Winemaker Notes
Dark plum colour
Bouquet :
Initially pleasant floral aromas emerge. As the wine opens up, these are subtlely replaced by ripe blackcurrant and other blackberry aromas. The bouquet also reveals pleasant spicy oak aromas and hints of mocha.
Palate :
Intense follow-through of blackberry flavours from the bouquet. Delicious fruit flavours enchant the mid-palate. Firm tannin structure suggests this full-bodied wine would be at its best when paired with food. The wine has a spicy oak finish accompanying each mouthful.
Impression :
This elegant wine brings the winemakers passion for blending to the fore. The three varietals each contribute unique flavours and character to the wine to make this a wonderful drinking experience.
Food pairing :
Beef carpaccio, oxtail and other flavourful dishes. Something interesting would be a roast loin of lamb with apricots and rooibos.
While men may dream different dreams, they are driven by the same quest: to reach for, and to accomplish perfection. No two pursuits bare the truth of this more than the perfect round of golf and the perfect bottle of wine. So when Ernie Els and good friend Jean Engelbrecht (Proprietor of Guardian Peak Winery) discussed the possibility to produce a wine together, the marriage of their ideas on winemaking styles and ideas quickly transformed into a strategy based on quality. Quality and excellence, no matter what.
Embracing the talents of winemaker Louis Strydom, who has produced the only South African wine to be nominated four years consecutively as one of the Top 100 wines in the world, they created the Ernie Els wine, a classic Bordeaux blend comprising of five varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Comments Jean, "As Ernie is setting the standard in the international sporting arena, so are we dedicated to superior quality and excellence in this unique venture".
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.