Eternally enticed by new wines to taste and stories captured in bottles, I couldn’t wait to spend an afternoon with a couple of Stellenview Wines’ Kruger Family Reserve wines as I baked away a few lazy hours in the kitchen.
Introduction
One of my greatest self-indulgences is to unwrap a bottle of wine that I’ve never tasted before. As I’m gifted wine often, there’s always a chance of an unexplored wine making its way to The Little House, causing me many a moment of squealing delight.
I was impatient with anticipation to taste two bottles of Kruger Family Reserve wines that I recently received. I was taken by the smooth shape of the bottles, the labels that remind of a family crescent, and the beautifully rich and elaborate detailing, proudly announcing the Kruger legacy.
Background
When Stellenview Premium Wines founder, winemaker and entrepreneur, Reino Kruger established the brand in 2009 (primarily for export markets to the Far East) it made perfect sense to pay homage to his family with one of the ranges, namely the Kruger Family Reserve wines. The Kruger Family heritage dates back to the early 1700’s with the first settlers to South Africa.
The wines in the range, which comprise a Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz , Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay are complex and elegant. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Chardonnay represent the best fruit, meticulously vinified and aged in oak barrels with very little intervention, while the Sauvignon Blanc is unwooded with extended lees contact.
Kruger Family Reserve Chardonnay 2017
Tasting notes: aromas of citrus, creamy oak, butter and flint. The creamy texture follows through onto the palate with an elegant finish, resulting in a medium to full bodied wine.
In the cellar: 100% fermented in selected first fill French Oak barrel; medium toasted with tight grain barrels
Cellar door price: approx. R144 per bottle
Kruger Family Reserve Shiraz 2017
Tasting notes: aromas of liquorice and hints of white pepper on the nose. On the palate the wine is fruity with firm tannins, which add body to the end result.
In the vineyard: 100% Shiraz
Awards and accolades: In 2020 the 2016 vintage scored an impressive 94 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and was previously nominated under the Top 12 Best Shiraz in the 2019 Shiraz Challenge.
Cellar door price: approx. R250 per bottle
Pull-apart fig bread
As I sipped a glass of Chardonnay, I started to knead up a sweet bread dough. With laden punnets of plum-purple figs in my fridge, I somehow wanted to incorporate these beautifully seasonal fruits into something decadent and jammy. This way it could pair with both the Chardonnay and the Shiraz, without overpowering either.
A lot of sipping and folding strips of bread dough later, I had something that resembled a pull-apart figgy bread, ready to be baked. I first cooked up a batch of fig preserve, which I then generously spooned into swirls of dough, knotting them into a wreath. I had a few slices of fresh figs left over, which I tucked into little nooks. A sprinkle of brown sugar, and she was ready to bake.
Suitably caramelised, browned and bouncy, I didn’t even bother with a knife or butter. Presented in the middle of the dining room table on a breadboard, the figgy bread was pulled apart in steaming clouds of decadence, swaddled in glasses of Chardonnay and Shiraz.
It’s no secret that I give bias to Chardonnay above all other wine varietals, but only if it’s exceptional. This afternoon in The Little House I was quietly pleased that I was the only one who felt any affection for Chardonnay. I had the bottle to myself, to savour over a couple of evenings, pairing it with all my favourite snacks. A voluptuously food-driven Chardonnay, this interpretation is a stunning addition to the Kruger Family Reserve line up.
But in that moment, it needed nothing more, and it needed nothing less.
In conclusion
I derived great pleasure from the fact that the stunning exterior of the bottle was only but a tiny sneak-peek at the beauty that awaited below the cork. Every sip delightfully complex, balanced and passionately crafted, I felt honoured to spend the afternoon in the company of the Kruger Family Reserve duo.
Thank you, Stellenview Wines, for a lovely afternoon of sipping and baking, enjoying the most simplest pleasures in life.
Disclaimer: I was given this product(s) as part of a press drop in exchange for my honest and truthful opinion and review thereof. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are solely those of The Little Hedonist, given in good faith and in no way influenced by the company or its affiliates. All images, unless otherwise stated / credited, are also my own.
The Little Hedonist endorses responsible drinking.
Don’t drink and drive. Not for persons under 18.
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