2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Coastal Region

Very dark, still blueish. Savoury nose without a hint of the obvious sweetness that can dog simpler New World Cabernets. An appetising leafiness. Very fresh and youthful. But great build and energy. The wine has a beginning, middle and end and real lift. Still quite a bit of fine tannin. Real appeal. Both opulent and lifted. [The cheapest wine by far! Not nearly as expensive as Vergelegen's V below, nor even than their Bordeaux blend.] (JR)

(with 15% merlot; aged for 21 months in 70% new oak) Full ruby-red. Deep, highly nuanced nose combines black cherry, plum, pencil shavings, cigar box and a whiff of smoked meat. Wonderfully deep and sweet in the mouth, with a velvety texture and complex flavors of plum, cigar box and soft herbs. This offers uncanny palate coverage and finishes with extremely fine-grained tannins and superb persistence.