Tried and Tasted - this week's Staff Recommendations

This week, the Exel Wines team have been tasting:
Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012
and
Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 

Russell Wallace, General Manager

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 -  I often find Chenin Blanc can be one of those hit or miss wines with a big gap between the good and the downright awful and mostly nothing in between. So I was pleasantly surprised by the elegance of Mulderbosch’s efforts. An elegant and refined wine is not usually the terms that would spring to mind for a Chenin, but they do here. The citrus fruits and acidity were all pleasingly delicate, that is not to say that there is a lack of flavour going on here just that it all is balanced and allows the minerality, more commonly found in a kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, to come through. Score: 16.5/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 - Red Blends just are not really my bag baby! Once again though the wonderful Mulderbosch, turns that on it’s head with this Bordeaux Blend on steroids. I was expecting a huge hit given the actually grapes and the diversity of grapes in play here.  Then with a closer look at the percentages part of this wines delicate nature was explained. Cabernet Franc is, unusually, the dominant grape lending the cedar notes and the graphite type minerality that let this sip down smoothly. The Merlot backs up this more gentile nature meanwhile the Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot all, for want of a better description, remind you who is boss! Just enough of these varietals punch full on characteristics come through to please the lover of big and bold wines, not too much to put off the lovers of fresh and fruity wines. Score: 18/20

Clive Holroyd, Database Manager

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 - This wine is a pale straw gold in colour; when I initially swirled the glass I thought it had no legs, but on closer inspection realised it had coated the glass almost perfectly, suggesting an alcohol content not to be sniffed at. Sniff it I did however and a lovely aroma of light and crunchy citrus fruits (mainly gooseberry and pineapple) assailed my nose; with just a hint of sherbet. Anticipation was high for the first mouthful and I was not disappointed, there is an initial sharp and tangy hit from the citrus that quickly opens out to rich floral and fruity flavours with just a hint of creaminess. I'm not a big white wine drinker, but this is a lovely clean and fresh and full bodied wine that I really enjoyed. Score: 16/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 -This is a wine that I knew I was going to enjoy from the moment I poured it. It's a rich tawny red in colour and quite leggy in the glass suggesting a full body. The aroma produces the classic South African herbal notes; I got dill and a creamy buttery parsnip with underlying deep red/black fruits. The wine is very full when tasted, initially its the savoury butter flavours that hit you but then the deep fruits come through. You can taste the tannins but they quickly subside and leave no unpleasant after-taste.  A great wine. Score: 17/20

Mark Powrie, Orders Administrator

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 - I found this a very interesting white. The aromas coming from this wine were very subtle to start with. Once the wine had the opportunity to sit in the glass, I could then smell the fruit quite strongly. First sip, the wood came straight through and then the fruits and the flavours followed. I found this wine to have a long length and it would be a suitable white to enjoy on its own or with a starter. Score: 13/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 - This was a surprise. Having chicken for my dinner, I thought that this wine would drown the flavours. Opening the bottle, I could smell dark fruits and spice. After a wee while in the glass, first sip was a surprise. The wine had a dark colour and I was expecting a big punchy flavour, but the flavours were subtle. No too overpowering, just enough to enjoy the wine. There was a little kick as the wine was going down, but this could have been the spicy flavours. I have to say, it went very well with the chicken and I would be inclined to have this wine with a lighter meat rather than gamey meats. Score 16/20

Dianne Younger, Company Administrator

Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc 2012 - Golden in colour, I found this wine quite sweet initially with a slight fizz. It had a nice oaky roundness to it though. I cannot say that I picked up a great deal on the nose (maybe I had over-chilled it), but the palate was soft with floral notes which then led to flavours of catalope melon. I did not have this wine with food, but I could imagine it would go quite well with a coconut-based thai dish or roast chicken. Score: 16/20

Mulderbosch Faithful Hound 2011 - The colour reminded me a little of Ribena! This wine had aromas of plump black fruit with hints of cassis and vanilla. The palate was big (almost pinotage-like) with lots of blackcherry flavours along with underlying spice notes, but with a cabernet smoothness to it. I would imagine this wine would be a good accompaniment to a hearty stew or ox liver and onions. Score: 14/20