Winemaker Notes

The nose is exceptionally perfumed with an abundance of complex red and dark berry fruit, violets and intense aromas of white pepper. Dark brooding fruit follows through onto a structured, opulent palate with notes of cardamom, cumin, cloves and black pepper. The midpalate is rich, textured and balanced with integrated acidity, cocoa powdery tannins and a definite cedarwood character derived from French oak. White pepper lingers on a smooth, lifted finish.

Critical Acclaim

W&S93Wine & SpiritsShortly into taking notes on this wine, I gave up and wrote, Oh yum. With less syrah and more grenache and cinsault than the 2016, its super-floral and spicy, with a crushed-berry freshness to the fruit that makes it immediately appealing. Stay with it for a few moments and it develops the savor of a steak cooked black and blue, the bloody tang of the meat and smokiness of the grill marks adding a deep savor. Poured blind, itd be easily confused for a top Rhne grenacheat least, until the price is revealed.TA93Tim Atkin

One of South Africas most successful brands, selling at a price that many producers can only dream of, this Syrah-based cuve with Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier is smooth, youthful and floral, with Asian spices, bramble and blueberry fruit, some tannic backbone and the potential to age further in bottle. 2020-26.

RP91Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

A blend of 64% Syrah, 14% Grenache, 11% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Viognier, the 2017 Chocolate Block is dense, rich and fully complex. The nose is filled with red and black fruits and black spices, with well-integrated oak tones of vanilla and nutmeg. There is an underlying minerality about the wine as well. On the palate, the wine is bold and chewy with a tight mineral and tannic grip. The mid-palate is loaded with blackberries, black pepper, dark chocolate and dusty plum. The finish is long and delivers a focused expression of a serious wine and will need time to age, or you will have to enjoy it with a hearty meal to tame the tannins. The full-bodied wine ends with a long finish.