CdP clearance night. Split wine session. My ringer bottle. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with garnet edge. Legs. Nose medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark animal meat and leather, black fruits. Developed. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, high alcohol (14.5%), high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black plums, blackberries, black pepper spice, dark animal meat, leather, smoke, charred wood toast. Long finish. Very good quality. Certainly one of the best reds out of SA, with nods towards big dark power Northern Rhone Syrahs. Sweet ripeness of the black fruit brings you back to the New World. Drink up and enjoy. 80% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre.
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Columella complete Vertical Tasting (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): First of all it was an amazing tasting. No bottle was corked or defective. We double decanted all bottles. We drank one bottle after one. No flights. We started with the bold years but they were so good that I changed the order after 6 vintages and I mixed the elegant years in between. All old bottles delivered phantastically.
The order
2005
Still primary fruit, very balanced, starting to reach his peak, silky tannins, alcohol well integrated. 93+
2003 DMG
From this size really fresh, black berries, a bit plums, soft tannins, you feel the hot vintage but not marmelade style, easy to drink and not over the top. 92-93
2007 MG
Still some oaky notes, much fruit, somehow one dimensional and missing a bit the refreshing acidity. I would prefer 03 as a warm vintage. 90
2002
Very reluctant, it reminds me to a classic Bordeaux vintage, even the nose shows black currant and cedar wood. Delicate and elegant. Even it was one of your first vintages it is a masterpiece, really not bold and broad. At least 10 more years. Great. 95-96
2001
Great structure and ultra fresh, firm tannins. It needs decantation. Lovely fruitieness and some herbal notes. A decade ahead. 94+
2004
I had this wine a few times before. Always delivering as today again. Fresh, elegant, decanted for 2 hours, reminds me to a very good Northern Rhone wine. Great acidity structure. White pepper, dark berries, saline and firm and ripe tannins. No hurry to finish it. For many in the group WOTN. 94-95
2011
Maybe this bottle was not perfect, a bit clumsy and some acetone
2016
3 hours decantation, ultra fresh and young. Very accessible and a pure fruit. Reminds many friends to a great Burgundy, I would go for a great CF from the Loire as Clos Rougeard. Graceful 95++
2014
2 hours of decanation. Fresh, accessible, evrybody's darling from the beginning. Tannins soft, great refreshing acidity, very balanced. 94
2000
Lovely, lean, still primary fruit, spicy, pepper, dark cherries, precise finish. Starting to reach his peak. At least 5-7 more yeras ahead. 94+
2006
A bit broad and wild. A lot of fruit but missing structure and substance for a further aging. 90
2008
Balanced, in a really nice drinking window, reluctant fruit but cracking acidity. 93
2009
A bit broad, a lot fruit, alcohol perceptible, somehow one dimensional. 91
2013
Fine, elegant, great structure, a lot of acidity, reduced fruit, spicy, a monster, precise finish. A lot to come in next 2 decades. 3 hours decantation. 95+
2012
Powerful and fruit dominated, less concentrated than 2013. Balanced, niice drinking window. 92
2015
Compared to 2013 a bit more "alcoholic" and not the finesse but still powerful and spicy Northern Rhone wine. Only 1 hour of decantion. Maybe this was the "problem".94+
2010
Still young, Many in the group are flashed from this wine, for me a bit short in the finish. Not completely balanced at this stage. I guess maybe in a closed window. Great structure. 92
2017
3 hours of decantation. Fresh, alcohol percetible, maybe it was a lot of alcohol at the end of the tasting, nicely balanced in fruit and acidity, great length, precise. 93+
My Top 5
2002, 2016, 2001, 2013, 2000
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Exceptional South African wine! Opened bottle an hour before drinking. Did not decant, but could have benefited.
Probably one of the best I have cellared. Deep indigo color, full bodied, spicy and with good balance of fruit. Awesome finish. Enjoyed with Australian Leg of Lamb.
Drink now if you have. Might hold for a couple more years
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7/23/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
CdP clearance night. Split wine session. My ringer bottle. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with garnet edge. Legs.
Nose medium+ intensity, with aromas of dark animal meat and leather, black fruits. Developed.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, high alcohol (14.5%), high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black plums, blackberries, black pepper spice, dark animal meat, leather, smoke, charred wood toast. Long finish.
Very good quality. Certainly one of the best reds out of SA, with nods towards big dark power Northern Rhone Syrahs. Sweet ripeness of the black fruit brings you back to the New World. Drink up and enjoy.
80% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre.
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1/19/2020 - aquacongas wrote: 90 Points
Columella complete Vertical Tasting (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): First of all it was an amazing tasting. No bottle was corked or defective. We double decanted all bottles. We drank one bottle after one. No flights. We started with the bold years but they were so good that I changed the order after 6 vintages and I mixed the elegant years in between. All old bottles delivered phantastically.
The order
2005
Still primary fruit, very balanced, starting to reach his peak, silky tannins, alcohol well integrated. 93+
2003 DMG
From this size really fresh, black berries, a bit plums, soft tannins, you feel the hot vintage but not marmelade style, easy to drink and not over the top. 92-93
2007 MG
Still some oaky notes, much fruit, somehow one dimensional and missing a bit the refreshing acidity. I would prefer 03 as a warm vintage. 90
2002
Very reluctant, it reminds me to a classic Bordeaux vintage, even the nose shows black currant and cedar wood. Delicate and elegant. Even it was one of your first vintages it is a masterpiece, really not bold and broad. At least 10 more years. Great. 95-96
2001
Great structure and ultra fresh, firm tannins. It needs decantation. Lovely fruitieness and some herbal notes. A decade ahead. 94+
2004
I had this wine a few times before. Always delivering as today again. Fresh, elegant, decanted for 2 hours, reminds me to a very good Northern Rhone wine. Great acidity structure. White pepper, dark berries, saline and firm and ripe tannins. No hurry to finish it. For many in the group WOTN. 94-95
2011
Maybe this bottle was not perfect, a bit clumsy and some acetone
2016
3 hours decantation, ultra fresh and young. Very accessible and a pure fruit. Reminds many friends to a great Burgundy, I would go for a great CF from the Loire as Clos Rougeard. Graceful 95++
2014
2 hours of decanation. Fresh, accessible, evrybody's darling from the beginning. Tannins soft, great refreshing acidity, very balanced. 94
2000
Lovely, lean, still primary fruit, spicy, pepper, dark cherries, precise finish. Starting to reach his peak. At least 5-7 more yeras ahead. 94+
2006
A bit broad and wild. A lot of fruit but missing structure and substance for a further aging. 90
2008
Balanced, in a really nice drinking window, reluctant fruit but cracking acidity. 93
2009
A bit broad, a lot fruit, alcohol perceptible, somehow one dimensional. 91
2013
Fine, elegant, great structure, a lot of acidity, reduced fruit, spicy, a monster, precise finish. A lot to come in next 2 decades. 3 hours decantation. 95+
2012
Powerful and fruit dominated, less concentrated than 2013. Balanced, niice drinking window. 92
2015
Compared to 2013 a bit more "alcoholic" and not the finesse but still powerful and spicy Northern Rhone wine. Only 1 hour of decantion. Maybe this was the "problem".94+
2010
Still young, Many in the group are flashed from this wine, for me a bit short in the finish. Not completely balanced at this stage. I guess maybe in a closed window. Great structure. 92
2017
3 hours of decantation. Fresh, alcohol percetible, maybe it was a lot of alcohol at the end of the tasting, nicely balanced in fruit and acidity, great length, precise. 93+
My Top 5
2002, 2016, 2001, 2013, 2000
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10/13/2019 - melvinyeowq Likes this wine:
Rich, full-bodied with silky tannins that still needs time to resolve. Savoury olive note that reminds me of a good northern Rhône.
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8/4/2018 - CosmicDude Likes this wine: 94 Points
Exceptional South African wine! Opened bottle an hour before drinking.
Did not decant, but could have benefited.
Probably one of the best I have cellared. Deep indigo color, full bodied, spicy and with good balance of fruit. Awesome finish. Enjoyed with Australian Leg of Lamb.
Drink now if you have. Might hold for a couple more years
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12/4/2015 - Pavan wrote: 93 Points
Very enjoyable, with lovely smell, pure fruit and a somewhat different taste of wet ash (?)
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