Promising “drinkability,” an unusual and interesting consumer-friendly word choice, this South African wine producer comes through with quality and value at three price points.

South Africa: Backsberg

Backsberg Estate Cellars, a South African producer that has recently begun distributing some of its wines on Eastern Long Island, is notable for three reasons.

First, the winemaker is a young woman named Alicia Rechner. Female winemakers are not are as unusual as they were just a few years ago (Theresa Dilworth is an award winning winemaker here on Long Island) but it still commands some attention.

Second, their wine bottles come with screw caps, an innovation that makes absolute sense to me. We will no doubt see a lot more screw caps in the future.

Third, they seem to be holding the line on prices. With a weak dollar and perhaps the increased prestige of South African wines, the problem recently has been finding good value from this region.

These factors would be of merely passing interest if the wines themselves were not impressive. But they are indeed very good. I sampled a number of them with Tempe Reichardt, Backsberg’s marketing director, at a wine tasting organized by Frederick Wildman and Sons, the distributor on Long Island.

The Backsberg wines fall into several classes. The most reasonably priced, generally in the $12 range, are chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinotage, cabernet sauvignon and merlot varietals. These wines are produced on the Backsberg estate from grapes grown elsewhere in the country. All expressed their varietal characteristics lucidly, in a transparent New World style. The sauvignon blanc, made without oak, has a fresh, bright aspect with engaging passion fruit and citrus aromas. The chenin blanc, while not as dry and hardly in the same league as a charismatic Vouvray, is still an interesting choice for summer sipping. Pinotage, a native South African grape, has never appealed to me, but it does have its enthusiasts.

At the next level, what they call their black label range, are some high-powered wines made from grapes grown on the estate. Pumphouse shiraz from the 2002 vintage ($18) is intense, supple and layered, with lots of plum and black cherry scents. I tried this wine another time with a meal and it was enticing. It easily matches almost any shiraz (or syrah) I know from Australia or California at a comparable price. Consider also the Backsberg Klein Babylonstoren (about $15), a proprietary red blend with a skillful structure and earthy flavors.

The top line from Backsberg is called Babylons Toren. A rock outcrop on the property in the shape of a tower suggested the tower of Babylon to the biblically minded Dutch settlers, and it was certainly too memorable a name for their descendents to discard. One of the less common wines, a viognier, is of interest. In the hands of a knowledgeable winemaker, the highly fragrant viognier grape can render a white wine with both strength and subtlety. This one, at least in my brief tasting, came through as finely nuanced, full-bodied, sensual and well made. It retails for about $24, less than a viognier from the Condrieu region of France, but in line with other areas. If you are looking for a stylish white wine this is certainly worth trying.

Backsberg Estate Cellars has been recognized by several influential wine publications, and they seem to be on the move. According to their web site, a vineyard renewal and replacement program has begun, with a shift to more red wine grapes. Good vineyard practices such as low yields per acre for flavor intensity and utilizing the best plant clones for natural ripening, signal progressively improved wines in the future.

Backsberg asserts that their aim is to produce wines with structure and finesse and “a high level of drinkability”. I haven’t seen a producer use that word before, but I like it as a down-to-earth kind of promise. It implies that they understand the importance of giving their customers quality and value. I hope they succeed. The evidence is good so far.