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Review of our wines by Tom Cannavan

Read below what Tom wrote about our wines in his Wine Pages website https://wine-pages.com/tasting-articles/seven-springs-overberg/

 

Seven Springs, South Africa

by Tom Cannavan, 09/17

 

bottle I have reviewed the Seven Springs range a couple of time previously, ever since meeting English owners Tim and Vaughan Pearson back in 2008. That was just as they were about to release their first ever wines from a ‘labour of love’ project in South Africa’s Overberg region, close to the town of Hermanus. Tim’s early career was as an agronomist, but he and Vaughan built a successful contract cleaning business in the UK (which they still run), which allowed them to follow this dream.

They found the perfect spot in 2006, virgin land which was cleared and planted to vine over the following years. Now, a decade on, those first vineyards are reaching maturity, this relatively cool, coastal-influenced area suited to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for white wines, Pinot Noir and Syrah for reds. With them since first plantings are Vineyard Manager Peter Davidson, and since 2010, the increasingly recognised talents of winemaker Riana van der Merwe, with experience not only in here native South Africa, but in Oregon, California and the Rhône.

The quality and the intelligent, classy and quite European-styled nature of this whole portfolio continues to impress. Taste for yourself at my London Festival of Wine on October 14th 2017 where Tim and Vaughan will be pouring their wines.

The Wines

Seven Springs Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc 2013 – Scores 91/100

As always, the Sauvignon Blanc from Seven Springs is about intensity and concentration, about drive and minerality as much as flamboyance. Having said that, there is an edge of cut grass and nettles on the nose, as well as a hint of tropical fruit, along with plenty of citrus and apple skins. On the palate delicious intensity, a streaking mineral and lemon zest freshness, dry, with a shimmering quality of fruit giving shine and brilliance. The best vintage yet for this I think.

Seven Springs Vineyard, Unoaked Chardonnay 2013 – Scores 89/100
Not the most expensive wine in the Seven Springs line-up, but you know I really enjoyed this. Only 12.5% alcohol, but crammed with flavour and a lovely creamy texture too, it flirts between nectarine sweet juiciness and the zest of fresh squeezed lemon, and slipped down very easily indeed with chicken in a garlicky, lime and ginger-spiced marinade.

Seven Springs Vineyard, Chardonnay 2014 – Scores 90/100                                                                                      Seven Springs has come a long way in a short time, including scooping a ‘silver’ in the Decanter World Wine Awards for this wine. Aged in 300-litre barrels for a year, it has toast and vanilla, but the cool harvest has also created a touch of green – fig and greengage – that gives lovely tension and aromatic complexity, the wild yeast ferment adding a savoury aspect. In the mouth it has bold, fresh acidity to offset the ripe stone fruits, teetering on tropical, but drier and more restrained as it finishes with fine clarity.

Seven Springs Vineyard, Young Vines Pinot Noir 2013 – Scores 89/100
There’s a delightful subtlety to the way the oak has been handled here, adding sheen and gentle creaminess to the ripe, supple fruit, a hint of Pinot truffle and briar. In the mouth nicely fresh and agile, a spine of acidity, a touch of oak chariness, and the savoury fruit and spice finishing quite long.

Seven Springs Vineyard, Syrah 2013 – Scores 91/100
Always one of my favourites in the Seven Springs range, this powerful 14% Syrah has youthful exuberance to spare, with a bold, ripe black fruit aroma, underpinned by notes of chocolate and tobacco, but there’s a hint of violet lift in there too. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the weight of that fleshy berry and plum fruit is there, tight, fine tannins and juicy acids completing a deliciously easy-drinking yet quite structured young wine that will cellar for a few years.

 

London International Wine Fair May 19th 2010 – part 1

DAY 1 – Wednesday May 19th – Our annual pilgrimage to the London International Wine Fair proved to be very positive again for Seven Springs Vineyard. On Wednesday Vaughan and Tim attended the event and met with a good friend of Seven Springs, David Derbyshire aka  http://oenotype.blogspot.com/, and we spent most of the day going around the show with him. Some of the highlights of the day saw us catch up with our old friend Ken Forrester of  www.kenforresterwines.com and we sampled his fantastic range of Chenin Blanc’s culminating with the fabulous FMC. Moving on we then met with Liesl Rust and Paul Cluver of www.cluver.com and tasted the wonderful wines they produce from the Elgin region of South Africa. Try their Noble Late Harvest Riesling, one of South Africa’s best sweet wines (along with Ken Forrester’s T and Mullineux’s Straw Wine). We then met with near neighbour Peter Finlayson of www.bouchardfinlayson.co.za  and tasted his stunning range of wines, flagship Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Hemel en Aarde Valley.  Then we moved on to see The Wine Gang, www.thewinegang.com, where all the ‘gang’ were there Olly Smith, Tom Cannavan, Tim Atkin MW, Antony Rose and Joanna Simon. They hosted a stand displaying their top 100 wines based on their top scoring wines of the last 12 months. Highlight of this visit was Antony Rose attempting the hoola hoop…ring a ring a rose! Whilst tasting some of the wines we met our friend Chris Mullineux, http://mullineuxwines.com/, who was paying a flying visit to the show between trips to California and the south of France. Then we met with Tara O’Leary aka http://winepassionista.com/, Tara being the first person to write an article on Seven Springs Vineyard. After lunch we spent time with our brand designer Marcel de Quervain of www.curv8.com and spent the afternoon with him.  David then introduced us to Rowan Gormley of www.nakedwines.com. Rowan has asked if he can taste our wines once they are bottled as he would be interested, if the wines are of a good quality, in adding Seven Springs to his impressive portfolio of South African wines. We then met up with daughter Kim who spent the last two hours with us culminating in a  tasting of the legendary Simonsig Estate, www.simonsig.co.za , where we spoke with owner Pieter Malan and tasted their lovely range of wines. Fabulous Chenin Blanc’s as always from Simonsig..their recently bottled 2010 is a very fruity and vibrant example of this variety.  Vaughan then drove back to Warwickshire and Kim, Marcel and Tim headed off for a curry and a bottle of Cobra. Who should we bump into at the curry house?…none other than Pieter Malan from Simonsig….a small world indeed. Then off to bed, ready for Thursday and day 2.

Vaughan and David Derbyshire at the Wine Gang stand, LIWF 2010

Article about Seven Springs Vineyard by Tara Devon

Ex Sommelier, now wine writer, blogger and wine ‘passionista’, Tara Devon, has written an article on Seven Springs Vineyard on her blog. Check out Tara’s work on the link below. Thanks for the article Tara and your passion for South African wine really shows. Once our wines are ready for tasting we will get some bottles to you for a tasting and a review.

http://winepassionista.com/2010/03/17/spotlight-on-south-africa/#more-168

Seven Springs Vineyard Syrah harvested

Our Syrah was picked on Monday the 8th of March and the temperature reached a high of 38.9 degrees centigrade, phew, one of the highest temperatures recorded in the valley in recent years. The grapes look an excellent quality and the analysis today will determine the exact quality. Our winemaker Riana said ” I was really impressed with the quality of the grapes and my heartfelt thanks go to all the pickers who worked wonders getting the grapes in. I am also very happy with our Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay which are ‘gurgling’ away nicely in their fermentation tanks. Time will tell, but for our first harvest I am cautiously optomistic of some excellent wines being made”.

Owner  Tim Pearson commented  ” I can only echo Riana’s comments about the pickers and would like to thank Riana for her input. If the wine turns out as good as the effort that Riana has put into this we will have some top wines here. My thanks also go to Peter Davison, our vineyard manager, who has done an exceptional job getting the grapes to this stage”. The stage is now set for Riana to show us what she can do in the winery. Watch this space.