The clever marketing folk at Overhex Wines International have segued the tale of an adventurous Nguni cow, that legend has it jumped off a bakkie to land unscathed in one of their Swartland vineyards, into a successful range of wines.
The aptly named Survivor now thrives in her vineyards and the wine named for her, with appealing labels featuring colourful Nguni cattle, is the top-of-the-range offering from Overhex, one of the 10 biggest exporters of South African wine, which also produces the Balance and Mensa ranges.
The latest Survivor release is the Wild Yeast Chardonnay 2018 (R175) which, says winemaker Ben Snyman, is “good news for adventurous chardonnay lovers who prefer the unpredictability and unbridled expression of naturally fermented wines”.
He says the wine owes its “unrestrained character, structure and fullness” to the use of wild, naturally occurring, rather than commercial, yeasts and 11 months of maturation in oak barrels.
The wine is gently flavourful with a lightly rich texture – rather than big and bold as some wooded chardonnays can be – with oatmeal and vanilla on the nose, and citrusy tones on the palate.
Pleasant, easy drinking on its own or with food like creamy veal or pork dishes, or seafood.
Over on the other side of the winelands, winemaker Justin van Wyk and the Constantia Glen team are celebrating their 2018 Sauvignon Blanc being named South Africa’s best sauvignon blanc, and best white wine overall, at the 2019 International Wine Challenge in London earlier in May.
As one of 10 gold medal winners for South African white wines, the Constantia Glen was named the “best of South Africa’s best”, with the judges scoring it 96/100 and praising its “breezy, stony but succulent” character and intricate aromatics.The IWC sees wines from almost 50 countries judged by a panel of 400 international wine experts from 38 countries, so these medals are not to be sniffed at.Having had the pleasure of tasting the wine, this is a sauvignon blanc for serious lovers of the varietal, zesty and vibrant with clean fruit flavours, it’s really rather fabulous (R180 cellar door).
For something different and fun, Da Luca Prosecco, imported from Italy by Flagstone Wines, has released a “mini” version – a 200ml bottle for those occasions when you just want one glass of bubbly or a little something to pop into a gift or a picnic basket.As in the grown-up bottle, it’s finely fizzy, fresh, zingy and fruity, with a light touch of sweetness (R55).