South African 10-year-old reds under the spotlight

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

Burgundy,Bordeaux, Barolo: all are names that conjure up classic red wines – and in the case of the first two, whites also.

But like the lengthy history behind each of these areas, so do their wines benefit from years of maturation; years, during which, time does its magic of developing more intriguing flavours, while calming the exuberance of youth and softening the tannins.

Tasting South African red wines of a bygone era, the 1940s through to the 1960s, which I’ve been privileged to do on several occasions, these too have provided some wonderfully mature pleasures. Like their European counterparts, they too would have required time to reach this mellow state.

In today’s world of instant gratification, most wines are bought today and consumed tonight, so does the rest of the world need to or indeed, can they make wines that also benefit from age? I would argue that the best wines can and do benefit from age, even a few years.

But, whether designed for early drinking or maturing, well-made modern wines are drinkable on release. For, as Chateau Margaux’s Paul Pontallier reminds us, for a wine to taste good when it’s aged, it has to taste good when it’s young.

Personally, I believe there are few South African reds that need more than six to eight years and fewer still that benefit from longer.

So I’d anticipate a line up of 10-year-old South African reds would offer a mixed experience. Why 10 years? I guess because it’s a nice, round figure. And by starting a competition for 10-year-old reds, 2003 would be as good a vintage as one could want.

One might also ask why red wines? It’s ironic that South African white wines are generally considered more interesting and often better than reds but the status quo still dictates they are the ones that deserve maturation. Also, how many producers would have stocks of 10-year-old white wines? Many fewer than those with reds.

So red wines it was that fell under the spotlight at the inaugural RE:CM (an acronym for Regarding Capital Management, an asset management company) 10-year-old Red Wine Awards. In effect they continue, with embellishments, a theme, started by the now defunct Wine magazine.

With sponsors RE:CM, celebrating its own 10th anniversary, and Christian Eedes, former editor and tasting panel chairman of Wine magazine, organising, the event drew 73 entries representing 39 wineries. Required stock was two bottles for tasting with a further 22 for the awards dinner. Not an overly demanding figure, but for some of the Cape’s arguably best wineries with a noteworthy track record, their 2003 cupboard was bare.

Thankfully, Boekenhoutskloof, one of South Africa’s most renowned wineries, does keep a library and Marc Kent’s equally celebrated Syrah topped the list of winners with the sole five-star rating from the three judges – Eedes, internationally trained sommelier, Jorg Pfutzner, and wine educator, Nkuli Mkhwanazi. This wine’s solid track record stems from its fruit source – the same Wellington vineyard since 1998 – and cellar techniques, notably no new oak. After 10 years, it is an infinitely more interesting wine yet, according to those at our table at the awards dinner, it still has plenty of life in it.

Rudera Shiraz and Remhoogte Estate Wine, a merlot-cabernet-pinotage blend, which filled the balance of the top three spots, were less anticipated winners but they and the balance of the 51 wines that gained 3 or more stars, just go to show South Africa is more than a one-trick pony.

As matching variety to site, vine age (the majority of vineyards are still between four and 15 years), vinification techniques and oak ageing are all better understood, South African winemakers, especially the talented new generation, will undoubtedly turn out many more wines worthy of and benefiting from long maturation. Among them, maybe some that will challenge those classics above.

– Angela Lloyd