Winemaker Notes
This wine is a very versatile food pairing wine. It works equally well with very fine spicy foods as well as rich fish poultry and various meats.
Blend : 51% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 14% Malbec, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot
Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly
De Toren “Z” was created by design born of cool ocean facing vineyards high in clay content conditions intensely suited to the planting of Merlot. Affectionately called ‘Zee’, this approachable ruby-hued beauty takes its name from the cooling Zephyr breeze that air-conditions the ocean-fronting vineyard block of its origin, one in which are featured all of the ‘Noble Five’ Bordeaux varietals, with Merlot in dominance.
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.