Tasted at Three Borders Wine Group, Hampshire, UK. We enjoyed a vertical tasting of Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, tasting six vintages from 2012 to 2005. This case was made available in the UK through The Wine Society and the wines had recently been shipped from the winery.
These notes feature the note on all 6 vintages:
2012: Decanted one hour as recommended. This has a dash of petit verdot. This bottle was expected to be one of the best, but sadly was slightly oxidised with a metallic taste and no fruit. It was drinkable. The colour was medium plum. The palate was earthy, mushrooms, veggie. Not good.
2011: Decanted one hour as recommended. Dark plum colour. Fully mature and ready to drink. Rich and silky. Blackcurrants. Smooth. Good.
2010: Opened one hour before tasting. Dark plum with browning at edges. Rich, chocolatey, full and long. Good.
2007: Cork broke (but that was probably my fault), so decanted and filtered. This has some cabernet franc and merlot. Dark plum colour, slightly cloudy. Menthol nose, perfumed. Rich, full and well balanced. Drinking well. Good.
2006: This vintage was tasting very well. The palate has a sweetness about it, tending to port like. It's fresh, medium purple. Lots of blackcurrant fruit on the palate. Very good.
2005: This vintage does not bear the Reserve label, because that wasn't introduced until the following vintage. We had saved the best till last! Still remarkably young looking, lots of blackcurrant fruit, plenty of tertiary flavours showing. This had also developed a sweetness, becoming almost port like in style. Excellent!
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Not profound or life changing but a very reasonably priced way to scratch the mature Cab itch: cedary with some green pepper notes, blackcurrant, blackberry hedgerow, beef stock. Compact on the palate, reasonable concentration but pinched and a little short: relatively grippy tannins and powerful acidity.
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This is why you cellar great SA wine. Superb. 17yrs old but still fresh. No softie, still a tannic framework, perfect with something seared, red & bloody.
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Third of the blind wines this evening for our 9th year together, someone might have forgotten the theme here. This is the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vergelegen in the Somerset West region of Stellenbosch in South Africa. This is made up of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 4.5% Merlot from multiple vineyards on the property (Stonepine, Rondekop, Rooiland and Kopland). Aged for 24 months in around 50% new French oak.
Dark brick red with lighter edges. Classic South African nose with layers of chalk, cassis, a little vegetal and earthy. But seems to be shutting down a bit. Medium tannins (5.5/10) with a medium body and quite a bit of acidity. Dark profile on the palate with baking spices and red plums. Medium plus finish. Drink till 2020.
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Serious stuff. Takes at least two hours to blossom. According to estate: 91% CS, 4.5% CF, 4.5% M.
Tightly knit but with ripe tannins. Neither lean nor exhuberant or opulent. Just in between, elegant and balanced. This style made the new world Cabernets to real competitors of great Medocs. Could be confused with a great Napa Cab from the 80s. Great value for around 25-27 Euros. No need to hurry. It will further develop for at least 3-4 years
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STILL A FEW MORE YEARS UNDER IT'S BELT. THE COLOUR WAS A BIT BROWN ON TH EDGES. THE TANNINS AND ACIDITY WAS STILL THERE TO SUGGEST A COUPLE MORE YEARS LEFT. IT HAD A MID LENGTH FINISH WITH WELL INTEGRATED FLAVOUR.
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Dark damask red showing no significant signs of age. This proved to be a very difficult wine to characterise. It had an excellent nose of pepper, blackcurrants, spice (nutmeg), and quite full. In the mouth the original impression was that it was dry, tannic, almost styptic with green stems and a curious charcoal-like mid-range. Reading other people's notes someone described dusty/turmeric and that conveys the impression better, very odd, but it was very good with food (grilled lamb leg steaks and gratin dauphinoise). But as the evening progressed this dustiness was blown away and it opened out into a blackcurrant , full-bodied wine with spicey overtones and a sweeter flavour. My initial scores were in the order of 82/83 but higher with food; I finally settled on the higher score, but I would emphasise that this wine needs a lot of air to fully open out; I had decanted it at the start of the evening. I would also add that the drinking window posted with this wine seems astonishingly narrow and short to me, my own would be more like 2015 to 2023.
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One of my wedding wines (so this note starts in 2012, but extra cases ordered have since been used as the staple dinner party red on many occasions). Chosen as I thought it would appeal to everyone (it did) and it gave a great ratio of tastiness and approval per pound spent (seems to have gone up in price recently though). Slightly blunt but warm cassis nose, excellent colour and body, pretty (if slightly dry) finish.
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Red/orange at the rim, tending to black at the core - quite a pure nose of cedar and dark fruits. Full bodied, fairly intense on the palate without too much SA smokey notes, fresh and less sweet on the palate than many SA cabs, the tannins are still evident, but well integrated - this has many years in it yet. Good value.
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Great colour- deep, velvety crimson. Green, vine leaf aromas overlaying cassis and blackberry with some dusty spices - cumin and perhaps some turmeric. Somehow unmistakedly SA cabernet on the nose. Big, juiciy mouthful with a touch of spearmint - delicious black fruits. Well integrated tannins. A long acidic finish. I cannot tell whether this wll improve or not and I regret not having a few more to look at in the next two or three years.
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Beautiful Bordeaux colour. Tangy green, cedar, pungent nose. Opens up but burnt rubber SA flavour. Smooth, medium length, grippy tannins. Not to my taste, too SA.
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Deep dark red colour. Strong jammy aroma, strawberries and red berries very refreshing. On the taste it continue with the nose of strong jammy rich flavour, just a hint of tannins. Develops into a rather smooth taste with a slightly acidic after taste.
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This is maturing into a very nice bottle of piney fruit with smooth tannins and not too sweet or alcoholic in the mouth - hopefully it will keep going for a few years yet
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Harsh on opening. Softened in the glass, but remained tannic and harsh in the mouth. Better South African alternatives in the same the price range (Rustenberg John X Merriman)
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Good, solid claret alternative. Youthful and a little hard still but a couple of hours in the decanter revealed a nice brambly nose and plenty of restrained, balanced but ripe cassis flavours.
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Big, dark wine with expressive nose and good complexity but could do with a bit more acidity to lend the wine some freshness. Not a bad wine for £15 but the overall impression is of a fuzzy, furry wine that kind of smothers the mouth and clings to it. Having said that, there is good complexity here and the wine will age for a considerable time. I used to love this wine but perhaps my palate is changing (maturing?). Overall pretty good.
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4/3/2024 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at Three Borders Wine Group, Hampshire, UK. We enjoyed a vertical tasting of Vergelegen Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, tasting six vintages from 2012 to 2005. This case was made available in the UK through The Wine Society and the wines had recently been shipped from the winery.
These notes feature the note on all 6 vintages:
2012: Decanted one hour as recommended. This has a dash of petit verdot. This bottle was expected to be one of the best, but sadly was slightly oxidised with a metallic taste and no fruit. It was drinkable. The colour was medium plum. The palate was earthy, mushrooms, veggie. Not good.
2011: Decanted one hour as recommended. Dark plum colour. Fully mature and ready to drink. Rich and silky. Blackcurrants. Smooth. Good.
2010: Opened one hour before tasting. Dark plum with browning at edges. Rich, chocolatey, full and long. Good.
2007: Cork broke (but that was probably my fault), so decanted and filtered. This has some cabernet franc and merlot. Dark plum colour, slightly cloudy. Menthol nose, perfumed. Rich, full and well balanced. Drinking well. Good.
2006: This vintage was tasting very well. The palate has a sweetness about it, tending to port like. It's fresh, medium purple. Lots of blackcurrant fruit on the palate. Very good.
2005: This vintage does not bear the Reserve label, because that wasn't introduced until the following vintage. We had saved the best till last! Still remarkably young looking, lots of blackcurrant fruit, plenty of tertiary flavours showing. This had also developed a sweetness, becoming almost port like in style. Excellent!
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2/15/2024 - Wallgranger wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful dark and rich wine; dusky perfume. Fruit is red rather than black, nice and sharper. Classy palate: a treat
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2/3/2024 - Joshvoulters Likes this wine: 87 Points
Not profound or life changing but a very reasonably priced way to scratch the mature Cab itch: cedary with some green pepper notes, blackcurrant, blackberry hedgerow, beef stock. Compact on the palate, reasonable concentration but pinched and a little short: relatively grippy tannins and powerful acidity.
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1/12/2024 - Gone with the wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pretty blackberry, plum, smoke and violet on the nose. Still quite robust grippy drying tannins. Only got better with time.
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10/18/2022 - dave747400 wrote: 92 Points
This is why you cellar great SA wine. Superb. 17yrs old but still fresh. No softie, still a tannic framework, perfect with something seared, red & bloody.
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11/2/2018 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 89 Points
Third of the blind wines this evening for our 9th year together, someone might have forgotten the theme here. This is the Cabernet Sauvignon from the Vergelegen in the Somerset West region of Stellenbosch in South Africa. This is made up of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Cabernet Franc and 4.5% Merlot from multiple vineyards on the property (Stonepine, Rondekop, Rooiland and Kopland). Aged for 24 months in around 50% new French oak.
Dark brick red with lighter edges. Classic South African nose with layers of chalk, cassis, a little vegetal and earthy. But seems to be shutting down a bit. Medium tannins (5.5/10) with a medium body and quite a bit of acidity. Dark profile on the palate with baking spices and red plums. Medium plus finish. Drink till 2020.
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12/10/2016 - rs Likes this wine: 88 Points
Matured, very bordeauxlike with cedar, currants, oak. Balanced with dry tannins.
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2/12/2016 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Serious stuff. Takes at least two hours to blossom. According to estate: 91% CS, 4.5% CF, 4.5% M.
Tightly knit but with ripe tannins. Neither lean nor exhuberant or opulent. Just in between, elegant and balanced. This style made the new world Cabernets to real competitors of great Medocs. Could be confused with a great Napa Cab from the 80s. Great value for around 25-27 Euros.
No need to hurry. It will further develop for at least 3-4 years
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1/15/2016 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic cab, perfect to dring now ��
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1/3/2016 - F&JCELLARS Likes this wine: 89 Points
STILL A FEW MORE YEARS UNDER IT'S BELT. THE COLOUR WAS A BIT BROWN ON TH EDGES. THE TANNINS AND ACIDITY WAS STILL THERE TO SUGGEST A COUPLE MORE YEARS LEFT. IT HAD A MID LENGTH FINISH WITH WELL INTEGRATED FLAVOUR.
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10/18/2015 - derekjohn Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark damask red showing no significant signs of age.
This proved to be a very difficult wine to characterise. It had an excellent nose of pepper, blackcurrants, spice (nutmeg), and quite full. In the mouth the original impression was that it was dry, tannic, almost styptic with green stems and a curious charcoal-like mid-range. Reading other people's notes someone described dusty/turmeric and that conveys the impression better, very odd, but it was very good with food (grilled lamb leg steaks and gratin dauphinoise). But as the evening progressed this dustiness was blown away and it opened out into a blackcurrant , full-bodied wine with spicey overtones and a sweeter flavour. My initial scores were in the order of 82/83 but higher with food; I finally settled on the higher score, but I would emphasise that this wine needs a lot of air to fully open out; I had decanted it at the start of the evening.
I would also add that the drinking window posted with this wine seems astonishingly narrow and short to me, my own would be more like 2015 to 2023.
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8/14/2015 - macaujames wrote: 91 Points
Pomerol like despite the Cabernet and highish alcohol.
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1/23/2015 - TheMajor wrote: 89 Points
One of my wedding wines (so this note starts in 2012, but extra cases ordered have since been used as the staple dinner party red on many occasions). Chosen as I thought it would appeal to everyone (it did) and it gave a great ratio of tastiness and approval per pound spent (seems to have gone up in price recently though). Slightly blunt but warm cassis nose, excellent colour and body, pretty (if slightly dry) finish.
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2/4/2014 - Jasper May wrote: 89 Points
Red/orange at the rim, tending to black at the core - quite a pure nose of cedar and dark fruits. Full bodied, fairly intense on the palate without too much SA smokey notes, fresh and less sweet on the palate than many SA cabs, the tannins are still evident, but well integrated - this has many years in it yet. Good value.
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6/2/2013 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great colour- deep, velvety crimson. Green, vine leaf aromas overlaying cassis and blackberry with some dusty spices - cumin and perhaps some turmeric. Somehow unmistakedly SA cabernet on the nose. Big, juiciy mouthful with a touch of spearmint - delicious black fruits. Well integrated tannins. A long acidic finish. I cannot tell whether this wll improve or not and I regret not having a few more to look at in the next two or three years.
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4/20/2012 - Alexroy wrote: 83 Points
Beautiful Bordeaux colour. Tangy green, cedar, pungent nose. Opens up but burnt rubber SA flavour. Smooth, medium length, grippy tannins. Not to my taste, too SA.
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12/2/2011 - rs wrote: 88 Points
tobacco, cedar, spices and cassis. Very dry. Drinking well now (until 2015).
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8/2/2011 - martinnugent wrote: 88 Points
Deep dark red colour. Strong jammy aroma, strawberries and red berries very refreshing. On the taste it continue with the nose of strong jammy rich flavour, just a hint of tannins. Develops into a rather smooth taste with a slightly acidic after taste.
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7/5/2011 - quickben wrote: 88 Points
evolved through the evening into a distinguished wine - lots of blackcurrant, leather and cigar - tannins are taut but balanced
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3/8/2011 - belfast taxman wrote: 89 Points
This is maturing into a very nice bottle of piney fruit with smooth tannins and not too sweet or alcoholic in the mouth - hopefully it will keep going for a few years yet
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3/14/2010 - Vitisvinifera Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Harsh on opening. Softened in the glass, but remained tannic and harsh in the mouth. Better South African alternatives in the same the price range (Rustenberg John X Merriman)
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12/7/2009 - kevin h wrote: 90 Points
Good, solid claret alternative. Youthful and a little hard still but a couple of hours in the decanter revealed a nice brambly nose and plenty of restrained, balanced but ripe cassis flavours.
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2/17/2009 - pjaines wrote:
Big, dark wine with expressive nose and good complexity but could do with a bit more acidity to lend the wine some freshness. Not a bad wine for £15 but the overall impression is of a fuzzy, furry wine that kind of smothers the mouth and clings to it. Having said that, there is good complexity here and the wine will age for a considerable time. I used to love this wine but perhaps my palate is changing (maturing?). Overall pretty good.
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