Country: South Africa / Cape Winemakers Guild Auction Reserve
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch
Winery: Etienne le Riche /
Winemaker: Etienne le Riche. This is a beast of a wine right now, begging for time in the cellar to further mature. Currently, assertive oaky tones of sweet smoke, cigar box and char are front and center on the bouquet, with supporting notes of cassis, blackcurrant leaf, brambly berry and plum skin to show the fruity core beneath. The palate is dark and brooding, with concentrated dark-fruit flavors and firmly structured tannins that beg for time to harmonize and resolve. Drink 2020–2025.