Winemaker Notes
This wine displays a pale straw colour with light catching brilliance. The nose is complex, exhibiting attractive aromas of preserved quince and pink grapefruit intermingled with hints of cantaloupe and freshly toasted brioche. On the palate the wine enters full and rich, reminiscent of the aromas on the nose. It has amazing clarity and depth with a zesty persistence. Currently drinking exceptionally well but will continue to develop positively with correct cellaring.
Best served with saffron infused creamy seafood dishes or grilled white fish.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 White Director’s is an estate-grown a blend of 72% Sauvignon Blanc and 28% Sémillon, matured in 25% new oak (400-liter barrels) for nine months with regular lees-stirring. One of my favorite cuvées from Tokara, this does not disappoint, unfurling scents of citrus fruit, chai and pastry shop in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a seductively creamy texture and neatly integrated new oak—very pure, with a touch of lime and orange pith on the elegant finish. Irresistible.
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James Suckling
Lemons, grapefruit, herbs, aniseed and smoked almonds on the nose, followed by a creamy but tangy palate with a medium to full body. Spicy, sharp finish. 72% sauvignon blanc and 28% semillon.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This blend of 72% Sauvignon Blanc and 28% Semillon shows pretty brightness, wild herb, stone fruit and acacia honey. The wine is balanced over a medium finish, resulting in an accessible drinking style. The Tokara 2022 Stellenbosch Director's Reserve White (with 10,000 bottles made under screw cap) sees nine months in 400-liter French oak, with 25% new wood.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
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.