TOKARA trifecta with three Top 10 champion Reserve reds
TOKARA has swept the board with all three Reserve reds from the standout 2017 vintage clinching Top 10 status in consecutive South African wine reports.
The TOKARA champions are the Reserve Collection Syrah, the Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon and the top tier Director’s Reserve Red. These formidable wines secured Top 10 rankings respectively in the 2020 Prescient Shiraz Report, the Cabernet Sauvignon Report and the Cape Bordeaux Red Blend Report, all convened annually by Winemag.co.za.
“The recognition of our top tier wines by respected commentators in the wake of the Ferreira family’s 20th vintage celebration last year, bodes well for the future of TOKARA. We look forward to the next 20 years in the expert hands of our young, energetic cellar team supported by the experienced and knowledgeable vineyard crew,” says Karl Lambour, TOKARA General Manager.
For winemaker Stuart Botha, the Top 10 accolade for the TOKARA Syrah holds significant promise, having won practically every prominent local and international accolade for Shiraz including five Platter’s 5-stars, prior to joining TOKARA almost three years ago.
Crafted from a single vineyard block, the Top 10 Reserve Collection Syrah 2017, described in the Shiraz Report as “a typically polished effort from this cellar”, is TOKARA’s most expressive Shiraz. Botha’s adept blending skills, seeking out the best barrels for the final composition, shine through in the wine’s multi-layered palate and classic spice and violet perfume prominent on the nose.
The full-bodied and richly textured Top 10 Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is vibrant and bright and described in the Cabernet Sauvignon Report as “a very stylish offering” with “layers of flavour” and a long, dry finish.
The Cabernet Sauvignon driven Director’s Reserve Red 2017 is a consummate blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (73%), Merlot (15%), Petit Verdot (9%), and Cabernet Franc (3%). “Poised and precise” with a palate of “great purity and freshness to go with fine tannins”, is how the wine is described in the Cape Bordeaux Red Blend Report.
“We’ve seen 2017 become another celebrated vintage. The wines exhibit effortless power with crystalline focus and balance,” says Botha, who was responsible for the barrel selection and final blending of all the 2017 Reserve reds during the latter half of 2018.
“My emphasis was to allow the power of the vintage to express itself without dampening the remarkable fruit purity and blurring the lines. It is without doubt that the freshness, perhaps even the youthfulness that these wines currently exhibit, amplifies their age-worthiness and pedigree,” he adds.
For more information and wine purchases, visit www.tokara.com.