Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Proprietor's Blend consists of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz, 6% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 5% Petit Verdot. It demonstrates just a little more precision on the nose than the 2009 although there are broadly similar. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins. It is more opulent than the 2009 with beautiful pure cassis and blackberry fruit towards the rounded, sensual finish. This is a hole in one.
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Wine Spectator
Dark cocoa and mint notes surround the core of lightly mulled plum, blackberry and black cherry fruit in this red, followed by a plush, smoky feel on the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot.
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.