Wine Dine and Play: Steenberg Vineyards

Steenberg Vineyards



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.
 http://www.constantiavalley.com/vineyards/

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Wine Dine and Play’s ratings for wine:
96 – 100
Extraordinary  
90 – 95
Outstanding 
80 – 89
above average    
70 – 79
below average                         
60 – 69
poor/appalling/ “Cac”
Review basics:
Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating
86/100
Wines Produced

Red: Bordeaux Blend (aka Meritage), Summation, Nebbiolo, Merlot, and Shiraz
White: Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, White Blend, Chardonnay, and Rose

Grape Blends
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, & Shiraz
Current Vintage for 2014
Reds: 2011
Whites: 2012-13
Region Map
Constantia
 
Regulatory
ABV %
13.5 to 14.5%
Barrel Types
French oak, (76% new, 18% second fill and 6% third fill)
Barrel Aging
14, 15 months

 
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:
                                                                                               
Nebbiolo 2011
 500
Catharina Red 2011
 500
Shiraz 2011
 1000
                       
Price chart:
$ -                    Under $50.00 USD
$$ -                  Over   $50.00 USD
$$$ -                Over $100.00 USD
$$$$ -              Over $200.00 USD
$$$$$-             Over $400.00 USD
Bottle prices:

Wine Selction:
Currency:
Country:
Price Chart :
Steenberg Nebbiolo 2011 (750 ml)



R187.00
ZAR

$16.86
USD
$
£10.12
GBP
£
€12.30
EUR
¥103.10
CNY 
¥¥¥
Steenberg Catharina Red 2011 (750 ml) 



R165.75
ZAR

$14.94
USD
$
£8.97
GBP
£
€10.90
EUR
¥91.38
CNY 
¥¥
Steenberg Shiraz 2011 (750 ml)



R123.25
ZAR

$11.11
USD
$
£6.67
GBP
£
€8.11
EUR
¥67.95
CNY 
¥¥

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Cost of wine tasting in USD (p/p):
Classic Tasting
$2.00
Flagship Tasting:
$4.00
Icon Tasting
$10.00

                                                                       
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:

Wine & Grape:
Nose:
Palette Experience:
This medium-bodied Nebbiolo is light in color with dried prunes and apricots, perfume, spice and potpourri on the nose. 100% Nebbiolo
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.
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
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
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.
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.

                                                                                               
Château or Vineyard Owner:
Graham Beck Enterprises

Viticulturist:
Johann de Swardt 

Winemaker:
JD Pretorius

Tasting room address:          
Steenberg Rd,
Constantia, 7945
South Africa
http://goo.gl/maps/cCDi0
              
Cross streets:
Ou Kaapse Weg Road & Catharina Ave.

Latitude:-34.07113  Longitude: 18.42527

Contact Information:

Tasting room:
+27 21 713 2211
Fax:
+27 21 713 2201
Website:
Email:
https://www.facebook.com/SteenbergEstate
https://twitter.com/SteenbergWines
http://www.totallystoned.co.za/

Hours of tastings:
Monday - Sunday: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
S. African Standard Time (GMT +2:00)




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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.”
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