Good things come to those who wait. And those who make their way through the frenetic bustle that is  Franschhoek Main Road on a searing late-summer afternoon, head south at the glorious Huguenot Monument and trundle past orchards and vineyards to the unassuming Klein Genot estate tucked beneath the soaring peaks of the Franschhoek mountains.
Since Angie and Joey Diamond bought Klein Genot (roughly translated to 'little pleasures') in 2000 it has become known far and wide as a luxurious country bolt-hole; a place to escape the hordes of tourists that throng the pavement cafés of Franschhoek.
Their efforts have not gone unnoticed: apart from being so popular their seven tasteful suites (which opened in 2004) are full more often than not, the hotel has also collected a prestigious Condé Nast award as one of the top 100 hotels worldwide. With careful attention to detail and delicate Feng Shui design throughout the estate, it's a tantalizing mix of culture and charming farm atmosphere.
But the hotel was just the beginning of their plans. Their intention has always been to make wine; a dream realised with the release of their four maiden vintages in March 2007.
They're the first to admit that their vines are young by anyone's standards — "The aim is to make young, modern wines," says Angie — but if the second vintage of these whippersnapper Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc vines are anything to go by there are great things in store.
Winemaker Mark Carmichael-Green has taken on the Diamond's brief of concentrating on quality not quantity, producing just 26 000 bottles for the newly released 2006 vintage.
Taking pride of place is the estate's flagship Black Swan Reserve; a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Just as exciting is the distinctly French-style shiraz. Forget the typical new-world traits of chocolate and vanilla; the 2006 Klein Genot Shiraz is a delicious mouthful of pepper and leather so typical of the Rhone syrahs. The 2006 vintage was 50 percent barrel fermented, again with a combination of first and second fill barrels.
Following in the French footsteps of the Shiraz is the slightly-wooded (just 25 percent in first and second fill barrels) 2006 Merlot: "It's a very fruit-driven wine," says Carmichael-Green, adding that "it's a very plummy, classic French styled wine to drink".
The Cabernet Franc is currently only used for the Black Swan Bordeaux blend, but the Cabernet Sauvignon has again been released as a single varietal; a complex wine with well-integrated tannins.
All the cultivars are grown on the estate, with Carmichael-Green only using grapes from specific rows of vineyards so that they can track their development for future vintages.
"We were able to make changes based on what we did for the maiden vintages and even our greatest expectations have been exceeded with the 2006 vintage. The excellent potential that was held for the 2006 vintage and for the future of the vineyards on Klein Genot Estate is now a reality with the launch of the second vintage," says Mark.
With a second vintage safely under their belt Klein Genot will soon be expanding, with an estate-based cellar — complete with tasting room and cellar sales — making the estate a destination for day visitors too. With great wine goes great food, and an estate restaurant — simply called 'Genot' (Enjoyment) — is on the cards and looks set to welcome visitors from Spring 2008.
For more information, visit www.kleingenot.com
» This article originally appeared on http://iafrica.com.
|
Or just a sign of commercialism heading south? Refuse to shop at Melissa's nowadays: overpriced and average
