“Almost like a nut that’s cracked open by the acidity, and the fruit floods in.” I love this line by winemaker Bruwer Raats; it aptly describes the 2020 vintage of this famous Cape Bordeaux blend, in that it’s pure and precise. It’s comprised of cabernet franc (43%), cabernet sauvignon (30%), merlot (11%), malbec (10%) and petit verdot (6%). Cab franc’s leafy perfume is here, fragrant with violets, rosemary, crushed cherries, raspberries and an undercurrent of cassis, seamed with subtle vanilla-spice of 15% new oak. The palate rushes in with red-fruited verve, tangy and lifted. Crystallising acidity sculpts and shapes around plums, berries and cherries. This vibrancy of fruit crests with paper-fine, savoury tannins, effortlessly going to appetising dryness on the finish. Remarkable precision without sacrificing pleasure. Drink to 2039. (98) ML