Tokara Telos 2017
By Christian Eedes, 10 March 2023
-
Share:
4
Only 1 000 bottles made, the pinnacle of what Stellenbosch property Tokara can produce, the price set deliberately high at R4 500 a bottle. The 2017 is the third release of Telos and benefits from that exceptional vintage, making it the best yet.
Consisting of 92% single-block Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot, it was matured for 22 months in 225-litre barrels, 65% new. The nose shows top notes of violets and incense before cassis and pencil shavings while the palate is full but balanced, luxurious yet not vulgar – succulent, full of verve, the tannins wonderfully fine-grained, the finish long and dry. Possessing depth and intensity of flavour, it resonates in the mouth.
CE’s rating: 96/100.
Check out our South African wine ratings database.
-
Share:
Mike Froud, Top Wine SA | 17 March 2023
Interesting, though perhaps not surprising, that unlike most of their other wines, Tokara has never submitted their Telos for a panel-tasting review. Individual critics only, label in front of them…
Gareth | 14 March 2023
I can’t help but wonder who buys this stuff? Sandton yuppies looking to show off? Nouveau riche with more money than sense?
I guess it’s squarely aimed at the international market but in a local context it just makes no sense to me…
Tim James | 10 March 2023
What are the stats, Christian? Alc especially. (I’m sure you used to give this as a regular item? – I think it’s really useful; been trying for ages to persuade the Platter management to do it. It always puts some of the descriptors in perspective….) And didn’t we always think of 2015 as a pretty standout vintage too? Though not disagreeing about 2017 generally. As to setting the price “deliberately” high, well, I suppose we should be grateful to know that it wasn’t by accident, but the word doesn’t tell us what was the content of the deliberation.
Christian Eedes | 14 March 2023
Hi Tim, The analysis for Telos 2017 is entirely respectable. Alc: 14.5% RS: 2.29g/l pH: 3.44 TA: 5.3g/l. We tasted 2015, 2016 and 2017 next to each other at the launch function and once again it seemed to me that whereas 2015 is a vintage that delivers power and richness, 2017 is all about focus and poise (2016 relatively angular and slight). As for the price, this is very much a matter of positioning Telos at a high level in order to give the appearance of being of comparable quality to the established benchmarks from elsewhere in the world.