Winemaker Notes
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot, matured in new oak for 24 months, the 2011 Paul Sauer has a very lifted, perfumed nose that is well defined and unlike the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon that I tasted alongside, this handles the wood with much more competence. The palate is medium-bodied with mint-tinged black fruit, grippy in the mouth and then a dab of boysenberry and fig, leading to a nicely composed and sustained finish. Give this 3-4 years in bottle and you will have an excellent Bordeaux blend.
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Wine Spectator
Offers an old-school feel, with mint and bittersweet cocoa notes leading the way for a solid core of steeped plum, black currant and blackberry fruit. Well-embedded bramble and licorice accents line the finish, showing a whiff of singed cedar. Drink now through 2021.
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James Suckling
This shows a little more edge and form to it than the 2010 with blackberry, coffee and floral character. Full body, firm tannins and a fresh and clean finish. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc.
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.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.