Our November meeting was a first for a new visiting presenter, Mr Preet Sahota representing Edgmond Wines and presenting wines of the South African Western Cape.

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Preet is a very knowledgeable importer and vendor, a good presenter and gave us a fine tasting of 9 wines produced by two wineries: Villa Eposto and Blake Family Wines. Forty-three club members attended making this the first 3-bottle tasting for a good while.

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We tasted, in order:

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1. A debut Sauvignon Blanc, 2022 from Villa Eposto:  Crisp, acidic and reminiscent of a good Sancerre. At £9.99 it seems quite a bargain.

2. A single vineyard Chenin Blanc 2021 from Blake’s Family from old vines wines: Oaky and buttery, reminiscent of a mature Chardonnay. (£8.99)

3. A rather more complex Villa Eposta Chenin Blanc which had an excellent nose and a good long finish. (£14.99)

4. A single vineyard Malbec, 2020 (quite unusual from South Africa). A good floral nose and colour but a little young and would benefit from keeping a couple of years. A snip though at £8.99

5. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Hermitage (Cinsault), is South Africa’s signature red wine.  Preet showed a 2018 from Villa Eposto which might be described as a “fruit bomb”. Rich and round, complex and with a good long finish – a lovely wine for £9.99

6. Next was another debut release: a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot, 2021 from the Villa Eposto estate. A nose of pepper, and berries rather like a good Claret.  It had good fruit though its tannins were still rather raw.  This was another fine wine that needed a couple of years to mature. (£14.95)

7. A lovely Shiraz followed, 2021 vintage made from 20-year-old vines. Rich and spicy. This was good now and would keep – if you wanted it to. At £6.99 it was a steal.

8. Blake family “Amethyst” 2018 followed. This was a bit of a thug in velvet boots being a traditional cape blend of Shiraz, Pinotage and Merlot. A very pleasant accompaniment to a meaty meal. (£19)

9. We finished with a gem of a sweetie, Villa Eposto’s Muscat d’Alexandria 2021 at £13.95.  What can one say? Pure sweet luxury. Ideal with blue cheese - or pudding if you must.
    

Preet gave an excellent tasting and walked away with a handsome batch of orders from the club. Testimony to a great presentation and a good selection of wines.  Thanks are due to Jon and Penny Barnes for catering the buffet. Another great evening.

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