Muratie
Ansela van de Caab
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Bordeaux Red Blend
Rich and velvety, this is a tightly knit wine built to last yet accessible now thanks to its well-rounded tannins. Concentrated dark fruits (blackcurrants, cassis) are lifted by a slight tealeaf herbaceousness and plenty of wood spice (sandalwood, cigar box, graphite). There are also some savoury hints of olive tapenade, particularly on the lingering finish, which combined with fresh acid balance suggest improvement in bottle for at least a decade.
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Laurens Campher
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Chenin Blanc
For all its freshness, elegance and focus, the wine’s flavours are complex and intense, ranging from bright lemon, fresh pineapple, apricots and juicy nectarine to more concentrated lime marmalade as well as caramel and cream (from barrel fermentation and 11 months of maturation in mostly older French oak). On the palate the initial impression is floral (heady honeysuckle) finishing with white peaches and apricots, with hints of citrus and a fresh acidity – great persistence promising enjoyment over at least five years.
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Alberta Annemarie
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Merlot
Redolent of lusciously ripe plums in its youth, this wine has complex layers of cocoa, cinnamon and toasted hazelnut (from 12 months in French oak barrels) that come to the fore over time. Its appealing sweetness and full-bodied richness are balanced by fresh acidity and a pinch of mixed herbs. Made in a soft and approachable style for early enjoyment, it nonetheless has enough backbone and plenty of length on the finish to suggest that it won’t disappoint those who wish to cellar it for 5 years.
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Ben Prins
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Cape Vintage Port
On the nose, floral notes of violets and roses entice along with Christmas spice and plum pudding. Each sip is deeply rich, with flavours ranging from Kirsch-macerated black cherries to dark chocolate-enrobed hazelnuts. There are also savoury undertones – truffles and tobacco – with brisk acidity and warming alcohol in harmony with the lithely powerful structure. Seamlessly integrated after two years in old 225l French oak barrels, this world- class wine should reward contemplation for at least another two decades.
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Ronnie Melck Family Reserve
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Syrah
Intensely concentrated berries result in a wine displaying the bold refinement reminiscent of a northern Rhone Syrah. Rich blackberries, currants and cherries burst onto the palate, while hints of black olive, pepper, smoke and even bacon add savoury appeal. Tannins are firm but fine grained and a very long finish promises great ageing potential.
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Mr May
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Grenache Noir
There are hints of Fynbos and red fruit flavours – strawberries on the nose, with a punch of pomegranate rubies, and raspberry on the palate. The wine possesses an inviting earthiness with subtle hints of white pepper and oak. Best served at 13 °C, and pairs well with braaied meats and aromatically spiced vegetables.
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Amber Forever
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Dessert Wine
Made from Muscat d’Alexandrie (Hanepoot) grapes harvested at 25° Balling and fortified with grape spirits at the critical time to leave plenty of residual sugar at 16.5% alcohol by volume, this irresistibly seductive dessert wine is redolent of
life’s most luxuriant delicacies: rose petals, musk perfume, Turkish Delight, poached pears and honey-drenched peaches. Yet it’s not at all cloying thanks to refreshing acidity and a burst of alcoholic heat.
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Isabella
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Chardonnay
In this fresh and elegant wine with its peach-blossom fragrance, the aim is to evoke those bedtime butterfly kisses of their beautiful baby girl, so the oaking (10 months in this case) is subtle, serving only to spice the stone fruit, melon, and citrus flavours with hints of hazelnuts and vanilla cream. It’s beautifully delicate and understated, with a pure, slightly piquant and lingering ‘mineral’ finish promising great charm well beyond the toddler years.
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Martin Melck
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Cabernet Sauvignon
Anna Catherina’s second name means ‘purity’, a virtue Melck valued, and one that this Simonsberg Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon seeks to express with its concentrated dark fruit (black cherries, berries and plums) underscored by fresh acidity and framed by cedar wood and spice from 18 months in French oak (10% new). Sourced from three different blocks on the estate, it’s opulent yet polished, a wine of integration, balance and great length, true to its terroir just as Melck stayed true to his beliefs.
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The Senator
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Cape Late Bottled Vintage Port
Floral notes of violets and roses entice the bouquet along with a concentration of Christmas spice and plum pudding. Each sip is deeply rich, with flavours ranging from Kirsch-macerated black cherries, truffles, tobacco to dark chocolate-enrobed hazelnuts. There are also savoury undertones in the after taste. With brisk acidity and warming alcohol in harmony with the malleably powerful structure. Seamlessly integrated, this world-class wine should reward contemplation for at least another two decades.
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Martin Melck Family Reserve
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Cabernet Sauvignon
In special years, certain barrels of Muratie’s Simonsberg Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon are so exceptional in terms of their fruit intensity, structure and balance that they deserve to be held back and bottled separately. In this full-bodied, opulent wine, the black berries, currants and plums are almost Crème de Cassis-like in their concentration; the oak integration is seamless while imparting an exotic spice perfume. A wine to cellar for at least five years before savouring slowly.
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Muratie Melck's Blended Red
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Blended Red
Where most of the wines in the portfolio are special occasion wines, this medium-bodied blend is intended for everyday enjoyment. However, it too is sourced entirely from the estate, and while unpretentious it is well-crafted with its soft tannins, bright red berries and hints of white pepper and chocolate from careful oaking.
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George Paul Canitz
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Pinot Noir
Heady combination of strawberries, cherries, plums, and aniseed, all underpinned by hints of truffle, exotic mushrooms and spice. Smooth, velvety entry opens into an elegant mouthful of fruits – preserved raspberries and cherries – surrounded by oak-induced spice flavours of cinnamon and sandalwood. A fresh lively acidity provides balance to the supple and juicy tannins and the finish is lengthy, changing from fruit through to satisfying truffles and earthiness. A rich and warming wine, best enjoyed with game meats or a robust mushroom risotto.
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