A few weeks ago, a box arrived at our office from Aaldering Vineyards & Wines. On opening the box, I realised that Aaldering was not your ordinary wine estate.
Everything about the bottling spoke of perfection. The tall, slender, tapering bottles, the use of cork and the classically simple labelling implied that the wine was created with great care and attention to detail.
Tasting this wine needed a special group of people, who appreciate fine wine. I knew exactly whom to invite and when to conduct the tasting.
And so it happened that on a wonderfully sunny afternoon at our annual office holiday party, my office team and I tasted the six bottles of Aaldering wine.
ABOUT AALDERING VINEYARDS & WINES
While the wine was catching its breath and being chilled to perfection, I educated the tasters about Aaldering Vineyards & Wines.
Located in the Devon Valley just outside Stellenbosch, Aaldering Vineyards & Wines is named after its Dutch owners, Marianne and Fons Aaldering. These Dutch entrepreneurs brought their dream to fruition when they started their estate in 2004.
This remarkable Estate is well worth a visit. It offers a contemporary wine tasting room and excellent 5-Star accommodation in a Cape Dutch-style lodge, set in the beautiful surroundings typical of the Cape Winelands.
The vineyards cover 24 hectares of free draining, red loamy sandy Hutton and Clovelly soils. The location is perfect for wine production and coupled with the Aaldering Vineyards & Wines team, led by P.J. Geyer, it is not surprising that their wines have won numerous awards.
AALDERING ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2018
We found this Sauvignon Blanc to be very easy drinking and it was popular amongst our tasters. The nose has lots of green fruit – kiwi and lime in particular. It is full on the mouth and rounded in taste.
AALDERING ESTATE PINOTAGE ROSE 2018
This was, without a doubt, my favourite of the day. I have never been a Rose fan, but this wine was exceptional. P.J. says that a specific parcel of land is set aside on the estate for this wine.
This wine has been awarded, not surprisingly, with Double Silver and Double Gold medals over the last three vintages.
Strawberries on the nose, slightly sweet in the mouth and is deliciously fresh and crisp.
AALDERING ESTATE PINOTAGE BLANC 2017
A rare variety made of the Pinotage grape, this wine has plenty of fruit on the nose – pomegranate and strawberries in particular and is creamy and refreshing in the mouth.
It received good comments from all and complemented the sushi that was served as our starter.
AALDERING ESTATE LADY M 2017
The most popular wine of the day! I found the tasting notes to be a perfect description of this great wine.
To quote, “This unwooded Pinotage offers an explosion of dark fruit aromas on the nose consisting of blackcurrants, blueberries and dark cherries. The structure is elegant and shows class.”
AALDERING CABERNET SAUVIGNON/MERLOT 2013
The only blend of the day! Well-liked by most of the team, this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot has liquorice on the nose and is complex but well-rounded in taste.
AALDERING ESTATE PINOTAGE 2016
Dark fruit on the nose and palate – with cherries and prunes, and has a lengthy aftertaste. Despite drinking this wine while it is fairly young, it was great.
For more information, visit www.aaldering.co.za or call 021 865 2495. Follow them on Social Media (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) @Aaldering Wines
For great savings on life’s little pleasures visit Bargain Buys! Know somebody who is getting married, Wedding and Function can assist. Have kids, then you need to visit Kids Connection.
Enjoy reading this article? For more articles like this click here
Looking for factual news? Click here for Eastern Cape and Here for Western Cape news.
