Vilafonté Series M 2016
By Christian Eedes, 21 June 2019
2
Though the Series C from Paarl property Vilafonté is priced higher than the Series M, it’s the latter that I prefer among the current release 2016s. Regardless, while both wines have tended to be rather too plush in previous vintages, they come across as more refined and carefully crafted this time around. Tasting notes and ratings as follows:
Vilafonté Series M 2016
Price: R755
50% Malbec, 36% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Matured for 22 months in French oak, 21% new. Top notes of violets and crushed leaves before red and black fruit plus attractive oak spice. The palate shows concentrated fruit, fresh acidity and firm but fine tannins – very well balanced. Possesses both depth and detail. Alcohol: 14%.
Editor’s rating: 93/100.
Vilafonté Series C 2016
Wine Cellar price: R1 185
62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 12% Malbec and 11% Cabernet Franc. Matured for 22 months in French oak, 77% new. Some floral perfume before black fruit plus quite prominent oak. The palate displays juicy fruit and fresh acidity – less mid-palate than its counterpart above, the tannins more grippy. Alcohol: 14.5%.
Editor’s rating: 90/100.
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Francois | 21 June 2019
Hi Christian,
I’m quite surprised to see such a low rating for the C.
I generally like to read your, Greg Sherwood’s and Tim Atkin’s comments about wines. When it comes to Vilafonte, historically, it seems like your scores for their wines have been the lowest, Tim’s in the middle and Greg’s highest. The difference has never been more than a couple of points though.
With the C2016, however, your score of 90 is significantly lower than Greg’s at 97+.
I’m sure you’ve read Greg’s review on his website. Why do you think you guys have such a large difference in opinion of this particular vintage?
Christian Eedes | 1 July 2019
Hi Francois, As I understand, Greg tasted the Series C 2016 sighted whereas I tasted it blind. In any event, the Vilafonte wines typically come across as very oak-driven for me, which is something I’m cautious not to over-reward.