Allesverloren Touriga Nacional

Wine information: Approximately 100 kilometres northeast of Cape Town, lies the Allesverloren estate - renowned for its distinctive red wines. It is the oldest wine estate in the Swartland Wine of Origin district. The history of the estate dates back to between 1696 and 1704, when the governor of the Cape left it to a certain widow named Cloete. This courageous woman was one of the first settlers who ventured into the inhospitable Swartland region. The early settlers were simple people, with only the most limited agricultural equipment and basic necessities to support themselves. In order to purchase tools or attend church, they had to undertake a long and arduous wagon journey along primitive roads to Stellenbosch. It was on their return from one such journey in 1704 that the settlers found their house burnt to the ground and the farm destroyed. Hence the estate's sad name, “Allesverloren”, which means “all is lost”. The estate passed into the hands of the Malan family in 1872 and Allesverloren has gone from strength to strength. Winemaker Danie Malan and his late father, Fanie, were among the wine pioneers of the Swartland, ably demonstrating the outstanding wine-growing potential of what was once considered the breadbasket of the Cape. Touriga Naçional is a varietal used almost exclusively for the making of port, but Danie has been making a small amount of Touriga Naçional wine for a few years now. Aged in second and third fill barrels for eight months, this wine has an intense ruby colour with rich aromas of raisin and blackcurrant on the nose, and hints of vanilla and oak spice on the medium to full-bodied palate. Enjoy on it's own or with roasted meat dishes such as duck, lamb and beef.

 
     

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