2018 Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon

With a delightful and complex nose, the 2018 Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with aromas of juicy black plum, currant and crème de cassis before elegant baking spices waft out of the glass with a soft mineral essence. Medium to full-bodied, the wine displays elements of graphite and pencil shavings with notions of baked clay and dusty cherry skin before energetic acidity and firm tannins weigh on the palate. With sweet herbs and dried tobacco, the wine finishes long, complex and lingering with a firm, tannic edge. With the Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon getting the same treatment and selling at the same price, my money is on this Stellenbosch Cabernet. Almost 20,000 bottles were filled after spending 22 months in 70% new French oak.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch was matured for 22 months in 70% new French barriques. It has a ripe, generous bouquet of pure dark cherries, boysenberry and cassis fruit, strangely Syrah-like in style. The ripe and generous palate is medium-bodied with a sweet opening, blueberry and cassis fruit and nice balance, although it just misses a little amplitude toward the finish.