Preamble Tasting February
2001
Vaughan Johnsons Wine Shop
Greg Grousse
1. Vaughan Johnson Good Everyday Cape White, Franschoek
Very light colour, sweet nose with citrus. Grapefruit on the palate. Far
from integrated, but good backbone and acidity - maybe too tart.
Reasonable at the price.
£5.99
2. Backsberg Chardonnay, 1998 
Deep gold. Oaky nose. Tropical fruits, good acidity, touch of
soft oak.Very nice; worth the money.
£9.49
3. Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, 2000
Light colour. Gooseberry nose. Very grassy, gooseberry again,
minerally, even peppery. 13.5% A bit pricey but lovely.
£14.49
4. Rupert and Rothschild Chardonnay, 1998
Nice colour, elgant nose with a hint of flowers. Quite stern, lots of oak,
warm, full, very tropical,. Long fiinsh of pineapple. Lovely,
classy wine. Different from a decent Burgundy example, same
price?
£22.95
5. Vaughan Johnson's Good Everyday Cape Red
Nice light red. Quite a harsh nose, hints of Grenache and Gamay
- neither of which features! It's Tinto Barocca, Cinsaut, Carignan,
Ruby Cabernet according to Greg. My Platter (SA Wine bible) of two
years ago says Pinotage, Cinsaut, Shiraz and a dash of Cabernet.
Maybe they change it every year. Fruity, earthy, fresh, good value.
£5.99
6. Ecelsior Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve, 1998 
Velvety red, warm country nose, smooth with soft tannins, enough bite to
keep it lively, plummy. 14%
£9.95
7. Springfield Cabernet Sauvignon, 1998
( others)
Deep red with black hints. Big blackcurrant nose, some wood, quite
chewy, spicey, fruity, balanced, 13.5%. Made with natural yeasts
only. Lovely.
£11.95
8. Muldernosch Faithful Hound 1997
Deep, somewhat velvety look. Very odd nose, not very pleasant
farmyard at first. Quite a stern but polished wine, improves in the
glass. Goodfruit, quite concentrated, long finish. This could
be great someday and I'm not enough of an expert to tell for sure.
If it lives up to its potential it could be a three star given the
price. I think it might be worth a gamble.
£14.49
9. Steenberg Pinot Noir, 1998
Very light. Burnt rubber nose. Definitiely needs to come
together. Way too young, a hint of bitterness in there. Hamilton
Russell, though a few pounds a bottle dearer, is a much better bet for my
money.
£15.49
10. Steenberg Catharina, 1998
Lovely rich mid-red. Odd nose; warm, spicy, can't place the
aroma.Hugely spicey, not much body, fiery but smooth, raspberries at
the end. Interesting, has potential. Cab Sauvignon (70%) and Merlot
(30%)..
£17.99
11. Saxenburg Shiraz, Private Collection, 1997
Dark clear red with a big berry nose. Not at all like an
Australian on the nose; some sweetness. Huge wine, good balance,
peppery spice, spirit, long finish. Very smooth. No chocolate
at all. A beauty, and I'd almost strech to two stars, even at the
price.
£19.95
12. Die Krans, Cape Vintage Ort
They can't call it port, so it's Ort! A lovely colour.
Very interesting nose; fruity and light. A smooth mouth feel, good
burn, sweet but not cloying, pruny. Eight months in oak. Very
nice.
£15.99