Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bright cherry aromas blend with hints of cinnamon. Focused acidity and mineral texture provide support to a concentrated palate. Rich flavors of cherry, bell pepper and hints of oak spice blend on this flavorful wine that has a delicious finish
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Possessing a deep magenta core with a dark ruby edge, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon emanates with aromas of brown baking spices from the 50% new French oak, followed by a dusty profile of dark red fruits with hints of dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is similar to a young Bordeaux from a warm vintage, with fleshy fruit and firm tannins that grip the gumline. The wine displays a long, complex finish that should last past its 15th birthday. Be sure to have some roasted meats on hand to enjoy with this lovely bottle. Give it a try.
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Wine Spectator
Hints of dried flowers and mint play on the creme de cassis and black cherry flavors in this elegant red, which is fresh and medium-bodied, with fine tannins and notes of espresso, star anise and smoke wafting on the lingering, lightly chewy finish. Drink now through 2026. 4,000 cases made, 314 cases imported.
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.
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.