WTN: Cathedral Cellars Shiraz 2002

Coastal Region.
From KWV cooperative.

In the past I had been somewhat dismissive of KWV, thinking they were an outfit more concerned with quantity than quality. Boy, did this wine prove me wrong.

Very black in the glass.

A lovely nose, with black licorice, chocolate, cedar, black cherry, pencil lead and spices.

Medium-bodied (which is somewhat lighter than I had expected, based on the weight and density of the nose), floral, cedar, lots of oak, cherry, cranberry-like tang, peppery and coaco. Delicious and quite gulpable.

Sweet oak, cedar and tangy acidity on the long finish.

Great QPR at $16.95 (Canadian).

Bruce, as always, thanks for your notes. I really appreciate reading them because they are always on wines that are similarly available to me here in Ontario.

You are correct about KWV - as a one-time monopoly in the old South Africa, who would have thought them to be able to make wines of value that also hold flavour interest. Yet this has been the case exactly, and a few years ago I was stocking up on KWV wines regularly, choosing to have them on hand for barbecues and the like because the wines were simultaneously inexpensive and flavourful, and well made. The KWV Pinotage was truly one of the best in its class, with plenty of leathery-black-table-grape austerity and an honestly bitter finish - exactly the way I liked my Pinotage, and still do.

Unfortunately, it seems that in recent years KWV bottlings have become increasingly rare at the LCBO and the replacements that have come on board bear lively and colourful labels but the contents are abysmal in quality - sweet and nondescript with no character other than searing alcohol and a fake, soul-less taste. I have cut back my South African wine purchases accordingly - though I always browse the Vintages shelves for small-production SA Pinotages and other reds, as well as the occasional Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Did you pick up anything from last Saturday's South African release, Paul?

I am still looking for a couple of the whites and I bought some of the Frog Hill Rana, a blend of Cabernet-Merlot-Pinotage-Shiraz. Haven't tried it yet.

Bruce, I've been out of the loop lately and haven't followed Vintages' releases. Thanks for the heads up.