The Winery of Good Hope Platter 2009 ratings

RATINGS 2009 PLATTER GUIDE :

***** Superlative. A Cape classic
****½ Outstanding
**** Excellent
***½ Very good/promising
*** Characterful, appealing
**½ Good everyday drinking
** Pleasant drinking
*½ Casual quaffing
* Plain and simple
½ Very ordinary
No Star Somewhat less than ordinary

Radford Dale range

**** Merlot 2005
Admired as template of varietal’s potential: violet & blackcurrant perfume, black pep per & scrub shading to the fine-grained tannins. Nudges next level.

****½ Freedom Pinot Noir 2007
Celebrates Dale’s ‘escape from French bureaucracy’, 1994 arrival in changed SA. labour of love, only 47 cs. Layers of complexity: cherries, organic notes, cedar spicing; classic styling revealed in balance, sinuous elegance.

**** Shiraz 2006
Back on form, lovely espresso, black plums, ground pep per notes, captured within a silky, juicy structure that makes it pure drinking plea sure. Good cellaring potential. Unfined/filtered. 14 months mainly French, 40% new.

***** Gravity 2005
Varying blend flag ship red, shiraz-dominant in 05 (»). Wonderfully perfumed, but power under the seductive appeal, good tannin back bone for a long, rewarding evolution.

**** Shiraz-Viognier 2006
Co-fermentation, accounting for integration, harmony. Has smoky dark tones of full-ripe fruit; viognier adds aromatic intrigue, a lifting floral note. Smooth textured from careful oaking, already delicious.

**** Shiraz-Merlot 2006
Owed more to shiraz than merlot in youth; moorland scrub, brambleberries, pepper dusting, with firm tannins busy melding when sampled. Well constructed, great potential.

****½ Chardonnay 2006
Meticulous vineyard selection & cellar care. Trade mark deep-seated peach & citrus intensity in intro but the palate is what distinguishes this chardonnay: a fine-boned Burgundian savouriness.

****½ Viognier 2007
Shows even better than previously, more Old World than New. Lavender, pronounced peach pip, an earthy minerality throughout. Stylish & strikingly individual. Rhône yeasts, Burg barrels. Only 190 cs.

****½ Natural Sweet Viognier 2007
Pineapple-scented barley sugar, with an intriguing lavender nose, assaults the senses; mouth-coating richness, satin texture, ultra long finish. Serve well-chilled, only to your closest friends: a mere 190 x 500ml bottles made.

Black Rock range

****½ Red Blend 2006
Soutern-Rhône-inspired exotic blend, individual & compelling. Shiraz-led, violets, dried herbs, campfire smoke & crushed blue berries. The trademark lithe tannins welcome participation.
WO Swartland for this range.

**** White Blend 2007
Majority blend 40+ yr old chenin. Rest chardonnay, dab viognier; oak plays role, roasted nuts, toasted brioche, but lime/melon flavours stand their ground. Showy & well put together; sum greater than parts.

Vinum range

**** Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
More restrained vintage than 05 but no less fine, 06 has creamy red fruit, integrated oak; 15 months barrel regime & cab’s class showing in svelte lines, white pepper/dried herb notes. Complex yet accessible; will reward cellaring.

**** Chenin Blanc 2007
From old Helderberg bushvines. Intense citrus with additional earthy, savoury note on finish. Satisfyingly full-bodied, excellent texture & length from 9 months lees-ageing. Could go 3/4 yrs.

The Winery of Good Hope range

*** Pinot Noir 2007
Classic styling, farmyard notes, juicy berries, light texture. For drinking rather than keeping. WO W Cape.

***½ Pinotage 2007 √
An individual take on the varietal. Savoury spice, meaty nuances to dark fruit, dry tannins geared for food. More Old World styling than New.

***½ Shiraz 2007 √
Fruit-focused & bargain-priced, generously constructed; curvaceous & smooth, layers of interest supplied by smoky oak, a wild scrub nuance. Admirable.

*** Granite Ridge Reserve 2006
Shiraz, cab, merlot blend.  Smooth-textured charmer: black pepper, smoked beef nuances to plummy fruit, aromatic lift from dash of viognier.

*** Chardonnay 2007
Unoaked chardonnay with character. Deepened peach & tropical tones, fresh-fruity mouthfeel.

***½ Chenin Blanc 2008 √
Melon & tropical fruit, good palate weight, trade mark zesty fresh ness. Appetising & eminently food-friendly.

***½ Chardonnay-Chenin Blanc-Viognier 2007 √
Changing proportion in 07, chardonnay’s lead strengthens nutty oak & peach aspects, giving fuller flavours, more enjoyment. Swartland WO.

New World range

*** Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2007
Smooth & stream lined; 07 combo black cherry fruit & smoky spicing for tasty drinkability.