Constantia, South Africa
It was my final wine tasting of the day, being nearly 6:00
PM in the early evening, and the tasting rooms were closing, I had a dilemma.
My reservations for Constantia Uitsig La Colombe Restaurant,
were for 8:00 PM, I was peckish, and fool of alcohol, so thank god the police
did not pull me over, otherwise I would be doing wine tastings behind bars
instead of in the Constantia Valley. I pulled into the parking lot of Steenberg Vineyards and the accompanying restaurant, Bistro Sixteen82 to add another
phenomenal palette of wines to an already incredible day. Because I was late, I
only got a chance to try three wines, but boy were they good.
Trending
wines:
Constantia Glen, South Africa
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Wine
Dine and Play’s ratings for wine:
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96 – 100
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Extraordinary
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90 – 95
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Outstanding
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80 – 89
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above average
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70 – 79
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below average
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60 – 69
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poor/appalling/ “Cac”
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Review basics:
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Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating
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86/100
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Wines Produced
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Red: Bordeaux Blend (aka Meritage),
Summation, Nebbiolo, Merlot, and Shiraz
White: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, White
Blend, Chardonnay, and Rose
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Grape Blends
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Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Shiraz
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Current Vintage for 2014
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Reds: 2011
Whites: 2012-13
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Region Map
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Constantia
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Regulatory
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ABV %
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13.5 to 14.5%
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Barrel Types
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French oak, (76% new, 18% second fill and 6% third fill)
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Barrel Aging
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14, 15 months
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South African wine Quality Standards:
Unlike some European countries, South
Africa does not have any requirements for the process of making wines in a
particular region—for instance, allowing only certain trellising methods or
varietals. However, there are certain quality requirements. For a wine to be labeled as a particular
varietal or as coming from a particular region, estate, or vineyard, it must
also not display any “unacceptable quality characteristics,” which means the
wine may not be turbid, contain excess sediment or crystals, have
faulty/insufficient color, or display undesirable flavor characteristics. Among
the several characteristics listed as unacceptable, a wine may not be overly
tannic, thin or watery, or oxidized. For a wine to be labeled as coming from a
particular area, 100% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown
there, and producers may only label their wines using officially-recognized
geographic areas. In addition to designating
a particular geographic unit, region, district, or ward, a producer may also
designate the wine as coming from a particular estate or may label it as a
“single vineyard wine.” However, to do
so the producer must first register the area where the grapes were grown with
the Wine and Spirit Board.
Single-vineyard wines must have been made from a single varietal that is
produced in the area registered with the board, and the area registered may be
no larger than 6 hectares. Estate wines
must be made entirely—including bottling—in the registered area where the
grapes were grown. Also, if a particular
varietal—or “cultivar” as the law defines it—is listed on the bottle, at least
85% of the grapes used in making the wine must have been of that type. This
same 85% rule applies to designating a particular vintage year.
Cases Produced:
Per Year:
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Nebbiolo 2011
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500
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Catharina Red 2011
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500
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Shiraz 2011
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1000
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Price chart:
$ - Under $50.00 USD
$$ - Over $50.00 USD
$$$ - Over $100.00 USD
$$$$ - Over $200.00 USD
$$$$$- Over $400.00 USD
Bottle prices:
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Wine Selction:
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Currency:
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Country:
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Price Chart :
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Steenberg Nebbiolo 2011 (750 ml)
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R187.00
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ZAR
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$16.86
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USD
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$
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£10.12
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GBP
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£
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€12.30
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EUR
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€
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¥103.10
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CNY
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¥¥¥
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Steenberg Catharina Red 2011 (750 ml)
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R165.75
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ZAR
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$14.94
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USD
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$
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£8.97
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GBP
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£
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€10.90
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EUR
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€
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¥91.38
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CNY
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¥¥
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Steenberg Shiraz 2011 (750 ml)
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R123.25
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ZAR
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$11.11
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USD
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$
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£6.67
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GBP
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£
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€8.11
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EUR
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€
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¥67.95
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CNY
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¥¥
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Visit these sites to
get up to date currency rates:
Alternatively, visit:
Cost of wine tasting in USD (p/p):
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Classic Tasting
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$2.00
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Flagship Tasting:
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$4.00
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Icon Tasting
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$10.00
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Scroll down below to the main review to read the tasting notes
From vineyards home page:
“At the dawning of
the Cape, the swans rejoined, feeding in paradise at the foot of the Steenberg
Mountains.”
Steenberg holds the distinction of being the oldest farm in
the picturesque Constantia Valley, which is generally considered South Africa’s
premier wine growing region. With its cool, sea-facing slopes and majestic
granite ridges, this vineyard has developed a worldwide reputation for
producing excellent Cape wines. The estate boasts a state of the art modern
winery, producing some of the country’s finest award winning wines.
Main review:
When you enter Steenberg tasting room, it connects directly
to the Bistro restaurant sixteen82, named after the year the winery was
founded, which is one of the oldest properties in South Africa to begin wine
production.
When doing the tasting you have a choice of three locations
from an oval shaped wine-tasting bar, which is where I had my tastings, which
does not require any pre-bookings, just sit down and drink. When designing the
tasting room, they had a brilliant architect that put in a uniquely designed
chandelier, in the center of the oval bar, with multiple colors hanging from
strings, moving with the wind, and if the sun hit it just right, it would have
its reflections along the opposite walls. Warning, if your stoned, do not look
at it, you might fall into a coma LOL.
The other options for tasting were a wine tasting lounge with
comfortable couches, wonderful floor to ceiling glass to look into the vineyard
or mountains beyond, and a fireplace. Big glass doors lead onto the terrace, so
you could enjoy the spring or Summer Heat, and get a steady breeze while you
sip your wine. The finally tasting area with an additional cost was the
Executive Tasting Room, on the first floor for more premium wine tastings and
accommodates bigger groups. The views in the room also give you an unimpeded view
of Constantiaberg Mountain, Elephant's Eye, the vineyards, and if there is a clear view, the waves breaking at Muizenberg rocks.
As I mentioned in the introduction, I arrived late, as the
tasting room was closing, so I only had the opportunity to enjoy three wines
from their tasting menu, enjoying all three, especially the Nebbiolo. The bars
staff was very friendly but had to follow the rules, which would have cut me
off after one tasting do to the time. That is until a manger came out on his
normal duties, asked how I was enjoying everything, and as we were chatting, he
realized I was American, and I told him this would be the only day on my trip
that I would be in Constantia. Therefore, he arranged to do a tasting for two
more wines, which is when I discovered the Nebbiolo, and ended up buying two
bottles of it.
After the tasting, I still had some time to kill before
dinner at La Colombe Restaurant,
so I went to the Bistro Sixteen82 next to the tasting room, and enjoyed a
starter at their bar with a glass of the shiraz, which I had also tasted. The
food helped burn away the excess amounts of wine tasting and alcohol in my
system from the day’s activities jumping from vineyard to vineyard, and thus
was able to sober up from my small buzz, go to dinner, and yes, drink more
wine.
As an American visiting South Africa, the tastings in both Constantia
and Stellenbosch were an experience within themselves, much different to the
tastings in Napa and Sonoma,
California. Most tastings in California, Washington State, New York, and Oregon
starts at $25.00-$40.00, so when I found out the cost for the tastings in South
Africa I was shocked. The average is $3.00-$6.00, Glen being $2.00 (ZAR20.00)
This or these wines remind me
of:
Steenberg, like the other vineyard properties in the
Constantia Valley was filled with beautiful scenery, catering to the tourists
and guests. The scenery reminded me of my tasting at Kamen Estates,Sonoma County in California with
the beautiful rolling hills and plush vineyards. The wine tastings, though few
do to me arriving late were superb, and rivaled many other new world vintages I
had tasted from other countries. I would honestly compare these wines not only
to some of the other really good South African wines that I had, but also to
one of my top five favorites that I order from Santa Ynez Valley, California; Jonata winery, the Sister vineyard to Screaming Eagle.
Bouquet
& Palette:
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Wine & Grape:
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Nose:
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Palette Experience:
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This medium-bodied Nebbiolo is light in color with dried
prunes and apricots, perfume, spice and potpourri on the nose. 100% Nebbiolo
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Soft oaky notes support the wine well and add weight to
the finish. Big tannins, unique to Nebbiolo, give the wine backbone and
structure. Earthy notes on the aftertaste and a good acidity. This wine a
great wine to enjoy with food, extremely well complemented by any form of
mushroom and truffles. Catharina complements all red meats, but is an ideal
match to Roast Lamb.
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The wine is full-bodied and reflects a fusion of the best
red varieties on Steenberg. Lots of ripe lush berry flavors on the nose,
cigar box, cederwood and some floral notes. 66% Merlot, 31% Cabernet
Sauvignon, 3% Shiraz
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The palate is fresh with spice, dried prunes and a hint of
vanilla, some dried herbs and earthiness. Firm tannins add backbone to the
wine and the acidity carries the wine well. Cellar and enjoy over the next 5
- 7 years
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This full-bodied Shiraz is deep garnet in color with
floral aromas, hints of white pepper and spice. 100% Shiraz, matched to
fillet au poivre - in fact all red meats grilled over open flames.
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It has a firm structure with fine powdery tannins, lots of
ripe berry and raspberry notes with dark chocolate on the finish. His wine
will continue to develop into more savory and spicy flavors and will reward
cellaring up to 7 years.
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Château or Vineyard Owner:
Graham Beck Enterprises
Viticulturist:
Johann de Swardt
Winemaker:
JD Pretorius
Tasting room address:
Steenberg Rd,
Constantia, 7945
South Africa
Cross streets:
Ou Kaapse Weg Road & Catharina Ave.
Latitude:-34.07113
Longitude: 18.42527
Contact Information:
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Tasting room:
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+27 21 713 2211
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Fax:
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+27 21 713 2201
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Website:
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Email:
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Hours of tastings:
Monday - Sunday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
S. African Standard Time (GMT +2:00)
Review by:
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE) in the vineyards
Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:
“I like cooking with wine;
sometimes I even add it to the food.”
