The Datebook datebook_autumn2019_digital_ARTWORK | Page 21

barriques which adds layers of spice and structure to intense blackcurrant/cassis of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Then back out into the bright South African sunlight to enjoy sundowners and a braai with more Cabernet Sauvignon! Choosing the final blend of the Chateau Veyry 2017 - great fun! and Walker Bay. It is a wine trip that has to be done. Anyway, I digress … we’re talking about red wines and South Africa produces some of the best. Talk about wines to curl up and enjoy with a loved one by the fire! My favourites are generally Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and some Pinotage. Pinotage is crossing between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir producing a wine that can be characterised by red and black fruit with leather, spice and often chocolate. The problem is that it has been responsible for many of South Africa’s cheapest, dullest and harshest wines. It can, however, be superb with delicious balance, richness and flavour. There is a big revolution in winemaking happening in Swartland with some stunning bush vine Pinotage – look out for David & Nadia Pinotage from Swartland (as well as their Chenin Blanc!). For Cabernet Sauvignon then Mellasat Farm in Paarl is the place. Stephen Richardson (who also makes a wonderful White Pinotage!) has a block of vines on a terroir that produces magnificent Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve enjoyed many visits here, playing like a kid in a sweet shop in the barrel room tasting young wines and seeing what happens with different oak barrels. In his case he uses the finest French From Spain then South Africa and now to Bordeaux, which many of you will know is a big favourite of mine. In fact after I finish writing this, I’m off to Bordeaux for a few days for tasting and maybe a meal or two. I try and champion Bordeaux because not only are the wines perfect for Autumn/Winter drinking but because this iconic region is not all about Cru Classé, expensive wines and grand chateaux. That accounts for a tiny part of the Bordeaux story. There are thousands of small growers all across the region making superb and affordable wines, from the muscular wines of the Médoc through to the sumptuous, velvety wines of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol to the more everyday wines in Entre-Deux-Mers. With lesser known regions like Castillon, Blaye and Fronsac all producing magnificently structured wines that offer great value for money. It is an extraordinary part of the world and with a city, Bordeaux, that has gone through a miraculous transformation in recent years. It’s a great destination for a weekend away. I’m going to focus on one wine – Chateau Veyry. This is a tiny estate in Castillon which is a stone’s throw from Saint- Emilion but on the same limestone ridge that is home to some of the greatest wines – Ausone, Pavie, Gaffelière and so on. A hundred years ago the wines of Castillon used to be as famous as its illustrious neighbour but they have been largely forgotten. Not by me! Christian is an artist, crafting a rich, full- bodied Merlot/Cabernet Franc that is also, somehow, elegant and refined. I love his wines and it is a visit I look forward Richard Household. The best wines are remembered not because of some fancy tasting note (‘richly perfumed with lashings of pressed plum, sweet spice and finely textured tannins’) but rather where you were and who you were with when you enjoyed the wines. That is what makes them special.. The ageing process. to every time I go to Bordeaux. I’ll be there this week! I helped to make the final blend of the 2017 sitting in Michel Rolland’s laboratory in Pomerol earlier this year. The result is a wine that is layered, complex with brooding dark fruit flavours, ripe juicy and very finely grained tannins. The wine has an extraordinary texture and ‘mouth-feel’ with a long sumptuous finish. Just wonderful! It is not expensive and is the perfect example to show that there is more to Bordeaux than Cru Classé wines that require a second mortgage to buy! By the way, if you find yourself in Saint-Emilion looking for somewhere to enjoy lunch then drive a little way out to L’Atelier de Candale in Saint-Laurent- des-Combes. A magnificent restaurant right in the middle of the vineyards. So there you have it. Some of my favourite reds, with stories to match, to help you enjoy your winter wine drinking. I managed to avoid telling you the story of a small private lunch for 4 of us in Chateau Palmer. Another time! Be brave, explore and happy tasting! Visit: www.bromptonwine.co.uk The views are magnificent. Visit The London & UK DatebooK on www.thedatebook.co.uk E-mail: [email protected] Tel: [phone] THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK 19