Chateau Libertas 2021

By , 24 June 2022

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3

Chateau Libertas has been made since 1932 and therefore celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. While older bottlings have aged magnificently and are highly collectible as a result, it became very mediocre in the last decade or two. That finally appears to be changing, however. After the 2019 famously rated 92 in last year’s Prescient Signature Red Blend Report, I was prompted to try the 2021 and again it utterly over-delivers.

According to winemaker Bonny van Niekerk, it consists of 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 19% Shiraz, 15% Merlot, 9% Cinsaut and 6% Roobernet and all components were matured in tank on staves for some four to six months. 81 000 litres bottled to date out of a total 108 000 litres blended.

The nose shows a little reduction before red and black berries, flowers, herbs and spice while the palate shows good purity, bright acidity and fine tannins. Medium bodied and sweet fruited, it comes across as seamless and just immensely easy to like. Price: R55 a bottle.

Is it as good as the most ambitious red blends in the country? Can cheap wine rate as highly as expensive wine? Was Chateau Libertas of yore ever intended to last decades? Does the current release succeed precisely because it’s not over-done?

CE’s rating: 92/100.

Check out our South African wine ratings database.

Comments

3 comment(s)

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    TomH | 24 June 2022

    I have never even heard of ‘Roobernet’. It sounds like a fake varietal! I’m not suggesting it is actually fake, it just sounds very funny. @Christian, can you tell us the serial number on the neck please? These surprising Chateau Lib scores are so fun.

      Christian Eedes | 24 June 2022

      Hi TomH, Unfortunately my sample bottle has already been sent for recycling!

      Jurgen Kerschbaumer | 24 June 2022

      ‘Roobernet is a red grape developed in South Africa in the 1960s by Prof Chris Orffer by crossing Cabernet Sauvignon and Alicante Bouschet. Similar to Pontac, Roobernet is a teinturer variety – its flesh and juice are red instead of clear as in other red cultivars.’

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