Glenwood Merlot 2004
An exceptional wine, truly well worth the wait! ~ 4 stars
To kick off the wine blog, I thought I’d review a wine that has been waiting for the last three years for me, and which to celebrate an evening with a friend from Up North I don’t get to see that often, as well as my brother’s Matric passing, I decided to open it up and share with friends over some warthog ribs at the fantastic Hussar Grill in Camps Bay.
This wine had a real story for me, a few years ago my partner and I were driving around Franschoek and ended up rather lost and on a gravel road in seemingly nowhere. Tucked away in the valley (little known Robertsvlei) we found our rest at Glenwood , where we had a very special tasting, greeted by the cellar manager and his great team.
We ended up buying a lot of wine, and having a wonderful afternoon of tasting and discussing the wines of the farm with those who know it best. The plantings where fairly new, the wine was expressive, and the feeling from the staff was of commitment, enjoyment and a small operation feel which is often lost in the times of ‘big label/private collection’ wines.
Of particular interest was a young 2004 Merlot from a fairly new block on the farm, it promised great things we felt.
Well it delivered, with the 2005 vintage now on sale for R55 a bottle I can recommend it to anyone I meet, the 2004 was a wonderful little merlot. The wine revels in its nature, not trying to be a ‘Cabernet-Light’, instead it’s a mellow, round merlot, perfect with a meal or on its own.
I believe wine should be enjoyed because it’s enjoyable, and not because of a label, price or varietal. This wine is certainly that. I doubt any wine snobs will be able to bring themselves to enjoy a wine at R55 a bottle, but it really is excellent, and after 3 years of lying down had lost none of its plumy, fruity tastes, and had lost some of the earlier piquant tastes if my memory serves me correctly.
I can recommend the Merlot 2004 wholeheartedly, it truly is a great wine.
To kick off the wine blog, I thought I’d review a wine that has been waiting for the last three years for me, and which to celebrate an evening with a friend from Up North I don’t get to see that often, as well as my brother’s Matric passing, I decided to open it up and share with friends over some warthog ribs at the fantastic Hussar Grill in Camps Bay.
This wine had a real story for me, a few years ago my partner and I were driving around Franschoek and ended up rather lost and on a gravel road in seemingly nowhere. Tucked away in the valley (little known Robertsvlei) we found our rest at Glenwood , where we had a very special tasting, greeted by the cellar manager and his great team.
We ended up buying a lot of wine, and having a wonderful afternoon of tasting and discussing the wines of the farm with those who know it best. The plantings where fairly new, the wine was expressive, and the feeling from the staff was of commitment, enjoyment and a small operation feel which is often lost in the times of ‘big label/private collection’ wines.
Of particular interest was a young 2004 Merlot from a fairly new block on the farm, it promised great things we felt.
Well it delivered, with the 2005 vintage now on sale for R55 a bottle I can recommend it to anyone I meet, the 2004 was a wonderful little merlot. The wine revels in its nature, not trying to be a ‘Cabernet-Light’, instead it’s a mellow, round merlot, perfect with a meal or on its own.
I believe wine should be enjoyed because it’s enjoyable, and not because of a label, price or varietal. This wine is certainly that. I doubt any wine snobs will be able to bring themselves to enjoy a wine at R55 a bottle, but it really is excellent, and after 3 years of lying down had lost none of its plumy, fruity tastes, and had lost some of the earlier piquant tastes if my memory serves me correctly.
I can recommend the Merlot 2004 wholeheartedly, it truly is a great wine.
posted by Andrew la Grange @ 2:15 AM
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