Vrede en Lust Napoleonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
By Christian Eedes, 29 May 2023
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Vrede en Lust is the wine brand owned by software entrepreneur Dana Buys. Home base is a grand property on the slopes of Simonsberg between Paarl and Franschhoek, which was acquired in 1996, while Buys also purchased Casey’s Ridge in cool-climate Elgin in 2005.
To date, it has been the wines from Elgin that have tended to impress most, Kogelberg Chenin Blanc 2021 placing Top 10 with a rating of 93 in the recent Prescient Report, for instance.
The Simonsberg-Paarl property, meanwhile, lends itself to red varieties, those traditionally associated with Bordeaux featuring prominently. Pinnacle of the range is Napoleonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon, only made in select years, the newly released 2019 (price: R700 a bottle) the first since the 2015 vintage.
Made from four clones planted across 4ha, maturation lasted 18 months in 90% French, 5% American and 5% Hungarian oak, approximately 40% new.
The nose shows cassis, incense, violets, earth, pencil shavings and oak spice while the palate has great depth of fruit, moderate acidity and fine tannins. It’s a wine of big volume but the fruit is succulent, and any oak character is not overtly apparent. Alcohol: 13.73%.
CE’s rating: 93/100.
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Kris Snyman | 30 May 2023
Hi Kwispedoor
The Napoleonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon formed part of our Artisan Range which is a portfolio of wines crafted for our wine club members. The Artisan Range consists of interesting wines such as niche cultivars, experimental blends, and small parcels of quality blocks that we’re testing out.
All of the 2017 vintage of these blocks of Cab Sauv went into our estate flagship Boet Erasmus which won some serious awards.
When tasting through the barrels of the 2019 harvest we decided we had enough high-quality Cab to portion some off to release the Napoleonsberg again. We have upgraded the packaging and it will no longer fall into the Artisan Range so that it can be made available to public.
Thanks for your comment.
Kwispedoor | 30 May 2023
Thanks, Kris!
Kwispedoor | 29 May 2023
One wonders why no 2017 was bottled. Nothing wrong with that vintage, right?