Ernie Els Red Wine Proprietor’S Blend Stellenbosch 2016 750 ML

The appearance is a black core with a deeply rich hue. Notes of sweet black and blueberries dance on the nose. With time, floral aromatics are coaxed from the glass. Medium- to full-bodied, it is strewn with black fruits, exotic spice and shards of dark chocolate. Sweet, spicy oak melts into a dense, powerful, fruity and structured core.

Producer Information

Ernie Els is a winery located in the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape, South Africa. It was founded by the world-class golfer Ernie Els in 2000, and is known for its robust, Bordeaux-styled red wines made from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly the Ernie Els Signature, a blend of the two. The estate is located on the slopes of the Heiderberg Mountain, where north-facing vineyards benefit from optimum amounts of sunlight and cooling breezes from the Atlantic Ocean. This, combined with soils of clay and granite, is an excellent environment for red grape varieties, and the Ernie Els property is planted mostly to Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Shiraz. The wine collection is produced in a big, bold style, using long maceration times and pump overs during fermentation for color extraction. The winery also employs a lot of new French oak in maturation. In the Ernie Els Signature Bordeaux blend, the varieties are fermented separately in barrel before the final blend is decided. Ernie Els also produces a Proprietor’s blend, using all the varieties grown on the property, as well as varietal Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah wines. The Big Easy red and white wines, made from grapes sourced from around the Western Cape, provide the estate’s entry-level range.