On the 3rd of December Blake Chetty of Royal Oaks wines came and presented the wines of Avondale to us. It has been almost two years since Blake has been to Vats and it was great to see him again. We haven’t had a full Avondale tasting in years, which made the tasting special. Blake is a vibrant, fun presenter, that is energetic in his presentations. The following is the order we tasted in, the comments of the tasters and the average scores.
Armilla Blanc de Blanc 2017 (100% Chardonnay)
Colour- light green-gold, light and fine mousse. Nose- brandy, citrus, lemon, pineapple, brioche. Palate- crisp acidity, brioche, toast, biscuit, apple, pineapple, citrus, honey, lemon that lingers to the finish.
Score- 17.39. (27th best wine for 2024, out of 283 tasted).
2. Anima Chenin Blanc 2020 (skin ferment)
Colour- light green, with golden tinge. Nose- meaty, toast, smoke, citrus, lemon. Palate- crisp acidity, meaty, smoked game, spice, honey, white peach, grapefruit, sweet peach finish.
Score- 16.40.
3. Cyclus White Blend 2020 (25% Roussanne, 20% Chenin Blanc, 20% Viognier, 15% Semillon, 10% Chardonnay)
Colour- light green, with golden tinge. Nose- floral, spice, citrus, lemon, melon. Palate- crisp acidity, spice, buttery, citrus, pineapple, apple, pineapple, peach, lime and lemon that linger full to the finish.
Score- 16.46.
4. Quevri Red Blend 2023 (43% Grenache Noir, 30% Mourvèdre, 27% Shiraz)
Colour- light purple-red, with no gradation to rim. Nose- green herbs, spice, pepper, red and black cherry, black currant, Maraschino cherry, plum. Palate- crisp acidity, firm tannins, black pepper, mulberry, almonds, Maraschino cherry, young needs time.
Score- 16.50.
5. Samsara Syrah 2017
Colour- inky black-red, from the heart to a browning rim. Nose- toffee, smoke, spice, chocolate, white pepper, plums, black cherry and currant. Palate- crisp acidity, soft but firm tannins, cedar, savoury, toast, hazelnut, caramel, chocolate, toffee, black currant and cherry.
Score- 17.40 (tied 25th best for 2024, with the Landskroon Cabernet Sauvignon 2022).
Two wines in the top 27, the Samsara Syrah 25th and the best wine of the tasting. The Armilla Blanc de Blanc in second, which was the most highly rated MCC of the year (the De Grendel Méthode Cap Classique Brut 2016, was the second highest at 16.90). In third was the interesting Quevri Red Blend. A great tasting, thanks Blake for the chemical and winemaking info! We look forward to seeing you soon!
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