Taaibosch Crescendo 2019

The Cape Bordeaux Red Blend that was Cordoba Crescendo as made by Chris Keet in the late 1990s was rightly much revered. The Stellenbosch property came under the ownership of French wine company Oddo Vins & Domaines in 2017 with it being renamed Taaibosch, the rebirth inevitably attracting a lot of attention.

I thought that the maiden release 2018 from Taaibosch which retained the name Crescendo was true to the vintage in the sense that while it was “elegant and understated”, it showed an inherent modesty and early accessibility and I rated it 92/100 – see here.

The 2019 is now available and for me it has a degree more structure. A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 26% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, it was matured in a combination of 225-litre oak barrels, 9 000-litre foudre and 4 500-litre cement tanks for a period of three years. The nose shows some floral perfume, dark berries and oak spice while the palate shows good fruit concentration, bright acidity and firm, close-packed tannins making for a nicely dry finish. Well balanced, my sense is that this should significantly outlast its predecessor. Price: R380 a bottle.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

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