De Toren Z Stellenbosch Red 2017 750 ML

This shows lots of fruit, with red and black currant, cocoa and damson plum notes, all backed by ripe but firm tannins. It is balanced and shows good depth, but this is for the fans of the riper style.
Producer Information
De Toren Private Cellar is an estate situated in one of South Africa’s most famous winemaking regions, Stellenbosch. It was founded by Emil and Sonette den Dulk in the early 1990s with a view to producing Bordeaux-style blends from South African soils. The estate consists of 22 hectares (54 acres) of hillside vineyards. Here, the vines have an excellent, sun-exposed aspect that, when combined with cooling southeastern winds, makes for excellent growing conditions. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec were the first grape varieties to be planted by De Toren, and formed the basis of the first wine, Fusion V, released in 1999. This Cabernet Sauvignon-predominant blend is made in a classic “left bank” Bordeaux style from vines cultivated in gravel-rich soils. The estate’s second wine, Z, was released in 2004. This “right bank” style Bordeaux blend is named after the Zephyr breeze that provides a favorable cool, coastal climate in the vineyard block from which the grapes are sourced. Merlot is the dominant grape variety and thrives in the clay-heavy soils found on this site. While these two wines form the backbone of De Toren’s portfolio, the estate also produces Book XVII (a Bordeaux blend) and The Black Lion (made from Shiraz). These premium wines are made from only the best vines that are selected using high-tech equipment including infrared aerial imaging.