'I was not anticipating it being this good!' – Greg Sherwood MW, 97/100

 
Wine Cellar - fine wine merchants & cellarers
 
'I was not anticipating it being this good!' – Greg Sherwood MW, 97/100 James Pietersen, 16 November 2020
 

Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017: Pre-release

As a property, Le Riche is very much at the core of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon and the high standing the category enjoys. Etienne made some of the most iconic Cabernet-based wines at Rustenberg, followed by incredible releases from Le Riche itself, including the 2003s and 2005s. Christo and his siblings are now in charge and the 2017 emulates, if not surpasses, their father’s greats of the past. The 2017 Le Riche Reserve is as near-perfect an expression of Stellenbosch Cabernet as we have had from the excellent 2017 vintage. As this vintage is sure to evolve brilliantly for decades to come, this is a ‘must’ for any serious wine collector.

Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 – Order online

R 720 per bottle

Order online

2017 is poised to go down as one of the greatest Stellenbosch vintages. Much of this comes down to the drought conditions which led to great fruit concentration, followed by a moderate ripening season with the highest level of recorded tannins to date. There is no better wine than this to showcase 2017's complexity, power and elegantly etched tannins – it captures the very essence of the vintage. There has been a string of well-deserved accolades, including 97/100 from Greg Sherwood MW, 96/100 from Tim Atkin MW, and the newly awarded Platter’s 2021 5 star.

This is a pre-release offer (orders will be delivered from 1 December) which affords you a rare chance to secure your selection early!

 
Free delivery on orders over R 1,500. View delivery charges.
 

Reply to this email or visit our website to place your order online.

Place your order online

Vinous regards,

James Pietersen

Tasting notes

Le Riche, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Tasted alongside the 2015 and 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for added perspective reveals a wine that is quite simply drop dead gorgeous. While 2017 is of course another excellent vintage for reds in the Cape and the quality of this icon was always expected to be high, I was not anticipating it being this good! The aromatics are super fragrant and exuberant, showing intricate perfumed notes of violets and lilacs, cinnamon stick, cedar and sandalwood, cigar box and wonderfully complex herbal hints of thyme, dried fennel seeds and Chinese five spice. There is an impressive elegance and gravitas to the silky, finely textured palate which boasts all the classical Cabernet notes of black currants and black plum, crème de cassis, graphite and savoury, earthy nuances of freshly tilled earth. A beautifully proportioned, multi-dimensional wine that shows such a harmonious balance and sophisticated composure reserved for only the finest red wines around the world. Medium bodied, super elegant and weightlessly intense, the fruit flavours are perfectly ripe and precise, growing in the mouth and energised by an exhilarating freshness that holds everything in place so effortlessly. Certainly one of the most ‘complete’ wines I have tasted from the 2017 vintage so far. Drink this beauty on release but be sure to hold back a couple of cases for long term cellaring of 10, 15 or 20+ years. – Greg Sherwood MW, 97/100

A consistent, ageworthy top performer. Premium fruit from Firgrove, Raithby, Simonsberg & Jonkershoek for 2017, a notch above 2016 (4.5 stars, 93 pts). Complex & harmonious, 73% new barriques add a dark chocolate nuance on fruit-packed finish. Also in 1.5L. – Platter's Guide, 5* (96/100)

Right up there with the very top Stellenbosch Cabernets of the vintage, this is the best wine yet from Christo Le Riche, who has now filled his father's sizeable shoes. Youthful, vigorous and focused, it has capsicum and pencil shaving top notes, layered damson and blackcurrant fruit, racy acidity and structured, dense, ageworthy tannins. Very classy indeed. Drink 2023-35. – Tim Atkin MW, 96/100

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Wine Cellar, Unit 4 Price’s Park, Nelson Road, Observatory, 7925, Cape Town

info@winecellar.co.za  |  www.winecellar.co.za  |  +27 21 448 4105

Office hours: 8am – 5pm (Monday to Friday)
(Closed on public holidays)

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