The Thelema Rabelais red blend originally started out as the prestigious Thelema Cape Winemakers Guild blend before evolving into the Rabelais label with the 2007 vintage, being produced originally from only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. From 2009, Petit Verdot started to replace the Merlot portion and now the blend appears fairly settled at approximately a 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot mix. The Rabelais represents the very best Bordeaux components from the Thelema range where the wines clearly show concentration, polished ripe tannins and undeniable refinement.
The 2021 vintage in the Cape was, by most accounts, extremely good. The growing season began with a cooler than average winter, which saw some heavy rains, which helped restore some of the water tables ravaged by the severe drought between 2015 and 2019. The cool weather continued into the spring, delaying budburst, while the rains raised the risk of rot and disease. Frost also struck surprisingly several times, damaging new vine growth, however, the vines were able to bounce back reasonably well and flowering was largely a success. Summer was benign, albeit cooler than normal, and grapes were slow to reach phenolic ripeness – although their aromatics and acidity were perfectly preserved – and the harvest was delayed beneficially by several weeks. Despite the delay, good conditions prevailed, and the harvest was a massive success. Some even suggest that this is the best vintage in the Cape in the past two decades.
Thelema Rabelais Red Blend 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.
Another tantalisingly seductive 2021 vintage wine meets you in the form of the Rabelais 2021. Now generally regarded as one of the top Cape Bordeaux Blends produced in the Western Cape, this new vintage made from 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot typifies the cool, taut, linear tension and weightless purity of the vintage. But as elegant and sleek as it is, it is not simply a 2017 lookalike, showing an equal or greater fruit concentration, ripe intense resolved tannins that are assertive but incredibly fine grained, and a piecing crystalline freshness. The aromatics burst with black cherry, tart saline cassis, damson plum, sweet rose petals, earthy balsamic and pickled walnut nuances, with subtle earthy bruleed charcoal hints, stewed blueberries and a deliciously solid core of black berry fruits. This is an incredibly impressive, structured, fine wine of note that imbues class, pedigree and sublime balance to the entire Cape Bordeaux Blend category. In my reconning, this is the very best Rabelais produced to date. Drink now and over the next 20+ years.
(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
