Regardless of who you speak to, the general consensus is that the 2022 vintage conditions in the Cape reverted back to more “normal” conditions after the unusually cool and extended harvest of 2021. But like many good vintages that follow great vintages, the resulting wines have to work that much harder to capture the imagination of fine wine consumers. At Vilafonte, the team have delivered another exceptionally fine trio of wines that has something for everyone.
A cool wet October and November 2021 saw above average rainfall leading to vigorous growth in the vineyards which required extra work to manage canopies. January and February 2022 saw multiple heat spikes in keeping with more ‘normal’ vintage conditions in the Cape. There was some variable ripening across cultivars and plots ultimately leading to a fairly late, drawn-out harvest season which began nine days later than predicted and which lasted for over four weeks from February 19th until March 17th. The resulting wines show density and concentration rather than heaviness with well integrated harmonious acids.
The approachability of the Seriously Old Dirt blend makes this wine a perennial favourite with fine wine lovers looking for exceptional quality and value without compromising fruit, structure or power. The Series C is also another stand out Cape Bordeaux Blend that celebrates the incredible quality of Cape Cabernet Sauvignon. But if it’s sheer hedonism you are after, the Series M is once again a dead ringer for an opulent, showy, Right Bank Merlot dominated Bordeaux blend. With a 1st of November release date for all three wines, these are definitely wines you’re going to want to make space for in your cellar.
Seriously Old Dirt by Vilafonte 2022, WO Western Cape, 13.5% Abv.
After the rich, fresh, characterful wine of 2021, the Seriously Old Dirt 2022 blend has certainly turned out to be another impressive creation from the dedicated Vilafonte team. A dark opaque purple black plum colour in the glass, the wine offers up bold notes of mint leaf, violets, crème de cassis, black cherries, dried thyme herbs, cigar wrapper, and hints of chocolate peppermint crisp. Medium bodied with a rich, spicy, fleshy palate, this wine has certainly carved out a name for itself based not so much on branding but more on innate quality and true value for money. The mouthfeel is delicately spicy, alluring, and supple with notes of dark blackberries, fresh peppermint tea, vanilla pod, and sweet Christmas spices that linger long on the palate, framed by picante, mineral spicy graphite tannins. This is undoubtedly an impressive second wine fashioned after the famous left bank Bordeaux expressions, and also shares the similar trait of often putting bigger Grand Vin expressions to shame. Always seamless, and nearly always the complete deal, this is THE go to wine for so many Bordeaux lovers around the world! Drink on release and over 8 to 10 years.
(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Vilafonte Series C 2022, WO Paarl, 14.5% Abv.
Vintage variation at wineries like Vilafonte often means little, but for the market, 2021 was the vintage of the decade to buy and covet. Like 1996 followed and surpassed 1995 in Bordeaux, could this plush and opulent 2022 excel in the shadow of the iconic 2021 Series C cuvee? In the recent months, all the 2022s I have tasted are every bit the equal of many of the 2021 wines, showing concentration, balance and freshness. Always the benchmark cuvee of the Vilafonte winery, the Series C 2022, a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 10% Malbec and 10% Cabernet Franc, presents itself as a rich, opulent expression packed full of salted black liquorice, sweet black berries, warm blueberry crumble and subtle aromatics of vanilla pod and cedar wood spice. The initial approach on the palate is classical and restrained, showing drying tannins and classical granitic mineral undertones but the texture is like silk, seamless, sultry and beautifully balanced with a big punchy concentration on the finish.This is high pedigree Cabernet Sauvignon done extremely well in a global context. Drink on release to 2040+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Vilafonte Series M 2022, WO Paarl, 14% Abv.
The Series M 2022 is a blend of 40% Merlot, 39% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. Fabulously dark, rich, and opaque, this inky Merlot based blend once again boasts a sold Right Bank Bordeaux styling, with aromatics packed full of dried herbs, potpourri, spiced black plums, mulberries, and blueberry hints with a top note of graphite and gunpowder smoke. But it’s on the palate that the fireworks really light up the sky, with a cool, creamy, super fine-grained tannin texture, a picante spicy granitic minerality over plush black berry fruits and a pithy black cherry complexity. The top 2022 reds show softer, more integrated acids than the 2021 vintage but also a creamier, fleshier, more sumptuous mouthfeel with impressive generosity and an accessibility. This is another beautiful Series M expression that bridges the stylistic paradigm of Right Bank Bordeaux and New World fruit-driven opulence. Drink on release until 2038+.
(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Vilafonte Wines are imported into the UK by wine merchant John E. Fells.
