Natte Valleij Cinsault 2015
Superb fruit expression with silky soft tannins. A Cinsault the experts have been praising.
When Alex Milner graduated from Elsenburg College he wanted to make a name for himself by producing great wines that weren’t the normal Cabernet or Shiraz you find everywhere. Cinsault had been an early hero of the South African wine landscape, and his trips to France to learn hands-on how they do things there had fostered something of a love affair with the cultivar. If this wine were a book it would be as much a detective novel as a literary masterpiece. To find the right fruit Alex had to go searching. Literally chatting to farm workers on the road asking who/where had good Cinsault vines. He then secured access to that specific fruit and the rest of the story is in the bottle, ready for you to discover. On the palate one is taken by the soft and velvety character and mouth-watering acidity, it becomes almost sensual in your glass. Modest oaking of 12 months preserves a beautifully seductive length. This bottle is finished off with a cork and burgundy wax.
 | This fantastic recipe was supplied to us by Natte Valleij wine estate’s owner/winemaker Alex Milner. The recipe originally comes from rural France where Alex spent time learning his craft as few years ago. Alex reminisces: “I first discovered Cinsault while doing a harvest in Provence, France in 2005. Around the same time I made another wonderful discovery which was the French classic Chicken Chasseur, which literally means Hunter’s Chicken. We were fed this regularly at lunch time during the harvest and it went down a treat amongst us hungry workers and the dish is now a regular feature on the table at Natte Valleij.” We love: This dish is simple and easy to prepare, and just as delicious for lunch as it is for supper. Being strongly flavoured with tomatoes and mushrooms, it really suits the higher-acidity reds like Natte Valleij Cinsault. Plus: You can’t get better than the winemakers... Get the recipe here |