Overnight at Tierhoek wine estate. (Unique fines wines of Piekenierskloof, South Africa)

Unique fines wines of Piekenierskloof, South Africa

Overnight at Tierhoek wine estate. (Unique fines wines of Piekenierskloof, South Africa)

Letha (Malan) Oelz / Sales Agent     

TIERHOEK WINES…South Africa (Unique fines wines of Piekenierskloof, South Africa)

http://www.finderzkeeperz.co.za/tierhoek/

John and Lynne Ford

https://adamastorbacchus.blogspot.com/2019/02/overnight-at-tierhoek-wine-estate.html?m=1

Our friend Shelley Sandell owns Tierhoek wine farm in the Piekenierskloof and, when she heard we were going to be in the area at the weekend for Saturday night, she offered us a stay at the farm afterwards, which we were very happy to accept. She and her late husband Tony bought the farm in 2001 and discovered very old Chenin and Grenache bush vines, which they have cultivated. They are part of the Old Vines Project. Tierhoek wines have won several good awards. They also modernized the old farm buildings, but in a very respectful way, to preserve their heritage.

We were joined by Ryno Kellerman, the Farm Manager, who gave us an extremely good tasting of the Tierhoek wines. He makes the wine with Roger Burton. We tasted several vintages as well. Because it was very hot outside, we did the tasting in the kitchen, filled with echoes of a bygone age and lovely period furniture, as is the rest of the house. We began with the 2018 Chardonnay. Typical, elegant, buttery, clean and crisp with limes and lemon and soft tannins and length. The 2017 is sweeter, more lemon and naartjie flavors’ - a food wine. The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc is also typical with green pepper and figs. Lively and exciting on the creamy palate with classic crisp Sauvignon Blanc flavors’ of English gooseberries, lemon. Surprising for this warm area, but then we were on the second highest wine farm in the country. They are at 760 meters above sea level and only 40 Km from the sea. Old barrels are used to give just a hint of smoke. The 2017 Chenin Blanc is shy with some gooseberries and golden fruit, crisp on the palate with apples, ripe apricots, and lovely long flavors’. The 2015 is full on the nose with incense wood smoke. Sweet apple and pear on the round mouthful with length and depth. Nice to see what the 2017 can become; the 2018 has just been bottled. The 2016 Chenin has honey notes with yellow apple. More Golden Delicious apple on the full palate, a food wine which would be perfect with rich food like a duck liver mousse.

Then time to taste the red wines. Ryno is actually a lot friendlier than he looks when his photo is being taken! We began with the 2016 Grenache. Candy, pomegranate and cranberry on the nose, with wood smoke. Cranberry fruit, some cola and cough candy flavors’, lovely sweet fruit on the end.  The 2017 Grenache has rich cherry with smoke hints; very appealing. Soft sweet berry fruit, cranberry, cherry, long sweet and sour flavors’; needs time, but becoming good. The 2018 is light rose in color, it has had skin contact, but is from a lighter year. Cranberry and incense wood on the nose. More a rosé with body: fruit, warm alcohol and sour sweet flavors’, then some cherry. Intrigued to see how it will develop. The 2017 GSM has 45% Grenache, 43% Shiraz, and 12% Mourvedre. Spice. Incense wood, white pepper; lots of soft tannins and full of plummy fruit. We had it with our braai. Which, sadly, was a bit of a disaster. We had bought rump steaks from Woolworths and they were so heavily spiced with hot smoked paprika that they tasted like bacon. NOT what we wanted. And the Grabouw wors from Checkers was also badly over seasoned.  Luckily we had salad, cheese and ham as a backup.

A view over the vines to the dam. Tierhoek is very high in the mountains, about 760 meters above sea level; your ears pop when you drive down to the valley.

Thank you,

Letha (Malan) Oelz

Email: contact.finderzkeeperz@gmail.com

Website: http://www.finderzkeeperz.co.za/tierhoek/

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