I’m grey enough to remember when German varietals were much more prevalent in our wine industry than they are now. Ironically, our cooler wine regions, generally best suited to these cultivars, were much less developed back then. Fortunately for a contrarian consumer such as myself, there are still a few ‘Germans’ around to enliven tastings.
An eminently charming example of local Bukettraube hails from Cederberg Wines – whose farm, Dwarsrivier, is the highest wine farm in the Cape. Here fifth-generation owner and cellar master David Nieuwoudt crafts premium wines in a cool continental climate. Their 13.8ha make up around one-third of Bukettraube plantings in SA – around 40ha in 2022. According to one source, this is down from more than 400ha in 1992!
Grapes for this wine were harvested at 22.5–25 °B in the cool morning hours. The wine was made in reductive conditions (i.e. absence of oxygen) to retain its freshness. After crushing and eight hours of skin contact the grapes were pressed. After settling and racking, the juice was fermented for four to five days. Fermentation is stopped at a natural sugar level of 24g/l resulting in an aromatic, semi-sweet wine.
On the nose, the wine is perfumed with notes of peach, white blossoms and muscat. The sweetness on the palate is offset by a hint of spiciness and a fresh almost salty finish.
This wine loves spice but not of the hot kind so stay away from Indian curries when enjoying it. Instead try it with Cape Malay curries, Thai stir-fries or, say, a butternut soup with a bit of masala. The minerality of the finish also means that it doesn’t pair well with sweets. Along with a well-matured semi-hard cheese, it would be wonderful though!
Alc 13% | RS 25 g/l vol | TA 7.7 g/l | pH 3.19
www.cederbergwine.com | +27 (0)27 482 2827
#cederbergwine #bukettraube #cederberg #clanwilliam #winesbeyondtheusual #vino-obscura
