Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Bottle size: 750ml

The 2017 Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon has been awarded the 2019 Michelangelo Gold Medal and received Gold in the Veritas Cabernet Sauvignon category.

Tasting notes:
'The Le Riches source fruit from six different Stellenbosch sub-regions to produce this textbook Cabernet Sauvignon. Pure, focused and very well balanced, it's a fresh, elegant expression of the variety, showing granular tannins, cassis, plum and wild herb flavours and stylish oak. Drink 2021-28.' – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2019, 93/100

'The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon from Le Riche may only be their “entry level” edition, but it displays many of the impressive complex characteristics that have made their Reserve wines so iconic and collectable internationally. The 2017 colour is an alluring deep garnet-purple on this youthful wine. The bouquet lifts out the glass little by little with a delicate violet perfume but also with significantly more overt and expressive notes of black cherries, red currants, dark chocolate and spicy underbrush tones that melt into nuances of freshly tilled earth. The minerality is very subtle and chimes with faint notes of freshly cut cedar and graphite. On the palate, the soft, sleek, velvety tannins glide over the palate with well trained precision. Such a fine, elegant, polished texture that shows fabulous approachability, a supple fleshy savoury black currant fruit intensity and an earthy black plum fruit length. Wonderful poise and balance in the mouth, this wine demonstrates all the masterful winemaking skills of Christo Le Riche! Drink it from release or cellar for 10+ years. A “must have” for the cellar!' – Greg Sherwood MW, 93/100

'The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon begins with good depth of focused red and black fruits with soft oak tones of cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate, the wine is still showing a tight expression of concentrated fruit, with red floral tones and a firm grip of dark chocolate bitterness that is pleasing now but will age beautifully. The finish is firm with a structured backbone of dusty red and black fruit. Give this full-bodied wine time to improve in the cellar and blossom. 22,000 bottles were made.' – Anthony Mueller, Wine Advocate, 91+/100

'Both vintages share the same fruit source & similar winemaking. Tad more new oak on riper, contemplative 2016 (4 stars, 87 pts). 2017 is more expressive, fresher, with bright fruit, clean cedary tannins & potential to age, though less intensity than 2015 (92 pts).' – Platter's Guide, 4.5* (90/100)