Reyneke Capstone Red
Varietal: Red Blend
Bottle Size: 750 mL
Region: South Africa
Medium Red Wines
(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc): Bright ruby-red. Lovely violet lift to the aromas of blackberry, cassis, leather and licorice. Intense flavors of dark berries, woodsmoke, leather and spices show a captivating balance of sweetness and acidity. Finishes with substantial dusty tannins and excellent perfumed length. This wine needs time to resolve its dusty tannins, but winemaker Gretschel noted that the 2011 version was more austere.
2012 Vintage Scores:
The 2012 Cornerstone (Capstone) is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc and underwent the most selection, destemmed with natural ferment with around 20% new oak mostly on the Cabernet and matured for 16 months in barriques. The nose is tightly wound at first with fresh black fruit, a hint of peppermint that becomes more accentuated over the ten minutes the wine is in the glass. It has a crisp entry with chalky tannins: terse tobacco-tinged black fruit, a spicy tincture that become more prominent toward the finish, with a black olive compote aftertaste. This is another very fine Bordeaux blend that deserves a few months in bottle.
Robert Parker: 90 Points
