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south
african wine, part 7
Neil
Ellis
 Neil
Ellis (right) is on a bit of a roll at the moment. He may not be in-yer-face
all the time like some of his winemaking peers, and so he probably
gets less press coverage than he deserves (we journos are generally a
lazy bunch who just take notice of those who shout the loudest). But
Neil is doing what winemakers should be focusing on: making really
good wines.
Back
in 1986 he started out on his own as a negociant – a relatively rare
commodity in South Africa where estate wines are held in such high
esteem – after gaining experience with KWV and Groot Constantia. The
business model was simple: he leased cellar space, bought in
top-quality grapes, and made his wines.
Then
in 1993 he went into partnership with Hans Peter Schroder, who
coincidentally had in 1986 purchased a Stellenbosch wine estate, Oude
Nektar, in the Jonkershoek Valley. Neil brought his winemaking
expertise to the table, while Hans Peter brought extensive cellar
space and a spectacular estate. The partnership has proved a robust
one, and currently Neil Ellis wines produces some 40 000 cases
annually.
The
winery and Oude Nektar estate
These
days, grape needs are largely met by three main vineyard areas: Oude
Nektar in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, which has 40 hectares of red
grapes; the 120 ha Contreberg Farm in Groenekloof, Darling, which is
at altitude and just 8 km from the cold Atlantic, a good source of
whites; and the Whitehall farm in Elgin, which is the Cape’s coolest
wine region.
I
met Neil on a sunny early December mid-morning, and we took a drive up
to the top of Oude Nektar, through some beautiful vineyards and fynbos.
It really is a lovely estate. Later we headed back to the winery for a
tasting. One of the features of this line-up was its consistency:
there wasn’t a wine here that I wouldn’t be happy to have in my
cellar.
A
view over the fynbos to the Jonkershoek valley
Neil
Ellis Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Groenenkloof
From south-facing slopes 180–350 m above sea level. This has a
lovely aromatic nose with delicate, herbal grassy notes and nice
fruit. After a while it opens out to give an expressive green pepper
edge. The palate is fantastic with nicely balanced fruit, some
savouriness and a fine, subtle herbiness. An expressive Sauvignon with
natural elegance. Very good/excellent 92/100
Neil
Ellis Chardonnay 2004 Elgin
From 2.5 hectares of low yielding, 16 year old vines. 90% are
Burgundy clones and a third of the wine goes through spontaneous
fermentation. Fantastically expressive nose: refined toasty, nutty oak
combining with fresh, slightly herby, melony fruit. The palate is
expressive with some toasty, spicy oak, a creamy texture an nice fruit
freshness. Only half the blend goes through malolactic fermentation:
the rest is stopped by the use of lysozyme and low temperature, which
Neil prefers to using SO2.
A fairly serious, complex wine with lots of interest. Very
good/excellent 92/100
Neil
Ellis Grenache 2004 Piekenierskloof
(Not bottled yet, just 4 barrels made, from 60 year old vines.)
Dark, spicy nose. The palate is deep but supple and spicy, showing
expressive red fruits with lovely structure. A really expressive sort
of wine. Very good/excellent 92/100
Neil
Ellis Shiraz 2004 Groenenkloof
Expressive dark spicy nose with a firmly structured, spicy palate.
Really good fruit character here and nice spicy tannins. Impressive
stuff in a savoury mould. Very good/excellent 91/100
Neil
Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 Jonkershoek Valley
Quite a fine, expressive blackcurrant nose with an earthy, spicy
edge and subtle herby freshness. The palate shows nice open fruit with
just a subtle touch of greenness and hints of chocolate and spice.
Quite a classic style that should live a long time. Very
good/excellent 92/100
Neil
Ellis Shiraz 2000 Jonkershoek Valley
An evolved nose showing earthy, leathery complexity along with
subtly meaty black fruits. The palate is rounded and open with
generous ripe black fruit and some savoury complexity. Very
good/excellent 90/100
Wines tasted 12/05
Find
these wines with wine-searcher.com
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