How many times have you tasted a wine from South Africa? Usually my purchases from the wine region revolve around Pinotage. However, I came across this wonderful wine produced by Boekenhoutskloof, which means "Cape of Good Hope". Check out their website - I really like how it's put together!
I couldn't agree more with their marketing description from their winemaker: "Sourced from Malmesbury in the Swartland the Syrah provides the spice and weight while the Mourvèdre adds structure and aroma to the blend. The pungent Viognier component boosts the perfume profile. French oak matured with the Viognier blended prior to bottling.
Tasting notes: Spicy profile with ripe black fruit and cherries. Hints of violet flavours from the Viognier. Smooth and rich on the palate with soft tannins and good density. Made for easy drinking."
A 65% syrah, 32% mouvedre, and 3% viognier, the specs on this wine are amazing: 14.29% alcohol, 2.7 g/L residual sugar, and 5.7 g/L tartaric acid. This wine is a real gem. For more information about this wine, in addition to my notes, read more here.
2010 Wolftrap Red by Boekenhoutskloof Winery
(Photos by author)
The D-2010 Scale
2010 Wolftrap Red by Boekenhoutskloof Winery (South Africa)
Appearance (10 points possible): ruby red colors with brick edges, not totally clear, some small tartrates - 10 points
Aroma/Bouquet (20 points possible): Ripe plums, dark violet flavors, currants, elderbrries, toasty oak, nutmeg, and light strawberries. - 19 points
Taste (10 points possible): Medium-bodied throughout with smooth tannins and fruity, violet flavors. Tannins are very mature and the wine is very pleasant. Flavor matches the nose well. - 8 points
Balance (5 points possible): With all components in line, I think this wine is well balanced. - 5 points
Finish (5 points possible): Finish is slightly astringent, but it finishes with a sweet violet character and lingers with citrus/strawberry notes. The finish was surprising, but smooth, long-winded, and pleasant. - 5 points
Packaging *Introduction to the D-2010 Scale*
Quality of Package (5 points possible): Traditional Bordeaux style bottle with screw cap. Additional "certified" sustainability seal on the closure. Bottle is well-made and heavy. - 5 points
Label Marketability (10 points possible): I like the label, but I didn't initially grab this bottle because I had no idea why someone would write "The Wolftrap" on a bottle label. The fact that the 3 varietals are listed on the label really made me want to try it. - 9 points
Other (5 points possible): I think the "certified sustai" seal will give this wine an extra point. :) - 4 points
Total Points: 95 points
Overall Thought: It took some coercing for me to buy this wine, but I'm glad that the guy in the wine shop talked me into it. I've never had a Syrah blend from South Africa - Pinotage, yes, but Syrah, no. This was such a pleasant Syrah, though. I really enjoyed the fact that this bottle reminded me of a field of violets. It's not very often that I find Syrahs that are so strong in that character. The extra push from the Viognier was just over-the-top perfect. The higher alcohol and probably a touch of sweetness make this so enjoyable. LOVE this red wine.
Food Pairings: I'd try this wine with some cheddar cheese for all you cheese lovers out there. It's perfect enough that I almost don't want to "ruin" it with food. I could also see this with chicken pot pie with lots of veggies and a touch of nutmeg. Yummy... winter... wine... that makes me wish for spring. :)
Cost: $9.99 ($11.99 in PA)
Splurge Factor (out of 4): A $10.00 wine... unless you live in PA. And $12.00 isn't bad for the quality. Worth the purchase. I've pushed this wine on several red wine drinkers, and it seems to be enjoyed by all. This is what we'd call a bargain wine of high quality.
Where to buy: I'm pretty sure you could find this wine through most distributors. I found it while visiting my parents in the Northeast, but I've also found it in the PA PLCB wine stores. :)
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