2019 Vilafonte Seriously Old Dirt
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Tasting notes
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 5% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc. Fermented in steel tanks with a small portion in French oak barrels. A large proportion of the wine is inoculated with the remainder fermented by ambient yeasts. Aeration of certain wine lots, maximum fermentation temperature of 30 °C. Partial malolactic. Aged for 18 months in old French oak barriques. Winemakers: Chris de Vries and Arlene Mains. TA 5.59 g/l , pH 3.69, RS 2.75 g/l . Bottle weight 620 g. Complex, intriguing nose. Lovely wine from a leading Paarl producer. Just a hint of that South African smoky note but there is undoubted purity here. Density, freshness on the palate, long and lush finish. Fine tannins and acidity suggest this has a long future ahead. (AWH)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Seriously Old Dirt comprises 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec, 5% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. It has a savory nose of dusky black fruit and a touch of smoke and bacon fat. The palate is medium-bodied with quite dry tannins on the entry, moderate depth and a slight attenuation toward the finish. Just a little austere for my liking.
About the producer
Based in Paarl, Vilafonté was created by two leading Californian consultants, Zelma Long and Dr Phil Freese, with South African native Mike Ratcliffe. Today its Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blends are some of the country’s most respected – and highest rated.