The Imhoff Wine Festival is a great, annual event which took place at the Old Cape Wine Shop on the Imhoff Wine Farm.
Imhoff Farm is a historical farmstead set amidst the scenic surroundings of Kommetjie. It is a popular destination for family outings – and with good reason. The farm has three restaurants, organic food and craft stalls selling local products, and lots of entertainment for children.
Wine producers and wines from every corner of the Cape Winelands map, including Franschhoek,Stellenbosch, Robertson, Wellington, Constantia and the West Coast showcased some of their best wines.
The wines we tasted:
MULLINEUX WINES – KLOOF STREET OLD VINE CHENIN BLANC 2019
Pale straw in colour, this wine has a nose of sun ripened pears and wet granite. The palate has a vibrant acidity balanced by a soft, round texture and some pithy character. The wine has a fresh, mineral finish. Their Kloof Street range is all about freshness, balance and great drinkability. Grapes for their Kloof Street Chenin Blanc come from vineyard parcels on a variety of soils in different parts of the Swartland. The wine is part tank and part barrel fermented.
MULLINEUX WINES – OLD VINES WHITE 2019
Pale straw in colour, this wine has a nose of ripe, green citrus fruit and Christmas spices. The palate is fresh and richly textured, with notes of ripe pears, almonds and peaches, and a clove-like finish. A blend of Chenin Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Grenache Blanc, Viognier and Semillon Gris.
MULLINEUX WINES – FLORA 2018
Pale yellow. As the name suggests plenty of floral notes to compliment a nose with citrus and tropical fruit. Really quite delicate, finely balanced, with lovely acidity and a long aromatic finish. A delicious blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Verdelho.
DE GRENDEL – MCC BRUT 2016
Bright straw yellow in colour, with extremely fine streams of bubbles that carry wafts of biscuity richness to the nose, nuanced by fresh citrus aromas with hints of grapefruit peel, before the palate is filled with a delightfully vigorous ‘mousse’ – the explosion of bubbles that gives way to fresh lemon and lime flavours balanced by a lemon-cream richness that ends long and flavourful, with a mineral green apple crispness.
DE GRENDEL – KOETSHUIS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019
Generous aromas of green fruits like kiwi and Granny Smith apple interplay with gooseberries and lemongrass in perfect harmony, introducing a clean and flinty palate that has wonderful zippy acidity, soundly balanced by complexity gained from lees contact and good length.
DAINTY BESS – PINOT NOIR MCC 2016
The project originally started in 2009 when Naas and Jenny Ferreira made a bubbly from a small vineyard planted at Klein Optenhorst, their beautiful home in Wellington. The wine was named after the property.After 29 years, they decided to sell the farm and move to Montagu and their youngest daughter Jane Ferreira-Eedes resolved to continue producing the wine as it holds many memories of special occasions at the family home, the name now changed to Dainty Bess, one of Jenny’s favourite rose types.
Dainty Bess is a Pinot Noir Méthode Cap Classique, South Africa’s unique take on bottled fermented sparkling wine. Pink with a rose gold tinge in colour. The nose shows cherry, raspberry, Turkish delight, rose petal and some earthy complexity. The palate shows vibrant primary fruit, with fine mousse and a dry fresh finish.
TRIZANNE SIGNATURE WINES – SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019
Vibrant and fresh nose of crushed rocks, ripe pear and yellow gooseberry. Quite energetic on the palate which builds and has more profundity than one may first realise. Walks the tightrope between bracing Elim freshness and ripe fruit brilliantly. Finishes on a dry, clean and very classy note.
TRIZANNE SIGNATURE WINES – RESERVE SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017
Rich aromatics of lime, fresh pear and a touch of herbs. This intensity is continued on the palate with integrated flavours of fruit, spice and minerality. A delicious, elegant wine that leaves the drinker refreshed.
TRIZANNE SIGNATURE WINES – SYRAH 2017
Beautifully ripe and fresh black and red fruits on the nose accompanied by some aromatic spice – black pepper and cardamom – with some dust and warm earth undertones. On the palate, the fruit is persistent and abundant. Lovely concentration without being overly “heavy”. The fine-grained tannin keeps building in the mouth and with the balanced acid provides a classy framework for the pure red fruit to express itself.
MOOIPLAAS – CHENIN BLANC BUSH VINES 2019
It has a lovely straw colour, a tropical nose with litchi, mango and summer melon flavours, good weight and balance on the palate, finishing dryish with a lovely minerality.
VONDELING – CHARDONNAY 2018
The wine has a bright hue with a golden straw colour. It displays a refreshing nose of bright pear and peach blossoms with subtle lemon meringue and notes of freshly rolled oats. A full-bodied wine with great palate tension. The flavours are vibrant, and the finish refined.
VONDELING – CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016
The wine displays a dark ruby red colour. Shows beautiful aromas of cinnamon and red cherries. It has a broad, succulent and silky palate with plenty of red fruit, smoky cigar box, roasted almonds and maraschino cherries. Fine, textured tannins on the finish.
OAK VALLEY – FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH SAUVIGNON BLANC
Oak Valley ‘Fountain of Youth’ Sauvignon Blanc expresses fruit characters of gooseberry, white peach and ruby grapefruit made in a mineral and elegant style, characteristic of the Elgin cool climate. ‘Fountain of Youth’ refers to the lasting freshness of Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc which retains its integrity for 10+ years in bottle.
OAK VALLEY – SOUNDS OF SILENCE PINOT NOIR 2019
Sweet cherry, violet and rose petal aromas. The palate displays an abundance of fresh cranberry and ripe cherry. These bright red berry characters are offset by beautiful acidity resulting in excellent freshness. The careful use of french oak has led to fine tannins and a light oak spice on the finish.
CARAVEL WINES – CARIGNAN 2019
The wine is light to medium bodied with hints of red cherry and some earthy flavours on the nose. Charming nose with accents of plum and tobacco. Well-balanced acidity and the silkiest tannic texture. Carignan (also known as Mazuelo and Cariñena) is a black, red wine grape variety that is grown throughout the world, but is often used as a blending grape variety in noteworthy Spanish wine regions and is believed to be native to Aragon, Spain.
PASERENE – ROSIE 2019
This is a blend of Carignan, Mourvedre and Shiraz. Rosie has a delightful light onion skin colour. The aromatics show deep flavours of fresh cherries, strawberries and cream. Secondary to that, roses and cinnamon with a hint of cotton candy come through. The mouthfeel is dense with a velvety finish and a good acidity providing a very moreish character.
PASERENE – MIDNIGHT 2018
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Midnight lives up to the name and is almost black in colour. With strong mineral undertones, this Cabernet shows very expressive aromas of cassis, liquorice and black berries.
PASERENE – DARK 2018
100% Syrah. Dark is an appealing ruby red in colour. The nose is gentle, yet defiant with aromas of chocolate, dried prunes and spice. Dark is medium in structure and shows slightly elevated acidity.
BOTANICA WINES – BIG FLOWER ROSÉ 2018
Crafted from 100% Petit Verdot, this fresh and lively rosé is packed with bright red berry and watermelon flavors, with deli- cate floral notes that shine through on the refreshingly dry finish.
BOTANICA WINES – FLOWER GIRL ALBARIÑO 2019
2019 marks the maiden vintage of Flowergirl Albariño – one of only three wines currently crafted from this Iberian grape varietal in South Africa. Intense aromatics of white peach and pink grapefruit follow through on the vibrant palate. Packed with zesty acidity, the wine refreshes with its juicy nectarine flavors, backed by undercurrents of grapefruit pith, lemongrass and lime zest.
BOTANICA WINES – CHARDONNAY
The wine is pale straw in colour and shows inviting citrus aromas on the nose. On the palate, vibrant lemon and lime zest and a slight pithy character are underpinned by delicate pastry flavors. Taut acidity drives a fresh, clean finish.
ELGIN RIDGE – CRUNCH SAUVIGNON BLANC
The CRUNCH! Sauvignon Blanc was made for everyday drinking pleasure with clonal selection done to amplify the lime and citrus fruit freshness in this wine.
ELGIN RIDGE – 282 SAUVIGNON BLANC
Elgin Ridge 282 Sauvignon Blanc has sweet pear and blackcurrant on the nose while on the palate a citrus undertone with a rich and textured finish.
BRUCE JACK – SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019
The cool climate component from the Cape South Coast lends this wine intense crunchy green apple and lemon grass. The riper components provide juicy white peach and touch of citrus.
ARENDSIG – CHARDONNAY BLOCK A15
On the nose you get citrus, green apple, with hints of tropical tones. The palate is rich with fresh mineral. Round with a long lingering mouthfeel.
ARENDSIG – SAUVIGNON BLANC BLOCK A10
It is a fruit driven white with notes of guava, figs and green peas on the nose. The palate bursts with a fresh, crisp and long finish.
ARENDSIG – INSPIRATIONAL BATCH 3
Intense white wine produced from 25 year old Chenin Blanc vines. On the nose you get apple, pineapple, nuts and spice. The palate offers a rich and great depth of flavor with well-balanced acidity.
EENZAAMHEID WINES – VIN BLANC 2019
This is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Viognier in a refreshing entry level white wine. It shows more tropical fruits and some light floral notes from the Viognier. Well-balanced and refreshing with a great acidity for a beautiful finish.
EENZAAMHEID WINES – CHENIN BLANC 2018
Attractive yellow fruit, green apple and minerally profile and richness, balanced by a crisp acidity. It’s a full, round style wine with exceptional ageing potential.
KLEIN SERING WINES – SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018
Bright in appearance with an inviting nose, abundant with flinty and citrus aromas. The palate is full bodied, well rounded with a great acid backbone. Fresh and pure flavours of melon and citrus envelope the mouth that concludes with lingering and rich finish.
KLEIN SERING WINES – SEMILLON SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018
This unwooded blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon has a bouquet of greener flavours such as grapefruit, capsicum and lemon through to riper flavours, including yellow gooseberry, melon and passionfruit. The Sauvignon Blanc gives a pure, racy sensation with flinty minerality and a wet-stone element, while the Semillon rounds it our adding weight and texture. The fruit promise of the nose fills the mouth. There is an enticing salty tang from the Noordhoek sea breezes. the acidity is clean and refreshing.
JOURNEY’S END – CHARDONNAY 2018
Clear and bright, straw with a hint of green. Expressive fruit, initially lemon and citrus, but under that, it’s more tropical and pineapple, all seamed through with crushed almond, savoury oak tones. This is a layered, complex wine, the result of cool-grown fruit carefully handled, plus barrel selection. The palate is silky, with a tangy finish from the fruit and acid combination, extending the flavours.
JOURNEY’S END – THE HUNTSMAN SMV 2018
1811 marked the first ever hunt in the Western Cape with hounds imported from Gloucestershire, UK. The Cape Hunt remains the oldest Hunt in the New World. Beautiful dark ruby red colour. Expressive aromatics of violets, redcurrant and cherries with hints of white pepper and liqourice. Juicy layers of red and dark berries come through on the palate, with elegant tannins on the finish.
LAMMERSHOEK – THE INNOCENT CVS WHITE BLEND 2019
A delicious everyday drinking wine. A fresh wine with hints of quince, pear and zesty lemon and lime flavours. A full mouth feel with a lingering aftertaste and crisp acidity. A perfect blend of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc.
LAMMERSHOEK – RED MYSTERIES 2017
Vibrant Ruby Red. Fresh berries with mulberry and currants being prominent. Well integrated spice flavours with hints of potting soil earthy tones.
Soft elegant mouthfeel with well integrated tannins. Delicious cherry and berry notes on the palate with hints of limestone. Blend of Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre.
If you have missed out on the event, the farm is open seven days a week and there is ample, safe parking available, few shops to browse and entertainment for the kids. Imhoff Farm is the perfect destination for a family outing and great fun for all.
For more information:
Imhoff Farm | Kommetjie Road, Kommetjie | Tel: 021 – 783 4545 | www.imhofffarm.co.za
Categories: Event
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