Tasting Notes

Colour

Nose

Palate

It is fresh and vertical in the mouth, as well as highly tense and robust, with balanced acidity, which transforms it into a smooth wine. Its red fruit, fine tannins and roundness are vigorously expressed in the palate, ending with a long lingering finish.

Producer

The winery that today produces Luigi Bosca wines was founded in 1901 by Leoncio Arizu, a Spanish citizen from Navarra who settled in Mendoza in 1890. Located in the Vistalba valley, in the Luján de Cuyo region, an area that, due to its characteristics, achieved the first " Denomination of Controlled Origin "of America.  Luigi Bosca launched the first Malbec DOC in Argentina and Latin America.

Winemaking

Specifications

Constantia Glen's Flagship Wine!

94 points Tim Atkin

'The proportions may vary from vintage to vintage, but this is always a blend of the five red Bordeaux varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon is just the dominant grape in 2019, with the remaining 75% made up of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec. Structured, serious and concentrated, with plum, damson and blackcurrant flavours, scented 74% new wood and granular tannins. 2024-32.'

Tasting Notes 

A classic Constantia blend of the five archetypal Bordeaux varieties – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. A cool maritime climate and strict crop control results in perfectly ripened grapes that are hand-harvested, meticulously sorted and batch vinified.

Colour

Youthful in colour with a very dark ruby core unwinding into a bright and lively magenta rim. 

Nose

The first impression is one of dark fruit aromas of Morello cherries, ripe blackcurrant and juicy black plums underpinned by a fragrance of dried herbs. Savoury background notes of cocoa, cedar, and graphite demand further exploration. Floral aromas start emerging from the glass and the bouquet concludes with apparent notes of dried violet flowers, cassis, and wild fynbos.  

Palate

The palate is rich and concentrated with the dark fruit flavours that were evident on the nose, but the mid-palate displays fantastic balance and finesse. This exceptionally cool vintage has delivered a wine that is perhaps more elegant than its couple of predecessors, but it remains a compellingly structured wine with excellent freshness and depth. The delicious, fine-grain tannins provide mouth-coating texture and excellent length. The wine comes across as tightly wound in its youth with incredible ageing potential. The typical Constantia freshness provides for a long, delicious finish that will have you beckoning for another sip.  

Vintage

“2019 was a particularly cool vintage at Constantia Glen. A cool ripening season allows for gentle and slow ripening of the grapes, and this leads to greater complexity of flavour precursors in the grapes, as well as good acidity at the time of picking. The resulting wines are elegant and fresh with bright aromatics. The slow ripening also allowed for the slow accumulation of sugars, and excellent tannin development, so we could work with grapes that had achieved good phenolic ripeness. Our dryland vineyards showed remarkable buffering capacity and the 2019 vintage has delivered extremely elegant and refined red wines with great richness, texture, aromatic purity, and persistent, mouth-coating tannins. The 2019 harvest commenced with the first blocks of Merlot and Malbec on 19 and 20 March respectively. The red wine harvest then turned into quite a rushed one, due to some inclement weather that forced us to get our grapes in with a fair amount of haste toward the end of harvest. The final picking was our estate Petit Verdot vineyard on 9 April 2019, and this variety turned out beautifully, making up an impressive 23% of this year’s blend of Constantia Glen FIVE.  "

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Colour

A bright red garnet-coloured

Nose

Palate

It is compact, robust and very concentrated in the mouth, with a clearly defined and very smooth palate. Fine tannins of pleasant texture, great acidity, firmness and balance, and a long and complex finish.

Producer

The winery that today produces Luigi Bosca wines was founded in 1901 by Leoncio Arizu, a Spanish citizen from Navarra who settled in Mendoza in 1890. Located in the Vistalba valley, in the Luján de Cuyo region, an area that, due to its characteristics, achieved the first " Denomination of Controlled Origin "of America.  Luigi Bosca launched the first Malbec DOC in Argentina and Latin America.

Winemaking

Specifications

Winery

The three individual blocks that comprise their Malbec plantings each have their own unique profile due to different row direction and training systems. Each block was harvested separately, each contributing it’s own unique building block. Left on the skins, post-fermentation before being transferred into 225 and 300-lit French oak barriques, where MLF took place. The wine spent approximately 18 months in wood with a 20% new wood component. 15% was matured in a concrete egg, contributing towards the fruit driven profile and adding yet another building block to the final compilation.

Accolade

• 90 points | 2022 Platters Guide (2018 Vintage)
• 90 points Silver | IWSC (2018 Vintage)
• 92 points Winemag.co.za (2018 Vintage)

Specifications

Its name derives from the average height of the selected parcels for this Blend.

Tasting Notes

Cabernet Franc 50%, Malbec 45%, Casavecchia 5%. Three are the varieties that compose this complex and balanced wine of intense purple colour. Cabernet Franc provides spicy and floral notes, while Malbec provides berries notes. It presents a good length and it is very persistent due to its tannins. It is an elegant blend with a great structure.

Vineyards

Doña Paula 1350 comes from 2 quarters (N° 10 and N° 7) from Finca Alluvia, Gualtallary, located at 1350 meters above sea level. The ground is sandy, with alluvial and calcareous stones. The weather of Valle de Uco represents mild days and cold nights, with a thermal amplitude of 12,5°C, and an annual rain average of 280 mm. The vines are planted in ESPALDERO, and they are watered by drip feed. The performance per hectare is of 10 tons. In Doña Paula, we have always been practicing sustainable agriculture methods

Vinification

The harvest starts with Malbec and Casavecchia by mid-April, and it finishes with Cabernet Franc at the end of the same month. The grapes are hand-picked and then they are destemmed gently, without breaking the berries. Each variety undergoes cold maceration separately, in stainless steel tanks, to extract the primary aromas. Once the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the blend is made, and the aging process is carried out in 20% new French oak barrels, for 16 months.

Awards

• 93 points Tim Atkins MW Argentina Report
• 93 points James Suckling

Specifications

Tasting Notes 

The 2018 Aidan is a character of serious substance. A dry vintage has sculpted a wine with incredible structure, boasting flavours that lean towards the darker spectrum of fruit. This blend is predominantly Shiraz, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Malbec and Merlot used as well.

Nose

At first, aromas of blackcurrant and blackberries fill the nose, until a necessary swirl allows for spices such as star anise, five spice and mace to enter the conversation.

Palate

Olive tapenade and fresh leather hint in the distance, beautifully balanced by a serious salinity that pins this offering to its maritime environment, where the vines grow on steep slopes circled by the cold Atlantic Ocean. 

The Year by Winemaker Megan van der Merwe

"The 2018 vintage will long be remembered for its coolness and low disease pressure. It will also be remembered as the first real vintage to feel the effects of the famous Cape Drought that started in 2015 and worsened towards 2018. Our yields were down by 10%, but with our buffering cool climate conditions, the quality of the vintage was superlative."

Winery

Some two decades ago, raging wildfires swept through an area of forest high up on Constantia Nek, leaving the slopes scorched and bare. When the fire had subsided, what was left was a brilliant and unique spot for planting a vineyard; 350 metres above sea level, with cooling ocean breezes and steep sun-bathed hills and so, like a phoenix, Beau Constantia rose from the ashes.

Sensing opportunity, Pierre and Cecily Du Preez acquired the 22-hectare property in 2002. With thorough soil analysis guiding their efforts, the inaugural vineyards were planted in 2003 under the careful guidance of farm manager, Japie Bronn.

The journey to establish vineyards on these challenging slopes demanded patience and unwavering commitment. Today, Beau Constantia proudly boasts 11.47 hectares under vine, a testament to the perseverance and dedication of all involved. Within these vineyards thrive a diverse range of varietals, including Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Shiraz, and Petit Verdot, each meticulously nurtured to capture the unique essence of this extraordinary landscape.

This boutique wine farm with just over 11 hectares under vine has utterly spectacular views over the peninsula. Megan van der Merwe is the Head Winemaker, having taken over from Justin Van Wyk in 2021, after serving as Assistant Winemaker during his successful tenure. Megan believes in 'farming to perfection - just don't stuff it up in the cellar!'. This very talented winemaker is certainly one to watch.

Each of their releases is a tribute to a member of the family.

Accolades & Awards

• 94pts | IWSC 2021

Attractively spicy with aromas of oak and flora combining with fresh red fruit on the nose. Nicely concentrated with sweet spices interlacing the well-balanced, juicy palate.

• 90pts | Tim Atkin

Specifications

Winery

The grapes all originate for the Elgin region, a high-lying basin surrounded by mountain ranges. Naturally the Malbec hails from Paul and Nicky’s farm, Wallovale Vineyards, whilst the other three grape varieties were bought in from Elgin grape producers with whom Paul has a direct involvement. A Cabernet Franc vineyard has been planted on Paul and Nicky’s farm but the first commercial harvest is only expected in 2020.

Each parcel of grapes was harvested at its own optimum ripeness and vinified separately at Eikendal Winery, Somerset West. Each wine was inoculated with Zymalore Xpure, a yeast recommended for wines with high aromatic purity, enhanced expression of black fruit notes and a great smoothness of mouthfeel. Post fermentation the wine was left for 14 days on the skins. Thereafter each wine was transferred to barrel where they completed Malolactic fermentation. The wines spent a minimum of 24 months in 225 lit French oak barriques prior to blending. The wine received a light filtration before bottling on 8th July 2021.

Specifications

Tasting Notes

Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah are blended to create this complex and balanced wine of a deep violet color. In the nose, it has floral aromas – such as violet and rosehip – typical of the Malbec variety.  The Syrah contributes spicy notes, good volume in the mouth and silky tannins, whereas the Cabernet Sauvignon complements the blend with a great structure.

Vineyards

Doña Paula 1100 comes from 3 blocks in our Los Indios Vineyard, which is located in El Cepillo, San Carlos, Uco Valley, at 1,100 meters (3,610 feet) above sea level. The sandy loam soil here has great drainage; in some sectors, there are gravel and stone deposits of colluvial origin, always bound by a thick, 70 cm (27.5 in) deep layer of black caliche. Days are warm and nights cold; the average temperature variation is 16 °C (60.8°F), and the average annual rainfall reaches 300 mm (11.8 in).      The vines yield 7 to 9 tons per hectare. At Doña Paula, our vineyards have always been managed using sustainable agricultural practices.

Vinification

The harvest starts with Syrah in the first week of April, it continues with Malbec by mid-April, and it finishes with Cabernet Sauvignon at the end of the same month. The grapes are hand-picked and then they are destemmed gently, without breaking the berries. Each variety undergoes cold maceration separately, in stainless steel tanks, to extract the primary aromas. Once the alcoholic fermentation is complete, the blend is made, and the aging process is carried out in 20% new French oak barrels, for 16 months.

Awards

• 92 points in the Tim Atkin Argentina Report
• 92 points James Suckling

Specifications

Reveals subtle hints of spices, ripe blackberries, plum and cherries. The integrated, complex and beautifully rounded tannins of this expressive and superbly vibrant blend ensure a velvety, lingering finish. At the olfactory level, there is a subtle hint of aniseed on the nose. This full-bodied blend maintains a sleek tannin structure with an immaculate developing palate.

Tasting Notes

This soft, approachable ruby-hued beauty is a true testament to vines lovingly reared and winemaking raised to an art form. A Right Bank-style Bordeaux blend, De Toren Z comprises a symphonic blend of five Bordeaux varietals. You’ll find it tantalizingly soft on the tongue, with a hint of aniseed, liquorice, raspberry and cranberries lending a fresh acidity to its polished finish… plus, of course, all the finesse that makes Bordeaux-style wines so prized among the world’s most enthusiastic wine lovers.

Vintage

When the stars and all the elements collide to produce a spectacularly good harvest, the results are always felt (and tasted, of course) in the wine. Industry wide the season of 2017 was earmarked as spectacular, and for De Toren, it was no different. The year 2017 is fondly remembered by our team for the incredible craftsmanship that went into producing one of the most outstanding vintages yet of De Toren Z, our famed Right Bank Bordeaux-styled blend.It was a season when perfectly ripened vine fruits were optimally harvested; gently reaped and sorted by the hands of our team of ladies, so that only the finest grapes were put forward for pressing and maturation in the cellar. This is the journey that our cellar team at De Toren undertook to co-create a superlative wine, i.e., De Toren Z 2017 vintage, in partnership with our key collaborator, Mother Nature. The favourable weather conditions of the season contributed to making the 2017 vintage one of the finest yet. It was a year in which the vines were perfectly balanced and restrained, producing the smallest, most concentrated berries. These hand-harvested grapes were transformed by sustainable and intelligent viniculture, resulting in this coveted vintage of De Toren Z being the highest awarded vintage yet and a true collector’s prize. At De Toren, the noble Bordeaux varietals are an expression of ancient South African soils and our signature winemaking style. As a result of all these factors – terroir, timing, technique and passion – commands attention on the palate when savouring the acclaimed De Toren Z 2017.

Producer

Specifications

Its name derives from the average height of the selected parcels for this Blend.

Tasting Notes

Colour

Petit Verdot, Bonarda and Malbec compose this wine that has an intense violet color with black tint.

Nose

In the nose, Petit Verdot brings aromas of blueberries and jasmine while Bonarda adds intense aromas of blackberries and raspberries.

Palate

It stands out for its firm tannins and good volume in the mouth, Malbec offers an attractive structure and a long finish. 

Vineyards

In our Finca El Alto in Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo, we chose the stoniest plots that have the presence of Calcium carbonate, to plant the Petit Verdot at 1030 meters above sea level. In the lowest part of the same vineyard, at about 908 meters of height we have Bonarda, it has the most clay dominate soil with gravel and pebbles. The yield per hectare is 7 to 10 tons, and the irrigation is by drip. The climate of this is farm characterized by its warm days and cool nights, with a thermal amplitude of 14 ° C and an average annual rainfall of 250 mm. The training system used is double cordon. At Doña Paula we have always managed our vineyards with sustainable farming practices.

Vinification

The harvest begins with Malbec at the end of March, then the Petit Verdot in the first week of April and Bonarda in the middle of the same month. A manual harvest and a destemming without breaking grains is carried out. Traditional elaboration of each variety is carried out separately we call it of minimal intervention in cement eggs. After the alcoholic fermentation, the blend is made to begin the short aging in the same cement egg and immediately after malolactic fermentation has finished, the wine is bottled to keep the fruity and floral aromas in their freshest possible state.

Awards

• 91 points - Robert Parker
• 92 points - Tim Atkins Argentia Report

Specifications