Morgenster White 2013
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This graceful white offers bright, fresh aromas and flavors of apricot, pineapple and litchi, with subtle hints of quince, citrus and caramel. It balances ripe fruit and perfectly integrated oak with a mouth-watering minerality. Fresh acidity has great staying power and adds a well-crafted focus and length.
Blend: 51% Sauvignon Blanc, 49% Semillon
Morgenster is a 300-year-old wine estate in Stellenbosch once part of the historic thriving farm, Vergelegen, owned by Cape Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel. Current owner, Giulio Bertrand, hailing from Piedmont, Italy, retired to South Africa and purchased the farm in 1992. His focus is on producing world class Bordeaux-style wines of the highest quality. The estate’s wine consultant is Pierre Lurton, managing director of France's Chateau Cheval Blanc and Chateaux d’Yquem, names synonymous with regarded Bordeaux blends.The winemaking team's philosophy is to let every vintage determine the blend, crafting wines with an extraordinary ability to age.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.