Nico van der Merwe Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Nico van der Merwe made Polkadraai Hills property Saxenburg famous in the 1990s. He went on to found his own label, the maiden release of the Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blend known as Mas Nicolas being 1999.

This long-time winemaker continues to produce the goods, his Chenin Blanc 2019 rating 92 and the 2020 vintage 90 in the recent Prescient category report (both available for R250 a bottle).

Much more ambitious is the Nico van der Merwe Cabernet Sauvignon 2017, only 600 bottles made and selling for R2 500 a bottle.

Matured for 15 months in 100% new 225-litre barrels, this has all the heft you could possibly want from top-end single-variety Cab. Plums, cassis, some leafiness, tilled earth, vanilla and spice on the nose precede a palate that has extraordinary depth of fruit but also freshness, the tannins fine-grained. It’s rich and creamy in texture, sweet on entry but the finish fundamentally savoury. Alc: 14.5%.

CE’s rating: 93/100.

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