Dornier Tempranillo Reserve 2016
By Christian Eedes, 6 July 2020
1
Tempranillo, the dominant grape in Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine is not widely planted in South Africa, total area under vineyard amounting to 104ha at the end of last year. Dornier in Stellenbosch have been inclined to bottle a single-variety table wine from it for a while now, the latest incarnation being the Reserve 2016, matured for 44 months in barrel – 12 months in new and second-fill French oak, 12 months in new and second-fill American and then 20 months in second-fill French!
The nose shows dark fruit, dried flowers, vanilla, earth and spice plus a little nuttiness – it’s oxidative but not excessively so. The palate, meanwhile, is rich and broad but not without freshness. Creamy in texture and possessing layers of flavour, the finish long and gently savoury, this has plenty of interest. Price: R225 a bottle.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
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Andre Groenewald | 6 July 2020
Hi Christian,
This comment is not about Dornier, just about our block of Tempranillo (Tinta Roriz) in Prince Albert. We made Cape Vintage from the grapes this year. Alwyn Liebenberg was our winemaker.
Kind regards,