I continue to be totally wowed by this South African winery. I recently featured their estate Cabernet and it was a big hit with Tidewater members. Arriving Friday is their highest-end Cabernet blend called "Ampitheatre".
The Ampitheatre is functionally the estate's "reserve" wine and its name comes from the fact that the estate's vines are planted in a naturally occurring ampitheatre up in the Stellenbosch mountains.
I tasted the wine from magnum at a trade tasting last year and was impressed at the time. An additional year or two of bottle age has made the wine even smoother and more striking. If you've ever been curious what Bordeaux's legendary Chateau Haut-Brion tastes like, this is really not far off in terms of flavor profile. This has power as well as a silky texture, with notes of dark berries, vanilla, charcoal (in a good way), and wild herbs like sage.
The truth is that if it said "Napa Valley" on the label of this wine, it would cost twice the price. It's impressive in every way. If you love Cabernet don't miss this one.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot. Serve cool.