Ernie Els Proprietor's Blend 2017
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Wine
Spectator -
James
Suckling
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Baking spices, dark chocolate and black, vibrant fruits hint at the power to follow. Complex aromas of pure cassis, meat and oak spice lead to a well-integrated fruit centre with dense, but finely-tuned tannins. This is a wonderful blend where the components are expressive but well-balanced and the whole is so much more than the parts. Powerful, explosive and medium to full-bodied with the precision of 2017 shining through to a long-defined finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
A sleek, racy red, with hints of iron and mesquite smoke underscoring ripe red and black currant, rosehip, fig cake and Earl Grey tea leaf flavors. Fresh and full-bodied, shows a tightly-knit core of sculpted tannins that firm the chewy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2030.
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James Suckling
Plums, mulberries, dark cherries, cloves and dried herbs on the nose. Some soy sauce and roasted meat, too. Full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Polished, rich and velvety. 60% cabernet sauvignon, 20% shiraz, 5% merlot, 5% cabernet franc, 5% malbec and 5% petit verdot. Drink or hold.
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As a leading South African ambassador and one of the most recognizable faces in the world of sports, Ernie Els has long demonstrated a passion for excellence. Focus, discipline and commitment have led to his extraordinary golf success. These same qualities are evident in Ernie Els Wines, a quest to produce premium wine that was born in 1999. Els naturally chose Stellenbosch, South Africa's most storied wine region, to produce his wines and brought on the award-winning Louis Strydom to oversee winemaking. In 2000, the first grapes were crushed for the inaugural vintage of Ernie Els Signature. In 2004, a 178-acre property on the slopes of Helderberg Mountain was chosen as the home of Ernie Els Wines.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
South Africa’s most famous wine-producing district, Stellenbosch, surrounds the historic town with the same name; fine winemaking here dates back to the late 1600s. Its valleys of granite, sandstone and alluvial loam soils between the towering blue-grey mountains of Stellenbosch, Simonsberg and Helderberg have the capacity to produce beautiful wines from many varieties. The climate is warm Mediterranean, tempered by the cool Atlantic air of nearby False Bay.
Perhaps most well-known for its Pinotage and Bordeaux blends, Stellenbosch also produces noteworthy wines from Syrah, Chenin blanc, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc. The district’s wards—Banghoek, Bottelary, Devon Valley, Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Polkadraai Hills and Simonsberg-Stellenbosch—all produce distinctive wines from vines with relatively low yields.