Country: South Africa Region: Coastal Region
Varietal: Chenin/Muscat Category: Sweet White Color: White
Producer: Fairview
"The Fairview estate is situated approximately 50 kilometres from Cape Town, on the lower slopes of Mt. Paarl, and was planted with vines as early as 1699. The property was bought by Charles Back's grandfather in 1937 and was subsequently run by his father, Cyril, before Charles took charge. His era has seen Fairview emerge to become one of the country's most exciting properties, with all its production now certified as Fair Trade. Charles doesn't use the certification, however, as he wants to sell on merit. The excitement engendered by Fairview was recognised in 2014 when Charles was given the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' by the International Wine Challenge. Though slightly alarmed at being given this gong when he was only 58, Charles was happy to join the likes of Hugh Johnson, Peter Lehmann and Michael Broadbent as a recipient of this award.The wines from Fairview continue to evolve in style under winemaker Anthony de Jager. By better work in the vineyard (opening the canopies to allow light to get to the grapes earlier in the season, for instance) he is getting full ripeness at an earlier stage. This means earlier picking, which in turn means red wines with more vibrancy and freshness. The Pinotage and Beacon Shiraz have both benefitted from this approach, and are looking better than ever.With the whites, he is looking for full ripeness, especially with the Sauvignon. ""We don't want any green characters in our Sauvignons"", he says. The 2015 Darling Sauvignon is more tropical in flavour as a result, with lovely texture and depth on the palate. Surprising some upon first taste, as it lacks the herbaceous characters often associated with South African Sauvignon Blanc, but it is a much better drink as a result of this work. Equally exciting is the 2015 Darling Chenin Blanc. It is is fragrant and has a lime zest character on both the nose
Deep cherry red colour, it thrives on its lively fruit and the wood stays perfectly in the background. It smells of dark cherries and wild berries. It has a fruity and elegant palate.