When I first met his grandfather Paul, he was producing the same great Ports and red wines that the preceding Pauls had made for generations.
Today, Paul de Villiers is the Cellarmaster, two of his cousins, Huguette and Madelief are as involved in the running of the company as he is. Award winning Michiel du Toit is the Winemaker.
When I first visited Landskroon in early 1978, I was enchanted by their Cinsaut, a wine my father used to make. Today, the wine has taken on a different nuance. Harvest in the early hours of the day to retain aroma and flavour, once in the cellar the grapes are destalked and then crushed. Before they ferment in close topped fermenters a quantity of the juice is tapped off – this is called saignée, 0r bleeding by the French. This improves the concentration of the wine by given a higher skin to juice ratio. The wine undergoes gentle maturation on oak staves.
It looks like
Bottled in a Bordeaux shaped bottle under cork. In the glass a translucent cherry red.
It smells like
Bright cherry and berry fruits. Whiff of oak.
It tastes like
Fresh crisp refreshing berries with a touch of pomegranate arils adding crispness. Medium of body with beautifully integrated soft tannins in a dry and lingering aftertaste.
It’s good with
Excellent as a glass on its own. Do chill it though before service for added pleasure. Seared chilled tuna with a lemon dressing would be a lovely match. As is Ina Paarman’s Janet’s Roast Pepper Chicken. Janet Hacking has worked with Ina for years developing and testing testing testing. Click here for the recipe.
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