Bernard, known as Pod to most, was a pioneer, a swimming against the tide pioneer. He bottled the first Shiraz in the Cape, his Bellingham Almeida Rosé and Premier Grand Cru in their distinctive ‘gabled’ bottles became the stuff of legend.
Today, Niël Groenewald is the award winning winemaker of Bellingham. Recently he released a series of wines, The Bellingham Homestead Series, named for the old Cape Dutch homestead on the estate.
The reds come beautifully packaged under cork in a Bordeaux shaped bottle with and an elegant etching of the Bellingham Homestead on the label.
The grapes for the Bellingham Homestead Series Pinotage 2014 come from the Stellenbosch Wine Appellation. The vineyards are exposed to cooling maritime influences from False Bay. Once poured into the glass it has a deep bloodplum colour at the core, which pales out to ruby garnet at the edges. The nose is all about sweet sappy rustic berries, damsons and cherries. The palate is just packed with fruit, roadside brambles, mulberries and blackberries – and bloodplums. The tannins are present, in the smooth fruited aftertaste, with the oak and its concomitant spices. 11 months of maturation took place in a mix of previous fill 2nd and 3rd French oak barrels.
Paarl Wine Appellation Grapes from the northern and eastern slopes of the massive Simonsberg are used for Bellingham Homestead Series Shiraz 2104. Once in the cellar, berry sorting takes place and slow fermentation assisted by frequent punch downs to extract soft tannins, aromas, colour and flavour. Malolactic fermentation took place ad the wine was matured for a year in 2nd and 3rd fill French oak barrels. In the glass a dark plum almost black red paling to a rich garnet at the edges. The nose promises all that the palate delivers. Plum fruits, grinds of pepper, dark chocolate, sweet brown spices, cassis.
The Bellingham Homestead whites are packed in Burgundy shaped bottles under screw cap. Same elegant ‘etching’ labels as the reds.
The grapes for the Bellingham Homestead Series Sauvignon Blanc 2015 come from Durbanville, my home turf! Made in the classical way, with extended contact with the gross lees and regular stirring, which adds to the voluptuousness of the wine. In the glass pale gold in colour with green flashes. Canary melon, ripe citrus notes and sliced ripe pear whiffs. Nice full palate with a generosity of tropical fruits, long clean and crisp.
The Bellingham Homestead Series Chardonnay 2015 uses grapes from the Stellenbosch Wine Appellation. Whole bunch pressed and the juice cold settled, 60% of it goes to new and 2nd fill barrels. The wine matures there for 9 months. The balance goes to stainless tanks to be blended to add freshness to the wine! On the nose, you will smell sweet orange marmalade, barley sugar and cloves. The palate is a delight, full and rich, the oak supporting the windfall orange flavours, the Santa Claus or piel de sapo [frog skin!] melon with a nice little lime squirt in the end.
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