During 2009, the year celebrating 350years of Cape Wine, many producers are delving into their precious museum stocks of wines to host retrospective tastings.

I was invited to a tasting at Meerendal, famous for their quality red wines made from Shiraz and Pinotage. The farm is situated in the south and east-facing folds over the Tygerberg Hills near Durbanville and dates back to 1702. Meerendal Shiraz formed the backbone of KWV’s famous export red, called Roodeberg.

We tasted 22 wines ranging from 2008 vintage to 1969! My notes reflect admiration and amazement for the quality and longevity of these wines. Old Pinotage (a cross between Cinsaut and Pinot Noir) can combine sweet richness and the complexity of great aged Burgundy if the vintage and winemaking comes together with great harmony. Rich berry fruit lingered on the tongue like the long forgotten summer - relived 40 years on. The 1971 edged ahead of the 1969 but both were truly memorable.

The Shiraz 1969 was the colour of autumn leaves but the alchemy of 40 years enveloped the senses with complex smells of underlying spice, violets, pot-pourri and forest mushrooms.

The silky sensuality of a perfectly matured piece of history is hard to capture in words but I hope I can inspire every one to create a small space to mature a few bottles and share the excitement of discovering a gem after some years.  

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