Plaisir De Merle, literally translates to ‘the pleasure of the black bird’. I would like to update this to ‘ the pleasure of I’ and little wonder either as sophisticated pleasure is what this estate strives to achieve and actually does. We met up with Melanie and Estelle at 09h30 am ( Please note they are normally only open from 10am on a Saturday morning). Now I will admit it is not often one receives the reception we did at this estate. I have never met two more enthusiastic ladies. Open to new possibilities and wanting to engage a more family orientated audience. The land on which the farm resides was granted to the Marais family on December 1,1693 and it was on this exact same date 300 years later on December 1,1993 that the new cellar was opened and Plaisir De Merle was established as we know it today. One of the largest single continuous farms in the Western Cape, its certainly something special to witness.
A playground for the senses, we were delighted by the elegance of the tasting room and in fact the entire venue. It has been updated since our last visit to the estate a little over a year ago, and for the better. We were expecting simply the average tasting and cellar tour, we got though was much more than we bargained for. The concept of a flavoured tasting was offered as an option instead, and we were of course feeling more than a little adventurous so we went for it and I am glad we did!
The first wine we tasted was the Sauvignon blanc 2009, its a light, crisp unwooded wine. Quite an easy drinker with loads of lemon and greener flavours on the palette. Refreshing as a summer wine to serve on its own or with a light lunch. It was the weirdest thing but the ‘flavour’ we were offered to pair with this was sundried tomatoes. I had no idea what to expect, but with the next sip an absolute explosion of all those green flavours firmly established in my mind that Plaisir De Merle was onto something a little different with their flavoured tasting concept.
Next up was the Chardonnay 2008, wooded for 7 months, 50 % first-fill, 20% second-fill and 30% third-fill and 4th fill barrels has lead to the creation of a classic Chardonnay with a vanilla, oak and butter filled palette. We matched this up with cashew nuts and all of a sudden the butter flavours sky rocketed. My final take on this particular wine is that its well rounded with a touch of ageing potential, a good wine to pair with a meal as it may be a bit to big to drink alone.
By this point we were eager to taste the reds. We started with Merlot 2007. Its a wine I’d recommend cellaring for the next 4 to 7 years (It could go longer, but I wouldn’t push it). Tannins are rife on this wine at the moment but that’s a good thing if you prefer to keep your wine on the shelf for a few years before opening them. Estelle mentioned having opened a bottle of the 1993 Merlot last year and having thoroughly enjoyed it. Its a big wine and once you get past all those tannins that will keep you waiting in anticipation for a few more years, the chocolate, strawberries and blackcurrant on the palette is down right enjoyable. Pair this wine up with some cherries as we did and the berry flavours become extremely prominent. Thoroughly enjoyable and a worth while investment for the old winerack just be sure to cellar and care for this wine properly and I am positive the reward when you open the bottle in a few years from now will be worth every second.
Next we tasted the Cabernet Sauvignon, unfortunately I cannot comment on the 2006 as we were treated to a taste of the yet unreleased 2007 vintage. Only a few bottles of this have been bottled so far. Surprisingly we matched this up with fruit cake and it worked well with the wine. All I will say is expect good things from this wine and watch for its release.
The Shiraz 2007 is more of an easy drinker, the tannins minimal and the palette, spicy with hints of white pepper. I could easily enjoy this wine with or without food and if you happen to taste it with biltong as we did, the spice that pops out on the palette are quite enjoyable. Basically a drink now or dont keep for longer than 3 years kind of wine its a real social wine to keep around the house for the occasional braai or friendly dinner.
The Grand Plasir 2006 was my favourite . Its a unique blend of cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot,malbec, cabernet franc, shiraz and merlot. Matured in French oak for 16 months it has great potential as an investment wine. The colour is an intense dark red, the flavours bring to mind dates, spicy oak, biscuits and vanilla, the tannins are full and ripe and yet the wine is well rounded and has a long soft finish. If you are a Bordeaux blend fan this is definitely a wine you will enjoy.
All too quickly our tasting was over and we embarked on our journey to the cellar. The first noteworthy stop along the way about 500m from the tasting room was the original Cape Dutch gabled manor house built in 1764. Its built in the classic H form and is currently under renovation. I cannot wait to see what they do with it, as is is a simply stunning building. The path we continued along was lined with ancient trees including wild olive. We finally reached the cellar doors and a whole new world opened up to us. Firstly this is one of the biggest cellars I have seen in a while. Built in 1993, this is where the magic happens. Take a quick walk through with the video below.
A very interesting point we found while touring the cellar was that, Plaisir De Merle does not fine their wines as most estates do, through modern means, but instead use a process where by the egg whites are used in the process and allow the wines to be fined naturally. All very interesting as you will see when next you book your cellar tour with Plaisir De Merle. The cellar also features a working mill and to the left of cellar another historical building resides, on of the only remaining ‘long houses’ in the country. Built in 1821, as the family grew, they simply added more rooms on either side and therefore there are no passages in the home.
Plaisir De Merle is a stylish, comfortable, a space for romantics and families alike. When we got back from our cellar trip we were surprised by an interesting ensemble out in the garden which includes quiche and a glass of wine. A little sunshine, good food, good wine, amazing views and lovely people. We left with a feeling of tranquillity, satisfaction and an amazing experience to share with our friends and you.
