Cape crusaders

T

Thor

Thor Iverson
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Unfortunately, this most lavish of landscapes is also an armed camp. Beyond the usual armed response security signs nailed to every home and business, the greatest of the estates seem to bristle with defenses. I have already seen far more razor wire than I care to, which in otherwise beautiful locales is particularly jarring, but here are added fiercely-armed guards that glower at each passerby.

I dont exaggerate. On the drive towards an interior building at one famous Constantia winery, we cruise down a beautiful vineyard road, admiring the signs designating each block of grapes, while keeping an eye on the quarter-dozen machine-gun-toting, flak-jacketed, paramilitary soldiers that patrol it. Its a very disconcerting site. On the other hand, Ive never eaten on a military base before

continued here (of note: the best meal well have in South Africa). Tasting notes follow:

Constantia Uitsig 2005 Mthode Cap Classique Brut Blanc de Blancs (Constantia) Highly polished, and presenting itself with sophistication rather than ego. Clean, dry lemon forms a tight cylindrical core, around which are layers of delicate foil that dont obscure transparency. Finely-beaded and quite impressive. Still, what Id really love to do is revisit this after a few years, because its very primary. (11/08)

Kanonkop 1989 Pinotage (South Africa) The appellation seems to be as the bottle indicates, though of course under current law this would be from Stellenbosch. The cork is an absolute mess, takes an epic effort to remove in the tiny pieces into which it disintegrates, and by all rights should herald a damaged and prematurely decrepit bottle. But if so, theres no sign of it in my glass. The wine looks much younger than it is, and tastes so as well, which makes me wonder if pinotage is the South African version of petite siraheternally youthful and forever consumed too soon. Quite heavily-fruited still, in the form of a baked fruit compote without distinct elements, though the first stirrings of maturity appear as old, time-burnished furniture and a loamy mushroom quality. Very soft, yet far from unstructured, and seemingly not yet mature by its mouth-filling headiness. Very impressive. (11/08)

Klein Constantia 2004 Vin de Constance (Constantia) Pretty. Sweet, classic muscat with a bronzed quality. (Almost) very good, but the finish is abrupt. Doesnt live up to its legend. (11/08)

Asara 2003 Noble Late Harvest (Stellenbosch) Botrytized chenin blanc. Aromatically beautiful, lush, and creamy, but it falls away on the palate. About halfway to being a truly great dessert wine; as it is, its very pleasant but uninspired. (11/08)

Constantia Uitsig Noble Late Harvest (Constantia) Light and pretty, showing sweet apples still shaded by their leaves. The finish is of reasonable length, though theres not a great deal of complexity. (11/08)
 
Wow. Nine months in advance of 2010.

Nice penguin photos, too.

We never had any problems with crime, but as you note, the visible manifestations of it are very disconcerting. I don't think I could ever live in a house behind high walls and barbed wire with electronic gates and even a steel gate inside the home. Yet that's the reality of life for the middle class. Of course, it's a million times worse for the vast majority of the population living in third world conditions inside what's basically a first-world country.

There was also the advice we received to always keep the windows in our car rolled up and to be prepared to run red lights if we saw anything suspicious -- not that we ever did.

That said, after spending time the Pretoria-Johannesburg area, Cape Town felt much more relaxed. We particularly enjoyed staying in the de Waterkant neighborhood, where barbed wire was absent and it felt comfortable to walk even after dark. (Of course, there were informal private security guards/parked car watchers around.)

Anyway, great write-up!
 
Wow. Nine months in advance of 2010.
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Well, let's not be hasty. There are many more chapters to come. I feel 2011 is in my grasp.

Nice penguin photos, too.
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Got dozens of 'em. But I've never been that close to one in the wild.

We never had any problems with crime
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Nor did we. Well, OK, there was a sock-stealing incident, but that's hardly going to make the papers.

I don't think I could ever live in a house behind high walls and barbed wire with electronic gates and even a steel gate inside the home. Yet that's the reality of life for the middle class. Of course, it's a million times worse for the vast majority of the population living in third world conditions inside what's basically a first-world country.
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Yes and yes. I mean, if the alternative is the Flats, I'll take the barbed wire. But it's unfortunate all the same.

There was also the advice we received to always keep the windows in our car rolled up and to be prepared to run red lights if we saw anything suspicious -- not that we ever did.
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We only did this one day of driving until the final week, which was in the Franschhoek/Stellenbosch area and thus much safer; I felt completely safe walking around Franschhoek at night, of course. The rest of the time we had a driver.

That said, after spending time the Pretoria-Johannesburg area, Cape Town felt much more relaxed.
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Even being in the Joburg airport was a little wild; guys with guns everywhere there, too. But that was our only contact with the city.
 
I recall once seeing carabinieri guarding a Jewish temple in Rome. There had been threats against it so protection was offered.

Still, it was a little creepy.
 
If you're talking about the one near Da Giggetto, there were military police at each corner when we were there a few years back. Apparently, the threats had escalated.
 
originally posted by Thor:
We never had any problems with crime
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Nor did we. Well, OK, there was a sock-stealing incident, but that's hardly going to make the papers.
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Actually, I should have qualified that to say "human-caused" crime. We did have peanut butter, crackers and other food stolen from the back of our Little Miss Sunshine mini-van in Kruger. No doubt, some larcenous simians were the culprits, as they were very much in evidence and we were the only homo sapiens in the picnic area.
 
The place where we had the socks stolen regularly featured baboons peering out from the edge of the woods. Had we left the windows open at any point, I'd probably have blamed them, but I'm afraid the only possibility was the cleaning staff. Oh well, I'm sure whoever got them needed them more than I did, and they didn't take anything more valuable.
 
The corks seem to have a higher failure rate (or more oxygen passing through) due to the shape of the neck. I wouldn't keep them past a couple of years. Shame because the wine is wildly good.
 
You really think so? I think it's decent enough, but far from the top rank, even if the competition's restricted to sweet South African wines.
 
Yes - I think the wine suffers after 2-3 years due to the cork (or in this case, the shape of the neck), and so it never ever hits its potential. I've always really liked it on release.
 
I wasn't questioning the bottle issue, but the qualitative one. I admit fascination that you like it as much as you do.

Well, as they say, to each his own gout.
 
Interestingly, I had the 2002 Vin de Constance twice and the 2004 once last week in S.A. The first was in great condition, the second was totally corked and the last seemed a bit tired. I never considered the neck shape, but I have to say it sort of makes sense to me.

-Michael
 
My point was that the wine is most impressive upon release and then it starts a fairly quick decline thanks to the neck shape, so it's given shorter shrift than would otherwise be the case.

Look, it's not going to match the top Loire stickies or German late-harvest wines, but for me it's probably one of the best New World sweets I've tasted.
 
My point was that the wine is most impressive upon release and then it starts a fairly quick decline thanks to the neck shape, so it's given shorter shrift than would otherwise be the case.
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I understood you. But I thought the wine I was tasting was the newly-released version (and in fact, was the vintage available at the winery), so that's one rapid decline.

Look, it's not going to match the top Loire stickies or German late-harvest wines, but for me it's probably one of the best New World sweets I've tasted.
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Wow. I can't even go near that statement. For me, it's completely average, for which you may attribute blame to the bottle if you'd like; I didn't taste it from barrel. Just from South Africa, Paul Cluver's NLH Riesling and Darling Cellar's "Onyx" NLH are way, way, better. Also Ken Forrester's "T" NLH Chenin Blanc. Also the Overgaauw Port (especially the library releases), and their Liqueur Wine as well. Also the de Trafford Straw Wine. Also Boekenhoutskloof's NLH. Also...well, never mind.
 
originally posted by Thor:
The place where we had the socks stolen regularly featured baboons peering out from the edge of the woods. Had we left the windows open at any point, I'd probably have blamed them, but I'm afraid the only possibility was the cleaning staff. Oh well, I'm sure whoever got them needed them more than I did, and they didn't take anything more valuable.
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Think again.......

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Jeff, wrong color.

Our tastes diverge that much?
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Well, you're the one that ordered me white Burgundy and Australian wine the last time we got together, so you tell me. (Emoticon goes here.)

But yeah, apparently they do. I suppose I really need to taste the Constance from barrel, but honestly I see nothing to get even vaguely excited about.
 
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