Wine and Co - lighter reds...

Lighter reds...

The High Street roadworks are taking a bit longer than expected, but with the trees planted, most of the paving complete and the benches in place, it is already looking really good. We can't wait to see the final result!

One of our customers sent me a WhatsApp message the other day asking which Cinsault's we had in stock, and during the chat I sent her a pic of what we currently have on the shelf. I thought I would share it with everyone - along with the critics or Winemaker's notes...

Bosman Twyfeling Cinsault: Tim Atkin report 91: Bosman Twyfeling Cinsault 2018 Wellington (14.20%) Some Cinsaults can be so light that they are almost like rosés, but this is definitely not one of them. Savoury, serious and dense with ripe bramble and blueberry fruit, stony intensity, 5% whole bunch spice and a firm finish.

Cape Collective Rad Red: Bright red fruit and cherry aromas. Lighter style wine yet generous on the palette with delicate tannins and savoury notes.

Dorrance Rouge: The Rouge is a 100% Cinsault. The grapes are sourced from vineyards on the different soils in various part of the Swartland. This seductive Cinsault has a perfumed nose of violets, spice and purple fruits. The medium to full bodied, food friendly palate is finely textured with firm but approachable tannins and as fresh, lingering finish. Best served at 14C.

Laarman Focal Point: This Cinsault originates from bush vines in Stellenbosch’s famous Bottelary Hills and is a bright violet in the glass, echoed by vibrant blueberries and ripe plum on the nose. Intriguing herb flavours such as sage and thyme complement the lively fruity flavours and follow through in a palate with plenty of fruit and a moreish minerality.

Longavi GLUP: Cinsault grapes are hand harvested at 22 balling. 30% whole cluster in tank. Cold maceration for four days before natural fermentation takes place with aerated pump overs during fermentation. On completion of fermentation a 14 day extended maceration takes place before pressing. The wine is further matured in foudre (large wooden vat, 2500L) for six months. Natural winemaking where there is minimal intervention - No stabilisation, fining or filtration. From the Itata Valley, Chile.

Marras Trickster: Handpicked grapes from Piekenierskloof, cooled overnight, 100% whole-bunch. A light-styled red for summer, serve chilled!

Natte Vallei: This is our Coastal blend, a multi-regional extravagance, based from 5 dryland bush vines ranging in age from 50-14 years. Fermented naturally and aged for 12 months in a variety of concrete egg, foudre and barrel. Oodles of depth and bright-eyed energy, it's like the bar down the street being gate crashed by your local rugby team and you're lucky enough to be there, you know it's going to be fun!

Seriously Cool: Winemaker Nadia Langenegger: Our Cinsault is known as COOL because we recommend that you enjoy it at a lower temperature (around 14°C) and because it stems from the cooler slopes. We also describe it as SERIOUS because it ensures a well-structured, memorable length in the mouth. The old bush vines gave rise to a soft, balanced tannin structure and elevated length. This wine is playful in its aromas with pronounced floral and perfume notes, backed by a savoury undertone. I enjoy going back to my glass to appreciate the complexity. In the mouth, the prominent fruit aromatics are complemented by soft tannins that develop effortlessly.

Craven: From a truly special vineyard planted 3km from False Bay it is a relatively ‘cooler’ site in Stellenbosch. Cinsaut at its best creates such lovely fresh, vibrant wine with amazing aromatics. The same vineyard that Bernard Bredell, from Scions of Sinai, uses. 100% destemming means the fruit can come to the fore on the palate. (Publik)

Thirst: The Cinsault bush vines vines were planted in 1989 and are grown on sandy soils lining the banks of the Moddergat River. There is no irrigation in this vineyard so it produces a small crop but one with lovely concentration and we harvested early during ripening to retain maximum freshness. In the cellar, semi-carbonic maceration methods were used during the natural fermentation, resulting in a wonderfully perfumed fruit expression, so this Cinsault has cranberry, crunchy dark cherry character and grippier tannins.

Please feel free to call or message if you are looking for any of these delicious light reds!  

THIS WEEK'S TASTING

Join us this weekend when we will be tasting the two Sauvignon Blancs from Springfield Estate in the Robertson area...

Life from Stone: Derives its name from the incredibly rocky soils in which it is grown. Every year the vineyard battles against nature in order to produce highly concentrated, powerful wines with a flinty, mineral character true to the quartz rock in which it is grown. Monumental human effort was required to plant the vines - implements destroyed, and, in the case of the older vineyards, dynamite deployed. A true expression of the site’s terroir, this wine will drink well now, or can be enjoyed in the next 2-3 years.

Special Cuvee: Originating from 35-year-old vines rooted in sandy alluvial soil in the estates riverine area, this cuvée, or blend, is achieved by two pickings - one earlier in the harvest and another slightly later. Grown in the estate’s prime site for Sauvignon, this results in a complex wine, with a sensuous combination of passion fruit, nettles and minerality. Will mature beautifully for 2-4 years.

A reminder of our website: www.wineandco.co.za/shop

Please note that our website does not show the complete range of wine that we have in stock, so please do contact us if you are looking for something not listed online, especially those that are 'allocation' only. We offer free delivery in Hermanus, and free shipping to major centres around South Africa for orders over R1500. Please contact us for international shipping rates. 

COVID-19 shop hours (until further notice):

- Monday to Saturday: 10am - 6pm.

- Sunday and Public holidays: 10am - 4pm.

Thank you for your support - stay safe - see you soon! 

About Us

Have you ever heard about a great wine but could never find a bottle for yourself (to share with friends, of course)? Well, the team at Wine & Company do all the hard work for you! We visit wine farms and attend tastings to find, taste, and then stock wine from the smaller Estates and independent winemakers who buy grapes and produce outstanding wine under their own labels - much the same as the French negociants have been doing for centuries. Given that these winemakers make wine in such small quantities, sometimes just a single barrel, their wine will never be found on the shelves of the major retailers, but only in specialist shops like Wine & Company on High Street, Hermanus.

In addition to the great selection of well-known wines and MCC's, we also stock local craft gin and beer, French Champagne, La Trappe Trappist Ales as well as whisky and other spirits. Wine & Company (established in 1998 by Bartho Eksteen) has a well-earned reputation for stocking hard-to-find small-batch wines and we strive to continue this great tradition. If you purchase a bottle of wine from us and it is faulty or you are not satisfied with the quality, we will gladly replace the bottle and return the faulty wine to the winemaker.

Feel free to contact Wine & Company if you need a particular wine and we will do our best to source it for you. We are also able to ship wine locally and to most countries so do ask about international shipping.