WhiteStickSips at Societi Bistro

Societi Bistro as seen from Orange St

I must admit, I’ve driven past Societi Bistro on my way to and from work for the last couple years and I’ve always wandered what it’s actually like inside. And so it was with great eagerness that I joined the WhiteStickSips panel along with our “celebrity” taster for the evening, Jacques de Klerk, winemaker for The Winery of Good Hope to taste through a selection of their wine list.

Societi decided to mix things up, serving 2 flights of 4 wines, each paired with a delectable morsel of food (some of which worked, others which didn’t). Regardless, the wines were tasted and rated individually before taking into account any of the pairings. They also decided on 5 whites, 1 rosé and 2 reds. And so, without further ado, here they are:

1. Oak Valley Sauvignon Blanc ’08 (13/20)

Possibly the disappointment of the night, having tasted this wine at the estate last year and loved it so much I even have a couple bottles stashed away at home. On the night it was very green showing sulphur on the nose and falling flat on the palate with no real finish to speak of. The pairing of tomato, basil and mozzarella also didn’t tantalise my taste buds.

2. Le Bonheur Chardonnay ’08 (14.5/20)

A definite step up from the last wine, this was quite a surprise to me as I’m not a huge fan of unwooded chardonnay in general. It had a lovely floral nose, with the palate, despite being quite light, showing citrus notes and good backbone. The prawn spring roll pairing was delightful.

3. Raats Original Chenin Blanc ’09 (15/20)

Tropical fruits abounded on both nose and palate. Nice finish and paired well with chicken liver parfait and pineapple chutney.

Tasteful decor and low light provide for great ambience

4. South Hill Rosé ’09 (12/20)

A very yeasty nose put me off this wine right at the start. It lacked character and any sign of fruit. The palate followed through on the nose… i.e. fell flat on it’s face. Thankfully the accompanying pancetta and glacé fig was delicious.

5. Bosman Family Chenin Blanc ’09 (15.5/20)

Stepping on up the ratings again, this wine was a pleasure to taste. A slightly oxidative nose followed by good concentration on the palate, nice complexity and well balanced acidity. I certainly thought it was a blend of sorts.

6. Hartenberg Weisser Riesling ’08 (16.5/20)

My pick of the evening, both from a value point of view and from an overall score, this wine was an easy spot – and I think the 1st time I’ve managed to get the estate, varietal and vintage correct. Hints of burnt match on the nose with typical riesling oiliness (turps?). Intense fruit flavours on the palate backed by good acidity and light oaking rounded this wine off as a winner. Surprisingly, to me, the pairing of gaspaccio worked really well.

7. Hillcrest Cabernet. Sauvignon (unlabelled) (15.5/20)

Dense nose, lots of red fruit, plum, cherry and hints of spice followed by a cedary finish showing the youthfulness of this wine. Certainly had me thinking Bordeaux blend and Merlot driven in fact – perhaps that’s the cooler Durbanville climate showing through.

8. Doolhof Dark Lady Pinotage ’08 (14/20)

As one would expect this wine caused some controversy around the table, with some panel members dismissing it because of its style. In my opinion, given the style – a new-age, made-to-drink-now pinotage – it was a relatively good example. Yes, it was over oaked with strong mocha notes on the nose but these gave way to a light, but fruity palate with hints of mushroom.

To wrap things up, despite the somewhat low scores (a 14.5 point average for me), Societi is definitely a place I will go back to. The wine list is very well priced, the ambience is great and if the pairings are any indication of their food I look forward to trying the real deal.

The WhiteStickSips panel tasting up a storm