Founded by Etienne Le Riche – the King of South African Cabernet and this year’s ‘Winemaking Legend’ (TA) – Le Riche is now run by Christo and Yvonne. Christo heads up the winemaking and has 'filled his father’s sizable shoes’, says Atkin. Known to the family as the ‘backbone of the range’, the 2021 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and a blend of vineyards from the Simonsberg, Jonkershoek and Helderberg wards. ‘Some of the country’s best wines come from more than one site,’ enthuses Atkin.
95pt Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
95pt Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Stellenbosch is among only a handful of incredible Cabernet terroirs in the world, and Le Riche is its benchmark. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon heralds from 10 different vineyards and – as Tim Atkin puts it in his latest SA report – is ‘a masterclass in blending’. From ‘one of the best recent vintages in the Cape’, he continues, it’s the report’s highest scoring Cabernet Sauvignon under R350.
For over two decades, Le Riche has produced some of Stellenbosch’s most captivating, long-ageing wines. While the 2020 was ‘textbook stuff’ according to Atkin (think classic cassis, mulberry and subtle wood), the 2021 is pure and layered with a sense of detail and ‘the backbone to age for another decade in bottle’. If you aren’t familiar with these wines, make space in your cellar AND on your table!
