Tasting Notes
Boekenhoutskloof in the beautiful Franschhoek valley in South Africa is perhaps best known for its iconic red blend, The Chocolate Block. A customer reminded me that I had tasted this 2017 vintage of Boekenhoutskloof's Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon some time ago and I loved it so it was really about time that I added it to the list.
The Boekenhout is an indigenous Cape Beech tree greatly prized for making fine furniture. The Boekenhoutskloof label features seven chairs, in the words of the winery "to pay tribute to the skills of 18th century craftsmen and their achievements in creating beauty from natural sources, just like the pursuit of fine wine-making." Marc Kent is the chief winemaker and driving force behind Boekenhoutskloof. He likes to experiment with the unconventional but his principal commitment is to quality.
For this Cabernet according to Boekenhoutskloof, the intention was "to create a textbook claret and to respect the signature Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet style. We worked with a classic dark berry fruit profile and managed to capture the full, rich character and deep flavours offered by the vintage. We opted for gentle vinification to avoid huge, monstrous wines..." And indeed this is a fabulous, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon with a hint of old vine Cabernet Franc for fragrance and finesse.
This wine will develop a little more over a few years but it is drinking beautifully now - it has a lovely smooth texture, soft , rounded tannins and a myriad of flavours - blueberries, redcurrants with spice and chocolate notes. I had forgotten quite how beautiful this wine is!
This wine is suitable for vegetarians but not for vegans.
Food Pairing
This is a great food wine, though I prefer to savour it on its own. It matches well with beef (the rarer the better), lamb, turkey, goose and game; also a good match for mushrooms, hard cheeses and mild blue cheeses
Producer's Notes
"The nose is subtle, yet perfumey with its complex bouquet of red currant, dark cherries and blueberry and enticing whiffs of bergamot and cedar. Red and dark berry fruit follows through onto a medium-bodied palate with flavours of fresh fig and nutmeg. The mid-palate is focused, silky and poised with a charcoal-edged texture and very fine-grained tannins, with perfect acidity to balance. The wine lingers with hints of clove, crushed gravel and cocoa powder on a mineral-tinged, pure finish."
Awards
16.5+ points JancisRobinson.com Sep 2019
"An increasing proportion of Cabernet Franc apparently because it retains aroma and freshness better in hot, dry summers than Cabernet Sauvignon. Mid to dark crimson. Some real grace here on the nose. Round, gentle tannins with a sweet undertow and a beginning, middle and end. Light charge of fine tannins."
89 points RobertParker.com Oct 2019
"Bold and juicy black fruits fill the glass of the 2017 Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon and mingle with rose petals and hints of cinnamon. The florals are soft and delicate on the palate. The wine is rich and bold and structured with well-defined tannins. The finish is fresh, vibrant and long, with good structuring tannins and a full body. This wine is showing good complexity. It was traditionally vinified in concrete tanks then aged in the newly installed Oxoline system [a barrel handling system], comprised of French barriques."
