Val de Vie – the Rhone of SA?
Any women will be very happy to run into Ryk Neethling. My opportunity came on a rainy Friday afternoon outside Paarl on the beautiful Val De Vie estate. The Ryk I am referring to might even get a few gold metals of his own, but I am talking about the wine not the man.
The winemaker, Harold Versfeld explained that they are focused on producingRhonestyle wines. They are probably the property with the most Rhone varietals (11 on the farm) outside of actual Rhone valley in France.
Val de Vie tasting room
GVC 2008
Blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Viognier and 20% Clairette Blanche.
This rich blend has a wonderful mouthfeel with a zesty acidity. I loved this wine and can’t wait to try this with spicy asian dishes.
Ryk Neethling 2008
55% Shiraz, 18% Carignan, 15% Mouvedre, 7% Grenache and 5% Cinsaut with some most of the grapes from Bot River and the rest from the Swartland.
Ryk has a well-structured body and yes I am talking about the wine! Gentle spice with soft approachable tannins and red stone fruit. I can just imagine women all over convincing their husbands to order Ryk Neethling on the wine list…
Ryk Neethling - the wine!
Seventeen Eighty Three 2007
50% Mouvedre, 20% Shiraz, 15% Grenache, 10% Carignan and 5% Cinsaut
I love the way Harold looks at wines – he compared it to movies.
He explained that Merlot to him is a chick flick. A Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Tarantino – interesting characters and violence. He compared the Seventeen Eighty Three to a Guy Ritchie movie – intelligent, witty and always having a twist.
A combination of cassis and cherry with cinnamon & coriander – like Christmas cake in a glass.
Shiraz 2008
The fruit is from the Swartland and Botriver
Typical Shiraz with dark red fruit and cloves, but with enough tartiness to lift the flavours of this wine.
The farm is well worth a visit – not just for polo or spotting the real Ryk Neethling, but also for the alluring Rhone-style wines!
