Vuurberg White 2016

By , 20 April 2017

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“These go to eleven,” is an idiom coined in the movie This Is Spinal Tap, where the guitarist proudly demonstrates an amplifier whose volume knobs are marked from zero to eleven, instead of the usual zero to ten and that’s also what you get from the Vuurberg wines as made by Donovan Rall. Tasting notes and ratings for the new releases as follows:

Vuurberg White 2016

Ripped.

Vuurberg White 2016
Price: R215
39% Chenin Blanc, 15% Semillon, 15% Viognier, 14% Verdelho, 8% Roussanne, 7% Grenache Blanc, 2% Chardonnay. Spontaneous fermentation before maturation for nine months in 225-litre and 400-litre barrels, 25% new. Citrus, white peach, straw, a touch of honey and some yeasty complexity on the nose. The palate is rich and flavour packed – plenty of weight but the wine holds together nicely. A smart effort in what was a difficult vintage on account of the drought.

Editor’s rating: 92/100.

Vuurberg Red 2014
Price: R265
46% Petit Verdot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot. Matured for 24 months in older oak. Quite heady on the nose with red and black fruit, a slight herbal quality. Massive in the mouth – huge fruit concentration and smooth in texture. Seamlessly assembled but lacks refreshment, a slight heat to the finish thanks to 15% alcohol.

Editor’s rating: 88/100.

Find our South African wine ratings database here.

Comments

3 comment(s)

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    Mark | 20 April 2017

    Out of curiosity when you say ‘lacks refreshment’ is that due to your feeling there was not enough acidity or are you just alluding to something less quantifiable that left you with that impression? i really enjoyed the Reserve 2012.

      Christian | 20 April 2017

      Hi Mark, I did not specifically notice a lack of acidity but I guess that’s because the full-throttle power of the wine is transfixing. If you like big and bold, this is your baby…

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