“If you were a pumpkin farmer,” says Michael Ratcliffe, pointing out a 750-thousand-year-old patch of earth outside Paarl, “our Vilafonté vineyard soils would do nothing for you.” Fortunately, Michael and his American business partners, Zelma Long and Dr Phillip Freese, aren’t in to growing pumpkins; instead they produce two of South Africa’s finest red blends, the Cabernet Sauvignon driven ‘Series C’ and the Merlot and Malbec dominated, ‘Series M’.Unlike many conventional wine producers, Vilafonté does not make a ‘premiere’ and a ‘second label’ wine. They simply make two wines, both of which have held their own at the highest level since 2003 and which Michael is happy to suggest define Vilafonté’s passion to create the first Luxury Wine brand in the country. After having tasted the two wines they produced in 2005 alongside both of the 2009 vintages, released this month, at a comparative tasting in March, I’m certainly
not going to argue that point.
Surrounded by a select group of extremely knowledgeable wine lovers at the tasting, my introduction to the 2005 Series wines is easily summarised as “sublime”. Despite being the least wine-savvy person at the table, it took only a sniff and a decent sip of each to appreciate the tremendous achievement that the ‘C’ and ‘M’ represent. As Michael and Zelma shared some insights about their business, the vineyards, the latest harvest and international wine trends I caught myself comparing their efforts to those of a very careful artist whose achievement lies not in simply creating a masterpiece, but in creating the very masterpiece he imagined he would create.
For those who’d like more than just my word for the mastery of their efforts, Vilafonté was one of only two South African wine producers to feature in the Wine Enthusiast ‘Top 100 wines in the World’ in 2011 (alongside De Toren) and their lowest Platter score ever is 4 1/2 stars. Vilafonté Series C 2005, R599
(Cabernet Sauvignon 66% / Merlot 22% / Malbec 6% / Cabernet Franc 6%) The Cabernet Sauvignon is immediately apparent on the nose and the accompanying hints of pepper and French oak follow through on the palate before being joined by dark fruit and soft tannins. The result is a wine that feels full and round while it’s in your mouth and lingers, with a dry, somewhat fruit-driven finish, long after swallowing.
The dominant Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot components of this wine are wonderfully integrated but still distinguishable and what really surprised me was the rich plum colour to the wine that did little to give away its age. This is a wine well-worth buying to enjoy now but is said to have another few years in it. If the comparative price of R899 for the 2003 Series C is anything to go buy, it may just be a very smart investment.
Vilafonté Series C 2009, R450
(Cabernet Sauvignon 54% / Merlot 27% / Cabernet Franc 11% / Malbec 8%) This wine was aged for 23 months in new French oak and it’s immediately clear that the Cabernet Sauvignon has revelled in being treated thus. There’s a rich mouth feel complemented by black and ripe red fruit flavours and a flinty sense to the nose. As I wrote “Elegant & Smart” in my notes, one of the tasters looked up and said “Sexy” and I thought, THAT’S what I meant!
Again, looking at where the price of this wine is likely to go in time, this has to be one of the most sensible wine investments about. How anyone who drinks a bottle is going to be able to resist the next, however, remains to be seen.
Vilafonté Series M 2005, R399
(Merlot 52% / Malbec 17% / Cabernet Sauvignon 31%) This is an extremely appealing wine with fruit and a youthful sense about the nose that may well see you check the label to confirm the vintage. Again, the colour of this wine shows practically no tinge of age and is a telling endorsement of its crafting.
On the palate there’s a hint of strawberry in the mix, along with white pepper and a touch of earthiness thanks to the healthy Cabernet component. The latter also makes for a wonderful structure and a lithe finish.
Vilafonté Series M 2009, R350
(Malbec 46% / Merlot 32% / Cabernet Sauvignon 21% / Cabernet Franc 1%) This wine is easily my favourite, and before you ask, I’m sure I spotted the 1% Cab Franc even before I looked at the notes.
This wine is a fleshy, fruity invitation to put your feet up and enjoy life. I got vanilla on the nose, as well as chocolate and fruit mince followed by more fruit on the palate, a soft mouth feel and just a hint of pepper to finish. The Malbec variety isn’t something I’m used to - but it’s earned a convert and dedicated Vilafonté drinker thanks to the Series M.
Contact Sophia on 021 886 4083
0 comments:
Post a Comment