Iona Red Blend
Ashbourne Pinotage 2018

Kiss and tell

Georgio can recall the day he tasted the first 2008 Bizoe Wine in 2009. It was the heyday of five-star hotels and a competitive industry for winemakers wanting to get their wines noticed. Still, more than a decade later, Bizoe is going strong. Founder-proprietor Rikus Neethling also remains entrenched in why he started making wine in the first place. Bizoe is derived from the French word Bisous, meaning little kiss, and his love for his family inspires the wines. Not chasing any trends but the yearning of his own heart, the collection has become an authentic expression of place, with cultivars like Syrah and Semillon taking the lead.

Less is more. The Bizoe wine style is one of purity, focus and finesse.

Limited quantities produced ensures focused and expressive wines.

Grapes are sourced from the Franschhoek and Breedekloof regions.

‘You get shouting wines and whispering wines, and Bizoe falls in the latter. Instinct and commitment show how the fruit expresses the region, not oak and fancy winemaking techniques. It is all about authenticity and elegance.” – Samarie Smith

FIVE TIPS FOR MATCHMAKING THE BIZOE ESTALéT SYRAH 2018 WITH RIBEYE ON THE BONE,FIRE-ROASTED BLACK FIGS,
AND CHIMICHURRI WITH A TWIST

  • Have you ever noticed how foodies smell their plate of food before they tuck in? We prefer dipping our noses a little deeper into the wine glass and, in this case, soak up the perfume of violets and ripe cherries. Only then do we scrutinise how the food matches up to that.

  • Figs wrapped in prosciutto are a match made in heaven for this wine – a medley of savoury and sweet nuances with the slight crunch from the pips. Should you want to continue the figs and Syrah journey into dessert, opt for matured cheddar and fig preserve.

  • The lovely fact about the Bizoe Estalét Syrah is its savoury undertone, almost like olive brine, that invites herby sauces like a Chimichurri. We added fresh basil and mint to meet the floral aromas in the wine.

  • Avoid rich sauces like mushroom and pepper as this will mask the wine’s restrained character and subdue the brightness. Ribeye on the bone is rich and flavoursome enough.

  • Cooking over flames naturally adds an extra smoky element. For the wine, it means highlighting the red fruit, and for the figs, it means a more robust caramelisation to suit the rich meat.

Our Experience

Come winter or summer, Syrah is a comfortable place that sits well with lighter and heavier dishes, and it can be served at room temperature or slightly chilled down. The strength of the Bizoe Estalét Syrah 2018 is its confidence. It is not chasing trends, overshadowed by oak, or boxed in with rigid tannins. Instead, it is pure joy and changes in the glass as it warms up or as you introduce different flavours to the plate. The wine is really like a chameleon, and you can lure out the more perfumed aromas or indulge in more leathery cigar notes.

We combined date night with braai night as I couldn’t resist this beautiful tomahawk cut of meat. A tomahawk steak is essentially a beef ribeye steak with about 15cm bone left intact. It almost looks like a giant version of a French trimmed rack of lamb, so a jaw-dropping moment if you want to entertain guests. In hindsight, its long protruding bone might look impressive, but it is not an easy cook over the flames. Date night requires more time gazing at your partner than being worried about the temperature of the meat.

While Georgio thinks mushroom sauce is pure sacrilege with a profound cut of meat, I tend to disagree, but we have found the middle ground with Chimichurri. Plus, this light sauce made from mainly parsley, garlic and olive oil can enhance the brightness of red wine and accentuate the intensity of a white.

The Bizoe Syrah Estalét 2018 is beautiful and engulfs your senses with its perfume. The wine’s aromas will give you clues as to what it likes being paired such as pink peppercorns, dark chocolate, cloves, sweet spice, black plum, and hints of smoke. Therefore, the symbiosis between food and wine is pretty evident if you take the time to smell and taste what the wine tells you. The parsley, basil, and mint become like the limelight showcasing the purity of the wine’s fruit. The smoky figs show off the wine’s savoury and spicy side (chocolate will do the same), and the rich cut of meat tempers the tannin.

The wine is only medium-bodied, so Georgio was right. A creamy sauce will be overpowering, and the definition of fruit honoured with a fresh element on your plate. If you crave pasta, think of pesto or the pungent olive base of a puttanesca.

So, there you go – a wine you can show off to your friends at a braai or a wine to impress your loved one while you prepare an easy meal to let the wine share the hero-podium with you for the night.

It is well worth your while to discover this brand and its unique essence.

See it for yourself

Gallery of our experience.
All images copyright Samarie Smith and/or the featured estate.

To have your wine featured and reviewed, please contact us.

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Samarie +27 82 072 5451

Georgio +27 83 326 3016

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