Vilafonte Series C 2013
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Robert -
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Winemaker Notes
to an expected and extended cellaring potential for this wine.Cabernet Sauvignon (58%) contributes to the structure, tannin base, and dark fruit; Merlot (21%) provides complex red fruits and smooth texture; Cabernet Franc (13%) provides high notes of cedar and violets, with elegance on the palate; while the Malbec (8%) gives succulent black fruit flavors.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The labels had arrived the previous day when I tasted the 2013 Series C, a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 8% Malbec, raised in 70% new French oak for 23 months. That oak is neatly embroidered into the blackberry and raspberry fruit on the nose - nicely defined and precise, perhaps more focused than its "M" counterpart. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple, nicely poised entry and a keen thread of acidity; it is quite compact in the mouth, but that doesn't matter because the purity is locked in and it lingers long in the mouth. This is very fine, but it will need 3-4 years in bottle to show what it can do.
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Wine Spectator
Ripe and toasty in feel, with layers of crushed plum, warm raspberry coulis and melted black licorice framed by espresso and singed juniper details. Weighty and broad, but shows drive and cut, with the fruit pushing through steadily on the finish. Exhibits more muscle than purity, but well done for the style. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Best from 2017 through 2021.
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Zelma Long is Head Winemaker for the Vilafonté project. Zelma is one of America's best known winemakers. One of the first women to study enology and viticulture at U.C. Davis, she began her winemaking career at Robert Mondavi Winery, rapidly working into the Chief Winemaker position.
Vilafonté's General Manager is Michael Ratcliffe. Mike qualified as a business major before attending the University of Adelaide. Mike is Managing Director of his family estate, Warwick which is recognized as one of South Africa's foremost wine estates.
Phil Freese is head 'wine-grower' and creator of the Vilafonté vineyard which he calls "Different by Design". Phil spent 13 years as Robert Mondavi’s Vice-President of Wine Growing. Phil designed the first Opus One vineyards, and initiated the remote sensing project with NASA that has spawned a new wave of tools for viticulture analysis and quality enhancement.
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.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.