South Africa's reds achieve new respect

South Africa has had some success with its white wines, but producers have had more of a struggle with their red wine quality. Many of the early red wines showed a medicinal quality or iodine in the aroma.

However, progress is being made, and the wine-tasting group decided to find out which vintners had made improvements.

We compared one cabernet sauvignon and three cabernet sauvignon blends costing between $10 and $20 in a blind tasting. Here is what we found:

- 2002 Kumkani Shiraz-Cabernet Sauvignon blend at $16.99. The Kumkani is 75 percent shiraz and 25 percent cabernet sauvignon. Its aroma showed ripe, fresh fruit, mixed berries with burnt sugar and red pepper. On the palate, we found good fruit with lots of spice and cedar. It had a medium body with a chalky but firm finish. The Kumkani finished second in our tasting.

- 2003 MAN Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon at $10.99. This wine is 100 percent cabernet sauvignon. The aroma suggested dill, tobacco, cherries and dry fruit. The fruit was brighter than the Kumkani. On the palate, we tasted a lot of alcohol in a body with plenty of acidity. The wine had a dusty finish. The least expensive wine in the group, this wine needed a steak to make it easy to drink.

- 2001 Warwick Estate Three Cape Ladies at $18.99. This wine is 35 percent cabernet, 33 percent merlot and 32 percent pinotage and comes from a winemaker with a record of producing good reds. This wine had a softer nose than the others, with plums and bright fruit. On the palate, the Warwick had a great texture with smooth tastes of roses and red cherries. The finish was pleasantly spicy. It finished first in the tasting.

- 2001 Tumara Titan Stellenbosch, Bellevue Estate at $16.99. This wine is 67 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent merlot, 11 percent cabernet franc and 7 percent malbec. It had the medicinal nose that many early South African reds displayed. The nose reminded us of cooked balsamic vinegar and green wood. In the mouth, it was very dry, as if you had bitten into a piece of dry green wood.

In comparing the development of South African reds in this tasting with similarly priced reds from other countries, the South African wines have made progress but many still have a ways to go. The Warwick Estate stood out as the best in comparison with the others at this price point. Next week, we will look at some South African whites that perform better than the reds.

Surfing the wine shelves:

- 2003 Beringer Pinot Grigio at $7. The aroma suggested stone fruit and lime. On the palate, it was light and fruity, with a hint of minerals on the finish.

- 2003 MacMurray Pinot Gris at $20. Melon and peach aromas erupted from the glass, with hints of minerals. This was a big wine for a pinot gris, with bright fruit and a creamy, honeyed texture, followed by a crisp finish.

- 2003 Gallo of Sonoma Chardonnay at $13. The aroma reminded us of peaches, pears and green apples, with a suggestion of tropical fruit. In the mouth, it was a medium-bodied, straightforward wine with a suggestion of oak.

- 2003 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine at $19.95 for a quarter bottle. Made from frozen grapes in Canada, this is an outstanding dessert wine, made accessible by the price of this quarter bottle. The aroma reminded us of tropical fruit, figs and apricot. It would go well with fresh fruit or a fruit tart.

- 2000 Kenwood Vineyards Reserve Massara Merlot at $25. We found black cherries, dill and tobacco in the aroma. The texture was smooth and easy to drink.

Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to fsutherland