A blend 48% Syrah, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Merlot and aged in oak for 15 months, the 2008 Anwilka has a glossy, well-defined bouquet that is rather taciturn at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with a lactic entry: touches of dark chocolate and mocha at first, interwoven with blackberry and boysenberry fruit. The texture is a little “furry” but it is endowed with a satisfying, silky finish. Cellar this for 2-3 years and wait for those secondary flavours. Drink 2013-2020. Anwilka is the joint venture between Bruno Prats, Hubert de Bouard from Bordeaux, and Lowell Jooste representing the home team. The grapes in their Stellenbosch vineyard are selected from 12 of the 40 hectares planted and yields are kept around 35 hectoliter per hectare, before fermentation in 7,000-liter “tronical” stainless-steel tanks and matured for nine-months in French oak. A majority of Anwilka is exported and sold through the Bordeaux “Place.”Importer: Fidelis and though Bordeaux negociants.

A strong sage note and slightly firm tobacco leaf and pepper hints frame the core of roasted fig, plum and black currant fruit in this roasted version. A charcoal edge hangs on the finish, creating a slightly burly feel overall. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2015.??–JM??Region: South Africa / Western Cape / Coastal Region / Stellenbosch / Stellenbosch Select to Add