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An occasion of “firsts” at Rust en Vrede - Cathy Marston

01/04/2011 | Winery

“Anywhere in the world, (winery) owners come and go and so do winemakers. But there’s one thing that remains: origin. That means Stellenbosch, and Rust en Vrede.”

This is actually a quote from Jannie Engelbrecht who bought the farm in 1977, but his son Jean, who now runs Rust en Vrede, has clearly had this philosophy drilled into him from birth. The last decade has seen many intrigues and changes in the life of this ex-pilot, as he himself acknowledges (“I’ve had a colourful relationship with the press!”), but after a fascinating tasting and lunch last week, I think both he and his father will be fairly content that it is this phrase and his passionate belief in it, which has remained in my mind.
 
This was an occasion of ‘firsts’ for R&V – their first food and wine pairing ever, the first bloggers (an alien enemy according to chef David Higgs – who rattled his cage I wonder?!) to be invited to the estate and the first time lifestyle journalists have been included in these tasting events and not just your usual bearded wine fundis. Throughout the tasting, which included 32 year old wines, Jean was keen to emphasise his mantra of DNA, style and origin, even going one step further and narrowing the region down to the Helderberg. His attitude is that “You’d have to be a really bad winemaker to screw things up here in the Helderberg” but luckily for him, over the last 30 or so years, they’ve only had four winemakers, none of which comes within a whiff of being termed ‘bad’ - the current winemaker, Coenie Snyman, has just joined the Cape Winemakers’ Guild and was voted Diners Club Winemaker of the Year in 2009.
 
Even though change has been happening slowly in terms of those in charge of the wine-making, it cannot be said to be the case with any other aspect of the farm.  As Jean says, owning R&V is a challenge “not just to maintain it – that is your responsibility - but to build on it” so he clearly isn’t planning on standing still for any length of time. Over the last few years he has converted the old cellar into the top restaurant in South Africa, started to renovate the manor house and is about to embark on the upgrading of the tasting facilities.
 
Luckily for him, he is a position to take a long-term view on wine and the wine industry – which is just as well, as he believes that the wine industry is in a heck of a hole at the moment and only savvy marketing will help people dig themselves out “You need to be realistic about what you produce and how you’re going to market it.” Tasting through his range and listening to his opinion of prices paid by co-ops for grapes, his new wine bar in Namibia and what they are drinking and his ideas about reviving the SA Estate Producers Association,  I got the distinct impression of someone who is talking the talk along with everybody else, but knows exactly how and where he is going to walk anyway. It might not be precisely the same path as other people, but I would bet a bottle or two of the most expensive wine in SA (if I had any – see below)  that he gets there quicker and in better shape than most.
 
Tasting notes:
We tasted through 4 decades of wines which, since they are not available to buy, I won’t torment you with writing about them! These are the vintages currently available and were the wines I particularly enjoyed:2007 Rust en Vrede Estate R380 – stinky-sweet nose with plenty of black cherries and cassis hints. Fleshy wine with vanilla oak showing now, rich, unctuous mid-palate, grippy, gritty tannins and weighty alcohol all indicating a wine with plenty of time to come.

2008 Rust en Vrede Syrah Single Vineyard R850 – intensely ripe and fruity but with immediate fruit restrained by elegant silky tannins and spice. Amazingly, it makes the normal Shiraz seem almost tawdry – which it certainly isn’t – as it simply overwhelms with classy ripe black fruit and a baked buttery pastry finish.

2007 Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification R1,200 – sweet licorice entry with ripe black fruit, gritty mouthfeel and rich intensity of flavour. Opulent and expansive with endless length. Worth it? Probably.

 

2007 Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification R1,200 – sweet licorice entry with ripe black fruit, gritty mouthfeel and rich intensity of flavour. Opulent and expansive with endless length. Worth it? Probably.


2007 Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification R1,200 – sweet licorice entry with ripe black fruit, gritty mouthfeel and rich intensity of flavour. Opulent and expansive with endless length. Worth it? Probably.
 

 

An enduring favourite - Angela Lloyd

23/02/2011 | Winery

First impressions make lasting impressions, so best make them good ones! My first impressions of Rust en Vrede have proved lasting and good ones.  We had bought Jannie Engelbrecht’s maiden 1979 Shiraz but soon found one or two of the corks weren’t doing their job that well. Okay, that wasn’t so good, but the response was. After a phone call to Engelbrecht informed him of the problem, the whole case was replaced immediately.

Replaced and enjoyed many years ago, for which I’m thankful for the farm’s cabernet of the same vintage would have given more pleasure when it was a good deal younger and just R1 a bottle!

This wine – now a strange mix of mellow flavours contrasted by sharpish acid - was the first in an historic line up, covering four decades and three of the four winemakers at this Helderberg property, presented on the occasion of the launch of their latest – and very different – vintages. A different owner, too; Jean Engelbrecht, Jannie and Ellen’s son, is now the firm hand behind this smartly run property.

The snapshot the five wines gave of the last 32 years traced the evolution of South African red wine over that period.

Back in 1979, the alcohol level in that cabernet would have been around 11.5% - 12%; I have to guess, as there are no records, but that is the general level of reds of that era. In today’s terms, it seems extraordinarily low, but it’s not the only reason for that cabernet’s thin, austere feel. It was de rigeur in those days to add acid to all reds; because of the virused state of the vines, the grapes would have struggled to reach suitable ripeness, all of which adds up to the wine as it presents itself some 32 years later. But that’s as things were then, especially with late-ripening cabernet.

From 1979, we jumped to 2000 and Louis Strydom’s Shiraz (a jump too in price, though ‘still under R100’ Jean E confirmed.) Alcohols have not reached today’s levels, though there’s noticeably riper, richer fruit and sweetness imparted by American oak and dictated by the growing US market, which found previous vintages too austere.

Three vintages of the Estate wine made up the rest of the tasting; 1989 and 1995 (both made by Kevin Arnold) and Strydom’s 2004. It was this wine – always cabernet led with shiraz and merlot – that Arnold hoped would eventually be the one and only wine in the range. That hope was never realised; ‘it’s not an economic viability,’ Engelbrecht explains. Indeed the range has expanded over the past few years; a single vineyard cabernet is also on the cards.

As vintages progressed, so did the increase in balance, interest and modernity; the 2004 shows good harmony of fruit and structure with oak in a more supportive role. It still has a way to go to reach smooth maturity and is worth keeping for that goal.

As much as this change was directed by the US market, which now accounts for half of the 50% exported, it was also aided by the whole 36 hectares of vineyard being replanted in 1997. As so many producers have discovered, clean vine material has led to increased sugar levels in the grapes and more efficient yeasts have, in turn, led to those higher sugar levels translating into higher alcohols, so it is with the current releases presented at lunch in the celebrated Rust en Vrede restaurant.

Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Shiraz 2008, Estate wine 2007, 1694 Classification 2007 (a shiraz-cabernet blend) and the single vineyard Syrah 2008, couldn’t be more different from those early vintages. Even if alcohols do in some, reach a giddy level of 15%+, they are balanced and there are no edgy bits, in fact the wines are alarmingly accessible even at such an early stage of their lives. Full-bodied and polished they may be, but there is also a freshness to them, which ensures the necessary compatible partnership with food, with which they are more enjoyable.

Chef, David Higgs’s dishes all had interesting touches and were incredibly tasty, but also allowed the wines to take centre stage.

Higgs and Rust en Vrede restaurant have been showered with awards (and feet through the door) since the opening in 2007, so it’s not surprising that the restaurant has had a huge influence on wine sales from the farm, today accounting for 25% of value turnover. Photos adorning the restaurant walls show the various farm buildings under restoration; the restaurant itself was the old barrel cellar.

At the same time, it would be wrong to ignore Engelbrecht’s influence and the input of the whole team; they really do all work from the same page.

What Engelbrecht writes in his letter which welcomes guests to the restaurant, sums up what Rust en Vrede is all about. ‘On arrival you would have noticed the gardens, roses and flower beds for which the foundation was laid by my mother, Ellen. Today we build on that and our responsibility is to ensure that they are always in an immaculate condition.’ No detail is forgotten, as the immaculately polished brass name plate on the gate posts shows.

First impressions of Rust en Vrede for visitors in 2011 are as good, if not better than all those years ago they were for us. No wonder the farm, its wines and restaurant are among the most popular in the winelands.

Rust en Vrede: Respite and calm - Jeanri-Tine van Zyl

21/02/2011 | Winery

The media showed up in droves at Rust en Vrede last week. Not surprising, as the itinerary included a tasting of rare, older vintages of Rust en Vrede wines as well as lunch at South Africa’s best-loved restaurant.

Recent accolades for Rust en Vrede include Eat Out magazine’s Best Restaurant in South Africa as well as Great Wine Capitals of the World Best National Restaurant, with some of the wines boasting ratings of 90+ in Wine Spectator magazine. But, apart from the obvious glam-factor, any journalist worth his or her salt should jump at an opportunity to have lunch with media-shy Jean Engelbrecht, proprietor of this esteemed estate situated on Stellenbosch’s most prime cul-de-sac at the end of Annandale Road.

Although he kept referring to his “colourful relationship” with the press, Engelbrecht maintained a cool attitude, providing refreshingly honest insight into the estate’s wines.

“There is not a single generation which can make things complete – it takes years to reach a level of completion,” he said. “The challenge is not to maintain, but to enhance and further the quality of wines.”

At Rust en Vrede, the focus has been exclusively on red wines after a bottling of Chenin Blanc in 1979 failed to impress founder and winemaker Jannie Engelbrecht. “After tasting the wine, the decision was made to stick to red,” tells son Jean.

A tasting of a selection of wines over the four decades, Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 1979, Rust en Vrede Shiraz 2000, Rust en Vrede Estate 1989, Rust en Vrede Estate 1995 and Rust en Vrede Estate 2004, set the scene for what was the day’s main focus: the changing style, but unmistakeable DNA of Rust en Vrede wines.

Where the earlier vintages were distinctly more reserved, recent vintages – especially the flagship Rust en Vrede 1964 (classification) 2007 – are the opposite: opulent, bold and unashamedly bombastic but with a core of dark fruit providing intensity and balance. At R1 200 the Rust en Vrede 1964 is also South Africa’s most expensive red, its power mirrored in its price. (To trigger the nostalgia it was noted that consumers had to pay R12 for a 12-bottle case of the Rust en Vrede Cabernet 1979 when it was released!)

While Engelbrecht makes no excuses for the estate’s repositioning in terms of price and style, he insists that the DNA of the wines be maintained.

What is this DNA? For Engelbrecht it is the weight and structure of the wines; the pure fruit expression as well as the integration, length and intensity of the range.

As these aren’t wines to attempt without food, chef David Higgs prepared an immaculate range of dishes to complement the structure of each.

The day clearly illustrated why diners have to book well in advance to reserve a space in this dinners-only restaurant (which is only open five days a week, Tuesdays to Saturdays).

In the words of Engelbrecht: “No expense has been spared for the experience.” And chances are that, when you visit, you won’t be sparing any expense either…

The great reds of Rust en Vrede - winetimes.co.za

19/02/2011 | Restaurant

Known as one of South Africa’s most iconic wine estates, Rust en Vrede was established in 1694, but only came to it’s full glory at the end of 1977, when Jannie Engelbrecht bought the previously neglected farm and restored the estate to its former splendour.

After experimenting with Chenin Blanc, Jannie decided to stick to red wines and this marked a rebirth of a new era in the South African wine industry. The Helderberg wine region in the perfect place to grow red wine cultivars and Jannie was quoted saying that you have to be a really bad winemaker, to screw things up. Ever since Rust en Vrede has scooped up numerous international awards and became the first wine estate in South African to have a red wine on the Top 100 Wines of the World list for four consecutive years.

Today, Jean Engelbrecht continues to build on the good foundation that his father laid. He is focussed on growing the business beyond all expectations and determined to leave a great legacy behind for the next generation. Jean welcomes competition and says that private producers should focus on their market and commit to it.  It’s impossible to compete with the big producers and therefore wine farms should look at the consumers who support them and ensure that these groups are satisfied with the end product.

Upon my visit to Rust en Vrede I was lucky enough to taste some of the estate’s older vintages and we kicked off the tasting with a 1979 Cabernet Sauvignon, the year of my birth! According to Jean the wine was advertised in a 1983 Wynboer magazine for R12.90 for a case of 12. Imagine that!

Rust en Vrede prides themselves in their Shiraz and the 2000 vintage, did not let them down. This was a big year for Rust en Vrede when winemaker at the time, Louis Strydom, decided to produce more fruit driven and juicer wines. This can definitely be picked up when comparing the older vintages with the younger ones.

Coenie Snyman marked his first harvest at Rust en Vrede in 1997 and went on winning quite a few awards, including Diners Club Winemaker of the Year in 2009. His passion for the farm and the wine industry shines through in his wines and one can understand why Rust en Vrede is South Africa’s Premium red wine estate. One of the current vintages is the Rust en Vrede 1694 Classification 2007 and if you have some cash to play around with this is definitely a wine for your cellar at R1200 a bottle. It’s a blend of 58% Shiraz and 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and it’s not the price-tag that makes the wine so appealing, it’s the elegant structure and the to-die-for palate. The 2008 Single Vineyard Syrah is set to retail at R850 a bottle and if you are a wine collector this is a must for your collection. The wine spent 18 months in a combination of French and America oak barrels of which 75% was new oak. It’s a rich wine, bursting with flavour and bound to be a stunner a few year down the line. Both wines reflect the uniqueness of the Stellenbosch terroir and are true beauties!

Apart from their super fantastic wines, the restaurant at Rust en Vrede also made a clean sweep at the 2010 Eat Out Awards when they secured all three major awards.

David Higgs walked away with the Best Chef Award and the restaurant won the Best Restaurant of the Year and Service Excellence award. So, is it really that great? Well, yes! It’s actually more than great and a real treat to experience the food and the vibe, paired with the estates fine wines. Rust en Vrede is everything a fine dining restaurant should be and to top it all, the man in charge of the kitchen is one sexy piece of meat! Attention to detail and great service is the aim of their game and you can be sure of a memorable experience.

Looking back at my time at Rust en Vrede, it’s easy to understand why they are one of South Africa’s most premium and iconic wine estates. They don’t pretend to be something that they are not, and quite frankly, they don’t have to, cause they are all that! It’s a special place that plays a big part in the history of our lovely country and I’m proud to have a bottle of their wine in my humble collection.

 

Coenie Snyman wins Diners Club Winemaker of the Year for 2009.

06/11/2009 | Winery

Coenie Snyman walked away with the coveted prize of Diners Club Winemaker of the Year for 2009. The awards ceremony was held at The One & Only Hotel in Cape Town on Thursday 5 November. The award was given for the Rust en Vrede Cabernet Sauvignon 2007.