Day five on the cruise and this night at Giovanni's Table, the Italian restaurant, aboard the Allure of the Seas. We decided to open up two South African beauties for this.
Deep ruby red with a slight garnet hue on the edges. Layered nose with dark cocoa, floral notes, dark berries and spices. Some classic 'South African' chalk as well. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and medium plus to full bodied. Dusty dark black cherries on the attack with some black currants, dark spices, a touch earthy, vanilla and some nutmeg. Seems quite restrained and reserved but well integrated as well. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2037.
Third time trying this limited bottling by De Toren Private Cellars with only 1,132 bottles produced in the 2013 vintage. This wine is made through the use of extreme winemaking techniques such as extreme cropping, extensive hand sorting, 200% new French oak for a total of 18 months and unfiltered. You are probably wondering how it can be 200%? This is done by aging the wine in 100% new French oak barrels for twelve months before transferring them to another set of 100% new French oak barrels for six additional months. — 7 years ago
Deep red color with intense flavor. Smooth. Full body. #belgianbeer #winterwarmer #beer #belgium #ale — 9 years ago
Splendido! — 6 years ago
Night seven on the Allure of the Seas and this time at we are ordering in for some room service from the specialty restaurants.
Medium ruby red, a bit lighter than expected. Love the layers and complexity on the nose, starting off with some chalk, gamey notes, iron and tons of minerality. Started to open up with some more smokey notes, caramel and tight dark berries. Definitely more on the savory side of Shiraz. Heavy tannins (7.5/10) and full bodied. Tons of structure and balanced acidity. Attack of black olives on the palate with some plums, dried black cherries and raspberries. Got a bit fruitier as it aired with some meaty undertones. Long and dry finish. So much going on with this wine, sadly it was our only bottle. Drink till 2042. (94+)
First time trying this limited bottling Shiraz by De Toren Private Cellars with only 883 bottles produced in the 2014 vintage. This wine is made through the use of extreme winemaking techniques similar to the Book XVII such as extreme cropping, extensive hand sorting, 200% new French oak for a total of 18 months and unfiltered. You are probably wondering how it can be 200%? This is done by aging the wine in 100% new French oak barrels for twelve months before transferring them to another set of 100% new French oak barrels for six additional months. Definitely would buy again, release price was R2,250. — 7 years ago
Reyneke Reserve Red 2008. This wine was brought by my father for all of us to try. This was a PNP, but before I got to tasting this wine it was in the glass and decanter for around an hour and a half. The color is garnet which to me means mainly red with a slight brown hue, more red than brick and it is clear, not cloudy. One part that can really leave an impression on me within a wine is the nose and the nose is crazy on this wine, I love it! Leather, tobacco, bacon, earthiness, perfume, and flowers like violet and maybe honeysuckle. Within the palate there are strong tannins (but not overpowering) that made my mouth feel insanely furry, not drying out like sandpaper. Balanced with a full body and long lingering finish. Wine is absolutely delicious and savory. There is so much going on it is hard to describe it all. The longer you leave it open the more it opens up and the more the wine changes. As for longevity, I believe this has enough power and body to go on for another 10 years easily.
This wine was a big surprise for me. I am a fan of South African wines, I will actually be visiting Stellenbosch in December. I love the earthy notes and animal notes that come out of wines from the region. I know we will be visiting De Toren which is right next to Reyneke, so I think this might have to be a must stop. Loved this wine! — 9 years ago
Ondineke De Glazen Toren
Oilsjtersen tripel/
Creamy smooth bubbles, deep and unclear yellow.
Tasty note of bread, yeast, barley malt, hop, camomile, olive and custard cream , juicy note of apple, pineapple and cider, spicy and bitter nuance of coriander and Japanese mugwort.
Creamy and rich attack, deep bitter finish — 7 years ago
Delicious berry flavours, and a smooth red. — 7 years ago
Classic, almost a perfect saison — 9 years ago
Randy Fillingim
Wow. A truly wonderful delicious Bordeaux blend from South Africa -no less. My first from this country. 2003 vintage still bringing it. Near perfect Harmony with a lush delicious mouth feel with a long finish.  — 2 months ago