Winemaker Notes
Will age well for 5 – 10 years.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a bolder, slightly minty nose with a dark core of dusty fruit that is slightly stewed, similar to a compote. Still expressive, the nose shows great depth with many lively layers. On the palate, the wine shows great focus and precision with dense, chewy blackberry tones. The tannins are silky, while the wine shows balance with energetic acidity. Full-bodied and with a long finish, the wine is at a nice spot now but will continue to age for a couple more years. 43,000 bottles made
-
Wine Spectator
Rich but precise, with a gorgeous beam of mulled black currant fruit backed by fig cake, loam and mint notes. The long, velvety finish stays well-focused. Drink now through 2014. 500 cases imported.
-
Wine & Spirits
Drawn from tightly planted vines in decomposed granite, some more than 20 years old,this wine achieves great fruit concentration while maintaining a beautifull herbals cabernet character. The finish is a ccented by and iron-like minerality and supple fruit tannins.
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.