LIQUID INVESTMENTS
MICHAEL FRIDJHON: Out-of-fashion cabernet still has a place in the cellar
Until recently there was pretty much general consensus that the Cape’s best chance at a world-class red wine would be cabernet-based. Up to the 1980s, cabernet sauvignon was the country’s only real so-called noble cultivar. There were small plantings of shiraz, but almost all of the vineyards were badly virused and the wines emerged leathery, rather bright-fruited or peppery. Cabernet, on the other hand, while no less virused, managed to produce much purer wine. SA’s first modern merlot vineyards came into production at the end of the 1970s and the variety was expected to perform the same role in our wine as it did in Bordeaux. Meerlust Merlot and Meerlust Rubicon swiftly became the Cape’s most sought-after red wines. Other properties launched ultra-premium blends, initially with a merlot addition to their cabernet sauvignon, but later with some — or all — of other Bordeaux varieties.Whereas the top wine from Kanonkop, for example, had been a cabernet sauvignon, in time the estate’s...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.