Polkadraai Hills

Raats Family Wines Raises the Cabernet Franc Stakes Still Higher with the Release of their Maiden Vlag Vineyard Selection Cuvée 2022 Alongside their Eden Single Vineyard Icon…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

When Bruwer Raats set out in 2000 to champion Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, who would have thought he would be where he is today, having claimed the premium high ground so successfully, consistently producing arguably some of South Africa’s best Chenin Blanc whites and certainly South Africa’s most respected Cabernet Franc reds. Indeed, when it comes to this once quirky Loire red cultivar, Bruwer’s Raats Family Wines Cabernet Franc and Raats Eden High Density Cabernet Franc must surely be regarded as some of the most profound Cabernet Franc expressions produced anywhere in the world today, including in the motherland region of the Loire itself.

Mini Eden Cabernet Franc vertical – 2017, 2020 and 2022.

Over the past decade, the consumer tide has certainly turned back in favour of premium Cabernet Franc, with its delicate floral perfume, subtle leafy red and black fruits, and its suave, elegant sensual texture all built around fine silky tannins and a mouth-watering acidity. The mean, green pyrazines of years gone by have been well and truly banished both in South Africa as well as across Europe where sales of Cabernet Franc wines are once again flourishing. One needs to look no further than the cultivar’s newly found planting popularity in Bolgheri and Coastal Tuscany to witness its broad international appeal in not only Bordeaux blends but in single varietal wines as well.

The UK launch tasting at La Trompette Restaurant in London.

The latest new release tasting took on extra meaning this year with the introduction of Bruwer Raats’ first new wine for almost a decade. It was of course 10 years ago with the 2014 vintage that Raats Family Wines launched the high-density single vineyard Eden Chenin Blanc and Eden Cabernet Franc, which is now finally being joined by the maiden Vlag Vineyard Selection Polkadraai Hills Cabernet Franc 2022, that Bruwer describes as “a celebration of Cabernet Franc… but executed in a new style.” The wine is a blend of two single Polkadraai Hills vineyards, one from lower slope vines planted in 2008 and one from high mid-slope vines planted in 2002. The resulting wine was aged in 33% concrete egg, 33% oak barrels (8% new French), and 33% in large foudre. The new releases are expected to retail in the UK for £75 per bottle for the Vlag and £115 per bottle for the Eden (R1,600 and R2,950 per bottle in South Africa). Both will be extremely tightly allocated as per usual.

Raats Family Wines Vlag Vineyard Selection Polkadraai Hills Cabernet Franc 2022, WO Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

A fabulously rich, perfumed aromatics with plenty of fine detail, revealing an intriguing depth and power but also a crystalline clarity and purity of fruit. There is initially a subtle earthy, savoury black fruited note on opening which soon gives way to more elaborate aromas of pressed violets, cherry blossom, rose petals, thyme and hints of sandalwood and sweet cedar spice. This is an architectural masterpiece with finer lines and a more harmonious symmetry than even Enzo Ferrari could ever have conjured up. Beautifully weightless and texturally caressing in the mouth, the tannins are grippy, incredibly fine grained, but equally silky soft, balancing the complex layers of saline cassis, red currant, and red cherry fruit concentration to perfection. A wine with not only incredible precision but also a vibrant energy that is brought to life by seamlessly integrated zippy acids. Quite simply, this wine is an absolute pleasure to sip and savour. Not quite an iron fist in a velvet glove, but certainly an impressively powerful tannin profile combined with a majestic fruit purity. A Cabernet Franc for Cote Rotie drinkers? Maybe. Drink on release and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Raats Family Wines Eden High-Density Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2022, WO Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

The Eden 2022 is another ultra confident showstopper from Bruwer Raats’ tiny 0.2-hectare vineyard. This pristine Eden Cabernet Franc displays the most tantalising intensity and florality on the nose with a notable depth, seductive power and a piercing perfume focus. High toned, lifted and utterly beguiling, the aromatics display an exotic fanned peacock’s tail of pressed violets, cherry blossom and dried lavender over notes of oregano, dried thyme, sweet cherry compote, saline crème de cassis, oystershell, pencil shavings and delicate blueberry rock candy nuances. The palate is always underpinned by incredibly fine tannins but with this 2022, the vivacity, concentration and freshness of the accompanying acids bring immeasurable joy to the palate, seamlessly counterbalancing the complex red and black berry fruit intensity. This wine is all about purity, precision, and persistence, with a mouthfeel texture of silk and the most polished fine-grained granitic mineral tannins imaginable. This is surely as close as you are going to get to perfection with a young, energetic, premium Cabernet Franc in South Africa? Drink on release an over the next 10 to 15+ years. (598 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

De Toren Wines Releases Their Patronus Malbec 2021 That Rivals Many of the World’s Greatest Malbec Reds…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Born from a desire to craft one of the finest ultra-premium Malbec wines in the world, comes the distinct De Toren Patronus made from several decade old Malbec vineyards in the Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch. A super premium expression priced at R3,666 per bottle cellar door (£160), this wine unashamedly puts its trust in precision viticulture to challenge, head on, some of the most famous benchmark premium Malbec’s produced primarily by wineries in Mendoza, Argentina.

Some may think that South Africa has no right to muscle in on yet another international variety and produce expressions that annoyingly, clearly rival some of the world’s other great examples. But South Africa has a knack of doing this… with Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand & Loire), Chenin Blanc (Loire Valley), Syrah (Rhone), Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux and Napa Valley), Cabernet Franc (Loire Valley), and now Malbec (Mendoza and Cahors). All these examples go a long way to illustrate how exceptional and versatile the multiple vineyard terroirs in the Cape truly are. After tasting the Patronus 2021, you may now also have to add Malbec to your long South African shopping list!

De Toren Patronus Malbec 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

This 2021 Malbec from De Toren is one of the few superstar expressions of premium Malbec produced in South Africa where you get to witness the true majesty and opulence of this cultivar delivered with full impact concentration and kaleidoscopic aromatics. Beautifully seductive in its youth, the nose boasts a broad array of floral magic… pressed violets and rose petal perfume accompanied by smoky layers of cigar ash, cocoa powder, crushed granite minerality, and spicy cedar oak nuances all supported by plush, sumptuous raspberry, sappy black currant and sweet cherry tobacco hints. The medium-bodied palate is soft, supple and powdery with sweet fine-grained creamy tannins that melt into layer upon layer of sweet mulberry, black berry compote and pomegranate fruits, all wonderfully framed and shaped by refreshing, lively energetic acids. This is an exceptionally well balance expression of Malbec that follows a path of elegance and precision and delivers a beautifully long, vibrant, expressive finish. Drink this beauty on release after an hours decant and over the next 10 to 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The De Toren wines are imported into the UK by The Wine Treasury and are available from specialist merchants like Museum Wines.

The End of the Cape Drought is Marked By the Release of An Exceptional Van Biljon Cinq 2018…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The 2018 vintage in the Western Cape was certainly marked by one of the worst droughts on record and presented some significant challenges for all vine growers and winemakers. With water resources at an all time low and strict rationing in effect, reduced water availability for irrigation led to reduced vine vigour and reduced canopy sizes.

Some unseasonable rains and low temperatures in October and November disrupted fruit set and further reduced the number and size of berries on grape clusters. For many wineries, yields ended up being around -25% lower than the fairly generous 2017 crop, however, quality was high overall with intense inky colours, piercing concentration and striking fruit richness across cultivars.

Van Biljon Cinq Cape Bordeaux Blend 2018, WO Stellenbsoch, 14.5% Abv.

2.3g/l RS | 5.60g/l TA | 3.59pH

Always small and always boutique, this singular Cape Bordeaux blend Cinq from Van Biljon has always been about top quality as well as expressing the premium terroir of the Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch. The 2018 is a blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 9% Malbec, all aged in French oak barrels for 18 months after fermentation. Following on from a very influential, high flying 2017 vintage, the challenge for winemaker Chris Keet and the Van Biljon team was always going to be about strict grape selection to allow the very best fruit to enter the production process. 2018 was a more challenging year but with most premium examples on the market already, the vintage has slowly but surely carved out its own niche among connoisseurs and consumers, with wines of generosity, intensity, acid structure, but also elegance and finesse that can be approached over the short to medium term. This Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wine is initially quite savoury, dark and broody on opening but within a short amount of time, starts to reveal lifted perfumed notes of earthy red flowers, violets, and pressed rose petals together with pure black currant, black plum and mulberry hints. There is that unmistakable earthy, peaty note of freshly tilled damp earth that is so typical of Stellenbosch Bordeaux blends, which lends a familiar, comforting charm. On the palate, the expression is one of elegance, sleek focus and freshness, with a soft seductive savoury mineral tannin vein, earthy red and black currant fruits, but also a silky finesse undoubtedly encouraged by the high Cabernet Franc component. This is a delightful expression that may well be more approachable now than either of the block buster 2015 or 2017 Cinq editions but is certainly a wine that will comfortably slumber and mature with benefit for another 10+ years in your cellar.

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

The Van Biljon wines are imported into the UK by Woodwinters UK and retail for circa £48 per bottle from fine wine merchants.

Another Flagship Block Buster Blend Released By De Toren – Tasting and Reviewing the Fusion V 2020…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

There may be a lot of attention drawn to the delicious super premium releases of De Toren Black Lion Shiraz, Book XVII Bordeaux Blend and the Patronus Malbec, but in reality, it’s the ever-consistent De Toren Fusion V and Edition Z cuvees that keep on delivering vintage after vintage and offering up some of the most sumptuous Cape Bordeaux Blends produced in South Africa.

But of course it has been the entire Polkadraai Hills ward situated on deep decomposed granite soils that has risen to fame over the past years, and as Bruwer Raats, De Toren’s neighbour elaborates, people laughed at him when he suggested that these ancient soils with their incredible minerality could produce the best wines in the country. Well, that was then, and this is now… and of course he has been proved correct. De Toren Fusion V can sometimes fly a little bit below the radar, so if you have not discovered this noble wine yet, the 2020 offers the perfect opportunity to do so.

De Toren Fusion V 2020, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

Once again, the Fusion V 2020 reveals itself as one of the leading Cape Bordeaux Blends in South Africa featuring 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 13% Malbec, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. The aromatics are bold and spicy with a fairly classically array of perfumed violets, sweet cherry tobacco, cigar box, dried herbs, graphite and sweet cedar wood spice over plush earthy black currant and black plum fruit nuances. In its youth, there are some overt oak notes evident, but they whisper quality and precision all the way, melting away into a cornucopia of textured palate layers with crème de cassis, salty black liquorice, plum spice, and pithy black cherry on the finish. The tannins are supple but tight grained and the acids soft, fresh and harmonious, keeping the luscious black fruit concentration in check. Unashamedly modern and generous, this Stellenbosch beauty from the Polkadraai Hills will drink well on release and cellar beneficially for a decade or more.

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

The De Toren wines are available to the trade in the UK from The Wine Treasury and for retail from South African specialist merchants like Museum Wines at circa £50pb.

Tasting De Toren Black Lion Shiraz 2020 – A Testament to Modern Precision Viticulture…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

One of the most luxurious 100% Shiraz produced in South Africa, the Black Lion is a finely crafted wine cultivated from specially selected vines that are nurtured by special ‘hand manicuring’ and individual attention to produce grapes for a truly modern premium international wine, positioned to stand proudly amongst its global peers. A mere 1000 – 1300 individually numbered bottles are produced annually with the maiden vintage being the 2012, when only 608 bottles were produced.

I remember visiting the De Toren Stellenbosch winery in the Polkadraai Hills when the maiden Book XVII Bordeaux blend 2010 had just been released and the maiden 2012 Black Lion Shiraz was still ageing in barrel, made up of components of pure Shiraz grown on three different vineyard sites including the Swartland and the Helderberg, but importantly, made using the same extreme precision viticulture as the Book XVII Series, albeit with less barrel rotation and slightly different barrel cooperage. The 2020 Black Lion edition is made from fruit from one site in the Swartland and one site in Stellenbosch.

With the new 2020 release hitting the market, it was time to put this extraordinary Shiraz through its paces. Using 200% new oak ageing, there is always going to be a certain overt opulence to the wine, a hedonistic indulgence, but with stylistic perfection always front and foremost in the cellar master Charles Williams’ mind, the end product is always going to be eye-catching. More Napa Valley than Rhone Valley undoubtedly, but certainly a unique expression of premium luxury South African Shiraz.

De Toren Private Cellar Black Lion Shiraz 2020, WO Coastal Region, 15.5% Abv.

Three things strike you when you nose and taste this premium wine for the first time… firstly that it’s incredibly youthful as you’d expect from a 2020 vintage, secondly, the integration of the new oak on such a young wine is simply exceptional, and lastly, the all round creamy, dense intensity, harmony and balance of fruit and structure points to something very serious in the bottle. Without any obfuscation of oak, the aromatics are laid out regally like crown jewels on display, showing a deliciously rich black berry, blue berry and mulberry complexity, with hints of grilled herbs, sweet roasted peppercorns, sweet tobacco leaf and seductive notes of cured bresaola. Texturally, this wine is faultless, revealing a suave, opulent, richly layered palate that leaves little to the imagination. Sleek, fine grained, broad in the mouth, the palate shows black cherry and liquorice, black currant and black stewed plums with sweet savoury herbs, vanilla pod spice and a seductively long finish. Perhaps a little modern in style for hemp shirt wearing Syrah traditionalists, but for everyone else, this iconic red is the product of modern precision viticulture at its very best. A truly extraordinary wine. Drink from 2024 to 2038+. (Only 1,215 bottles produced)

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The De Toren wines are imported into the UK by The Wine Treasury and retails for circa £250 per bottle.

All Eyes Are On Raats Family Wines As they Prepare to Release Their Eden High Density Single Vineyard 2021 Chenin Blanc…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

I tasted this profound new release from the Raats Family Winery back in October 2022 with Bruwer Raats at his farm and featured it as part of my longer write-up of new Raats and Bruwer Vintners releases. But such is the magnificence of this wine, and specifically the 2021, that I thought I would repost my review individually in case anyone missed it. This new 2021 is undoubtedly one of the best and most serious Chenin Blancs Bruwer Raats has released during his illustrious career and certainly a wine collectors will not want to miss.

The Eden 2021 Chenin Blanc is made from fruit grown in a beautifully manicured 13 to 17 year old Chenin Blanc vineyard alongside the Raats Family Winery in Stellenbosch on the Vlaeberg Road in the Polkadraai Hills. When Bruwer Raats released the first vintage of his high density planted Montpellier Clone Chenin Blanc in 2014, the wine represented a culmination of years of planning and work to produce a wine unlike anything else that had been produced in South Africa. Now in its eighth vintage, Bruwer’s vision of producing a premium white wine of unrivalled quality is finally being realised.

Raats Family Eden High-Density Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.

With only 1,734 bottles produced, the wine was aged in 50% concrete egg and 50% oak barrels and reveals a magical melange of fresh orange citrus, tangerine, white peach and Granny Smith apple fruits over a very subtle maritime salinity and granitic minerality. The palate is intense and linear, ultra focused and fresh but layered with generous fruit concentration but also overt minerality and wet river pebble nuances. An incredibly impressive expression of ultra premium Chenin Blanc. Drink from 2025 and over the next 20+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Van Biljon Wines – The Undiscovered Fine Wine Gem in the Heart of the Polkadraai Hills of Stellenbosch…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This beautiful small boutique farm is situated in the famed Polkadraai Hills region of Stellenbosch, sitting alongside famous neighbours like Reyneke Wines, Raats Family Wines and De Toren. While most of these excellent wines rose to fame for originating in Stellenbosch, more recently, as collectors and connoisseurs have started to scratch a little deeper into the finer details of the individual wards and terroirs of the region, the Polkadraai has risen to new heights of fame globally. Known for its deep fertile soils and well drained decomposed granitic soils and moderating sea breezes off the False Bay lying to the South, the terroir has formed a perfect home to the classic Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

As if the wonderful terroir wasn’t enough, the wines are made by one of the great winemakers of the Cape, Chris Keet, creator of the legendary Cordoba Crescendo 1995 Cape Bordeaux Red that lights up the Cape fine wine auction houses with big R8000+ prices (£400) when bottles occasionally come on the market for sale. Chris is a master with Bordeaux varieties and meticulously crafts an impressive Cape Bordeaux Blend using traditional winemaking techniques combined with modern technology to produce wines with intensity, concentration, balance and structure.

Tasting the Van Biljon 2017 and 2018 and the Keet First Verse 2018 Bordeaux blend with Chris Keet at the winery in March 2022.

I first became acquainted with the Van Biljon CINQ after tasting the 2013 vintage which I rated 93/100 back in October 2016. Subsequent vintages like the 2014 seemed to just get better and better, rating 94+/100 when tasted in October 2018. I sadly missed the epic 2015 vintage which sold out very quickly to an airline group I understand but was thrilled to taste the fabulous 2017 new release again when Julia Van Biljon was over in London recently. This is definitely a wine that flies under the fine wine radar but undoubtedly deserves to be far better know as it stands among the great Bordeaux Blends produced in the Western Cape winelands.

Van Biljon Wines CINQ 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 14.4% Abv.

2.3 g/l RS | 5.8 g/l TA | 3.5 pH

The 2017 CINQ is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 6% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot and spent 18 months maturing in selected French oak barrels. This is a seductive and enticing Cape Bordeaux blend that utilises all five red Bordeaux varieties to great effect. On the nose there is initially a pronounced sweet cedar and sappy red fruited spiciness from the Cabernet Franc before notes of dried herbs, chai tea, black currant and dusty graphite come to the fore. The well-honed palate shows considerable elegance and harmony with a fine grained textural balance revealing layers of spicy red and black berry fruits, notes of cherry tobacco and a tart, tangy acidity on a long, weightlessly concentrated finish. Stony drying tannins lend a further air of seriousness, structure and age ability on the long sleek finish. An attractive offering that must rank among the finest releases from Chris Keet and the Van Biljon winery to date. Drink this from release or over the next 10 to 15+ years.

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

For stock availability, please contact Woodwinters UK for trade allocations.

De Toren Continue to Make Some of South Africa’s Best Cape Bordeaux Blends – Tasting the De Toren Z 2018…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

As I penned the finishing touches to my tasting notes on the De Toren Z 2018, an email from the estate fortuitously popped into my inbox announcing that the highly rated De Toren Z 2017 vintage was about to run out! But fear not! The 2017 might have been the highest rated Z vintage to date, but the 2018 is a more than worthy follow up expression.

The 2018 vintage was much smaller than average. Extreme drought, which some considered the worst in a hundred years, made the growing season particularly difficult. A cold winter saw bouts of damaging frost which reduced yields early in the season. When the summer did come bringing the usual heat, it also brought the drought and water shortages. Although, one advantage of the dry weather was that it helped prevent the spread of vineyard diseases. However, despite the tough conditions and hugely reduced harvest, some very good wines like the De Toren Z were made.

De Toren Z 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14.72% Abv.

2.5 g/l RS | 5.1 g/l TA | 3.55 pH

A blend of Merlot: 54%, Cabernet Franc: 17%, Cabernet Sauvignon: 12%, Malbec: 12% and Petit Verdot: 5%. Always an expressive and more opulent blend, this De Toren Z 2018 combines the rich, fleshy, exotic plummy characters of Merlot with the more structured, black fruited nuances of prime Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine displays lofty aromatics of raisined black cherries, wet tobacco, damson plums and dusty graphite with a sweet sandalwood kiss. The palate is rich and generous with a well honed balance, a full and broad mouthfeel and seductive notes of mocha-laced blueberry, graphite and vanilla pod spice. This characteristically dark horse will undoubtedly challenge the established thinking that Cabernet Sauvignon must lead. The Merlot driven De Toren Z blend is certainly one of the great revelations of the past decade of South African premium red winemaking delivering pure hedonistic palate pleasure with a right bank Bordeaux philosophy. Drink from release and over the next 8-10+ years. (RRP In UK circa £39pb.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

New Release Review – Tasting the Raats Family Wines Eden High Density Chenin Blanc 2019…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

There are more than a few top Chenin Blanc wines made in South Africa that capture ones attention when new vintages are released. Indeed the list of iconic high scoring collectable whites from South African grows longer by the day. But one of these benchmark wines, year on year, comes from the Chenin King himself, Bruwer Raats.

While the Raats Family Wines Original Chenin Blanc and Raats Family Wines Old Vine Chenin Blanc are both exceptional wines offering excellent value for money, it is undoubtedly Bruwer’s super-premium Eden High Density Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc that regularly pulls in the star ratings. A Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc vineyard planted in the late 2000’s right behind Bruwer’s house in the Polkadraai Hills, the Eden wine range was conceived with extreme precision viticulture in mind.

Bruwer Raats’s Eden Chenin Blanc Vineyard

This 0.6 hectare Eden Chenin Blanc vineyard is planted with the unique and now rare Montpellier clone that was sourced from the last remaining mother block in the Nuy Valley. Known to give very small, loose bunches, this clone eventually fell out of favour despite its ability to yield very high quality fruit.

Raats Family Winery High Density Eden Chenin Blanc 2019, WO Polkadraai Hills, 13% Abv.

2019 was an exceptional vintage for Chenin Blanc and the quality is clear for all to see on this impressive wine. The aromatics are subtle but sophisticated with delicate notes of yellow peaches, crunchy pears, wax and incense, wet thatch, oat meal and hints of dried orange peel. On the palate, the texture is taut and focused, crystalline and pure with a delicately weighted fruit concentration, vibrant tangy acids and a genteel melange of ripe peach, yellow apple and tangerine fruit zest. This is a very understated wine, an elegant but complex offering with incredible drinkability and a generous accessibility that results in the bottle being finished long before expected. Like all the very best bottles of white, this wine just somehow seems to evaporate out the glass! Drink on release or cellar for 8 to 10+ years. (Only 2,390 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The De Toren Z Cape Bordeaux Blend Becoming a Real Force to be Reckoned With – Tasting and Assessing the Iconic New Z 2017 Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The focus of the De Toren estate has always been centred around the iconic Fusion V Cape Bordeaux blend made in a Left Bank leaning expression with a dominance of Cabernet Sauvignon. But the De Toren Z has slowly but surely started to catch the attention of wine critics and connoisseurs around the world with on-trade buyers and sommeliers taking a particular fancy to this blend.

While the debate continues as to whether this Merlot based Right Bank blend was born out of the quality Fusion V off-cuts or whether it was individually designed around specific varieties and terroirs on the Polkadraai estate, one thing is certain – the De Toren Z Cape Bordeaux blend is a premium wine to be reckoned with and taken seriously as it enters a small select group of top red blends coming out of South Africa.

With the 2016 Z currently selling great guns in South Africa and around the world, I thought I’d take a sneak peek at the highly anticipated 2017 that looks set to take the world by storm.

De Toren Estate Z 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

This wine personifies the De Toren journey of initially making one premium wine that ultimately heralded two iconic wines due to the estate’s attention to detail, terroir and focus on quality. This Merlot based blend is another absolute blinder revealing a rich, intense, brûléed aromatic array of saline cassis, nori seaweed, pithy black cherry, savoury black plum, roasted coffee beans and hints of open fire grilled winter chestnuts. The palate is super sleek and beautifully silky and suave bolstered by the most opulent, plump, hedonistic black fruit concentration, brûléed wood spice nuances and a long, mouth coating, vibrant finish. This wine speaks of the vintage with its weightless concentration and seamless balance and will appeal to Right Bank Bordeaux lovers who especially enjoy the iconic vintages. This wine is certainly right up there with the sensational 2015 De Toren Z and must surely rate as one of the best vintages of Z produced from the estate to date. Drink from 2022 to 2036+

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

Watch out for the launch of this 2017 beauty in SA around the end of 1st Quarter 2021.