Tasting older vintages at Le Manoir De Brendel

8 Oct

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I arrived in Franschhoek on a cold wintery day, looking for somewhere new to visit and I spotted this little hidden gem called Le Manoir de Brendel. The advert outside the main gate "R50 for a bottle of wine" certainly caught my attention.

Le Manoir de Brendel is a family-owned estate growing Shiraz, Pinotage, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chardonnay. I was even more impressed by their tasting list because they were offering 2011, 2008 and even 2006 vintages for sale at incredible prices. Their red wines have been matured in oak for 16 to 19 months and so it is a quality product that they couldn't move stock of because of lockdown.

Wine Tasting

Wine tasting is R50 per person to taste 5 wines. If you buy a case, the tasting fee is waivered and the red wines are only R99 a bottle if you buy a case! What a bargain! I purchased 6 bottles of the Consule's reserve blend 2006. The R50 bottles on offer were the white wines. The service was extremely friendly and we could sit on the patio overlooking the vineyards and gardens in peace and quiet. No screaming kids or traffic to distract us.

The older vintages are poured through an aerator and filtered which I found quite amusing. For these older vintages, the ruby colour is still coming through quite strong and yet the tertiary flavours were very well pronounced and just got better over time in the glass!

Le Manoir de Brendel Guest House

The guest house offers 10 suites and 2 family rooms. It is quite deceiving because the estate doesn't look that big, because of the beautiful greenery. Centrally located to the Franschhoek main town, this makes the perfect accommodation for couples and even families to have a vacation. Each room is equipped with air-con so come rain or shine, you will feel comfortable.

The common areas feel quite outdated in terms of decor and yet still homely and welcoming with a sort of African flair. There is a bar, lounge area and fireplace. I can imagine this would be so lovely in the winter months with the fire raging.

Food

Le Manoir de Brendel does offer cheese platters with your wine tasting if you phone and book beforehand. As we were walk-ins, the host recommended that we enjoy lunch at Let's Frite. We enjoyed burgers and of course more wine!