Winemaker Notes
The iconic Left Bank-based blend from De Toren, Fusion V is meticulously crafted from Bordeaux’s ‘Noble Five’ varietals and, with its complex flavours of liquorice, black cherry, cedar and dark berries, it offers a stylish departure for sophisticated oenophilic tastes. Soft as spun silk, with a lingering hint of sweet fruit on the back palate, this is a wine that will only improve with age.
With nuanced and complexed flavours, our renowned De Toren Fusion V wine pairs exceptionally well with perfectly tender grilled or roast lamb, with garlic, rosemary, and a hint of honey lemon.
Blend: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Beginning dense, bold and juicy, the 2017 Fusion V offers up aromas of crème de cassis, black raspberry jus, spiced cherries jubilee, dusty red flowers with a soft notion of dried herbs and plenty of gorgeous oak spices to fill in the gaps. Full-bodied, the palate shows delineated expressions of juicy black and dark red fruit flavors before elements of raw cinnamon stick, dusty roses and spice red tea flutter across the mid-palate. Lively acidity and fine-grained tannins lift the experience before concluding with a long, persistent finish that will remain food-friendly for another decade.
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Wine Spectator
Pure, with grippy tannins behind the lush notes of blackberry, currant and tobacco. It shows good length and depth, but might be a bit grippy for some; definitely for the fans of the firmer style. Still, a well-made red. Best from 2021 through 2028.
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.