Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

Medium red, purple in color, the wine has high-toned blackcurrant, violet and cedar aromas with touches of mint. A rich, ripe opulent but youthful palate has plummy fruit, a background of new oak and fine tannins. This is a multi faceted wine that needs time to mature. This wine spent 16 months in French oak barrels of which 40% was new.

"This excellent Cab has a Bordeaux-like nose, with forest floor meeting meaty red fruit and oak. Big tannins offer great structure without overpowering, and the wine has enough acid to feel alive. Barnyard flavors show on the palate, accompanied by complex coffee and red berry. A juxtaposition of Old World structure and New World fruit—this is why South African wine can excel." -Wine Enthusiast, July 2006