We didn't, as far as I can recall, have this week's wine whilst we were there but we did visit the vinery where it was made. So:
We recently greatly enjoyed a visit from our first grandchild who was, as you might expect, accompanied by his mother. During her visit she commented that I had started to do what grandparents do and tell the same story more than once within a short space of time. I am aware that I have mentioned previously that our honeymoon took us to South Africa although I can't remember when I did that. Another sign of impending age-related decline, I suppose.
It matters not. You aren't reading this anyway.
Our visit to Spier came towards the end of our trip, on our way back to Cape Town and the long flight home. It was one of the best days of a holiday that included many such best days, this one memorable for the food, the entertainment and particularly the time spent in the cheetah sanctuary. This was all 14 years ago and I have read that the sanctuary has moved to a farm some twenty miles away. I don't know why, although I am glad that the work we saw going on to help this threatened species continues.
With or without the big cats I am sure that the Spier estate would still be worth a visit. They have been making wine for over 300 years and this Cabernet Sauvignon is from their 'Signature' range.
To start at the end, I really enjoyed drinking this. It had body, structure and flavour in a nice balance and delivered black fruits with a bit of spice. There was some complexity and enough acid to match the noticeable tannin.
The vines from which the fruit was picked are between 9 and 20 years old and grown on the farm which is about 40 miles from the Atlantic coast, from where the colder air moderates the hot inland temperatures giving ideal ripening conditions. Around 20% of the wine has gone through malolactic fermentation in 'neutral' French oak and the other 80% treated in stainless steel with French oak staves. I imagine this is partly cost-driven and partly to achieve a balance of freshness and oak-influenced flavour. I may be wrong about that, but the important point is that I like the result.
Buy again? Yes.
As time progresses I may mention Spier again. Just to amuse my daughter, who will never read this.
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