Thirsty Traveler recently held a tasting of Boland Cellars’ RESERVE NO 1 wines at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Port Elizabeth.
Background on Boland Cellar
Boland Celler is based in Paarl, South Africa and pride themselves on their collaborative approach to wine making. Established in 1941, they have grown to become one of the largest producer cellar in South Africa.
The Cape Coastal Region is the wine region of South Africa in which Boland Cellar operate. This region is famous for having a variety if climatic zones.
These include the Paardeberg and its surrounds, well-known for producing exceptional Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz; the Drakenstein Mountain Slopes, which have lower yields, but very high quality grapes; the Swartland Border Area, which traditionally produces grain, but is now also renowned for its robust, full-bodied Pinotage and Shiraz; the coastal areas, ideal for Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and lastly the Berg River Valley, which favours white varietals, and consistently delivers a high quality harvest year after year.
The tasting was conducted by the knowledgeable Ivan Oertle, International Sales Manager for Boland Cellar. Not only did Ivan know his subject extremely well, but his presentation was so good that he held the audience in rapt attention.
Ivan is tasting and judging at various wine competitions such as Veritas, SAA, Young Wine Show and Wine Clubs and has been involved in research groups with the Oenology Department at Stellenbosch University.
RESERVE NO1
The vineyard blocks that produce the RESERVE NO1 range have been around since Boland Cellar first starting making wine. Over the years, these blocks have been meticulously farmed to craft these award winning wines.
The RESERVE NO1 vineyards are situated in the Paarl region which has a mix of granite soil and shale soil.
The grapes for RESERVE NO1 wines are selected from two different climatic zones namely the Paardeberg and the cooler Cape Coastal area.
The grapes ripened at different times, illustrating the diversity of temperature between the two climatic regions.
Tasting Notes
The small team of tasters varied from the very knowledgeable to the very enthusiastic. Ivan artfully took us through the tasting, providing detailed information and expertly answering questions. Below is a summary of the tasting notes.
RESERVE NO1 CHARDONNAY 2016
This medium- bodied wine has strong layers of pear, citrus, lime and orange peel flavours. The “sur lie” extended lees contact period adds creaminess to the mouthfeel of the wine and is well supported by integrated French oak tannins. This Chardonnay is best served with creamy pasta and chicken dishes.
BOLAND CELLAR RESERVE NO1 CHENIN BLANC UNWOODED 2017
This Chenin Blanc shows an exceptional expression of the Chenin Blanc variety. The perfect balance between the prominent litchi fruit and the depth of guava flavours on the palate. The “sur lie”extended lees contact period adds complexity and a creamy, textured mouth-feel to the wine.
Serve this delicious wine with seafood, chicken or a trustworthy choice for any occasion.
RESERVE NO1 CHENIN BLANC WOODED 2016
The Chenin Blanc vineyards are mainly old bush vines with little or no irrigation. The grapes are cultivated on shale soils and have a longer hanging time before reaching physiological pip and skin ripeness.
The result is a fine hand crafted Chenin Blanc that has layers of peach, lime, herbs and nuts on the nose and is well supported by integrated French oak tannins.
This wine is a great compliment to spicy food, calamari and prawn risotto.
RESERVE NO1 PINOTAGE 2016
The Pinotage vineyards are planted on an east-facing slope that enjoys full sun in the mornings and very little in the late afternoons. The confluence of all these features results in small, thick-skinned berries with intensely concentrated aromas and a good tannic grip. The grapes originate from vines planted in the early 90’s.
This handcrafted Pinotage has layers of ripe plums, dark berry fruit and warm spices on the nose and palate. Slow cold fermentation and longer barrel ageing add complexity and elegance to this polished wine that has good ageing potential.
The RESERVE NO 1 PINOTAGE is delicious with pasta, roast leg of lamb or venison dishes.
RESERVE NO1 SHIRAZ 2014
The grapes come from deep, well drained shale soil. The temperature of these soils is cooler due to high clay content and therefore contributes to layers of blackcurrant, wild berry and warm spices.
This handcrafted Shiraz has savoury ripe fruit is well integrated with French oak tannins. The slow cold fermentation and longer barrel ageing add complexity and elegance to this robust wine. This wine has good ageing potential and is a perfect complement to rich red meat dishes such as oxtail.
RESERVE NO1 CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016
This handcrafted Cabernet Sauvignon has layers of ripe blackcurrant and spices on the nose and is
well balanced with savoury notes on the palate. Slow cold fermentation and longer barrel ageing
add complexity and elegance to this polished wine. The RESERVE NO1 CABERNET SAUVIGNON is a full-bodied wine with excellent ageing potential.
As one would expect from such a wine, it is great with grilled beef or any red meat dishes.
