Vergelegen V 2016

This is Vergelegen's flagship red - a serious, top-tier South African wine. Always made from virtually all Cabernet Sauvignon, in some years a splash of other grapes - Merlot and Cabernet Franc in 2016 - go in as well. It's made from hand-picked fruit grown on high-altitude vineyards near False Bay. After 18 months in new French oak and a few years in bottle, it acquires the maturity it needs. It's full of rich blackcurrant, plum, and black cherry, with layers of spice, cedar, and just a touch of smokiness. Full-bodied and structured, but with real finesse - this is powerful, polished, and built to last.

Perfect with roast beef, venison, or a well-seasoned steak - the bold flavours and structure match rich red meats beautifully. It's drinking brilliantly now, with many good years still ahead.

Vergelegen is one of the oldest wine estates in South Africa with a history dating back as far as the early 1700s. They've always been an important landmark but the modern era for them really began in the late 1980s following its acquisition by the global mining group Anglo American. They invested millions in surveying the land and extensive planting of new vineyards in the best sites and in 1992 they opened a truly impressive part sunken four level winery was opened which, using gravity, minimises the use of machinery. Currently headed up by Luke O'Cuinneagain who took over the reins from legendary André van Rensburg in 2022 Vergelegen is an instance where the financial strength of a large conglomerate and the skill of excellent winemakers has had yielded wonderful results.