As probably the most consistently highly scored Cape Bordeaux red blends from South Africa, Bruwer Raats has earned a global reputation for excellence with his MR de Compostella Cuvee. A wine that has never scored less than 93/100 points from any global critic since its maiden release in 2004, the more recent vintages have all graduated to a 95+ point spectrum of grandeur as the wines push the boundaries of quality and precision with every new release. 

However, on the odd occasion the MR de Compostella is declassified and not released, most of the component parts are normally blended into Bruwer’s unofficial second wine, the Jasper Red Blend. First created in 2010 when the MR was not produced, the wine proved so popular that it developed a life of its own in the market as a mini-MR for shoppers on a slightly tighter budget. The MR was only declassified a second time in 2019 and the Jasper Red Blend sold out in quick time again as you’d expect. The Jasper has however been produced every year since 2010.

So, with the 2021 vintage now being rated as one of the best quality red wine harvests in a decade or more, I decided to indulge in a little second wine taste-off between the Raats Jasper 2021 and the new current release 2022, both very accomplished wines. With a retail price well under £30 per bottle, this is a wine that over delivers vintage after vintage… which certainly makes it worth seeking out! 

Raats Jasper Red Blend 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

I had the opportunity to taste the impressive Raats Jasper Red Blend several times during Bruwer Raats November tour of the UK to launch the Jasper Big Brother, MR de Compostella 2022. This impressive wine is a blend of 53% Cabernet Franc, 20% Malbec, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot, all arrange in a most tight knit, harmonious assemblage. With the 2021 vintage reputation preceding the wine, this expression of Jasper has got to be one of the most eye-catching Cape Bordeaux Blends produced in SA. The fragrant lift from the 53% Cabernet Franc sets the tone for the wine, layered with black currant, sweet cedar, earthy red currant and lead pencil mineral spice. But it’s on the palate that the fireworks really kick off, tight grained and fabulously fresh, with silky sleek tannins, a weightless concentration of red and black berry fruits and a finish so electrically charge with tart bright acids that the sensors blow a fuse. The harmony and balance are simply astounding, combining with approachability, accessibility and a silky, finessed finish. If I was going to introduce a keen novice to the potential of affordable South African red wine classics, this Jasper Red Blend 2021 would be close to the top of my list. Drink now and over the next 10 to 15 years. (17,000 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Raats Jasper Red Blend 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

As always, the follow up act to a vintage like 2021 is a pretty daunting affair. But then I realise that Bruwer Raats is the king of pulling rabbits out of the hat, happy to declare high quality wines from off vintages and equally declassify wines from vintages like 2010 and 2019 that were fairly lauded in the Cape winelands. With the 2022 Jasper, a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 35% Malbec, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Merlot and 3.5% Petit Verdot, we encounter an incredibly plush, luscious, approachable red blend brimming with earthy red berry fruits, aromatics of violets and sweet lavender, dried baking herbs and subtle notes of graphite and lead pencil. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied and plush, soft textured but also fleshy, creamy and deliciously accessible boasting toasty notes of black currant, damson plum and sour black cherries. A very compact and complete wine on release, this cuvee might not rise to the heights of the 2021, but in a funny kind of way, consumers desiring instant enjoyment now may actually love the 2022’s creamy opulence more than the bracing acid structure of the 2021. This wine simply gets better and better every vintage. Well done Bruwer!

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Raats Family Wines and MR de Compostella Wines are imported into the UK by Alliance Wines.