Mentors – wines from KWV , South Africa

Vertical Tasting of Mentors Wines, KWV, South Africa.

As much as I enjoy a glass of wine, I don’t often stop to think about who has made it, their background or indeed methods of production.  It’s only when I visit a vineyard that my interest is kindled.   Does that resonate with you?  Would you like to go to a wine tasting and meet the maker?   When KWV offered me the opportunity to try 10 years of Mentors wines made by Izele van Blerk, I jumped at the chance.

Izele’s first love was tennis, but a sports injury forced her to reconsider her options.   So instead she went to university to study the art and science of wine-making.   Izele joined KWV’s cellar team in 2009.  Her focus at the KWV The Mentors Cellar is maintaining the high standard of producing leading, multi-regional wines from the best fruit South Africa has to offer.  Izele says: “Working with grapes of this quality and from regions all over the Western Cape, makes it very exciting. These are ultra-premium wines made from unique components that truly represent South African masterpieces.   Grapes for our Mentors wines are handpicked and strictly selected before blending to ensure the wines meet our expectations.”  Engaging, passionate, funny, and extremely knowledgeable it seems that tennis’s loss is KWVs’ gain.

If you haven’t heard of the Mentors range, these wines showcase the best of South Africa’s terroir.   The grapes that make it into the wines have been through a ruthless selection process.   I asked what happened in the supply chain if a grower didn’t produce grapes of sufficient quality one year.  It seems that KWV makes a commitment to the growers and will still buy the grapes, but use them to make less premium wines.   The wine shown above is a Carmenere, a varietal that I usually associate with Chilean wines.  Indeed, the plantings in Chilli are still the world’s most extensive, with only 8.56ha of Carmenere planted in South Africa.  The grapes in the Mentors wine came from Stellenbosch, after vinification that lasted a year, the best wine was selected and allowed to mature for a further 6 months.  Another 18 months was spent in new French oak barrels.  The result? A full-bodied wine with raspberries, cumin and green peppercorns.  A lovely well-balanced wine.I had the great privilege to try a wine from each year of Izele’s tenure at KWV, some of which are now extremely rare.   

I have to say that I don’t usually reach for South African wine when I’m shopping, so the tasting was a bit of a revelation, and gave me a lot more understanding.  I think that the sophistication of the wines in the Mentors range is really showcasing the best of the country and that it can only go from strength to strength.   Why not pick up a bottle for yourself and taste the quality of the winemaking.Disclaimer: I was a guest of KWV

For more information visit www.kwv.co.za

KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2016  RRP £14.99 Stockists: Perold Wine Cellar
KWV The Mentors Chenin Blanc 2018  Due in the UK imminently – RRP will be £15.99 / stockists: Slurp, Perold Wine Cellar, Cellar Doors
KWV The Mentors Grenache Blanc 2018 Due in the UK imminently – RRP will be £15.99 / stockists: Slurp, Perold Wine Cellar, Cellar Doors
KWV The Mentors Pinotage 2017 RRP £14.99, stockists: Oliver’s Wine Agency, Perold Wine Cellar, Cape Wine & Food, Ricardo’s Cellar
KWV The Mentors Petit Verdot 2017  RRP £14.99, stockists: Lanchester Wine Cellar, The Savanna, Cape Wine & Food
KWV The Mentors Cabernet Franc 2017 RRP £14.99, new in the UK – stockists tbc
KWV The Mentors Canvas 2017  RRP £14.99, stockists: Cape Wine & Food (allocation sold out, due back in a couple of months’ time)
KWV The Mentors Orchestra 2017  RRP £14.99, stockists: Lanchester Wine Cellars, Perold Wine Cellar, Oliver’s Wine Agency
KWV The Mentors Perold Tributum 2017 Due in the UK imminently – RRP £49.95, stockists: Perold Wine Cellar
KWV The Mentors Carménère 2017  Due in the UK imminently