Winemaker Notes
This powerful yet elegant Bordeaux blend is a true South African classic. It exhibits intense aromas and rich flavors of cassis, plum and licorice, with underlying notes of leather and tea leaf. Enticing hints of violets, underbrush, and cigar box linger on the long, silky finish.
Blend: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
There's a tarry overtone layered with black cherry coulis, roasted plum and fig cake flavors. The rich profile is enlivened by orange peel acidity, with accents of raspberry paste, grilled herbs, cocoa powder and anise. Firm and chewy on the lingering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Best from 2025 through 2030. 3,350 cases made, 158 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.