Michael Olivier Talks About Die Bartho

Die Bartho From Hermanuspietersfontein…

Michael Olivier grew up on a wine farm in the hills of Durbanville. He trained at The London Cordon Bleu Cookery School and is a well known Cape food and wine commentator. Michael has worked in and managed such well-known places as Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch and was Public Relations Manager for the top marque wine estate Boschendal.

Having run three restaurants, Paddagang in Tulbagh, The Burgundy in Hermanus and Parks in Constantia, and being featured in the national top ten restaurants, he is now a food and wine writer, published author and broadcaster.  He shares his thoughts on Die Bartho 2011

Hermanuspietersfontein’s Die Bartho 2011 is the flagship white of the winery.  A classic old world mineral-style Sauvignon Blanc led blend with Semillon, making it a traditional Bordeaux white, but then the Bartho twist of a dollop of Nouvelle to turn it back into a true Saffer.

Nouvelle is a white grape, a cross between Semillon and Ugni Blanc, a grape also known as Trebbiano.  It was created in much the same way as Pinotage, by Professor Chris Orffer of Stellenbosch University.  An ampelographer de luxe and the man who can read a vine just from the ‘fingerprint’ of its leaves – he wrote a book called The Origin of Grapevine Cultivars.

Interesting history in the cellar as one would expect from Bartho Eksteen, the winemaker at HPF.  The Semillon was fermented in second fill 225 litre French oak barrels, while the Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in a 3500 litre cask, known as a foudre.  The Nouvelle underwent its fermentation in a stainless steel tank to be blended back adding its unique freshness to the wine.  A further 12 months maturing in a 3500 litre foudrecompleted the winemaking process.  During this time no malolactic fermentation took place.

It looks like: Gem brightness, pale straw with line green flashes around the edges.

It smells like: Flinty,  minerally, scrunched up fynbos herbs, Granny Smith Apples with a feint undertow of coconut from the oaking.

It tastes like: Green.  Sweet peppers.  Figs.  Crisp.  Good palate weight.  Complex with a long aftertaste.

It’s good with: The best place to drink it is at the Kos en Wyn Mark held at the Winery on Saturday mornings with some of the wonderful foods on offer there.  With that lovely ozoney smell from the sea one has in Hermanus.  At home it would go well with a creamy risotto or a butternut and creamy goats cheese ravioli.