It was real delight to meet winemaker Jaco Poitgeiter from Douglas Green Bellingham (DGB) group, one of the big players of the South African wine industry. DGB operates three winemaking facilities: at Boschendal, Franschhoek Cellars (for the Bellingham label) and in Wellington where they blend then bottle négociant wines (bought from various cooperative cellars) for Douglas Green, Tall Horse, The Beach House, Culemborg and Saints labels. My invite for the private wine tasting came from Meenal Kansara, marketing manager at Mohans Oysterbay Drinks Ltd, who import and distribute DGB wines in Tanzania.
First up was the Douglas Green Sauvignon Blanc 2014, ABV 12.7% (Tshs 14,000). Jaco said that Douglas Green wines are “fun and affordable”. Their philosophy has always been to source the Cape’s best grapes to create fruity, easy-drinking wines. And this Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect example of how this is achieved. It is a light-bodied, crisp, dry wine with tropical flavours and a touch of citrus acidity.
To contrast his first easy-drinking choice, Jaco selected an award winning bottle from the DGB premium range: Boschendal 1685 Sauvignon Blanc 2014, ABV 13.5% (Tshs 22,000). This wine has complex flavours of herbs, tropical fruit and lime. The texture (or sensation in your mouth) is full-bodied, creamy and finishes off with zesty minerality. A very nice Sauvignon Blanc with great balance and complexity.
We then moved to the Boschendal 1685 Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2013, ABV 12.6% (Tshs 22,000). A unique blend of Chardonnay (60%) and Pinot Noir (40%). It has the appearance of a white wine. Jaco explained the juice from Pinot Noir had minimal contact with the grape skins which is what imparts the darker color to red wine. The Chardonnay contributes to the richness and backbone of the wine, while the Pinot Noir adds fruitiness and a hint of spice. Its nice combination of flavors and long finish makes it most enjoyable.
Jaco started the red wines with the entry-level Tall Horse Merlot 2013, 13.5% ABV (Tshs 12,000). It is soft and supple on the palate with pleasing soft ripe fruit flavours and well incorporated oak notes. The wine was aged for about 3 months with French oak staves ̶ planks placed inside stainless steel tanks. Not very complex but certainly enjoyable.
Jaco then followed with the Boschendal 1685 Merlot 2013, 14% ABV (Tshs 22,000) which is multi-layered and complex. It was matured in French Oak barrels for 12-14 months and this gives it additional depth. The result is a wine with the flavor of red berries supported by dryness from refined soft tannins. It finishes with a gratifying, long after taste reminiscent of freshly roasted coffee beans.
The final wine was the Bellingham Ancient Earth Shiraz 2012, ABV 14% ABV (Tshs 16,000). This wine is 98% Shiraz grapes blended with 2% Viognier for extra intrigue and complexity. After fermentation, the wine is left to mature in French oak barrels for 9 months. It has the aroma of violets and a typical Shiraz flavour of black pepper. The textured tannins give the wine substance and it has a lingering finish of dark berries flavour. An incredibly interesting wine for this price.
A question I have always wanted to ask a winemaker who oversees the making of wines for different brands is that of price. For example why Boschendal wines are more expensive than those of Douglas Green? And generally, why does wine cost what it does? Jaco’s explanation, in brief, is the cost of a bottle of wine largely reflects the cost of production. The philosophy and positioning of the brand plays a big part as well. For example the aspiration for Douglas Green brand is to make wines that are fun and affordable, while that of Boschendal is to produce premium wines of exceptional quality. I will share more of Jaco’s explanation in a future post.
Wines available at Mohans Oysterbay Drinks Ltd, Haile Selassie Road and all major wine retailers.
