Cloof, producer of South Africa’s Champion Pinotage in 2001, as well as a Decanter 5 Star Cabernet, recently earned yet another prestigious accolade.

The 2003 Cloof Cabernet Franc/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot was joint top-rated in the Grapeworx tasting of Bordeaux-style blends. Sharing pole position was the 1999 Meerlust Rubicon, South Africa’s most famous blend of this type.

Cape Wine Master, Allan Mullins, a member of Grapeworx’s high profile tasting panel, described the Cloof blend as having: “great balance and concentration of fruit, well judged oak, succulent palate with loads of fruit, firm with ripe tannins, very good!”

This powerful, yet elegant wine is based on Cabernet Franc (38.5%), cropped at a little more than 1 ton per hectare. With its perfume and berry fruits, this variety finds unique expression in Darling.

To this were added broad-shouldered Cabernet Sauvignon (38.5%) and super-concentrated Merlot (23%). All the fruit for this wine came from Cloof’s dryland bush vines planted on the inland slopes of the hills separating Darling from the Atlantic coast.

The constituents were blended before ageing for 15 months in French Oak (95% new).

STOP PRESS: This wine was also awarded a Gold medal on the Veritas show, as well as at the 12th Concours Mondial de Bruxelles