Simonsig cellarmaster Johan Malan
Simonsig cellarmaster Johan Malan is showcasing his creative edge with two contrasting wines, the new Heirloom Shiraz and the third vintage of the Cuvée Chêne Blanc de Blancs that will go under the hammer at the prestigious 2012 Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction on Saturday, 6 October.
Johan’s silky smooth Simonsig Heirloom Shiraz 2010 is one of eight Shiraz wines on auction this year, whilst the Cuvée Chêne Blanc de Blancs 2007 will be competing with only one other Méthode Cap Classique in the 2012 line up of 52 exclusive wines crafted by members of the Guild to be auctioned at the Spier Conference Centre in the Stellenbosch Winelands.
Continuing the innovative spirit of Simonsig and in his pursuit in pushing the boundaries, Johan first enquired about new generation Shiraz clones in 1998 and had to wait eight years before finally receiving the highly sought after SH 470 clone. It took a further four years before the Simonsig Heirloom Shiraz was born.
"My father used to say that you plant pears for your heirs, because a pear tree takes seven to eight years to bear fruit. Hence, I decided to name this wine the Heirloom Shiraz, because it took longer to make than growing pears!” explains Johan – one of the longest serving CWG members with a track record of 27 years.
With his classic Rhone style Shiraz, buyers can expect an elegant wine with all the fingerprint characteristics of succulent bramble berry fruit and spicy dried fynbos notes. This wine has sufficient structure to develop with time while still showing elegance and finesse if you drink it now.
In creating the statuesque Simonsig Cuvée Chêne 2007, the third vintage of this Méthode Cap Classique available at the auction, Johan selected only whole bunch pressed Chardonnay from the top Chardonnay vineyard on Simonsig Estate and experimented with seasoned French oak barriques to intensify the complexity and depth of flavour.
“The time in barrel coupled with the malolactic fermentation adds flavour and complexity as a counterfoil to the steely character and somewhat rasping acidity commonly found with this noble varietal when it is picked slightly under ripe for Cap Classique.
It requires a lot of patience and at least five years for our Blanc de Blancs to start opening up and reveal their delicious lemon creamy fruitiness,” says Johan, who believes Stellenbosch Chardonnay has the perfect structure for Méthode Cap Classique cuvée. After only the best whole bunch pressed cuvée has fermented in barrel, extensive tastings take place, where the best barrels showing “something extra” are selected for the Simonsig Cuvée Chêne. Of the 2007 vintage only four barrels made the final cut.
With a light golden colour and its fine bead, you can look forward to delicious roasted almond and brioche aromas, whilst the lively Chardonnay freshness is revealed by the delicate lemon cream character on the palate. Five years of evolution exposed beautiful citrus and nutty flavours which are in perfect harmony with an almost masculine toasty oak influence in the background.
Fine wine enthusiasts can taste Johan’s formidable auction wines along with the rest of the auction contenders at the Final Pre-Auction tasting taking place at the Spier Conference Centre in the Stellenbosch Winelands on Friday evening, 5 October. Don’t miss out on this opportunity by booking your seat for R350 on www.webtickets.co.za.
The 28th Nedbank CWG Auction is open to the public and will be held at the Spier Conference Centre on Saturday, 6 October 2012.
For further details and to attend the Showcases and Auction, visit Cape Winemakers Guild or contact the Guild Office on Phone: 021 852 0408 or info@capewinemakersguild.com
