The wine buff: Master of elements

There are a number of elements that make a wine truly great, and they start with the basics.

 First of all, the climate and soil must be suitable for grape growing – you need enough sun to ripen the grapes and enough water to ensure that they survive the heat. Then there are other variables. For instance, what direction the vineyard faces, whether it’s at a high or low altitude, and even the slope of the ground where the vines are planted will all have a bearing. Then, an enormous amount of work has to be done in the vineyard before the grapes are finally ready to be picked. And after that, you have to make the wine.

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Richard Kershaw, a Master of Wine, who makes wine under his own label in South Africa, was in Dublin recently to talk about ‘a sense of place’ when it comes to wine.

To make a top-rated wine, he says, you have to get every one of these elements right, and do it better than the other guys, much like the top chefs in the world pay attention to every single detail and constantly strive for perfection.

If you’ve visited South Africa or are familiar with South African wine, you’ve probably heard of Stellenbosch, and maybe even Paarl and Franschhoek.

Where Richard makes his wine is in Elgin, a region about 70kms east of Cape Town that people generally pass through on their way to Hermanus for whale watching. Close to the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by mountains, it is the coolest region in South Africa, and has so much rain that it was the only area in the country to be unaffected by the terrible drought of the past few years.

The soil is spectacularly old, formed from rocks that decomposed between 100 million and a billion years ago. In 1987, a PhD student identified it as the most perfect place in South Africa for growing grapes.

So why don’t we hear more about it? Partly because Elgin is better known for its orchards than its vineyards, with land devoted 80pc to apples and 20pc to vines. And, as the most profitable cash crop in the southern hemisphere, the apples are winning the battle. Vines are being uprooted to make way for orchards.

Richard makes single varietal Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay, all of which land top scores in international wine competitions.

To ensure that his wines are at this quality level, he is very careful with his selection of vines, so on his bottles of Chardonnay, you will see a reference to ‘clonal selection’.

If this all sounds a bit complicated, you might find that you have done a bit of cloning yourself. If you have ever grown a rose or a shrub from a cutting, the method you used is cloning.

This attention to detail is what gives Richard’s wines a true sense of place. Maybe hint very, very hard, and you might get one as a present on a special occasion.

Grapevine

The Corkscrew in Dublin is running a series of spectacular wine dinners in its private dining room, Upstairs @ No 4. The next one, on October 3, is a Chateau De Beychevelle Tasting Dinner. Chateau Beychevelle is one of the famous classed growths (4eme Cru Classé) wines from the Bordeaux commune of Saint Julien. Host Philippe Blanc will introduce six of their wines and the six-course tasting menu is by TwoCooks. €150, see thecorkscrew.ie/events

Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2016

€55 approx, 13.5pc, from Mitchell & Son, Whelehan Wines, The Corkscrew, and Ely 64 Wine, Dublin

White blossom, fine lemon, white peach and pear are met with a spark of flint on the nose, and on the palate this is poised and elegant. Pure class.

Bethany First Village Chardonnay 2018

€15.95, reduced from €18.95, 12.5pc, from O’Briens and obrienswine.ie

New on the shelves in O’Briens, this barrel-fermented Chardonnay has a richness balanced with a fresh minerality. Ripe stone fruit is kissed with a touch of spice.

Exquisite Collection Macon Village 2018

€8.99, 13pc, from Aldi

Always reliable, notes of lemon and honeysuckle and a touch of quince make this easy drinking Chardonnay perfect for serving on its own or with chicken, fish and light creamy pasta dishes.

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