After missing from this country for all too many years, slowly but steadily, South African wines are returning to our marketplace.
South Africa is a producer of some very interesting and delightful wines. Like Australia, South Africa has been blessed with a fine growing climate and a soil that imparts a certain indescribable something to its wines.
The names of the varieties grown there are familiar to us, as are their aromas and flavors, which are identical to those from most winemaking countries.
So why buy wines from one country over another? A wine from South Africa is made with the same grape varieties as those from Chile and Argentina, which are identical to the grapes of California and Australia; a wine is still a wine, right? Wrong, that’s why the country of origin is always put on the label.
The factors that affect the final properties of a wine would fill a very large book. The wines of Argentina and Chile are influenced by the climate and the mineral-laced water that runs off of the Andes. California wines are endowed with an exceptional fruitiness because of soil and climate. South African wines reflect the warmed arctic winds that blow across that nation. The differences go on and on ad infinitum, making for some very enjoyable sampling.
We recently had an opportunity to taste some of the Mulderbosch wines from South Africa and found that they are still up to their old standards, if not even better.
Mulderbosch 2012 Chenin Blanc Steen op Hout ($14)Steen is the South African name for a chenin blanc wine, and Mulderbosch employs both names to make sure that purchasers know exactly what they are buying. Personally, we believe that the wine should be called steen because the chenin blanc grape takes on a completely different personality when grown in South Africa.
Another reason is that the chenin blanc is considered by some California vintners to be a lower class grape variety that is incapable of producing better wines, so the variety is usually relegated for use in cheap white wines. Sounds a little like the history of the zinfandel, doesn’t it?
The Mulderbosch 2012 Chenin Blanc has an inviting pale yellow color with a hint of green around the edges. The aroma displays pineapple, guava, lychee, lemon and lime. The flavor is clean and lively with nuances of nutmeg and cloves. Stylistically, the wine is off-dry and displays a lightly oaked background coupled with the steely, flint-like South African signature in the finish.
Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2013 ($12)It may seem like sacrilege to turn a cabernet savignon into a rose, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The Mulderbosch vintners figured out how to retain all of the character and finesse of a cab while presenting it in a lighter format.
This wine has a bright, clear pomegranate color and the complex aroma of strawberry, cherry and roses. The flavor takes a different turn by accenting fresh peaches and a slightly peppery taste on the palate, then ending in a long and fruit-filled finish.
Seek out this wine; it’s a charmer, and if you know any wine snobs, this one will freak them out.
Mulderbosch 2013 Sauvignon Blanc ($18)All too often, the sauvignon blanc is overlooked.
The Mulderbosch 2013 Sauvignon Blanc carries the variety to new heights by displaying tropical fruit attributes not often associated with the variety. The aroma is a feast of fruit flavors prominently accenting gooseberries and figs. The flavor continues with the gooseberry, which is joined by an undertone of mangos.
This wine lives in the best of two worlds. It can beautifully accompany shellfish, but will also fit well with any lighter meats such as pork, lamb and veal, as well as salads and poultry dishes.
Nixa resident Bennet Bodenstein is a wine columnist and manages ArticlesOnWine.com. He can be reached at frojhe1@att.net.
