2023 Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek

95 Tim Atkin MW

Nearly all sourced from the farm in Franschhoek, this is the more floral of the two
Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignons in 2023, partly thanks to the presence of 14%
Cabernet Franc in the blend. Carrying its 80% new oak lightly, it's leafy, scented and
enticing, with filigree tannins, impressive underlying structure and acidity and dried herb,
cassis and paprika flavours. 2026-33

19.5/20 Matthew Jukes

And we come to one of the finest wines ever to wear this badge!  It is 30 years since Marc first received grapes from this vineyard to make his wines, and I cannot remember a more profound creation (and I have tasted them all).  For a start, the nose is epically floral, crammed with an entire stationer’s emporium of pencil lead, and the oak is so delectable, I could eat a steak of it with a simple side salad.  This is an intricate and yet astoundingly grand wine, and it soaks the palate in glory.  The tannins are exquisite, and they will propel this wine forward for a heroic decade and then one more, but I am a sucker for swaggering, elementally charged red wines, so I would not wait until grey appears around this wine’s temples.  Admittedly, you would need some decanter time if you were to venture into this wine’s world today, but I wouldn’t say no.  I reckon its true peak will be in five or six years when you will be able to put it alongside every worthy Cabernet adversary on Earth, and it will simply smile back at you (just like Marc in the photo above).  19.5+/20