The recently unveiled Estate Blend 2021 is the first in the 35-year history of the winery to be estate-certified.
Even ahead of its release the new wine has been attracting praise. UK wine writer Tim Atkin describes it as “polished, layered, detailed and self-assured”, while the Platter’s South African Wine Guide is calling it “rich, powerful and very impressive yet controlled”.
With a March launch date, the maiden Estate Blend is to be made in exceptional vintages only, according to winemaker Henry Kotzé. It brings to three the number of reds in the white-accented range of 11wines.
Historically, the Polkadraai Hills farm has always supplemented its own harvest with grapes from elsewhere in the Stellenbosch region. This has been both to add depth and flavour complexity to the wines and to meet rising international demand, while staying true to Stellenbosch*.
Now ready to make more of its own grapes with the premier new red blend, Kotzé, who joined Mulderbosch after the 2020 harvest, explains: “The ward of Polkadraai Hills is deservedly well-celebrated for Cabernet Franc. The granitic koffieklip soils impart such finesse, fruit purity and perfume to the grapes. When I first encountered the Cabernet Franc on the farm, I just knew we could do more to capitalise on its outstanding potential. We’ve already had considerable success here with our single vineyard Cabernet Franc wine, but it seemed to me this beautiful fruit was also just begging to be part of a gracefully layered blend. With such great Petit Verdot and Merlot grapes here, we could do it”.
The maiden 2021 red features Cabernet Franc in the lead at 44%, with Petit Verdot coming in at 31% and Merlot at 25%.
At the time of picking, these red vineyards averaged around 17 years old and were comfortably hitting their stride. “The decomposed granite and deep clay substructure of the soils suit them all. Unusually, the Merlot has remarkable heft and brings substantial structure but also softness. It’s an ideal building block.”
Each component was individually vinified and aged for 12 months in a combination of new (30%) and older oak before blending. The assemblage spent another four months in wood before bottling.
“I’ve aimed for a classic Bordeaux-style profile – aromatic, fresh, elegant but with a vividexpression of black and red berry fruits, reined in by fine-grained, almost cashmere-like tannins. The wine is drinking very well now but it is structured to age over many years”.
Like most Mulderbosch wines, the Estate Blend bears the iconic, vertical strip label that has earned the brand widespread recognition in South Africa, the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and other select markets where it sold.
Kotzé says what distinguishes it from the Faithful Hound, the Mulderbosch blend that features the same three Bordeaux grapes along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, is its gravitas. “This is a serious, commanding wine for cellaring. Faithful Hound is more of a steadfast companion to keep loyally by your side. After all, it has twice been featured as a Wine Spectator Top 100 wine!”
