The crown jewel of reds is here, the sophisticated Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. The Stellenbosch winery is considered a South African First Growth, and this investment wine is a reflection of the divergent Stellenbosch terroirs Le Riche
prospects. 2021 is also one of the finest vintages for cabernet in recent history. While drinking beautifully now, the Reserve will benefit from further cellaring of up to ten years and beyond. Reserve status is only given in exceptional years. “Stellenbosch cabernet straddles the position between the Old and the New World styles,” says Christo le Riche of the eponymous winery. “We’ve got beautiful fruit, obviously enough sunshine, but at the same time there’s an elegance and a restraint which places you in the Old World.”
Debuted in 1997, the 2021 release of the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon marks its 25th anniversary. “I believe our 2021 Reserve will compete as one of the greatest,” affirms Le Riche. “It is a tannic vintage with elegant fruit and great ageing potential. It’s a delicate tightrope of power and precision.”
The Le Riche family are pivotal to the story of fine South African cabernet. Single–varietal bottlings of cabernet are a relatively new thing in the country. Many were labelled as such, as far back as 1945 (Zonnebloem), but the contents weren’t verified. Not having much of it to go around, it was generally fattened up with cinsault, pinotage and Portuguese grapes; and you could do so without having to declare it. The first officially certified cabernet was the Rustenberg 1971, made by Etienne le Riche, patriarch of Le Riche. He left Rustenberg to start Le Riche in 1996, with not much other than a few tanks and some high–quality grape parcels – and of course, his inimitable expertise for South African cabernet.
Le Riche Wines is still a family concern. Christo is the director and cellarmaster, assisted by Mark Daniels in the winery who has been with them since inception. Daughter Yvonne le Riche is in charge of exports and logistics, while nephew Francois le Riche is the commercial manager. The team works with a network of trusted wine growers with vineyards based in the Stellenbosch wards of Jonkershoek and Simonsberg, along with the upper and lower foothills of the Helderberg Mountain.
The blend for the Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 comprises parcels from the Helderberg (67 per cent) the Simonsberg (22 per cent) and the Jonkershoek Valley (11 per cent). The blocks were vinified separately, spending a year in French oak (70 per cent new) until blending. The wine was then returned to barrel for 12 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered, and matured for another year before release.
This is cabernet dialled all the way up. Intensely fragrant nose of cassis, forest berries, plum violets; a crush of black brooding fruit. Deep and dark, like an inverted kaleidoscope, with flashes of Caravaggio–esque intensity. The entry is satiny and mouth–coating, flushed with the sappy juice of red cherries. Layered, gravelly tannins stand up to the fruit intensity, framing the dense iodine and black plum core. Fresh, lively acidity threads through, refreshing the palate.
The finish is complex and long, unwinding with all those lovely dark fruits in resonance. “Stellenbosch is South Africa’s prime cabernet territory, and one of the great cabernet regions of the world,” states Le Riche. “The geographical attributes, with an array of elevation, aspects and ancient soils, as well as a Mediterranean climate with maritime influences, create the conditions for the excellent quality we can achieve here.”
What’s next for this cabernet powerhouse? “At the moment we are securing and planting new vineyards that will be able to carry us forward into the next 30 years,” shares Le Riche. “I’m looking forward to working with some new wards, such as the Polkadraai and the Bottelary.” Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is available from specialist wine stores nationally and online at www.leriche.co.za, at R1050 per bottle. Visit their website for details on their three single vineyard cabernets, also being released this year, with just 300 bottles of each available.
