Winemaker Notes
Blend: 38% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec, 8% Petit Verdot.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a complex and layered wine, with forward notes of crème de cassis, menthol, pepper, licorice and leather that are supported by a core of ripe plum and blackberry fruit. A blend of 37% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 8% Petit Verdot, the plush and creamy texture is complemented by velvety tannins and hints of singed earth…
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Wine Spectator
Rich and layered, with roasted tobacco leaf and grilled savory notes accenting the dark plum and steeped blackberry fruit. Well-structured, underscored by hints of mint and tar on the finish. A big red, cutting a broad swath. Best from 2016 through 2020. 448 cases imported.
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.