Le Riche Reserve

World class Cabernet with a host of accolades to prove it! 
Country, Region: South Africa, Stellenbosch
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vintage: 2021
ABV: 14.5%
Food friend: Oxtail
£52.99 Single bottle
Qty:
Tasting Notes
Producer details
In the vineyard
In the winery
Food Recommendations
In the press
Awards
 

Ripe and opulent on the nose with classic Cabernet aromas of blackcurrants, black cherry and plum with cedar spice. The palate is rich and velvety yet remarkably fresh and linear, showcasing black fruit, a creamy mouthfeel and dark chocolate flavours balanced by round structured tannins. A wine with a wonderfully long, complex finish and great potential for maturation.

Le Riche is a family run estate founded by Etienne Le Riche in 1996. Situated close to the historic town of Stellenbosch, the winery is perched on the slopes of the Heldeberg Mountain and surrounded by the majestic Hottentots Holland Mountain range. Le Riche are known as ‘Cabernet Masters' and rightly so. They select grapes from the best possible Stellenbosch terroirs to craft top quality Cabernets with superb cellaring potential. These wines are elegant and classy with fine grained tannins and subtle oak integration, and while not aiming to be Bordeaux replicas, they do have much in common with the balance and poise sometimes found in top Margaux.

Reserve status is only endowed if the grapes and resulting wine measures up to exceptional standard. Hand selected grapes from older, lower yielding vines are used, 65% from the Helderberg Coastal area, 22% from the Simonsberg and 13% from Helderberg Mountain. The soil type varies from decomposed granite with sandy/loamy duplex gravels in Raithby and Firgrove to rocky hutton soil mix with shale in Jonkershoek. Vineyards are a mere 5-15km from the ocean and range from 80 - 320m in altitude.

Fermentation is made with a selected yeast strain under controlled temperatures. Manual plunging during this period ensures optimal colour extraction. After five days the tanks are closed and allowed to macerate for a further period, normally 10-14 days. Pressing follows and the wine is transferred to French oak barriques (76% new) for malolactic fermentation. After a year in barrel the individual batches are blended to form the final wine and returned to barrel for another year. Bottled unfined and unfiltered then matured for one year before release.

Rich meat dishes such as fillet steak, paired with a rich and creamy peppercorn sauce. Bolder styled stews, for example boeuf bourguignon, oxtail or pot roast would also be well matched.

97 Points - Greg Sherwood MW. "The aromatics on this pure Cabernet Sauvignon are incredible - lifted, complex and pristinely perfumed. The fruit is so beautifully pinpoint and focused with hints of black cherry and maritime salinity over black berries, bramble berries and creamy, silky soft ripe tannins that envelop the palate. This is simply a monumental effort from Le Riche".

2021 Vintage Decanter World Wine Awards 2024 Gold Medal Winner 2020 Vintage 'Best in Show' - Decanter World Wine Awards 2023

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