Today I decided to visit Ernie Els and see what the fuss is all about.
From the moment I reached the entrance, drove up the driveway, got out of my car, walked along the path to the tasting room, I was intrigued and drawn in. I couldn't wait to see more!
The tasting room had an impressive grandness about it. Several ladies were working even though it was a Monday. Turns out they have tours and visitors coming throughout the day and therefore need the staff even on weekdays.
A tasting of all 8 wines costs R60 and a tasting of 4 wines was R30. I decided to go for the whole tasting in case I picked the wrong wines and missed a good wine.
I was told I could sit anywhere I liked, so I decided to find a nice place outside with a view.
We started off with the Big Easy Chenin Blanc 2012 at R65 a bottle. It had a nice aroma with notes of apples and pineapple. This wine is a little complex, is soft on the palate, has a slight acidic taste, with an apple, pear and lemon taste. It didn't seem balanced.
The Sauvignon Blanc 2012 at R80 a bottle has a sharp fruity taste full of fig, pineapple, lime and lemon. It is soft on the palate yet has acidic fruit flavours and a lingering fresh finish.
The Big Easy 2011 at R120 a bottle is a blend of Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Grenache/Cinsault/Mouvedre/Viognier. It was a little dry, has a little sharp finish to it, it was ok. Merlot 2011 at R140 a bottle had good (medium) body, was soft, a little dry/chalky, I liked it. Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 at R150 a bottle had a lovely aroma of tobacco, dark berries and spices. This wine was a little dry also, had good flavour though, was light yet had a nice round mouth feel.
The Proprietors Syrah 2011 at R210 a bottle was very nice. It had a lovely aroma which was a little spicy, lovely feeling on the palate, it was light, soft and spicy.
The Proprietors Blend 2010 at R210 a bottle was also very nice! Strangely it had a grassy nose at first, which had earthy tones also. It was lovely on the palate, has a little dry aftertaste, seemed slightly acidic, had a fresh feeling to it/almost mineral. It was light, and had a light fruity taste. It seemed like they had made a natural wine which represented the terroir on the farm. It was nicely balanced. I actually found it a little complex in that I couldn't get my head around this wine. I loved it though!!
The Ernie Els Signature 2010 at R550 a bottle was also a favourite of mine. It had a gorgeous fruity and chocolate aroma. It smelt yum! It was very smooth with a dry aftertaste. It was a bold wine. I liked this wine.
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my tasting here. The lady who served me was named Chane De Jager. She was passionate about the wine and knowledgable. I was really impressed with the experience that she created. The package is there at Ernie Els. It will be interesting to see if they end up with a restaurant that can cater for the masses that rock up here. With such a view I think it's a must!!
If you do a day trip in Heldeberg I think it is worth while visiting this winery. However, if you don't want to try the entire range, then I suggest trying the three most expensive wines and then choosing one other to make 4 wines.
If you just have one day to visit wineries while in Cape Town then I highly recommend spending that day in the Helderberg wine region. I would suggest Haskell Vineyards, Rust en Vrede, Hidden Valley and Ernie Els. The views are amazing at these wineries, the wine is superb and the service is usually of a high standard.
From the moment I reached the entrance, drove up the driveway, got out of my car, walked along the path to the tasting room, I was intrigued and drawn in. I couldn't wait to see more!
The tasting room had an impressive grandness about it. Several ladies were working even though it was a Monday. Turns out they have tours and visitors coming throughout the day and therefore need the staff even on weekdays.
A tasting of all 8 wines costs R60 and a tasting of 4 wines was R30. I decided to go for the whole tasting in case I picked the wrong wines and missed a good wine.
I was told I could sit anywhere I liked, so I decided to find a nice place outside with a view.
We started off with the Big Easy Chenin Blanc 2012 at R65 a bottle. It had a nice aroma with notes of apples and pineapple. This wine is a little complex, is soft on the palate, has a slight acidic taste, with an apple, pear and lemon taste. It didn't seem balanced.
The Sauvignon Blanc 2012 at R80 a bottle has a sharp fruity taste full of fig, pineapple, lime and lemon. It is soft on the palate yet has acidic fruit flavours and a lingering fresh finish.
The Big Easy 2011 at R120 a bottle is a blend of Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon/Grenache/Cinsault/Mouvedre/Viognier. It was a little dry, has a little sharp finish to it, it was ok. Merlot 2011 at R140 a bottle had good (medium) body, was soft, a little dry/chalky, I liked it. Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 at R150 a bottle had a lovely aroma of tobacco, dark berries and spices. This wine was a little dry also, had good flavour though, was light yet had a nice round mouth feel.
The Proprietors Syrah 2011 at R210 a bottle was very nice. It had a lovely aroma which was a little spicy, lovely feeling on the palate, it was light, soft and spicy.
The Proprietors Blend 2010 at R210 a bottle was also very nice! Strangely it had a grassy nose at first, which had earthy tones also. It was lovely on the palate, has a little dry aftertaste, seemed slightly acidic, had a fresh feeling to it/almost mineral. It was light, and had a light fruity taste. It seemed like they had made a natural wine which represented the terroir on the farm. It was nicely balanced. I actually found it a little complex in that I couldn't get my head around this wine. I loved it though!!
The Ernie Els Signature 2010 at R550 a bottle was also a favourite of mine. It had a gorgeous fruity and chocolate aroma. It smelt yum! It was very smooth with a dry aftertaste. It was a bold wine. I liked this wine.
I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my tasting here. The lady who served me was named Chane De Jager. She was passionate about the wine and knowledgable. I was really impressed with the experience that she created. The package is there at Ernie Els. It will be interesting to see if they end up with a restaurant that can cater for the masses that rock up here. With such a view I think it's a must!!
If you do a day trip in Heldeberg I think it is worth while visiting this winery. However, if you don't want to try the entire range, then I suggest trying the three most expensive wines and then choosing one other to make 4 wines.
If you just have one day to visit wineries while in Cape Town then I highly recommend spending that day in the Helderberg wine region. I would suggest Haskell Vineyards, Rust en Vrede, Hidden Valley and Ernie Els. The views are amazing at these wineries, the wine is superb and the service is usually of a high standard.
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