Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

FEBRUARY 25, 2019

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Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon

Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is this weeks wine. I am staying on South African wine that is also from the Robertson Valley Region. The last review being Graham Beck wines Cabernet Sauvignon 

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This wine, Excelsior Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 is produced by the De Wet Family with a winemaking tradition going back to 1697. The De Wet family purchased a tract of land in 1859 planting the region’s first vineyards. The estate is now being operated by fourth and fifth Generation De Wets. 80% of the 495 Acres is under vine. The estate is also well known for horse breeding.

Photo by Andres de Wet

The Breede River Valley

The Breede River Valley is well known for having a Mediterranean climate with plenty of sunshine through the growing season and in the afternoon cooled by sea breezes. The soils in the area are rich in limestone know for growing fantastic wines.

What I found

This wine is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Petite Verdot. The vines range in age from 5-20 years old. 2016 was a tough growing year being very dry and extremely warm caused by an El Niño year. The grapes were harvested early and picked by hand for quality control. The wine was aged in French and American Oak for 9 months.

Kelvin K2

After giving this baby time to open up and reach the right temperature I found a nice clear ruby red color with clear edges. It has long persistent legs running down the glass. The aroma is full of plum and red fruit with a hint of oak. A wonderful aroma!

The taste was a great sensation of plum, dark fruit and leather. This wine is a full-bodied elegant wine. The finish is dry and long lasting. I paired it with a hamburger off the grill and a salad and it went perfectly. I could imagine this would be great with a nice steak off the Barbee would be fantastic. Wine Spectator gives it an 88 and I tend to agree. It is a bargain at $8.99 and is distributed in the US by Cape Classics I use my Kelvin K2 to get the best out of my wines and because I can’t finish a bottle in one sitting anymore I use my favorite Wine Preserver ArT wine preserver that keeps wine fresh for weeks and I have tried it and it works.

Kelvin K2 and ArT18

Until next time, be safe but pop a few corks! Lew

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Graham Beck The Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Graham Beck The Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

This week’s wine is a great example of what comes out of South Africa. Graham Beck The Game Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014. This is the last year Graham Beck Winery will have made still wine. From that point on sparkling wine became their focus. In 2010 Graham passed away and the wineries were reorganized and properties sold. The Game Reserve line of wines came about when Graham started a private nature preserve to save the Flora and Fauna of the region. Right now there are no less than 13,500 Hectares of land set aside now called the Rooiberg Breede River Conservancy by Graham Beck Estates and their neighbors.

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Andres de Wet  
Aerial view of the Breede River Valley and its intensive viticulture and high mountains 

The Robertson Region of the Breede River Valley

The Beck property is located in the lust Karoo ecosystem which is part of the Cape Floral System of the Western Cape. The climate is very similar to that of the Champagne region of France. This property is located on some of the riches limestone deposits in the Western Cape.

The Cape Leopard

The cape leopard is one of Africa’s big 5 Animals. The Cape Leopard is one of the subspecies of the leopard. This cat is critical to the sustainability of other species in the area. Graham Beck Wines decided to dedicate this portfolio of wines.

Beautiful Ruby Red

What I found

I gave this wine plenty of time to open and find the proper temperature. The color is of perfect clarity with nice clear edges with legs that are pronounced. This wine has a luscious aroma of dark berry’s and plum with a bit of oak. On the palate, juicy red fruit, and leather upfront with firm Tannins. This is a well balanced full-bodied red with a great long finish. 13.5% alcohol content. I need to see if I can find more of this one. This has to be one of the finest Cab’s I have had in a long time. I highly recommend it if you can find it. Great value at $16.99.

I hope everyone has a great week, stay safe. Until the next time

Lew

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2017

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2017

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages

I was shopping for something that I haven’t had in a while. Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages 2017 is the wine of the week. Well, that while was about 20 years since my last Jadot. It was one of my second wife’s favorite brands. I thought it would go with a dinner I was planning. I was making Mediterranean Chicken and vegetables. I am trying to change my eating habits a bit.

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Louis Jadot is a very well known brand in the wine world. 
Maison Louis Jadot was founded in 1859 by the wine’s namesake Louis Jadot. His family came from Belgium in 1794 buying vineyards in the Beaune area of France. 
They now own 528 acres of vineyards, including 280 acres of the Cote d’Or’s most prestigious Premier and Grand Cru plots.

Gamay Grape

The Gamay Grape

The Gamay grape is thought to have appeared first in the village of the Gamay, south of Beaune, in the 1360s.   It is a purple-colored grape variety used to make red wines most notably grown in Beaujolais and in the Loire Valley but also found in the Niagara Peninsula of Canada and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The grape makes light-bodied and fruity wine.

What I found

This wine has a brilliant ruby red color with almost clear edges. It has long thin legs when twirled in the glass. It has aromas of red berries, baking spices maybe nutmeg. The wine is known as a fruity wine I get strawberry, black cherry, and leather. There is minimal use of oak but it is detectable. The finish is dry but fruity and long lasting. It is a nice medium bodied wine that goes well with lighter fare. It went famously with my Chicken dish. The alcohol is 13 %. I paid $10.50 so it is an affordable fun wine. Check out some of my other reviews at https://www.finewinesgazette.com/category/lews-reviews/ 

Here is a similar wine I reviewed https://www.finewinesgazette.com/chateau-juvenal-jolie-grenache-syrah-2016/

Lew

Until next time, Cheers, be safe but pop a few corks! Lew

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Season Story Crystal Wine Glasses

Season Story Crystal Wine Glasses

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Every once in a while I have the opportunity to review wine accessories giving me a little change. Season Story Crystal Wine Glasses is today’s treat. Recently I received a pair of wine glasses from a small company called Season Story. They contacted me to see if I would be interested in giving my opinion. They sell on Amazon.com through Orange Cube. 

When I received them they were packaged well and are quite nice for the price. they are 23 oz. in a nice bowl shape. They are Crystal and lead-free. The glasses are 3.35″ wide and 8.85″ tall.  They feel well balanced and have a nice design. The bowl shape makes it perfect for getting the aromas out of bold red wines.

What I found

The glass is very delicate and elegant. It’s not Reidel but for the price point a great bargain. I filled it to about 1/3 and gave it a good twirl. It filled the glass with the aroma of the earthy red fruit of the Beaujolais Villages I was drinking. It also makes viewing the legs a beautiful site. I think you would find them a great addition to your collection. I plan on using mine often. They can be had at here at Amazon  They would also be great cocktail glasses.

They can be had at here at Amazon check them out. I want to thank Jessica Pittman for sending them off to me. I have a discount code for 20% off. Just add this code E8O47VIB

Until the next time, be safe and enjoy your favorite wine!

Lew

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