Review

Wine Spectator A forward, friendly style, with light-bodied cherry and raspberry fruit backed by dashes of toasty vanilla and smoky herb. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Viognier. Drink now. 15,000 cases imported. Score: 85. —James Molesworth, November 30, 2010.

Wine maker notes

Made by the highly esteemed Boekenhoutskloof Estate (Bouk-en-hoots-kloof), this tasty red is a blend of 65% Syrah, 32% Mourvedre and 3% Viognier and has abundant flavors of black fruits, ripe berries and hints of violets. With another nod to the Rhône Valley, the winemaker uses a small percent of the white grape Viognier to add freshness and lift. The owners of Boekenhoutskloof have revamped an ancient cellar, and have installed state-of-the-art equipment as well as a high quality aging cellar. Marc Kent is the winemaker, and South Africa's reigning wine expert, John Platter, says the following about Marc: 'It’s quite a leap from the Franschoek hills to Michelin 3-star tables in London, but the speedy rise to celebrity of this comparatively new cellar and farm doesn’t daunt Marc Kent. This young winemaker is earning cult status for the wines he makes...his trademark frankness on wine matters is matched by a single-minded devotion to the Syrah (Shiraz) grape, plus just a few other specialties. Determined not to let anything get in the way of achieving a seriously competitive (northern) Rhône style in the Cape, he has superimposed a very personalized selection of traditional techniques garnered from idols like Jaboulet, Guigal, and Chapoutier. In the past three vintages he has also brought an almost messiah-like mission to tannin management in reds; here’s one of the (still too rare) new-wave South African labels dedicated to ripe drinkability and sweet tannins. Then there’s filtration; like most winemakers, Kent acknowledges that filtering gouges out the heart of a wine. Unlike most, he therefore shuns a filter altogether for his reds, preferring the gentler, longer process of natural fining.”

Food pairing

Serve this delicious red with grilled chicken, burgers, sausage.