Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This is off the charts. So much incredible black-olive, chocolate and tobacco character. Burnt marshmallow. Full-bodied with velvety tannins but reserved and firm. Amazing. 49% merlot, 30% malbec and 21% cabernet sauvignon.
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Wine Spectator
Gutsy and polished, featuring a core of fig, boysenberry and blackberry fruit studded with licorice snap and bergamot notes, with a sleek texture carrying the finish. Shows refinement and poise overall.
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Wine Enthusiast
Floral notes of crushed violet and iris are partnered with fruity scents of boysenberry, black berry and cherry on the nose of this blend, made from 49% Merlot, 30% Malbec and 21% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit continues on to the medium-weight palate, alongside spicy accents of pepper and licorice. The texture is full and the tannins mouthcoating yet fleeting on the finish.
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.
Flanked by majestic mountains on either side, the Paarl district is a valley whose most valuable water source is the Berg River. While sometimes during dry and hot summers, the vineyards in the valley need supplemental irrigation, those vineyards on the eastern slopes where water retention is better, aren't irrigated.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc enjoy great success in Paarl.