Dear *|FNAME|*,

Neal Martin is regarded as the most critical of international wine writers. His expertise includes Bordeaux, Burgundy and South Africa. It is therefore no mean feat that the MR de Compostella 2020 follows on the 2018 with a rating of 97 points, SA’s highest rated red blend. This is ‘...revered as one of the Cape’s most eminent wines’ Neal Martin notes.

The MR de Compostella stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the best Bordeaux blends in the world, and is at the forefront of Stellenbosch’s high standing. The 2020 is pure class.

The MR de Compostella 2020 is a blend of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, and in the words of Mzo and Bruwer this is a wine made by two winemaker friends in the pursuit of excellence. A wine that is more than the sum of its parts.

Launched alongside older vintages that made it clear that these are wines that will mature for decades, at least 3 decades according to Neal Martin. The 2020 shows great fruit purity and fine tannins, sitting somewhere between the elegance of 2017 and the density of 2018.

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Vinous regards,

Tasting notes

Mvemwe Raats De Compostella 2020

'The 2020 MR de Compostella is a blend of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot matured in 1st, 2nd and 3rd fill barrels for 24 months. It has a stunning nose with effortlessly pure black cherry, boysenberry and raspberry fruit, seamlessly interlaced with the oak. The palate is medium-bodied with an intense opening, layers of red fruit, spicebox, cracked black pepper and graphite. There is a huge structure to this Compostella but with immense salinity and finesse on the finish. It will need three to four years in bottle, but it is a tremendous wine (again). 2026-2050' – Neal Martin, Vinous, 97/100

'Never made with exactly the same blend in any two vintages, the 2020 is a classic Cape Bordeaux assemblage of 30% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot with a total production of only 1,000 x 6. The wine displays a real intensity in the glass with a ruby red rim and a red / black plum heart. The aromatics are vibrant and fabulously perfumed, bursting from the glass with expressive notes of red and black berry fruits, black currant, raspberry, red and black cherry, before notes of earthy blueberry emerge with suggestions of pressed violets, lavender, sweet sandalwood, star anise and graphite spice. On the palate, the vintage’s regal elegance emerges with exhilarating acids framing the plush opulent red and back berry fruits, saline cassis, tart red cherry and a blueberry confectionary generosity. Tasting the wine with Bruwer Raats, inevitable comparisons were made to the iconic 2017 MR, with both wines sharing a beautifully bright acid freshness and a weightless concentration of pure berry fruits with only the slightest suggestion of vanilla oak spice. This really is a wine with a mixed palette of colours, flavours and fruits and the most seamlessly elegant, finessed velvety tannins. Following on from the 2018 blockbuster, with no 2019 MR produced, this 2020 is a bold, enchanting, characterful wine full of precision that trumpets the return of this incredible benchmark Cape classic. A breathtaking wine on so many levels. 2024 to 2045+.' – Greg Sherwood MW, 98/100

'This had been bottled a few days before I tasted it, but it was already showing its class and pedigree. Inky, concentrated yet refined, it's a seamless cuvée of Cabernet Franc with 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Malbec, 16% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot framed by 15% new wood. Mocha, cassis and blueberry flavours are complemented by hints of graphite and fynbos, with fleshy tannins and a bright, acid-driven finish. 2024-32' – Tim Atkin, MW, South African Special Report 2022, 95/100

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