Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Bottle size: 750ml

'Tasted alongside the 2015 and 2016 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon for added perspective reveals a wine that is quite simply drop dead gorgeous. While 2017 is of course another excellent vintage for reds in the Cape and the quality of this icon was always expected to be high, I was not anticipating it being this good! The aromatics are super fragrant and exuberant, showing intricate perfumed notes of violets and lilacs, cinnamon stick, cedar and sandalwood, cigar box and wonderfully complex herbal hints of thyme, dried fennel seeds and Chinese five spice. There is an impressive elegance and gravitas to the silky, finely textured palate which boasts all the classical Cabernet notes of black currants and black plum, crème de cassis, graphite and savoury, earthy nuances of freshly tilled earth. A beautifully proportioned, multi-dimensional wine that shows such a harmonious balance and sophisticated composure reserved for only the finest red wines around the world. Medium bodied, super elegant and weightlessly intense, the fruit flavours are perfectly ripe and precise, growing in the mouth and energised by an exhilarating freshness that holds everything in place so effortlessly. Certainly one of the most ‘complete’ wines I have tasted from the 2017 vintage so far. Drink this beauty on release but be sure to hold back a couple of cases for long term cellaring of 10, 15 or 20+ years.' – Greg Sherwood MW, 97/100

'A consistent, ageworthy top performer. Premium fruit from Firgrove, Raithby, Simonsberg & Jonkershoek for 2017, a notch above 2016 (4.5 stars, 93 pts). Complex & harmonious, 73% new barriques add a dark chocolate nuance on fruit-packed finish. Also in 1.5L.' – Platter's Guide, 5* (96/100)

'Right up there with the very top Stellenbosch Cabernets of the vintage, this is the best wine yet from Christo Le Riche, who has now filled his father's sizeable shoes. Youthful, vigorous and focused, it has capsicum and pencil shaving top notes, layered damson and blackcurrant fruit, racy acidity and structured, dense, ageworthy tannins. Very classy indeed. Drink 2023-35.' – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2020, 96/100

Please email Aidan if you’re looking for a specific vintage from this producer.