Vikas Sharma

I haven’t had a South African wine in some time, and, to be honest, I wasn’t planning on giving them a taste anytime soon.

In my early years of learning about wine, I got caught up in the wave of Australian Shirazes and anything that was bold, peppery, and looked like purple paint.

At that time, I remember trying a number of South African wines from Stellenbosch and thinking that they carried many of the same qualities of the Australian reds, which I enjoyed.

Last week, when I was out at Published On Main, and tried that Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte, my wife saw a Cinsault on the menu and asked if we should give it a shot. However, I was reticent due to the fact that I don’t remember trying a Cinsault when I was in wine class; even though I’m sure we did. I knew it was a grape from the very south of France, but that was about it. And then when she mentioned that this wine was South African, I thought “what a strange grape to be growing in South Africa.”

So, my wife went and purchased this wine and sent me to run grab it to test it out.

Well, there’s a little farm called Natte Valleij, right in between the Stellenbosch and Paarl regions that focusses on Cinsault.

A little bit about Cinsault and Natte Valleij.

Cinsault is prevalent in The Languedoc, primarily because it can take the heat, and The Languedoc sits just above Spain. Perhaps Cinsault’s tolerance for heat is what makes it a great grape for the South African climate, and although the grape is typically grown to blend (for example in Rhone blends in France, or with Cabernet Sauvignon in South Africa), some South African growers have been experimenting with featuring Cinsault as the star.

Natte Valleij is a farm purchased by the Milner family in the 60’s, however, they’ve been making wine for less than 20 years, and I have to say that I’m quite impressed with what they’re doing.

On with the show:

Wine: Natte Valleij Farm

Region/Appellation: Western Cape (between Stellenbosch and Paarl)

Grape(s): Cinsault

Vintage: 2019

Style: Red

Price: $35

The Visual: Oily-minus viscosity in the glass – light intensity in colour, which was cherry with a clear rim.

The Aroma: Light-plus intensity in aroma, with a flattering impression. The nose contained notes of Plum, Spice, Dark Cherry, and Tobacco.

The Flavour: Light in intensity, and light-bodied. With light to supple tannins, and flavours of Plum, Mint, and a touch of Clove.

Alcohol: medium at 13%.

Balance: The flavours were balanced with a short to medium finish.

Other notes: Dry – and while at first taste, I wasn’t sure about the structure, it started to come out much later (perhaps an hour in). Fruity and Herbaceous. I think we tasted this wine way too young. I won’t say that you should buy a bunch and age it, as the vineyard is super young, but maybe I’ll get another bottle or two and leave it in the wine cabinet for another three or four years.

Food pairing: We had this wine with a vegetable lasagna (with red sauce, not béchamel). In discussion about what foods would go well with this wine, my wife mentioned pizza or pasta.

Final Comments: 

I wasn’t 100% certain about this wine, and I think I said something like, “I wouldn’t buy this wine,” but my opinion changed once this bottle opened up. Additionally, it held up well one day later, when I drew another glass.

I learned a good lesson about being more open minded when it comes to trying wines that I’m less inclined because of some existing prejudices I might have about the region; part of that is that I’m very into what I’m into these days.

Much like a bottle needs to open up over a little bit of time, I’m going to be open to trying different wines from other regions.

Cheers – Salud – Salute – Živeli – Prost – Na Zdrowie – Skål – Santé