Charlotte Spicer Charlotte is known amongst her friends and exasperated family as a professional “Intoxicologist”. She has worked in the wine and spirits industry for a number of years now. Apart from enjoying the odd glass or two of wine, she is partial to a wee dram of whisky and also likes to think she puts Nigella to shame in the kitchen – but doubts that she could lick her spoon that seductively…
opening up a second bottle it did not really get that much better. The nose was earthy, musky and full of pineapple beer. The taste was zesty – a sweetness going over to acidity. Unfortunately it is really difficult for me to give a better description of this wine and I would love to taste it again – give it a second chance!
bit like trying to see the bride’s face through a heavy veil… I liked the chalky, buttermilk flavours that were subtle, yet notable and because my favourite white varietal – Viognier – takes the lead in this 4-grape blend, I’d definitely add it to my list of re-tries. Charlotte says: As all of us tasters are wine lovers, rather than wine experts, it’s never easy to agree when we feel that a wine is faulty. I thought the first bottle was not right and, on tasting the second, did find a marked difference that will probably do it a lot more justice in its appraisal. It did still have a very unique style to it though, with a can of Sparletta Pinenut instantly coming to mind from my school tuck shop days. Alongside fresher pineapple, green fruit, gentle honey and soft marzipan flavours, this is a wine that will get people talking and probably cause a few good drunken debates around the table. Eduard says: I was disappointed, to say the least. Unfortunately we did not get the best bottle in the batch and with
Donald says: Light and bright in the glass with a perlé fizz-like quality, this couldn’t have smelled more unlike the previous wine unless it had been diesel. With a salty/briny haze and ginger nuts thrown in, I was not the only person round the table wondering if this wine was going to be drinkable or not. The palate was an improvement on the nose however – a floral and lime mélange with a powdery dry, chalk-like quality probably from the perlé fizz, with a slight lick of vanilla from some barrel ageing possibly? Very different, very austere, but may come alive when paired with spicy and strongly flavoured Asian food.
TasteTeam egg-mayo, fizzy, ginger beer, hint of turpentine. You almost got scared to taste the wine...it sounds crazy, but all those characteristics came through. We opened a second bottle that was less chilled and it still showed some hints of fizziness, but the nose was far better. A very light ginger beer nose and, for me, a slight earthiness came through.
Avondale Cyclus 2011 RRP: R225 ; Stockists: Norman Goodfellows, Wine Concepts and Meander Fine Wines www.avondalewine.co.za
“…a floral and lime mélange with a powdery dry chalk like quality…” llze says: Beautiful deep coloured straw, gem bright in the glass and a very overpowering sulphur smell (was this bottled very recently?). This does taste like a ginger beer mixed with Fresca – very fizzy and odd. Interesting, but not my cup of tea. Guest taster Nadia says: This wine had us all baffled. As I sat there trying to figure out what is happening in the glass, you hear comments like
Daisy says: Like morning sunlight streaming through your bedroom window across your face, this wine made you want to experience ‘rewind and replay’. A soft floral nose and oaky loveliness greeted the nose, with an interesting and yummy coconut aroma coming at you. Flavours of pineapple and apricot played on the palate, with
NOVEMBER 2014 WINE EXTRA 19