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 Ask a mobile-geek and he would tell you that 4G is the 4th Generation Technology-the newest for internet and mobile phones that has just arrived in India-in fact Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio was in the news last week, seemingly in a hurry to start the 4G service, even collaborating with some of its competitors. But a wine buff in South Africa probably already knows and is proud of the 5-year old Stellenbosch-based 4G Wine Estate which has already exported two 2 iconic red labels selling for $360 each in the USA and vying to compete with the top wines of Australia, Bordeaux and Napa. The Estate claims to be the ‘First Growth of the Cape.’
Think of South African and Chile wines and cheap, chirpy and cheerful is the first impression many people get, oblivious to the fact that several passionate producers in both the countries are now driven by quality and the terroir. Over the years, Chile was the first to beat the $50 price barrier. Later, Errazuriz Viñedo Chadwick went past even Montes Folly Shiraz costing around $90 to cross the $100 level. Today Wine-Searcher.com rates it as the most expensive Chilean wine at an average of $183 without taxes.
South African wines had been unable so far to cross the $100 mark with the Stellenbosch’s historic winery Vergelegen (pronounced as fer-khe-lekhan with kh pronounced like in Hindi ‘Hauz khas’) fetching the highest average price of $94+taxes for ‘V’- its top ended Cabernet Sauvignon. The next 3 in the highest price line are Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir from Walker Bay ($88), The Sadie Family Colomella Red Swartland ($83) and Klein Constantia Natural Sweet Wine from Constantia ($80).
South Africa breaching the $100 mark
The $100 mark has been now crossed by 4GWine Estate in Stellenbosch-founded barely 5 years ago by the collaborative effort of the well known French winemaker Denis Dubourdieu, a Professor of Oenology at University of Bordeaux, winemaking consultant to several top estates like Cheval Blanc and Chateau d’Yquem, and owner of several Bordeaux châteaux, and the longtime Italy-born, South African winemaker Giorgio Dalla Cia who worked earlier with the iconic wine estate Meerlust and was on its Board member too.
Their two hand crafted Estate wines ‘G’ 2010, and ‘G- A Tribute to C.P’ 2011 are being sold in the USA through their exclusive distributors in Sausalito, California - Cult & Icon. Both the wines are primarily a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Shiraz. The fruit has been sourced from about a dozen different vineyards with diverse Terroir in and around the Capelands.
According to a statement by Master Sommelier Frank Kämmer (1996) for the American distributor, ‘It's quite obvious that this wine will become the next Screaming Eagle.’
 Master Sommelier Tim Gaiser (1992) likens the wine to the style of Penfolds Grange. ‘They have crafted G by using the Penfolds 'Grange' model of blending extremely small quantities of the very finest fruit taken from top Coastal Region vineyards. This is a world class red wine and is surely the 'First Growth' of South Africa and perhaps will be the country's finest wine.
Incidentally, the Master Sommelier examination is generally acknowledged as the highest international level of proficiency and knowledge in the wine profession. There are 214 members of this exclusive breed including the Indian-origin girl from Chicago, Alpana Singh, who passed the exam in 2003 as the youngest female.
Both the wines are priced at $360 and in fact are slightly more expensive than the current Top 4 labels of South Africa, costing on the average $345. The G. 2010 is a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A total of only 3410 numbered bottles have been produced. “Tribute to C.P.” 2011 has been only in 1,943 bottles and has Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Verdot. Both wines have an expected aging potential of more than 20 years and have 15% alc. Both have been commended as collectibles.
No wonder that these wines are available on allocation and through members on the mailing list-pretty much like the Screaming Eagle of Napa Valley. You may want to check out the website of the US distributors if you would like to buy and cellar a bottle or two.
Subhash Arora
Tags: South Africa, Screaming Eagle, Stellenbosch, 4G Wine Estate, Chile, Errazuriz Viñedo Chadwick, South African wines, Vergelegen, Bouchard Finlayson, Colomella Red Swartland, Klein Constantia, Giorgio Dalla Cia, Frank Kämmer, Tim Gaiser |