An expressionistic wine displaying an alchemy of extraordinary flavours
“Some taste Vanilla. Some get hints of butterscotch or English toffee. Some call it crème brûlée, honey, coconut or crème caramel. Others smell tropical flavours of pineapple, passion-fruit or peach. Let us know what you think at www.weltevrede.com”, says Weltevrede’s Philip Jonker about his newly released Vanilla Chardonnay.
“However Weltevrede’s Vanilla Chardonnay stimulates one’s senses, it is certainly an expressionistic wine. Tasty Chardonnay grapes from Karoo limestone terrain are fermented with selected light oak, resulting in an alchemy of extraordinary flavour”, adds Philip.
Weltevrede’s Vanilla Chardonnay
Philip explains how the Vanilla Chardonnay came to be, “Over the years, while tasting through Chardonnay barrels in our underground cellar, we would come upon some barrels displaying the most attractive vanilla notes. Our curiosity led us on a journey, exploring the source of this distinctive Vanilla flavour profile, and the seed was sown to capture this enchanting essence in a bottle……..Chardonnay grapes grown in particular limestone vineyards on Weltevrede - an ancient substrate that looks a bit like hardened nougat, ivory white porous rock of crumbly texture with calcium-rich Karoo limestone soils - were producing grapes with fleshy skins and tropical flavours like melon, mango, peach, pineapple and passion-fruit. The fruit flavours generated by this terrain could be accentuated by careful winemaking and the right choice of oak to produce an opulent wine, with the extraordinary alchemy of aroma and flavour that many are falling in love with, the Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay.”
The Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay 2010 is available nationally at leading wine retailers - retailing at ±R45.
(See Additional Information below for more technical details on the Vanilla Chardonnay)
Weltevrede Estate and Chardonnay
Philip Jonker is a Chardonnay specialist and, concomitantly, Weltevrede Estate has become synonymous with the production of fine Chardonnays and Cap Classiques: boasting prestigious awards from Chardonnay du Monde, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, International Wine Challenge, International Wine and Spirit Competition, Amorim Cap Classique Challenge and Veritas, to mention but a few of the local and international wine competitions at which Weltevrede Estate has excelled.
Weltevrede’s ‘Chardonnay collection’ currently comprises six Chardonnay wines, with the newly-released Vanilla Chardonnay joining the ranks of the flagship Poet’s Prayer Chardonnay, the terroir-specific Chardonnays, Place of Rocks and Rusted Soil Chardonnay, the River’s Edge Unwooded Chardonnay and Weltevrede’s inaugural bubbly, Philip Jonker Brut The Ring Blanc de Blancs. Weltevrede also produces the ever popular What? Chardonnay that you will see on the shelves of Woolworths.
As the fourth generation Jonker wine-farmer at Weltevrede, Philip has identified the various soil types on the estate and has noted the different flavours that they impart to the Chardonnay grape. “I know the soil of Weltevrede. I grew up playing in it, as did my father and his father before him, ever since my great-grandfather bought this land in 1912.”
And as a previous Chairman of the Chardonnay Forum of South Africa, and a current committee member, Philip has, for many years, been involved with extensive Chardonnay studies, including the myriad Chardonnay styles with the many permutations of terrain, clone types, oak treatment, etc.
Recipes for dishes to complement the Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay
(See Recipes below under Additional Information)
Philip's wife, Lindelize, member of the well-known Palmer family, of The Plains of Camdeboo fame (the classic book of the Great Karoo by Eve Palmer), has kindly provided recipes for two dishes, a starter and a main course, which she feels will complement the delicious flavours of the Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay:
· Baked black mushrooms topped with cream cheese and pine nuts (lovely for a starter)
· Chicken, pancetta and wild mushroom potjie (a full-flavoured and delicious main course)
Weltevrede Estate
Situated just outside Bonnievale, in the picturesque Robertson Wine Valley, lies the historical Weltevrede Estate, the Jonker family wine estate whose rich heritage extends an impressive four generations. The farm was aptly named ‘Weltevrede’ by founder Klaas Jonker in 1912, meaning ‘well satisfied’. The setting alone inspires this inward contentment as do the superb wines which hail from this idyllic setting.
Opening hours, activities and contact details
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Wine tasting and sales
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Monday to Friday 08h00 to 17h00
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Saturday 09h00 to 15h30
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Restaurant
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Breakfast and lunch from Tuesday to Saturday
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Accommodation
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The Weltevrede Cottages
(Ons Huisie, Belvedere and Bidsprinkaan)
make forthe perfect romantic country getaway
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Functions
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Weltevrede is also able to host a variety of
functions and makes for a delightful wedding venue
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Activities by appointment
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Wine-tasting by candlelight in
the magnificent underground cellar
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Terroir tractor tours and
wine-tasting in the vineyards
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Walking trails, 4x4 and
Mountain bike trails
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For more information
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Tel 023 616 2141 or
visit www.weltevrede.com
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON WELTEVREDE
Information on the Vanilla Chardonnay for the more technically minded
“Let me explain,” continues Philip. “Chardonnay vines dig their roots deep into the soil gaining access to moisture and nutrients. These nutrients include elements like carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, potassium, etc, which become the ingredients that the vines use to assemble flavour compounds. The leaves of the Chardonnay vines act as the flavour factory, soaking up sunlight and moulding these elements into flavour compounds which are transported to the grapes. Aroma compounds in grapes are very complex and include flavours of many other fruits. Thus, when you pick the small jewel-like round berries from a Chardonnay bunch, you can taste fruit flavours reminiscent of limes, lemons, green and yellow apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, melons, apricots, and so on.”
“These fruit flavours are contained entirely within the Chardonnay grapes. The whole process, from the soil to the vine to the barrel to the glass, is a journey where volatile compounds with aromatic thresholds are created and captured, ultimately resulting in a Chardonnay wine that may contain 140 aroma compounds or more. Tropical flavours often come from thiols, imparting rich fruity aromatics in the Chardonnay berry, while other fruity and floral flavours, like esters, are formed during the fermentation process. After fermentation, Chardonnay is often matured on the lees (a layer of creamy residual yeasts), and sometimes goes through malolactic fermentation (a bacteria-driven process, converting malic acid to the softer lactic acid), which adds more flavour compounds like diacetyl, that adds the buttery flavours and promotes a long finish, while adding to the creaminess and texture on the palate. From maturation in contact with oak, Chardonnay can pick up even more flavours: some spicy, some toasty and some flavour compounds, with names like oak lactone and vanillin, which display coconut or vanilla.”
Recipes
· Baked Black Mushrooms topped with Cream Cheese and Pine Nuts
Lovely as a party starter
8 black mushrooms wiped clean and stems removed
60ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
30ml pesto
230g tub Simonsberg Creamy Blue cream cheese
50g pine nuts, toasted, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the mushrooms on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season. Bake for about 10 minutes. Gently lift the mushrooms and arrange on a serving dish. Spoon a little pesto in the centre of each mushroom and top with a good dollop of the cream cheese. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve while the mushrooms are still warm.
· Chicken, Pancetta and Wild Mushroom Potjie
Full flavoured and totally delicious
Serves 4-8
Oil for frying
8 chicken pieces
6 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
200g pancetta, chopped (if you can’t get pancetta use streaky bacon instead)
40g dried wild mushrooms, soaked in a cup of boiling water
250ml chicken stock
60ml medium cream sherry
5ml sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
200g baby carrots, peeled
8 fresh sage leaves
Sauté the chicken in the oil until browned. Add onion and garlic and stir fry. Then add celery and pancetta and fry for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms, including the soaking water, stock, sherry, sugar and seasoning. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Remove the lid. Stir to combine and add the carrots and sage. Cook for a further 30 to 60 minutes and serve.
Captions for top Image:
Left: Weltevrede Vanilla Chardonnay 2010
Right top: Philip Jonker overlooking the Weltevrede vineyards and the Breede River
Right bottom: Weltevrede Estate scenic
ENDS
March 2011
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Prepared for Weltevrede Estate by:
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Weltevrede Estate:
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Posy & Jeremy Hazell · PR & Wine Consultants
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Contact Steyn Fullard
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Tel 021 851 1563 · Cell 082 557 2968
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Tel 023 616 2141 · Cell 083 381 4922
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E-mail posy@wine.co.za
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E-mail weltevrede@weltevrede.com
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www.weltevrede.com
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