5 | Wine | Red Blend, South Africa

"A dark, juicy and muscular Cabernet, with a charcoal frame to the black currant, steeped fig and blackberry notes. A lining of tobacco and savory smolders on the finish".

"The Big Easy is rich and emphatic in 2011 and yet, as the name suggests, still holds an amazingly easy silkiness on the palate. The dominant Shiraz offers complex notes of rosemary and cured meat whilst the Cabernet Sauvignon adds a beguiling structure and sweet cherry fruit core. A playful tempo is created by dashes of Grenache, Viognier, Mourvèdre and Cinsault giving a fynbos and spicy edge along with a fragrant, almost honeycomb-like finish."

"Reticent but pure aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, bitter chocolate, espresso and spicy oak. Then pliant, lush and deep, with terrific inner-mouth energy and violet perfume to lift the dark berry flavors. The tannins saturate the palate and front teeth without coming across as dry. Classy, polished wine--the best yet from the team of Bruno Prats, Hubert de Bouard and Lowell Jooste. The co-owners have increased their wine's syrah percentage to great effect, as this 2008 avoids the green notes of earlier vintages without showing any syrah rusticity." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.