2020 Boekenhoutskloof, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Critics reviews
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Boekenhoutskloof Stellenbosch is fully de-stemmed and fermented in concrete then aged for 22 months in 65% new oak. It has quite an intense bouquet with dark berry fruit, sandalwood and pencil box aromas; perhaps it's just missing a bit of brightness? The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins and a touch of dark chocolate infusing the black fruit; the 2020 is powdery in texture with a solid off-dry finish. Not bad, though overshadowed by the Syrah.
Drink 2024 - 2033
Neal Martin, vinous.com (August 2022)
Made with ‘deliberate austerity’ suggests founder winemaker Marc Kent. But it still shows rich, ripe pure Cabernet fruit, chewy tannins but already on the way to smooth. Generous and fresh. A hint of chocolate. The freshness of Cabernet Franc sings on the finish. Gorgeously structured but also generous in fruit. Excellent balance between those two aspects of the wine. The little bit of residual sugar does not show (not to me). Compared with the Franschhoek 2020 Cabernet, I would say this has the edge in freshness and slightly more refined tannins.
Drink 2025 - 2037
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com (February 2023)
Inviting aromas of blackcurrants, graphite, rosemary and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied with silky tannins. Well-defined with transparent black fruit and berries. Mineral and herbal undertones. Very nicely constructed and varietal. Sustainable.
Drink after 2024
James Suckling, jamessuckling.com (February 2023)
About this WINE
Boekenhoutskloof Winery
Boekenhoutskloof is one of the most celebrated of all South African wineries and was indeed voted Winery of the Year 2012 by the influential South African journalist John Platter. Created in 1776 and situated in a remote corner of the beautiful Franschhoek Valley, the estate‘s recent fame dates only from 1993 when new owners completely restored the vineyard and established new plantings of varietals such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Viognier.
The driving force here is winemaker Marc Kent, a maverick genius with an unswerving commitment to the highest quality in all that he does. The winery is better known for its reds, especially Syrah and Cabernet, but also makes a stunning white from the Semillon grape amongst a small range of whites.
One of the most iconic wines of Boekenhoutskloof is the famed Chocolate Block, a red blend which changes every year according to the vagaries of the vintage, but is largely based on Syrah. The source of the wine’s name remains a mystery, as the estate’s owners refuse to divulge its origin, but the key point is that the wine is sublime.
Franschhoek
Franschhoek wine region lies to the west of Stellenbosch in a fertile valley surrounded by the Drakenstein Mountains. The town of Frankschoek was founded by fleeing French Huguenots in 1688, who brought along their winemaking traditions and vines. Franschhoek's warm, temperate climate is perfectly suited to the production of powerful, saturated red wines and concentrated, fruit-driven white wines. The most prominent grapes in the region are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir.
Today it remains very much a boutique wine region with smallholding producers.
Cabernet Sauvignon Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
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Description
The nose is abundant in aromas of rich dark fruits; blackberries, cherries, damsons and spiced mulberry jam. These ripe fruits mingle with layers of spice and dark chocolate on the palate, undercut by a savoury, graphite-lead persistence. Almost 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and matured in 65% new oak, this is certainly a broad wine – but it has considerable structure from ripe, satisfying tannins. The finish is long, balanced and delicious – just like the rest.
Drink 2025 to 2038
Victoria Bull, Private Reserves Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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