Winemaker Notes
Purple core with a deep red outer rim. A very beguiling and youthful entrance into the 2022 Faithful Hound with aromas of bramble berry, baked rhubarb, and dense/ripe plum. Licorice and a faint inkling of earthy and herbaceous fynbos all lead you to explore more. On the palate, full of sweet berry fruit, accompanied by elegant matching oak maturation and polished tannins. This wine seems to effortlessly snatch you away on a South African flavor journey. The more you delve into this indulgent wine, the more it gives.
Blend: 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 18% Petit Verdot, 18% Merlot, 2% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Camphor, tomato leaf and spicy fruitcake aromas. Bright, structured and juicy palate with good purity and length.
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James Suckling
Blackberry fruit, cloves, bitter chocolate and cardamom on the nose, followed by a toasty and medium- to full-bodied palate. Medium-chewy tannins. 37% cabernet sauvignon, 25% cabernet franc, 18% petit verdot, 18% merlot and 2% malbec.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.