2017 Oude Nektar

Bottle 3,313 of 4,617. A very interesting block, I'm told. 580 m asl, Stark-Condé's coolest block of Cab, but it gets a half hour of more sunlight every day. 2017 was a beautiful vintage – 28–32 deg C during the day and down to 9–11 at night. So staggeringly different from the 2018. I've decided to keep my slightly incoherent original tasting note here, unedited, because it's honest, and when I tasted this wine on the second and the third and the fourth day afterwards, it was the same every time. A dancer. Cashmere. The fruit on this is exquisite. See-through. Pomegranate. So so so fine. I’ve found less words with this wine, yet loved it more. Purity of fruit, a thinker, on a rock by itself watching the sunset. Introvert and fragrant and my god this guy [Rüdger Van Wyk] does storybook tannins. This beauty stole my heart. (TC)

Full bottle 1,300 g. 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec. Cabernet clones 169 and 23 on 101-14 rootstocks. Based on a single vineyard at the highest elevation on their Oude Nektar farm, at 540–600 m, on stony, decomposed granite with a clay subsoil, and with a perfect aspect to the afternoon sun, giving 45 more minutes’ sunshine than the Stellenbosch average. Originally planted 2003, but replanted in 2009 following a fire. Fourth vintage after replanting. Hand-picked in mid March. Grapes cooled overnight, then destemmed and sorted. Two-day cold soak. Fermentation in small, open tanks, for around 10 days with indigenous yeasts. Punchdowns 4–6 times per day during the vigorous part of fermentation, then twice towards the end. Pressed and racked to barrel for malolactic fermentation and barrel maturation, in 70% new, small French oak. After 20 months in barrel, bottled without fining or filtration. Natural cork. TA 6.7 g/l, RS 1.9 g/l, total extract 32.3 g/l. 4,617 bottles made. Deep black-ruby. Some crushed-rock notes, with ripe cassis, toasted wood and a hint of pyrazine leafiness. Medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and mouth-coating – but fine-grained – tannins. Long, quite floral finish. A clear step up from their straight Cabernet tasted immediately beforehand. (TJ)

Bursting with a juicy nature, the 2017 Oude Nektar opens with a soft essence of dried herbs, juicy dark cherry, cassis, redcurrant and blackberry before offering up red and purple flowers with a dusty, sweet oak essence. Medium to full-bodied, the wine shows a broad mouthfeel with a kiss of residual sugar on the mid-palate, with flavors of tart red cherry, black tea and dark chocolate. The wine ends with elements of graphite, black raspberry and black tea on the lingering finish. This delicious and juicy wine is food-friendly and thoroughly delightful. As the front label states, only 4,617 bottles were made.