The Mint

Tucked away on the southeastern slopes of the Simonsberg mountain range along Stellenbosch’s scenic Helshoogte Pass, Thelema Mountain Vineyards stands as one of South Africa’s most celebrated wine estates. The family-owned property was founded in 1983 by Gyles Webb, who purchased a run-down fruit farm on the mountain’s slopes. Webb had abandoned an earlier path to pursue winemaking, eventually establishing Thelema as a serious estate in the heart of the Cape Winelands. The first wines under the Thelema label were released in 1988, and by the mid-1990s the estate had achieved cult status, with its wines selling out within a month of release.

What sets Thelema apart is its terroir. Situated on south-facing slopes with elevations reaching around 530 metres above sea level, the estate holds some of the highest vineyard elevations in Stellenbosch. This combination of altitude and rich red soils creates ideal conditions for premium grape growing, and Thelema has become known as a true leader in Cabernet Sauvignon production, helping put Stellenbosch’s Cabernets on the global map. The estate’s guiding philosophy centres on minimal cellar intervention, letting each vineyard’s character shine through naturally without being obscured by oaking or the hand of the winemaker. This dedication to quality has help cement Thelema’s reputation as one of South Africa’s most respected producers, offering elegantly structured wines that reflect both mountain terroir and decades of meticulous, family-driven winemaking.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

South African producers are known for releasing their Sauvignon Blancs super young as that is what the local market demand dictates even if the wines merit further bottle ageing. But with the superb 2025 releases, I am all for cracking the screwcaps and pulling the corks on new releases as this vintage is simply one of the lushest, most concentrated, vibrant and harmonious grape harvests to bless the Cape winelands in recent years. The Thelema Sauvignon Blanc typifies this intensity with aromatics bursting with perfumed white flowers, freshly cut green apple, ripe guava and delicate hints of freshly mown lawn. On the palate, the fruit concentration simply bristles, the flavours amplified and enlivened by bright tangy fresh acids and a deliciously crystalline purity. Intense, flavour packed and incredibly long on the finish. This is just too good not to enjoy in its youth.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2024, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The 2023 Thelema Chardonnay set a new quality benchmark and the 2024 release picks up seamlessly where the 2023 left off. Fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, this steely expression shows bright, crystalline aromatics of white blossoms, lemon and lime peel, yellow grapefruit pith and delicately savoury biscuit notes alongside a classical stony mineral vein. The purity and clarity shown on the nose are even more pure and piercing on the palate, the acids crisp, bracing and chiselled, interwoven with nervy, sinewy yellow citrus fruits, green mango and lime peel zest with a subtle dusting of vanilla pod spice. Intense and steely but never severe, this is a wonderful expression of the 2024 vintage. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Roussanne 2024, WO Elgin, 13.5% Abv.

Roussanne is normally quite a full bodied grape from the Rhone Valley, renowned for its aromatic complexity, oily texture but balancing acids. This classy expression is not only from the crisp, linear 2024 vintage but also from the blissfully cool Elgin Valley. The aromatics are alluring and complex, brimming with notes of white peach, pear, freshly baked brioche and delicate herbal tea nuances. On the palate, the acids shine brightly, lending vivacity, crunch and real zip to the tangy green and yellow stone fruits, hints of honeycomb and a tangy, glycerol peachy finish. Steely, linear and beautifully precise, this is a masterclass in freshness, complexity and balance. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

There are a handful of South African producers who have made a reputation for world class Merlot and Thelema is certainly one of them. Always a mainstream benchmark expression, the 2022 vintage plays to all the cultivar’s strengths of plushness, opulence, approachability and succulent red and black berry fruits without the severe structure of Cabernet Sauvignon. 2022 was a particularly ripe, harmonious and accessible vintage with aromatics displaying a medley of summer berry fruits, ripe plum, sweet cedar and notes of chocolate peppermint crisp confectionary. Supple, balanced and fleshy on the palate, the tannins are velvety and fine with soft toned acids deliciously integrated with the creamy black berry fruits. A glass of Thelema Merlot is comparable to a big warming red wine hug. This is definitely an approachable vintage to drink before the more tightly wound 2021 offering.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The source of the “mint” character in this wine is attributed to the airborne transfer from the Eucalyptus trees which border this specific Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, to the grape berries. As the berries adsorbs Eucalyptol, a compound responsible for the aroma, this compound subsequently becomes dissolved in the wine during the fermentation process, giving the wine a “minty” character unique to this vineyard. The aromatics on this 2023 are cool, sleek and deliciously black fruited, layered with notes of cassis, black berries, graphite alongside a high toned minty eucalyptus complexity. The medium bodied palate is creamy, finely textured and plush with velvety tannins, juicy blueberry fruits, bright acids and a long mouthwatering finish. Impressively concentrated and intense with a hint of bay leaf and thyme spice. Delightfully integrated and harmonious already, you can start pulling the corks now and drink over the next decade.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

This pure Cabernet Sauvignon, matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, shows all the opulence, accessibility and elegance of the ripe 2022 vintage. The aromatics are vibrant and perfumed, showing violets, black liquorice, black currant and black cherry fruits with a dusting of iodine, graphite, tilled earth and oak spice. The medium bodied palate is plush and soft textured, the mouthfeel creamy and fleshy with a wonderfully harmonious, generous fruit concentration, a seamlessly interwoven fresh acidity, finishing with a delicately picante persistence. This is a deliciously honest wine revealing pinpoint Cabernet Sauvignon typicity with plenty of stylish cassis and black berry fruit, fashioned in a very accessible and elegant manner. Like many of the 2022 Stellenbosch reds, this is already very pleasurable to drink now and over the next 10 to 12 years.

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

The 2022 vintage in Stellenbosch was smaller than usual but widely considered to be very good if not excellent for some. In general, the growing season was on the cooler side but there was little in the way of wild weather to cause much disruption. The winter was cold but saw enough rainfall to rebalance depleted water within the soil, while a chilly spring also brought rain, delaying both budburst and flowering.

Eventually summer brought some much-needed heat with some grapes even affected by sunburn. However, rain still fell in certain areas, which, combined with the summer heat, raised humidity and the risk of both disease and rot. Overall, the mishmash of weather led to a delayed harvest and varied yields – sometimes dramatically depending on the region – with some having larger harvests than usual, while others having a far smaller one. Regions like Stellenbosch however produced some fantastic wines, with the reds in particular looking to be very good indeed.

With most premium Bordeaux Blend and Cabernet Sauvignon producers such at Thelema currently releasing and selling their 2022 reds, the style of the wines has become clearer after barrel maturation and bottling. The consensus appears to be that the 2022s will be remembered as a stylistic mix between the ripe, warm, opulent flavours of the 2020 vintage embellished with some more noteworthy similarities from the 2017 vintage – namely its elegance, finesse, weightless concentration and intensity of fruit purity.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Rabelais Cape Bordeaux Blend 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

2.2 g/l RS | 5.7 g/l TA | 3.53 pH

The 2022 Rabelais sticks to the tried and tested blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petit Verdot. A dense, dark, and opaque purple-black colour in the glass, this young, powerful Cape Bordeaux blend shows a relatively restrained, classical aromatics that require more than a little coaxing out of the glass. For a warm year, the nose is modestly fruity, dominated in youth by notes of crushed granite minerality, graphite, fynbos, cigar smoke and dried herb spices. On the palate, the wine is notably cool, saline, structured and chiselled, slowly releasing pockets of black currant, black cherry, blue berry and damson plum fruit at a very gentle, measured pace before delicate hints of sweet cedar, thyme and capsicum spice emerge. The tannins are dry and stony but very fine-grained adding to an overall tight knit texture that’s incredibly classy and grown up. This is another very impressive flagship blend from the Webbs. Drink from 2026 to 2040+.

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

Thelema The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

18.g/l RS | 5.5g/l TA | 3.56pH

The source of the “mint” character in this wine is attributed to the airborne transfer from the Eucalyptus trees which border this specific Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard, to the grape berries. As the berries adsorbs Eucalyptol, a compound responsible for the aroma, this compound subsequently becomes dissolved in the wine during the fermentation process, giving the wine a “minty” character unique to this vineyard. The grapes were de-stalked, hand sorted, crushed and pumped into stainless steel for a 6-day cold soak on the skins before fermentation. The wine was then aged for 18 months in 40% new French oak barrels. The aromatics are deep, alluring and complex boasting notes of bruleed coffee beans, minty black chocolate, picante black currants and pithy black cherries with a subtle kiss of padrón pepper herbaceous spice. The palate is medium bodied, silky soft and lithe, the tannins incredibly fine grained and polished, with notes of saline black berries, mulberries, milk chocolate and black plum with a light dusting of dried baking herbs and green tea notes. In its youth, the minty character of the wine is fairly subdued, slightly obscured by a chocolatey coffee bean spice. Give this wine 2 to 3 years to flesh out further and fan its peacock tail, and then drink over 10+ years.

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

The Thelema Wines are distributed by Enotria Wines in the UK.