Le Riche Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Stellenbosch

According to Etienne Le Riche, this is one of his greatest Cabernet Sauvignons, which might explain why it was John Platter’s Red Wine of the Year in 2005. Terrific elegance and definition here, with flavours of grilled meat, cassis, licquorice, graphite and tobacco. Beautifully evolved undergrowth notes and ripe sweet tannins. A blend of Cabernet fruit from Firgrove, and Jonkershoek this was made in classical open top concrete fermenters. Ready now, but plenty of life and pleasure still to come. A corker of a Cabernet.