No. 6 Muratie - Stellenbosch

What a treat it was to visit Muratie Wine Estate in Stellenbosch.Not just for the wine and the views but for the incredible history too!  Did you know that Muratie was established in 1685 and is therefore one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa! This wall shows record of the owners dating back to 1699 to 2011.  Once you take in all the beautiful views outside and go inside, you realize that this has got to be the creepiest wine estates in the world! Complete with dust, cobwebs and old fashioned music.Visiting the wine tasting room is like visiting a museum! My camera was in photo heaven. So much to see here..How is this for a wine tasting room?You are literally sitting in old concrete wine fermenters, converted into a creepy looking tasting area. Cheers to the ghosts! And I swear someone was sitting in this chair when I took the photo. 😱😄  Once you make your way through the museum part, you strike wine bar heaven! Just look at all of those bottles! A great down to earth and intimate experience. R30 for 5 tastings.I tried the Alberta Annemarie Merlot 2012 which had a beautiful ruby colour.The tasting notes say, "Pronounced aromas of dark chocolate, black cherries, toasted hazelnuts and an unusual herbal edge."I could definitely taste the "herbal edge" as it was not as smooth as I would have liked it to be.On the nose you can identify cloves, cinnamon and maybe some cherries.This Merlot was a bit too spicy for my liking but I guess it should be matured in the bottle for a bit longer and enjoyed with a salty steak or mature cheese.  I also tried the Ansela van de Caab Bordeaux blend (Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cabernet Franc) which was matured for 22 months in French oak barrels.The tasting notes say, "On the nose enjoy, cedar wood, cigar box, tiny blackcurrants and a distinctive herbaceous edge courtesy of the Cabernet Franc – and the palate more than delivers on that promise with rich, savoury flavours of black olive tapenade, cassis, some perfumed sandalwood." Not my favourite either. Too hard on my palate.The Muratie Isobella Chardonnay 2015 was quite good! And I don't normally like Chardonnay!The tasting notes say, "A ripe, full-bodied nose with a hint of melon, pear and apple. The integration of the subtle oaking and the minerality of the wine creates an elegant mouth feel and a lasting finish – the result of ageing in French Oak, quite appropriately, for 9 months."I could smell pineapples and cream and upon tasting, tropical fruits and vanilla 😊. It's R145 a bottle, so best you keep it to enjoy with a beautiful grilled fish smothered in lemon butter 😋 yum!I love red wine, so I asked about this Muratie Mack blend which was on special  for R90!It was not open to tasting but I managed to twist the Manager's arm and was given a taste. I ended up buying two bottles!It was lovely! Smooth and elegant with hints of dark fruits and just the right amount of spice. Extremely well balanced! The service was inadequate for the amount of people visiting and the space by the bar was a bit crammed. I would have liked to see more waitrons so that we could sit down in one of the rooms and be served the wine as opposed to having to get up to the bar each time.The kitchen had a soup special for R30 which was great and I could eat it outside whilst enjoying the views.One minute the couch was empty...and the next minute... Boom. A sleeping dog! Not creepy at all. What an experience!Glad I could have a glass of wine to calm the nerves. :)Overall a great experience. 56% service77% food41% wine80% locationOverall rating = 63.5%Ranking: 5Not child friendly.Best for smaller groups (2-4 people).Bookings for larger groups essential, click HERE.Better in the Summer months but not bad in the Winter either.Wine Tasting hours:Monday to Friday: 10h00 to 17h00Saturday: 10h00 to 17h00Sunday: 10h00 to 17h00Have a look at my experience:https://www.instagram.com/p/BHZIkQWgcpV/?taken-by=thewinegirlcapetown  [polldaddy poll=9461144]