Idiom showcases their latest vintage wines at the Taj Hotel in Cape Town.
01/02/2011
The first Wine Series Event was held at The Taj Hotel in Cape Town and The Idiom Collection of wines was proud to be included as one of five boutique estates at this inaugural session at Cape Town’s landmark hotel on Wale Street. James Boreland, F&B Manager at The Taj, curated the event that was a resounding success. The event was open to the public and trade, and Idiom extended the invitation to some of their valued Club Idiom members. The session was informative and interactive with winemakers sharing insights about their latest vintages with the public and trade guests.
Idiom’s latest releases were available to be tasted. The 2007 vintage of the Idiom Sangiovese was found to be soft, smooth and seductive. The Italian varietal grape, of Tuscan descent, is most often a favourite with women and continued to appeal to the guests looking for a more elegant wine. The 2007 vintage of the Idiom SMV, a Rhone-style blend of Shiraz (76%), Mouvedre (21%) and Viognier (3%), that was on tasting was a mouth-filling wine with rich, savoury flavours and a long, fine finish. This stood alongside other firm favourites, during the evening, such as the Idiom Cape Blend (2006) and the Idiom Bordeaux-style Blend (2006), both multi-trophy winners.
Visitors were spoilt for choice with three vintages of the only white varietal in The Idiom Collection: the Idiom Viognier. Whilst all three are wooded, the 2006 has been oaked for slightly longer than the other two vintages, with 12 months spent in the barrel. The 2008 and the 2009 Viognier have only been oaked for 9 months, and the aromatic and fragrant nose of the wines, make for a lighter wine with the floral nature of the wine not being dominated by the oak. Whilst many guests favour the rich opulence of the first vintage, it was the latest release of the 2009 Idiom Viognier that stood out as a favourite for the day, with one of the tasters commenting that, “This wine is out of this world! I have never tasted anything like it”.
The tasting event was followed by a degustation dinner paired with some of the wines from the participating wineries. Held at the Bombay Brasserie, the world-class Indian restaurant on the ground floor of the Taj Hotel, the soiree offered patrons an authentic dining experience with wines holding their own against Cape Town’s best Indian cuisine. The Idiom Viognier 2009 was paired with an interesting starter of Char Grilled Prawns (Bhatti Ka Jheenga) and Broccoli in Pickle Spices (Sarson ke Phool), whilst other dishes such as Chicken Tikka, Lamb Saffron Curry and a spicy Masala Chai Custard were also enjoyed. True to a traditional Indian meal, each dish was flavoured with unique spices that are imported and blended on the premises. Compliments were paid all around and every guest left satisfied to the full.
