Tokara Unveils 25 Years of Mastery with the Maiden Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon
The spectacularly scenic slopes of the Simonsberg mountain that form the backdrop to Tokara have inspired the Stellenbosch wine estate to capture the essence of the iconic mountain range in the bottle. The inaugural vintage of their new terroir-specific Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon metaphorically moves mountains into nostalgic taste memories that evoke a subliminal sense of place. And the combination of altitude, climate and soil in their vineyards creates an environment perfectly suited for cultivating cabernet sauvignon of the highest calibre.
“The more au fait you become with a vineyard site and a terroir, if you’re paying attention, small parcels within vineyards rise to the top and show a nuance or differentiating factor to the vineyards and vines around it in the same block,” says winemaker Stuart Botha of the inspiration behind creating this new wine.
An exploration of granite soils
“In this case, the Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon comes from our finest blocks, from a combination of parcels within those blocks that have a higher granitic gravel content,” Stuart continues. “The vines are often a little bit less vigorous, the fruit’s concentrated, and the berries are smaller as a result of being in that higher fraction of gravel.”
The whole project began with looking at those specific parcels. “We separated those portions out, ferment and mature them separately, and the end result is a wine that is both powerful and elegant, a pure expression of cabernet sauvignon, especially typical of the Simonsberg.
A fortuitous vintage
“For me, the 2021 vintage is certainly one of the best in the last decade in terms of vintage quality,” says Stuart. “So it’s particularly fortuitous that we started the project in this year. The first of the great 2021 wines from the South African harvest are already in the market, in front of consumers’ noses and on their palates, so it’s the perfect time to launch this wine.
“Obviously, it’s the result of 25 years of learning and perfecting our craft, it’s been a remarkable journey to understand the various Cabernet Sauvignon sites on Tokara, how to handle the fruit coming into the cellar and to optimise best practices, vessels and fermentation to create a complex wine that will evolve beautifully with time.
The winemaking
Hand-picked at optimal ripeness over an extended harvest, the grapes were treated with utmost care in the cellar. The de-stemmed grapes were sorted and then crushed directly into fermentation tanks without the use of pumps, preserving the integrity of the fruit.The wine underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel, followed by an extended maturation period of 22 months in 100% new French oak barriques.
Stuart’s tasting notes describe a brilliant ruby red colour with a black core and vibrant edge, the nose leading with classic graphite notes, ripe dark cherry, dried cranberry and briary fruits interwoven with aromas of cassis and subtle five spice. The wine enters the palate assuredly, showcasing judicious use of oak and fine-grained tannin.
“This type of wine, given its stature, is one to share and appreciate around the table with friends, family and interested wine people,” he says. He suggests pairing it with hearty meat dishes such as braised Karoo lamb or beef shortrib with Asian seasonings.
Beauty in a box
A collector’s wine, and one for a special gift, there are only tiny quantities of this maiden vintage. It comes in beautiful packaging that pays homage to the mountainside, you’ll see the box opens along the outline of the Simonsberg.
This is a wine with serious ageing potential, “2026 will would probably be a great time to start enjoying this wine” says Stuart, “but it has the ageing ability to go another 20 years, cellared correctly.”
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