Winemaker Notes
Deep crimson with well-defined red and black cherry prominent on the nose. Dark chocolate, cedar and pencil shavings bring complexity and typicity to this Helderberg Cabernet. The palate is structured with fresh acidity and bold tannins that will balance each other well over time. Cherry notes carry through on the palate, growing in intensity and complexity with layered cassis, blackberry, liquorice and a pinch of black pepper.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A concentrated red, offering great harmony and balance, this deftly marries racy acidity and a dense core of fine tannins to a lovely range of ripe cassis and black plum, bay leaf, espresso, minerally iron and delicate spice notes. Long and lightly chalky on the finish. Drink now
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Starting with a dark-fruited nose, the 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon offers a fresh mineral essence with a soft herbal edge, red cherry skin, and plum aromas. Full-bodied, the palate provides underlying mineral tension before displaying a firm tannic edge that will benefit from food. The wine unwinds and uncoils to show a balanced structure before ending with a firm, dark-fruited finish. Rating: 90+
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.
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.