Winemaker Notes
The wine is fresh, juicy and vibrant with red and black berry fruit at the forefront. Subtle cocoa and spice come through as well. Classic Cabernet in character, it is structured with a firm backbone of refined tannins from well-integrated oak. Complex and alluring with smooth texture and mouthfeel. Lingers long and will age well.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This suave, seductive wine opens with forward aromas of black currant, blackberry and mentholated plum that are hit by green, earthy tones of tobacco leaf, licorice root and flower stem. The palate is full and lush, with rich and opulent dark-fruit flavors that are framed by bold, structuring tannins and lifted by ample acidity, as well as pronounced oak and licorice spice tones. It’s harmonious and balanced, with all the components strong and upfront. A complete and delicious wine now, enjoy through 2026.
Editors' Choice -
Wine Spectator
This has an old-school character and a bit of power, with strong, smoldering notes of tobacco and charcoal out front, followed by steeped blackberry and black currant fruit. Light coffee and cedar accents fill in through the finish, lending a pleasantly rustic echo at the very end. Drink now through 2021.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
Originally named Franschhoek meaning the “French Corner” because it was home to the influx of French Huguenots, today the valley contains many historic cellars and is an important tourist location because of its proximity to Cape Town.
This valley falls to the southeast of Paarl and is enclosed on three sides by towering mountains. Streams from the slopes flow down to the valley floor, converging to form the Berg River. The area excels in the production of full-bodied reds.