This wine, for that dish
So much wine, so little time. Here are some standout wines to try this April, paired with delicious recipes from our magazine.
Robertson Winery Constitution Road Shiraz 2012, R220
For this flagship red, grapes are sourced from the winery’s top shiraz vineyards, two blocks on the Wolfkloof farm. It’s rich and undulating, with a spiced prune entry developing into tacky blackberries with tracings of dark chocolate and earthy minerality. Smartly put together, it’s velvety, smooth and full of berry fruit—you won’t go wrong uncorking this.
Pair with: Lamb chops with creamy leek and cauliflower purée, and mint gremolata
WIN! The new flagship releases from The Robertson Winery Constitution Road range. The Chardonnay 2016 (R150) and the Shiraz 2012 (R220). The prize is valued at R370. To enter, simply complete the entry form below. Terms and conditions apply. Competition ends 30 April 2019.
Steenberg Rattlesnake 2018, R160
Not your usual sauvignon blanc; the wine was fermented and aged for nine months in old French oak barrels. A portion of the wine was also fermented separately in concrete eggs. The extended lees contact and gentle oaking has imbued the wine with a slightly creamy mouthfeel and a textured acidity—rather than a racy one you’d normally expect from this cultivar. Find pure Constantia fruit flavours of citrus, grapefruit, nectarine and blackcurrant with a line of slate running through it. This wine will do well with a few more years in the bottle.
Pair with: Roasted wild mushroom and parsley risotto
Allée Bleue L’Amour Toujours 2015, R250
A Bordeaux style blend of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot. A blockbuster of a wine with deeply concentrated, rich berry fruit. The cabernet sauvignon character comes through refreshingly with a bright, herbal note. Winter spices of clove and allspice play along the full, rounded palate against a backdrop of smoke and cedar.
Pair with: Mini lamb-shank pies
La Motte Pierneef Syrah Viognier 2016, R270
This wine is a blend of 95% shiraz and 5% viognier. Aromatic and beguiling, this medium to light-bodied wine plays on the edge of your senses with its ethereal fruit flavours of mulberry and plum, with a tingling undertow of liquorice and white pepper. Its fresh finish makes it all the more drinkable.
Pair with: Savoury hot cross buns with mature cheddar, thyme and sticky maple bacon
Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Shiraz 2016, R139
An absolute bargain at this price. It’s an acutely well-defined shiraz with all the aspects you’d want from the cultivar: rich fruit but not jammy, fine-grained tannins, juicy and fresh yet still serious enough for dinner, and of course that all important shiraz spice humming all the way through.
Pair with: Pan-fried pork fillet with mushy peas
Written by Malu Lambert, food & wine writer
Imka Webb is a freelance digital marketing expert and the digital editor of Food & Home Entertaining magazine. www.imkawebb.com
