Matthew Jukes, 19+/20 Sheer heaven, this is a gorgeous slice of Saville Row couture with refreshing herbal hints shot through the fabric of this svelte, perfectly tailored cassis-soaked wine. Expressive and crisply acidic, I, for one, will be attacking this wine indecently early in its life to wallow in its pristine geometry and crystalline forest fruit freshness. But there is no hurry. Knowing full well how these wines can age, you can relax for a decade should you so choose.
95 Tim Atkin MW The only red in the Boekenhoutskloof portfolio that uses grapes from Franschhoek - the farm and a second site that also supplies the winery's Semillon - this is always a comparatively forward, ripe, caressing style of Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with 14% Cabernet Franc for extra perfume. Paprika, cassis and green pepper flavours are framed by 95% new French oak. 2025-32
88 Neal Martin – Vinous. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek is vinified in exactly the same way as its Stellenbosch counterpart, with a proportion of Cabernet France (14%) and just a little more oak. This has more black and blue fruit and is perhaps more floral in style, almost as it here were a soupcon of Syrah in the blend (there isn’t). The palate is medium-bodied with dark red berry fruit interlaced with cocoa, dark chocolate and light tobacco notes of fine length. It will need, say, six months in bottle once released in 2025.
93 James Suckling. Ripe blue and black fruit on the nose, alongside dried herb, licorice and mint chocolate. Creamy and velvety, with a full body, but also minty freshness throughout. Silky tannins. Drink or hold.
