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New vintages from Flagstone wines pay tribute to Cape Town’s maritime history

Visitors to Cape Town may get a slight surprise the first time they hear the Noon Gun firing at Lion Battery on Signal Hill. But they soon find, like most Capetonians, the boom at 12 o’clock six days a week to be reassuring that all is well in Cape Town. The tradition goes back to 1806 when the guns indicated the accurate time for ships’ captains lying at anchor in Table Bay. By keeping accurate time on board they were able to determine their longitude in any weather.

Today, the guns are the oldest still in daily use in the world and are loaded with over three kilograms of gunpowder by the South African Navy for every firing. This is also South Africa’s oldest official tradition.

This dedication to craft and tradition is echoed in Flagstone’s eponymous Noon Gun Crafted Dry White Blend 2008, a delicious combination of Chenin Blanc, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc from award-winning winemaker Bruce Jack, whose love of history was the influence behind this wine.

“Blending our Noon Gun each year is like trying to paint a serene landscape using brightly coloured paint,” he says. “Each component – 45 percent Chenin, 35 percent Viognier and 20 percent Sauvignon – has been so carefully fermented and cared for that each has its own wonderful character that commands attention. Somehow we have to coax these spirited, individualistic expressions of the land into team players.

“We do this by working harder in the vineyard and learning more about how each vineyard block reacts to climatic stress.”

No component is considered for the final blend unless it can stand alone as a charismatic, high quality, individual wine. Small-scale ferments are pushed to the limits of their potential quality to produce the vintage’s unique characteristics.

“When you sip Noon Gun 2008, you should be able to differentiate honeydew melon with slices of paw-paw and a touch of orange peel and sprinkle of cinnamon on the nose,” says Bruce. “This sweet fruity taste should have a creamy sensation on your palate and finish with a zesty, lingering crispness.”

Turning to reds, the same care and attention to detail is paid to Flagstone’s Longitude Red Blend 2006. Once again Bruce looked to Cape Town’s rich maritime history to inspire his wine. Longitude relates to the famous Time Ball Tower at the Waterfront, where Bruce first set up Flagstone Winery, before settling outside Somerset West.

When the harbour was still small enough, the ships’ captains in the port of Cape Town would watch the ball slide down the mast at 12 noon and thereby keep their chronometers accurate. This, in turn, allowed them to calculate longitude accurately. Bruce decided to name his juicy, fruity red blend Longitude as a tribute to the tower, which stood above Flagstone’s barrel maturation tunnel. Many people find their way to the extensive Flagstone range by first sampling Noon Gun and Longitude.

The Western Cape’s ancient soils and equable climate happily conspire to grow soft red wines that offer a unique taste. The essence of Longitude is the painstaking blending of these diverse grapes – 53 percent Cabernet, 31 percent Shiraz, five percent each of Tannat and Malbec, two percent each Petit Verdot and Cab Franc, and one percent each of Pinotage and Merlot – into a complex but accessible wine that offers unbeatable value for money.

“Longitude must taste juicy and fruity, with lingering tannins and flavour,” adds Bruce. “The 2007 that I have just released boasts an explosion of plums and dark berries on the nose. Spicy undertones and hints of crushed cashew nuts and fresh mints give this wine an added and expected extra dimension. Bright flavours of plum and berries, combined with silky, subtle tannins, make this a smooth wine on the palate. It finishes with unexpected power and lingering chocolate flavours – really delicious!”

Like the journeys that sailors took to reach the Cape, every bottle of Flagstone goes on a journey with many twists and turns in its path. It can never be hurried and there are simply no short cuts. “We are totally committed to making honest, real wine that is an authentic reflection of its provenance, even if this means taking the more difficult route. Wine is the marriage of nature and human imagination. Mother Nature provides the grapes but it is flashes of inspiration and creativity that transform them into fabulous, captivating wines.

“Wine should do a small, simple thing – it should add joy to life. We hope that Longitude 2007 and Noon Gun 2008 will add joy to yours!”