Not only did they pioneer Pinotage for South Africa, but they are also known for their hallmark Cabernet Sauvignon
Steeped in history dating back to 1692, the beautiful Lanzerac is nestled in the foothills of the idyllic Jonkershoek Valley. Come summer or winter, when the oak trees are bare, nothing compares to the beautiful lane leading up to the estate. Lanzerac is synonymous with Stellenbosch and many curious students who discovered wine here for the first time over the past decades. Today visitors are invited into the same old-world charm with a grandiose manor house awaiting you at the end of the oak-laned entrance, only with an elegant and modern twist. Not only did they pioneer Pinotage for South Africa, but they are also known for their hallmark Cabernet Sauvignon, which we will pour for this chapter.
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” The late legend and loved wine personality Alan Mullins told me many stories about Lanzerac in its heyday – “the place that invented cheese and wine events,” he would say. But, not even a devastating fire could erase the footprints this Grande dame of an estate left on the hearts of food and wine lovers. The estate adapted throughout the years to stay relevant, exciting, and forward-thinking without sacrificing its original facade.” – Samarie Smith
FIVE TIPS FOR MATCHMAKING LANZERAC CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 WITH VEGETARIAN LASAGNE
- Aubergines were made for Cabernet Sauvignon. No matter how it is cooked, the skin’s tannin-like quality often imparts a prickly bitterness that resonates with the tannin of a full-bodied wine.
- Oven-roasted aubergines have that extra caramelization and creaminess that soothes your palate with a structured or somewhat astringent red wine.
- Before dismissing the herbaceous or capsicum flavours in a Cabernet Sauvignon, experiment with aubergines to discover how eggplant-friendly this wine really is. Often used in middle eastern cooking with warmer spices, it will add fruit succulence to the wine.
- Tomato will always be the carrier in a vegetarian lasagne pairing with red wine, especially if the wine boasts an excellent acidity to soften that puckering sensation of young tannin.
- Parmigiano always round of your lasagne with that extra nutty flavour, but don’t overdo it when you want to honour a big and youthful Cabernet Sauvignon. The salt in the cheese can easily exaggerate those tannins.
Meet chef Stephen Fraser who heads up the kitchen of South Africa’s oldest landmark estate with a love for authentic cooking shining through. Celebrating vegetables, his griddled sweet potato with cinnamon, lemon, honied pecans, and coriander is the perfect starter for your evening. Combining herbs, nuts, and sweetness will create bursts of flavours with the Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon 2018.
Ingredients
8 small or 4 large sweet potatoes
4 tbs olive oil
1tsp ground cinnamon
¼ cup honey
¼ cup white wine vinegar
30g sultana’s
1 lemon
40g pecan nuts, rough chopped
20g fresh coriander
3tsbs cured mustard seeds
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
This is what you do
Rub the sweet potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil. Wrap tightly in foil. Place on a hot grid over medium to hot coals, turning them every 5 minutes until tender. This will take about
30-35mins. Unwrap and let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, bring honey, vinegar, sultana’s, zest, and juice of half a lemon, cinnamon, and a big pinch of salt to a boil in a small saucepan over medium to high heat. Reduce heat and
simmer until just beginning to thicken for about 4 minutes. Keep aside.
Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise, brush with olive oil, and season. Place cut side down back onto the hot grid, and braai (BBQ) for about 5 minutes or until they show
proper grill marks on them, turn over and brush with honey glaze. Leave for 2 minutes, recoat, and then arrange the sweet potatoes on a platter and drizzle with more of the
glaze and 1/2 sprinkle with coriander, pecan nuts, and cured mustard seeds, season with sea salt and pepper.
Our Experience
We can’t get enough of Lanzerac. It is also the place I chose for an elegant high tea before our wedding. It was also where my parents celebrated their honeymoon and this first wine farm they took me to see as a little girl. Since then, I’ve been back to enjoy the estate for its various offerings. Walking into the estate, whether you want to do a wine and chocolate tasting, have lunch, wade through their deli, or check-in for a luxurious stay, their understanding of the finest hospitality is palpable.
Lanzerac has earned its reputation as the Grande Dame of the Stellenbosch Winelands, indulging guests with its warm and passionate service, award-winning wines, authentic cuisine, and a hotel experience second to none. Every room is exquisitely decorated to encapsulate the essence and legacy of this estate. And in the middle of winter, it lures you back to its big fireplaces. That is why we chose to focus on their Cabernet Sauvignon 2018. Traditional wine drinkers will revel in their offering, including the award-winning Pionier Pinotage in their Heritage Range. Adventurous palates will adore the Keldermeester Versameling with the likes of DOC an PROF that will pull on your heartstrings.
In the premium range, the Cabernet Sauvignon is a loved choice for winter. And, when a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon is on the dinner menu, those beautiful plump aubergines in your fridge will be begging to join the party. Apart from this nightshade’s incredible versatility in various cuisines, its purple-burgundy colour also echoes something of a deep red wine.
Vegetarian lasagne is a perfect pairing for this Cabernet Sauvignon with its abundance of dark fruit flavours that latch on to the dish’s richly and savoury flavours. And with plenty of goodness stacked into the layers of pasta, spinach, peppers, mushrooms, courgettes, and aubergines, there is little that can go wrong when you want to impress the household with hearty winter cooking. Enjoy how the richness of the béchamel meanders through it all before the vibrant acidity ties it all together. Aubergines are surprisingly low in calories and super high in fibre and Vitamin B6 for such a fleshy vegetable, so don’t be shy to pour yourself a second glass of wine. It is winter, after all.
The Lanzerac Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 has a lovely deep, ruby colour. Its youth is evident in a slight purple rim and a medium intensity that will still flesh out as the wine develops in the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon is such a quintessential wine for chilli with its handsome display of black fruit, mulberry, plum, violets, pencil shaving, crayons, and cedar, warming up the senses in every way. A welcoming brush of cool, crushed herbs like basil and rosemary travel all the way from your nose to the lingering aftertaste. Once you take that first bite of the vegetarian lasagne, everything will fall into place.
See it for yourself
This is where their “obsession with quality” stems from:
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