Whale Cottage Portfolio Blog

An outstanding new restaurant opened on the Waterkloof Winery in Somerset West two weeks ago, marrying a magnificent view with a deconstructionist approach to food.

The Waterkloof wine estate in Somerset West, which belongs to one of the largest wine distributors in the UK, Paul Boutinot, who calls himself the “Custodian” of the wine estate, according to its website, with chef Gregory Czarnecki in the kitchen and Julian Smith, previously from Grande Provence, managing the restaurant.  Czarnecki was previously at The Big Easy in Stellenbosch, the restaurant belonging to Johan Rupert and Ernie Els, amongst others, and left when he was expected to cook hamburgers, it is said.    He worked with 3*** Michelin chef Alain Senderens at Lucas Carton.   Waterkloof’s website states that it makes ’slow wines’, with fermentation taking place between one to eleven months instead of the usual 20 days.

One takes a dirt track off the road to Sir Lowry’s Village, and passes an empty security hut.   Soon the road is tarred, and it is clear that one is entering Waterkloof, in that the road is neatly tarred as it winds its way up the mountain on which the winery perches.  At first one cannot see the vineyards, but they are high up, suddenly visible around a corner.  One sees the very modern “block” building almost hanging off the edge of the Schaapenberg Mountain as one drives higher and higher,  and the comparison to Hidden Valley cannot be avoided.    The winery juts out further than the restaurant does, blocking the view from the restaurant on its west side.   One’s first reaction to the wonderful view over False Bay (and the townships of Strand/Somerset West below) is of wonderment - one probably is only this high up on Sir Lowry’s Pass, but from a different angle.

As one enters the building, one is dazzled by the view.  There is familiarity, in that the inside has a lot of glass, allowing one to see the vats and tanks, as at Tokara.  What is unusual is that the restaurant and tasting room are one large open space, separated by an unusual large brown leather couch with fireplace, over which towers a massive fire extractor - one can imagine how cosy winetasting and lunch will be at Waterkloof in winter, accompanied by a roaring fire.

The occasion was a birthday celebration, and we felt lucky to have known Julian from the years of dining at Grande Provence.  He is a gentle soul, always eager to please.  His wife Mandy, also previously at Grande Provence, now co-ordinates events at Waterkloof.   He made a huge difference to the service received and information provided, some of the waiters still a little unsure of themselves. 

The Waterkloof logo of a face blowing furiously is meant to depict the southeaster, which must blow strongly from the Helderberg mountains.   The logo is proudly displayed outside the building, on the menus, on the staff aprons, and on the wine bottles.

The restaurant is buzzing and close to full.   One is offered a table inside or outside, but the outside tables with shade from the building have been taken already, and at 30 C or more it is too hot to sit in the sun.   The air conditioners cool the interior, and we are given a lovely table near the outside sliding door, and a cool breeze blows in when the door is opened.  The chairs are an unusual light beechwood with black leather seats, and the black leather theme is carried through in the menu and bill folders.

A platter of olives, hummus and bread sticks is brought to the table.  We see some rolls passing, and are brought these to the table, and they are lovely.   We are offered complimentary mineral water, a choice of still or sparkling, brought in a decanter.   The water comes from a spring on the estate.  Julian tells us that slow and organic dominates wine-making at Waterkloof.   No tractors are allowed, and horse-drawn ploughs develop the land.

The menu presents a selection of 5 starters, all costing R 60, and include ink and squid tagliatelle and asparagus risotto.  There are 7 main courses, ranging from R 95 for the pastilla of duck leg confit to R 150 for the lamb shoulder confit and baby rack.  Kingklip and Red Roman are also on the menu.  The duck comes shredded, wrapped in a (small) pastry parcel with sultanas, and 6 tiny roast potato slices, topped with a coriander foam.   It is very tasty, but the portion is VERY small.   For dessert one has 4 options, all costing R 55, as well as a cheese platter, to choose from.   Here the chef is at his most deconstructionist, in that the lime pie has separate bits of almond crumble, the lime content, topped with a tequila sorbet ball.  The rooibos tea poached apple dessert is the tiniest miniature apple balls on a plate with cabernet reduction jelly, with a ball of plain sorbet.

A special Waterkloof coffee blend of 40 % Mandheling from Sumatra, 40 % Yirgalheffe from Ethiopia and 20 % Linu from Ethiopia is roasted for Waterkloof at Lourensford, and is brought to the restaurant warmly roasted.

We were told by Julian that the Waterkloof wines are made to suit a European palate, and therefore the Waterkloof Circumstance Shiraz 2007 was a disappointment, being very light-bodied - it tasted like non-sparkling grape juice with alcohol.   Only Waterkloof wines, with their Circumstance and Peacock Ridge secondary labels, are included in the menu cover, but they do appear to have other wines in stock, e.g. the Steenberg 1682 bubbly, as Waterkloof does not make a bubbly.   The owner wants to sell his wines first and foremost, and therefore these are the only wines offered.   The wines range from R 91 for a bottle of Peacock Ridge Sauvignon Blanc (R 23 per glass) to R 245 for the Waterkloof Sauvignon Blanc.   All wines in the range are decanted three hours before the dinners and lunches, to allow them to breathe.

The newness of the restaurant and its staff was most visible when we asked the waiter as well as the friendly Maitre’d to explain what each element of the dessert was, but both said they did not know, and that the chef had not yet had a chance to explain the menu to them!   Our waiter had a very shaky wine-pouring hand, and messed some as a result.   His Lithuanian colleague was very professional, and clearly far more experienced.  Julian came to the table regularly, and made a big difference to the service satisfaction.

The total cost of two mains, two desserts, a cappucino, 2 glasses of red wine, 2 glasses of Steenberg Brut and the sparkling water was R 402. 

Waterkloof restaurant, tel 021 858 1491, off Sir Lowry Village Road, Somerset West,  www.waterkloofwines.co.za

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

For the first time, a wine guide has been published that is aimed at the consumer rather than the wine producer or retail trade.   “The People’s Guide” has been written by Michael Olivier and Neil Pendock, both acknowledged as being knowledgeable about wines.

The book aims at making wine-buying  “easy, fun and innovative”.  It contains tasting notes of 561 wines, selected from 1 200 wines representing the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Methode Cap Classique, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinotage varieties.   Relevant information is provided for each wine, including its “flavour profile”, what one can expect to pay, which foods to serve the wine with, and other quirky facts. 

The authors say that the wine guide “….clearly, objectively and honestly provides the wine lover with the information he or she wants to know.  And despite all the hot air surrounding  wine, the whims of the customer are simple: what wine tastes good and how much does it cost.”   They also pride themselves on having made their selection on the basis of blind wine-tasting, as opposed to the (unnamed) Platter’s wine guide, which has not chosen its 5-star wines by means of blind tastings in the past (however, in the 2010 guide the final list of 41 was chosen by blind tasting).   Wine ratings on the basis of blind/sighted tastings is a very controversial issue at the moment, and is a hobby-horse for co-author Neil Pendock specifically.

Michael Olivier is a lovable ex-restaurateur, and was Pick ‘n Pay’s wine head until recently,  He still advises the company.   Neil Pendock is a free-lance wine writer, and is best known for his wine column in the Sunday Times.   The authors worked with Anibal Coutinho, Norma Ratcliffe, Cathy Marston and David Mnoneleli Msebi in selecting and evaluating the wines.

The “People’s Guide” is published by Whisk Publications and sells for R 99.  It is available at selected wine shops, supermarkets and bookshops.  www.michaelolivier.co.za  whiskpublications@iafrica.com

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

The highly regarded South African wine guide Platter’s has announced its two winning white and red wines for 2010, being Palladius 2008 from Sadie Family Wines, and Le Riche Wines’ Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2005.

Platter’s Wine Guide has given an early taste of its winning wines, and has also revealed that 41 wines have made the highly-sought after 5-star category, the highest number of 5-star wines since Platter’s was introduced.  As the Platter’s Wine Guide will only reach the shops in November, few clues as to the Winery of the Year, Superquaffer of the Year, and the five-star wines have been revealed.

However, the Platter’s media release states that 6 000 wines were evaluated this year, and 105 of these made the five-star shortlist, for the final selection of 41.  By wine variety, five-star winners include 5 sauvignon blancs, 5 Bordeaux-style red blends, 4 Bordeaux-style white blends, 4 shiraz wines, 4 unfortified dessert wines, 3 ports, 3 chardonnays, 2 cabernet sauvignons, 2 Pinot Noirs, 2 red blends, 1 grenache, 1 chenin blanc and 1 pinotage.

Platter’s has also revealed that multi 5-star winners are Woolworths, with four 5-star wines, which include a sauvignon blanc and a bordeaux-style red blend.  The other two 5-star Woolworths wines have not been revealed.   Boplaas Family Vineyards, traditionally a port winner, Cape Point Vineyards, Distell (5-stars for its Nederburg and Fleur du Cap wines) and Sadie Family Wines are also multi 5-star winners.

The Platter’s South African Wine Guide will be launched in November, with a detailed evaluation of all the South African wines tasted.

Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com

Franschhoek-based Chamonix winery won the 2009 Santam Classic Wine Trophy, as well as two gold medals, and a GQ Choice award, in The Classic Wine Trophy Awards last week, chosen by a panel of French judges.

Competition organiser, Christophe Durand, said of Chamonix’s success:  ” Their consistency as an estate over the years has been amazing.  I’m very happy with their victory and the outcome of this year’s competition as a whole”.

Simonsig won the trophy for best sparkling wine for their Cuvee Royale;  Jean Daneel won the Best White Wine Trophy for his Signature Chenin Blanc 2006; Groot Constantia won the Best Red Wine Trophy for the Gouverneurs Shiraz 2006; and Klein Constantia won the Best Sweet Wine Trophy for their Vin de Constance 2004.

The judges stated that they were disppointed with the sauvignon blanc entries, Southern Right being the only gold medal winner for this variety.  

Another Franschhoek wine to do well at the Award was the La Motte Pierneef 2007, which won a gold medal.

The Sweet Service Award goes to Stephen Towler, Group Sommelier of One&Only Cape Town.   Towler is knowledgeable, offers excellent service and he has presence without being obtrusive about it.   He was spot on with a suitable choice of shiraz, showed customers to maze his 5 000-bottle  Wine Loft, and sent complimentary glasses of a dessert wine to the table.  At no stage did one feel that he was trying to recommend the more expensive wines on the 35-page winelist.   He took interest in the service deficiencies of maze, and helped to address them quietly and efficiently, even though the food side is not his responsibility.   For a detailed review of maze at the One&Only Cape Town, read the WhaleTales blog post of 9 April below. 

The Sour Service Award goes to Vodacom, for the appalling poor service customers have to endure when the cellphone company cuts off its customer’s line, even though payment was made by Easypay two days prior.   No sms to warn one of the line cut was received.    One has to call the Vodacom accounts department, and the call centre (which can vie for the unenviable award of the worst Call Centre in the country, shared with the Sunday Times) is completely customer unfriendly.    There is no apology expressed or understanding what inconvenience such a line cut can mean to one’s business, that is totally dependent on sending sms-messages and making calls when one is out of the office.   Instead one is treated as a criminal, with “verification” questions asked about oneself - ID number, postal address, type of Vodacom package one subscribes to (be warned to not get this vital piece of information wrong, as one then is hugely suspect), name of bank one banks with, and type of account one has with the bank.  The significance of the questions, other than the ID number, was questioned by the customer.   One then has to fax the proof of payment, and is told that it will take an hour for the reconnection to take place.    The customer however had to call three times, and go through the verification process each time, because she expressed her frustration to each of the call center representatives, who then “punished” her by not reconnecting the line.   The customer was cut off for 6 hours due to the unacceptable behaviour of the Vodacom call centre staff.    No apology was received for the inconvenience caused!

The WhaleTales Sweet & Sour Service Awards are presented every Friday on the WhaleTales blog.  Nominations for the Sweet and Sour Service Awards can be sent to Chris von Ulmenstein at info@whalecottage.com.

The 2009 Platter Wine Guide has been released, and its record 33 five-star wines were announced earlier this week.    Kanonkop scooped the prestigious honour of being recognised as the best wine as well as best winery.    Only Boekenhoutskloof and De Trafford had two five-star wines in the top wine list.

Wine of the Year

Kanonkop Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Winery of the Year

Kanonkop

Chenin Blanc

Ken Forrester The FMC 2006

Chardonnay

Ataraxia 2007
Jordan CWG Auction Reserve 2006
Uva Mira Single Vineyard 2007

Sauvignon Blanc

Quoin Rock The Nicobar 2007

Semillon

Constantia Uitsig 2007

White Blends

Cape Point Vineyards Isliedh 2007
Nederburg Ingenuity White 2007
Sterhuis Astra White 2006
Tokara White 2007

Pinot Noir

Meerlust 2004

Cabernet Franc

Buitenverwachting 2005

Cabernet Sauvignon

Boekenhoutskloof Winery 2006
Kanonkop 2004
Thelema The Mint 2006

Pinotage

Simonsig Redhill 2006

Red Blends

De Toren Fusion V 2006
De Trafford CWG Perspective 2005
Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2005
Morgenster 2005
Vilafonté Series C 2006
Waterford Estate – CWG Auction Reserve 2004

Shiraz

Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2006
De Trafford 2006
Eagle’s Nest 2006
Hartenberg The Stork 2005
Signal Hill Clos d’Oranje 2006

Dessert Wine Unfortified

Fleur du Cap – Noble Late Harvest 2007
Klein Constantia Estate – Rhine Riesling Natural Sweet 2006
Tulbagh Mountain Vineyards Vin Pi Two (NV)

Dessert Wine Fortified

Mons Ruber Estate Muscat d’Alexandrie Jerepigo 1997

Port

Boplaas Vintage Reserve 2006
De Krans Vintage Reserve 2006

Franschhoek La Vigne winemaker Ossie Sauermann has been announced as 2008 Diner’s Club Young Winemaker of the Year.   Last year Marc Kent of Boekenhoutskloof was selected as the Winemaker of the Year.

Raka Biography Shiraz has won The Ferroprint Grand Prix Trophy in the International Michelangelo Wine Awards, as the highest scoring wine of the more than a thousand entries. It has been described as a “world class Shiraz”, according to the Bolander.