KleinDasBosch is a small (only 5 hectares) wine farm in Stellenbosch that is producing some really great wines. I recently tried their Maude’s Rose and Unwooded Chardonnay and I can’t wait to tell you about them.
You might not have heard about the Klein DasBosch brand before and that’s because they’ve mostly been exporting their small, top-quality harvests. The wines have been available at a few selected restaurants and stores (if you know to look for them), but mostly they have been for the enjoyment of the international market.
Until now.
The wines have consistently been rated very highly and have even been described as “the best wines ever produced in South Africa”. Stellenbosch is known worldwide for consistent quality thanks largely to the region’s ideal wine making climate, so it’s no surprise that Klein DasBosch has been blowing the socks off everyone who tastes their wines.
The grapes are harvested during the hottest time of the year, before the sun sweetens them too much. They’re pressed and left on their skins for a while for colour and flavour and then put into French Oak barrels. Then they’re bottled and aged before being shipped off to be enjoyed.
The Klein DasBosch range includes:
KleinDasBosch Shiraz
KleinDasBosch Malbec
KleinDasBosch Cabernet Sauvignon
Mont Marie Merlot
Mont Marie Director’s Reserve
KleinDasBosch Unwooded Chardonnay
Maude’s Rosé
Tasting the Maude’s Rosé
The first thing I liked about the Maude’s Rosé was the label. A bright pink rose taking pride of place on the front of a clear bottle. It’s the kind of bottle you could offer someone as a gift without having to wrap it.
The second thing I liked about it was the beautiful colour; somewhere between pink, rust and coral, it reminded me of rose gold. When I smelled it, my mouth started to water, which is a good sign. On my first sip, the flavours reminded me of strawberries, but not as sweet. I’m a huge fan of the new school Rosé wines which don’t have the cloying sweetness of 80’s Rosés.
This wine is well balanced, with fruity zest and oaky smoothness. It’s not too sweet or too dry and I can imagine it would go well with food. If you’re not a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, like me, this wine will fill the gap left in the lighter wine section of your wine rack.
Tasting the Unwooded Chardonnay
The first thing I noticed about this wine was that on the back label it says “Since this product sells out in advance, please confirm availability”. Now if that doesn’t attest to it’s deliciousness, I don’t know.
The colour is light yellow, with a slight lime green tinge. This wine smells very fresh and little like kiwi fruit/tropical fruit. It has a fresh flavour that’s not too dry (talking Sauvignon Blanc dry) and not overpowering, like some oaked Chardonnays can be. It’s very drinkable and is another great food wine to add to your wine rack. It’s also a specifically good intro to Chardonnay for anyone who thinks it’s all very wooded.
These wines are available at Checkers so hurry up and get a couple of bottles to try for yourself.
*This post was sponsored by Klein Dasbosch and will help pay for my wine collection
