Description
Boekenhoutskloof, Cabernet Sauvignon
After being completely blown away by this wine and deciding to offer it, we did what we always do: dug into its backstory for insight as to why it’s so good. Frankly, they had me at “Stellenbosch,” but one factoid about the Boekenhoutskloof winery really stood out for me: the farm, in the spectacular Franschhoek Valley, was originally founded in 1776. It reminded me that while we tend to group South Africa in with other “New World” wine nations (including our own), the reality is different. Wine has been produced in regions like Stellenbosch since the 17th century, so it might be more accurate to classify these wines as “Old World,” but regardless, today’s sumptuous 2014 from Boekenhoutskloof is a melting pot of classical Bordeaux structure and dense Napa-esque fruit.
My first smells and sips had me raving about its resemblance to classified-growth Pauillac—lots of tobacco and graphite and herbs on the nose—then a wave of concentrated cassis fruit rolled in and dropped me onto Napa’s Rutherford Bench. Everyone at SommSelect was floored by it, even more so when we were given the chance to offer it, with substantial age no less. I hope the hard-to-pronounce name doesn’t scare people off, because this is right up there with the world’s Cabernet elite—and, having been lucky enough to see Stellenbosch up close, I can assure you that it’s well-worth the journey. I’ll go to the ends of the earth for Cabernet this good!
Situated just east of Cape Town and looking out toward False Bay (site of the insanely beautiful kelp beds in the Netflix documentary “My Octopus Teacher”), Stellenbosch is the key wine appellation on South Africa’s Western Cape. The Boekenhoutskloof property is situated in the region’s eastern corner, in the Franschhoek Valley, which is surrounded by mountain ranges and therefore doesn’t feel much Atlantic Ocean influence. It is described as a warm, “continental” climate, with soils that combine “alluvial” (i.e. river-deposited) sandstone over granite bedrock. The name “Boekenhoutskloof,” meanwhile, means “ravine of the Boekenhout” (pronounced bookn-howed)—a reference to a type of beech tree native to the area (whose wood has traditionally been used to make chairs like those on the label).
Purchased and restored in 1993 and now run by owner/winemaker Marc Kent, the estate has achieved organic certification for its vineyards and bills itself as a “Syrah specialist,” which only intrigues me further given the unmitigated success of this Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2014 included a dollop of Cabernet Franc (6%) and was sourced from four adjacent vineyard parcels with a southwesterly aspect; this vintage shows a more classical (i.e. Bordeaux-like) structure, with relatively modest alcohol and loads of stony savor to complement the concentrated dark fruit. To put it bluntly, this wine would cost at least twice as much if it came from either Bordeaux or Napa. It’s that good.
In the glass, the wine displays a nearly opaque ruby-garnet color and leads with aromas of black currant, cassis, Bing cherry, sweet tobacco, graphite, and, as Kent notes, hints of native Cape shrubbery called “fynbos.” It is full-bodied but not massive, with beautiful focus and balance and, thanks to a few years of bottle age, well-integrated tannins. There is still plenty of life in this wine (it should go 10+ years more with ease), but we were all quite happy with where it is right now: Decant it 30-60 minutes before serving at 60-65 degrees in large Bordeaux stems and watch it climb right into your top rank. It is serious stuff, worthy of some extra effort in the kitchen, so when you’re ready to pull the cork we’ve got a great recipe attached. Enjoy!
