Click here to view online if you are unable to view this newsletter
Laduuuuuuuuuuma!
Like a good wine, it's been years in the making. But soccer fever is finally here, and traffic jams and work productivity aside, it promises to be a celebration of note.
To get the festivities started, we are pleased to announce some good news about our wines on the international stage (hope Bafana Bafana will say the same), and as we're showcasing our Shiraz this edition, we also have a fantastic Shiraz offer for you, our subscriber.
Then we chat with Betty van Reenen, who after twenty years on the farm, needs no introduction to many of you. And hear from Carl about this year's rather tricky harvest.
And there's lots of other good stuff too. We hope you enjoy it. And the soccer as well....
Born in Plettenberg Bay, Betty moved to the Western Cape as a young adult to be a Primary School teacher. However, after ten years of harassment and headaches, she believed it was time to find her true vocation.
So, after working in various shops and on a couple of farms, Betty found Hartenberg in 1990. She knew immediately this was 'the one', and has been with us ever since.
In the Sales Office, Betty loves interacting with people and, in her own words, is “passionate about wine and people” (in which order we‘re not too sure!). Although Betty's primary job is in sales, she will fill in any gaps that are needed, especially on busy days. She feels this may be the reason why Hartenberg's staff is mostly female – they all need to be able to multitask!
Betty hopes to have twenty more years on the farm - mainly because she worries that the next person will not look after her customers as well as she does.
For any information, or to find the perfect wine for your special occasion, Betty invites you to give her a call or come in and visit. She really looks forward to the chat.
The Western Cape had a superb winter in 2009, with above average total rainfall and an extended period of cold cloudy days. This induced quality dormancy and even bud break for all varieties. Summer was warm and dry, with an exception in October where we experienced a week or two of rain.
Vintage started on 30 January 2010.The first week of picking saw beautiful parcels of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay arriving at the cellar. Harvest seemed more gradual than usual and we even stopped picking for a week from 23 February as the berries patiently continued their ripening. Mid-harvest we experienced high winds and a period of above average temperatures. This, along with the rain in flowering (vines are self/wind pollinated so wet pollen is not great) reduced the crop by 26% in volume. Happily, experience has shown that smaller cropping vintages equate to increased quality in colour, flavour and concentration. In this regard, 1998,1989, 2003 and 2007 vintages come to mind.
The white wines, having ripened in the cooler start to the season, have great acidity and intense flavours. Red wines are big, rich and deeply coloured. One is always cautious to make premature pronouncements on a vintage, but at this stage we are quietly optimistic, and quite content!
Regards
Carl Schultz and the Team
|
Three of a kind. Our royal flush
With a heritage of making Shiraz since 1974, Hartenberg Estate now has three unique expressions of the variety, each with its own individual style and character. The Gravel Hill, rated 93/100 by Wine Spectator in the States, is South Africa's first ever single vineyard Shiraz, and all about linear tannins and wonderful length. The Stork Shiraz (ranked the world's third best in France recently) is more immediate than The Gravel Hill, with “...jump out of the glass flavours”, as Carl Schultz describes it. The Estate Shiraz, more affordable than its two sisters, shows excellent structure and a rich tapestry of fruit, and has also won Gold in France. Hartenberg has just released its 2006 Shiraz, the estate's thirty-sixth vintage. The success of Hartenberg with Shiraz is a combination of having near perfect growing conditions, as well as holding back its wine for four years in an underground cellar, allowing it to mature in ideal conditions prior to release. Many vintages are still drinking well after twenty or thirty years, making them excellent investment wines too. If you'd like to buy some of our Shiraz, see our special offer below. It's only for Good Stuff subscribers. |
|
Buy twelve bottles of Shiraz 2006 and pay for ten (delivery to major cities - ie Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria will be subsidised by Hartenberg). This offer is for newsletter subscribers only - contact Betty to place your order or chat to her about more specials. +27 21 865 2541 or email us at cellardoor@hartenbergestate.com.
To All You High Flyers...
HELI, Cape Town's premier helicopter company, now offers flights and packages to Hartenberg. Their standard package includes a forty minute flight over the Stellenbosch and Franschoek winelands, followed by a VIP wine tasting and cellar tour, and home-made Afrikaans picnic or cellar lunch - total time around 2,5 hours. Alternatively, you can design your own trip.
For bookings, call Tracy on +27 21 935 1619 or take a look at www.flyheli.co.za for more information.
Held from July 1st to 5th, Hartenberg has plenty lined up for this year's annual festival.
Although the wine and organic olive pairing offers something different, it's our three-stop cellar tour which promises to steal the show:
Only allowing for six guests at a time, you will be guided through all of our three cellars, stopping to enjoy an intimate food and wine pairing in each. At R60 per head, it's a steal, so book now to avoid disappointment. And how about taking a helicopter ride to and from the farm, to make it an extra special day - see www.flyheli.co.za for more information.
If you'd like to rub shoulders with some of the Hartenberg brass, please join us for a braai on Friday evening (2 July). For R250 per person, you'll get to appreciate some traditional Afrikaans fare like “skilpadjies” (liver wrapped in fat) and home-made lamb shanks. All washed down with some of our more special wines, of course. Once again, booking essential.
 The Trophy Cabinet OK, some of these aren't physical awards, but you'll get the idea: In the January 2010 issue of Decanter Magazine, Tim Atkin singled out The Stork 2005 as the only Shiraz worthy of inclusion in his “25 Wines that Best Fly the Flag for South Africa”. The following month, James Molesworth gave the same wine 92 points in the USA's Wine Spectator. In the March issue of Wine Spectator, James Molesworth (the magazine's senior editor) heaps further praise on Hartenberg - this time for its two Chardonnays, including both The Eleanor 2006 and Estate Chardonnay 2007 in his “Top 17 impressive white wines from the Cape”. The Eleanor scored 90 points. Finally, some real silverware for our cabinet: at the 2010 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles held in Brussels earlier this year, our 2009 Sauvignon Blanc brought home a Gold Medal... and lots of smiles from us with it. |
Monday - Friday: 09:00 - 17:00 (lunch 12:00 - 14:30)
Saturday: 09:00 - 16:00 (lunch 12:00 - 14:00)
Sunday: 10:00 – 16:00
Closed: Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Phone: 021 865 2541
Email Us: info@hartenbergestate.com
Visit our website: www.hartenbergestate.com
