Your Wine Experience at Quoin Rock Estate

If the Knorhoek Valley in Stellenbosch has captured your senses – from the Simonsberg mountains that create a natural amphitheatre to the sophisticated elegance and sense of place of the architecture, art and ambiance of Quoin Rock estate – then it remains for us to offer you a “taste of the terroir” with our range of Quoin Rock and Namysto wines.

The label designer for Quoin Rock wines worked closely with owners Denis and Julia Gaiduk and immediately understood that their passion for art and architecture, should be reflected in a unique way. The Gaiduks saw Quoin Rock wines as the ‘Heart Range’, a range that would represent the very essence of the estate. The designer created a series of fine embossed rings that echoed the concentric age-rings formed naturally in the heart of a vine and told a story of the vine’s life from its birth to its maturity, ultimately becoming the source of a fine and perfectly balanced wine

Quoin Rock wines are born in the lush green vineyards of Stellenbosch and Quoin Point, near the Southernmost tip of Africa. The Agulhas area where our conservation Boskloof farm is located and where bontebok, springbok, eland and zebra roam once more, is the departure point from which some of our most distinctive wines begin their journey.

Here the viticulturist keeps watch on the development of the vines, the weather and the soil – nature’s terroir that sets down the building blocks of a great wine. It is then the winemaker’s turn in a combination of natural alchemy and years of experience, to create superior, well balanced wines with complex flavours.

Today, Quoin Rock wines make their way from Quoin Rock Estate to Table Bay Harbour in Cape Town and to international ports around the world, following a historic journey for wines produced in the Stellenbosch area nearly 500 years ago.

Whether you pair Quoin Rock wines with a gastronomic journey in Gåte Restaurant or savour them during a cellar tasting, it simply opens the way for your personal interpretation of the wines and a unique journey.

Quoin Rock Red Blend is mouth-watering. The moment you smell those notes of cranberry followed by juicy layers of fruit, wood, red-berry and tomato cocktail, there’s harmony between the Old and New world style of this blend. This is a bold wine that is a splendid match to red meat rich cheese dishes.

If the Quoin Rock Shiraz was a personality, it would be front and centre stage, an opera lead in its big, bold character. But like an aria, you will discover harmony and balance with jasmine, pepper-spice, melba-toast and sweet vanilla flavours, with beautiful oak to add elegance and smoothness. This Shiraz will shine as a “solo performer” or in a chorus of beef, lamb and rich venison dishes.

Quoin Rock Chardonnay is youthful… energetic… vibrant. This encapsulates the Quoin Rock Chardonnay that first meets your senses with notes of ripe citrus and orange peel that give way to hints of vanilla spice oak and toasted brioche.  Straw in colour with a hint of green, expect citrus peel on your palate with good weight and a light buttery texture.  Savour every sip of this lovely balanced wine or pair it with most seafood dishes, crayfish with homemade mayonnaise.

The first hint of this beautiful Quoin Rock White Blend comes in the flinty, stone fruit and fig-like top notes of Sauvignon Blanc followed by the mellow tangerine character of Semillon. The gooseberry and melon character of the wine makes for a creamy rounded palate making this a superbly elegant wine with persistent body that can be savoured as a delicious lunch time wine, as a Summer sunset aperitif or to accompany most seafood dishes and pasta.

How can we suitably celebrate occasions, wonderful moments … life in SA? A glass of bubbly sets the tone, and may we suggest that the Méthode Cap Classic (MCC) with its prominent notes of green apple, honey-oats, biscuit and lime and tiny, persistently rising bubbles, is a great way to toast the moment? This is an elegant Brut style MCC that can be served with salmon tartare, oysters and sushi.  Or if the occasion demands, chilled, popped and poured with laughter and good cheer!

Here’s a grand finale to a fine dining experience. Rich and heady with its aromas of dried pineapple and mango, Quoin Rock Vine-Dried Sauvignon Blanc is complemented by a fascinating and refreshing palate of apricot pips and honey. Chill this dessert wine to around 6-8˚C to fully appreciate its complexity and while it can be enjoyed as an aperitif, it is also delicious with foie gras, fruit-based desserts and cheese. For a thoroughly decadent experience, top a rich, creamy home-made ice-cream with a generous serving of this wine.

Namysto White (predominantly Sauvignon Blanc with a soupçon of Sémillon and barrel-matured for 6 months) conjures up the tropics – or summer in South Africa – with aromas of pineapple and mango and a taste delivery of apricot pips and the silkiness of organic honey. It’s a versatile wine that is a delightful match to many dishes on the lunch menu.

Namysto Red (mostly Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon matured for 20 months in French Oak barrels) teases your sense of smell with red berry aromas – think cherry, mulberry and cassis – with a dash of peppercorn. On the palate expect that spiciness in subtle hints of tobacco and leather and a finish described as ‘velvety’!

Visit Quoin Rock Estate and the wine ambassador will guide through a tasting of five wines, or pair a MCC with fresh oysters, a delicious match with the distinct umami taste of shellfish. Or if you always save the best for first, then try pairing the Quoin Rock Black Series MCC with a Pina Colada dessert.

Directions to Quoin Rock
Knorhoek road
Stellenbosch
021 888 4740

Free Glasses of Wine with each Voucher purchased from Brick Lane Eatery

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