Dear *|FNAME|*,

This is an uber satisfying wine from – as Tim Atkin puts it – ‘one of the quiet geniuses of the South African wine industry’. Chris Keet is responsible for producing the legendary Cordoba Crescendos. He put Cabernet Franc at the centre of the blend, celebrating the regal potential of this variety in Stellenbosch.

The Keet First Verse 2019 continues this legacy. Cabernet Franc leads the blend at 32%, followed by an impressive Merlot component, Cabernet Sauvignon for structure, and smatterings of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Brilliantly realised, this is a complete wine. A recent tasting of the 10-year-old 2013, just entering its drinking window, underscores the wine’s wonderful ageing potential.

The Keet First Verse 2019 offers Cabernet Franc perfume and plummy Merlot fruit. Deep cassis follows from the Cabernet, with dark berry and a herbal lift from the Petit Verdot and Malbec. Seductive oak spices mingle with cocoa dust and dark chocolate, rounding out a fine nose. This leads to a palate of elegant, poised, and sumptuous fruit – expressing the Stellenbosch sun in complex layers. The tannins are super fine and lingering, and the overall impression is one of seamless balance and composure.

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Vinous regards,

Tasting notes

Keet First Verse 2019

‘The latest in a run of brilliant releases from Chris Keet, one of the quiet geniuses of the South African wine industry, this is a seven-site Stellenbosch blend of predominantly Cabernet Franc with 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Drinkable young, but capable of ageing well in bottle, this is a triumph over the tricky 2019 growing season, showing good texture, cedarwood, dark chocolate and green herb aromas, filigree tannins and tangy dark berry fruit.’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2022, 96/100

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