Winemaker Notes
Series C 2015 shows great depth with a red-black color intensifying to the core. Intriguing aromatics open with generous layers of dark fruit, attractive cassis, French lavender perfume and final notes of pencil shavings, cacao and cedar. On the palate the wine shows poise, with silky and seamlessly integrated tannins, a refreshing mid-palate acidity with rich fruit and caramelized woody flavors. This wine exemplifies both freshness and concentration of fruit with great potential to mature and evolve. Ideal for the considered wine collector and investor.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A rich nose of plums, eucalyptus, cassis, dark-jet licorice, baking spices, cedar and vanilla. Full-bodied and plush, but it has the acidity and ripe tannins that provide structure and form. A long, fruit-forward finish. A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 19% merlot, 15% cabernet franc and 9% malbec. Drink in 2021.
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Vinous
The 2015 Series C was aged for 22 months in 67% new French oak barrels. It offers a combination of red and black fruit on the nose, plus hints of dark chocolate, tobacco and vanilla pod and a floral component in the background. The pure, well-balanced palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, a fine line of acidity and a precise, quite sustained finish. This is an excellent Series C that should age well over the next two decades.
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Wine Spectator
Rich and polished in feel, with a swath of cocoa leading the way for gently mulled plum and black currant fruit flavors. Light loam and tobacco accents fill in on the broad finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Drink now through 2020.
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.