Wine Tastings
| Style | Red |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Region | Stellenbosch |
| Grape | Cabernet Sauvignon |
Sold out
Leeu Passant Cabernet Sauvignon
£32.00
These wines are made at Leeu Estates in Franschhoek, which was founded by Analjit Singh. Chris and Andrea Mullineux were brought in as winemakers enabling them to work with fruit from Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and other regions beyond their home in Swartland. “Rosa Kruger, our viticulturalist, had for years been enthusing to us about various parcels of fruit, but as they were outside the Swartland, we couldn’t use them in Mullineux,” explains Chris.
The fruit for this Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from vineyards on the cool slopes of the Helderberg Mountain and Polkadraai Hills. The grapes are fully destemmed then fermented with indigenous yeasts, prior to ageing in 500-litre barrels for 20 months. The wine has the lovely tobacco leaf aromas of Cabernet grown on cooler slopes, with ripe, grainy tannins nicely balanced by good acidity on the finish.
This is the best Cabernet I have ever tasted from South Africa; it has a balance and harmony to it that raises it above the rest.
A perfect steak wine…
Out of stock
Additional information
Related products
Hilltop Shiraz, Clonakilla
Clonakilla are one of Australia’s most iconic Shiraz producers. Their flagship Shiraz/Viognier is amongst the countries best (available on request), however, this wine gives you a real insight into the genius of winemaker Tim Kirk at a fraction of the price. In fact, for drinking now, this wine is more approachable and rewarding than its big brother. Not as big and jammy as Barossa Shiraz, this has a slightly more Rhône-y edge to it, making it much more food friendly in my book. Still juicy and full of delicious dark, spicy fruit but with balance and restraint.
Zinfandel ‘Heritage’, De Loach
De Loach was founded in 1973 by San Francisco Firefighter Cecil De Loach. The estate was later taken over by Burgundian Jean-Charles Boisset, who has converted all their vineyards to organic and bodynamic practices.
This wine is unusual in that it presents great Californian wine at a sensible price, usually there is the mass-produced stuff at the bottom end of the market and then a big jump to the premium £30+ end. This is a great wine at a great price. Medium/full-bodied with loads of juicy bramble fruit and smooth, velvety tannins. A crowd-pleaser and a great pizza or BBQ wine.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Mas Saint-Louis
Mas Saint Louis, located at the centre of the appellation, has been in the Geniest family since 1890. The cellar is located on the ancient route from Avignon, on the edge of the town. There are 30 hectares of vines planted on a combination of gravel sand and galets, with an average age of 40 years. The oldest Grenache vines make up 80% of the red cuvée. Syrah, which is planted in the heart of the village, accounts for around 8% of the blend. Cinsault and gobelet pruned Mourvèdre make up the balance. Everything is hand-harvested and sorted in the vines, before being delivered to the cellar.
Very drinkable and complex. Old fashioned, but in a positive way. The 2014 shows real freshness and has a lovely fruit profile. Drawing comparisons to the wines produced by the family Reynaud might be dangerous, but that is what comes to mind. It certainly shows Pinot-like character.Proper Chateuneuf-du-Pape from a great producer, miles away from the dreary, disappointing bottles often sold in supermarkets.Perfect with roast lamb with all the trimmings.
Shrinking Violet Old Vine Syrah, Boris Kovac
Made from old Syrah vines in the l'Herault region of the south of France, this is a real bargain. The wine spends some time in toasty new oak which complements the lovely juicy, dark Syrah flavours nicely.
A good wine to take to someone's house when you don't know what you're eating and when the host may just take the bottle and put it out of sight..bt if it did get opened, everyone would love it.
A nice name, a pretty label and tastes much more expensive than it is...a win all round!
Cotes du Rhone ‘Bout d’Zan’, Mas de Libian
Mas de Libian, a working farm (cereals, fruits and vines) since 1670, has remained in the hands of famille Thibon for its entire history. Hélène a remarkably energetic member of the family took over the viticulture and winemaking in 1995, and convinced her family to bottle their own wine rather than sell to local négociants. Her farming is entirely biodynamic since the 1960’s when her grandfather ran the farm, and the vines (averaging 40-45 years-old) are pruned for low yields and concentration. The terraced vineyards, composed mostly of galets rouges, in St-Marcel d’Ardèche (the west bank of the Rhône) provide stunning views of Mont Ventoux, the Alpilles, and the Dentelles de Montmirail.
Hélène is in her late 20s and in June this year she was selected by the French Wine Review as one of its Young Winemakers of the Year. She makes her wines in a traditional fashion following organic principles, and the vineyards have ‘pudding-stone’ soil like that found in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The stones reflect sunlight during the day and retain heat during the cold nights, thus making the vines work harder to extract water and minerals from the soil.A great wine for the price, full of real character.
Perfect with roasts, stews, bbq...you get the idea.
The Liberator Syrah
Over the past 25 years, Richard Kelley MW (aka The Liberator!) has become one of the most respected authorities on South African wine in the UK and beyond. Between 1995 and 2002, he lived and worked in the Cape, witnessing the renaissance of the post-apartheid wine industry. Throughout this fruitful period, he established a healthy rapport with the great and the good of the local wine scene, affording him access to their distinguished cellars. These wines are often some of the most interesting, and best value, wines to come out of South Africa.Ask Richard which wine The Francophile Syrah most resembles and he’d probably compare it to a young Crozes-Hermitage. Full of vibrant red-black fruit and with an aromatic nose reminiscent of Saint-Joseph lilies, the result is a thrilling young red that is free of the constraints and manipulated flavour profile that come with barrel-ageing. This is a very pure and naked example of the Syrah grape.Great value and a good wine to go with most meaty dishes.
