s and 70s when blended, and at times, co-fermented with Cabernet Sauvignon. It then, kind of fell out of fashion. Mercifully, it is back on track again and makes a fine wine. And becoming popular once more with a new set of wine drinkers. On Landskroon, Paul and his team, once the grapes have been destalked and crushed, take the mash to closed fermenters. After a short while a portion of juice is drawn off to get better concentration and colour. The French call this saignée, or bleeding. Once fermentation is over, the wine is in tank with French Oak Staves and some 60% matured in previous fill French and American Oak Barrels. The wine is then prepared for bottling. Interesting that Cinsaut was the first bottled wine sold on the Landskroon Estate.

Landskroon Barrel Cellar

Pour

From a Bordeaux shaped bottle, closed with natural cork. The label is the modern Landskroon Livery, simple and elegant. In the glass the wine is a translucent cherry. The aromas are of cherries and country lane fruits like mulberries and brambles. These segue onto the palate which is rich and generous with a golden thread of acidity running through into the satisfying aftertaste. Made for now drinking and for the next 24 months or so.

Vickie de Beer’s Chinese Chicken Stir Fry

Pair

While the Landskroon Cinsaut 2020, is an excellent sipper, it works well with food. Especially if chilled for about 30 minutes or so in an ice bucket. A great partner is Vickie de Beer’s Chinese Chicken Stir Fry. Vicki is a freelance food stylist, recipe developer, writer and photographer living in the Netherlands with her husband and two boys.

Vickie de Beer of https://vickiedebeer.co.za

Vickie de Beer’s Chinese Chicken Stir Fry

Serves 4

500g chicken thighs, deboned and cut into slices
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
6cm ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 red chilli, finely chopped
60ml cup soya sauce
30ml apple cider vinegar
10ml erythritol
juice of ½ orange
grated zest of 1 orange
30ml olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and thickly sliced
1 green sweet pepper, thickly sliced
200g Portabellini mushrooms, sliced
200g broccoli florets
2 tsp sesame oil
60g cashew nuts
fresh coriander, to serve

Marinate the chicken in garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce, vinegar, erythritol, orange juice and zest, and set aside until needed.

Add half of the olive oil in a large pan (or wok) over high heat. Once hot, add the onion, and cook for 1–2 minutes or until soft, then add the pepper. Stir-fry for 5–7 minutes and remove from the wok with a ladle. Set aside until needed.

Drain the chicken from the marinade (keeping the marinade to add later). Add the remaining oil to the pan and once hot, add the chicken. Cook the chicken over high heat until completely cooked through, about 4-6 minutes.

Once chicken is cooked, add all remaining ingredients into the pan (including the cooked onion and peppers, and marinade). Cook for 3–4 minutes more, until the mushrooms are al dente and sauce has reduced. Serve with fresh coriander.

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