Monday 3 June was a very special day for the Le Riche family – Stellenbosch cabernet sauvignon specialists for 28 years – as they released the 25th vintage of their esteemed flagship Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as well as three Single Vineyard Cabernet bottlings from an exceptional vintage.
“This year we are reflecting on our journey and celebrating the hero in our story – cabernet sauvignon,” said Christo le Riche. “Vintages like 2021 don’t come along very often, and we could not have wished for a more fitting vintage to celebrate the 25th anniversary of our Reserve Cabernet, a statuesque expression of the very best we can produce.
“In addition, we decided to honour the exceptional vintage with three Single Vineyard bottlings – the Simonsberg, Steynsrust and Bosstok Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 – to showcase the diverse terroir Stellenbosch offers. With only one barrel made of each, you are in for a cabernet treat.”
Ever since the esteemed maiden 1997 vintage, the Le Riche family has been inextricably associated with cabernet excellence. Internationally acclaimed as a leading ultra-premium producer of world-class cabernet sauvignon, they have made it their business to craft the ultimate expression of cabernet sauvignon from the Stellenbosch winelands. The Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the celebrated 2021 vintage is proving to be another benchmark of excellence.
“This highly anticipated 2021 release, ‘a sensational benchmark’, comes hard on the heels of the highly rated 2020 and 2019 from Christo le Riche,” said Master of Wine Greg Sherwood, who scored the 2021 Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon a mighty 98+/100 at a pre-release tasting, “and the impressive 2021 completes the trilogy of blockbuster vintages from this cabernet specialist.
“They are simply sublime, awesome even, and most definitely a vintage that will come to define premium-quality cabernet for years to come. A true classic that will richly reward bottle ageing.”
Stellar wine with enviable pedigree
Over 25 vintages, the lauded Le Riche Reserve Cabernet has garnered widespread acclaim, including ten Platter’s pinnacle five-star ratings (for the 1997 maiden vintage, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2007 Le Riche CWG Auction Reserve, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages), Platter’s Red Wine of the Year award for the 2005 vintage and Platter’s Cabernet of the Year awards for the 2015 and 2019 vintages.
Le Riche’s cabernet stardom was also manifest when the Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 was awarded the Trophy for Cabernet Sauvignon in 2021’s Global Fine Wine Challenge for New World Wine Countries hosted in Australia. In addition, the runner-up prize also went to Le Riche for the Reserve 2017, breaking a record as the first producer to be awarded both accolades in the same year.
The 2020 Le Riche Reserve Cabernet proudly continued this legacy of excellence, winning a splendid Best in Class accolade at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023, cementing its status as a world-class Cabernet and one of the 50 best wines in the world.
Le Riche’s distinguished stature was further endorsed by renowned UK wine critic Tim Atkin in his South Africa 2023 Special Report, where he awarded the 2020 Reserve a whopping 99 points, describing it as “the Latour of South Africa”; honoured Le Riche as one of the 25 First Growths in his Cape Classification for the first time; and named founder Etienne le Riche his Winemaking Legend of the Year. Further affirmation for the 2020 Le Riche Reserve Cabernet unfolded across the Atlantic with an exceptional 98-point rating in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
Enter the 2021 vintage of the Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. Christo, who has successfully taken over the reins of the multi-generational Le Riche winery from his legendary father Etienne, is all praise for the 2021 vintage.
The newly released Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.Photo: Christopher White Photography
He said: “In his acclaimed South Africa 2023 Special Report, Atkin contended the 2021 vintage could rank as one of the Cape’s best-ever vintages to date. I believe our 2021 Reserve will compete as one of the greatest.
“It is a tannic vintage, with the highest tannin count we have seen since 2011, which bodes well for the ageability of the vintage. Expect elegant fruit, excellent acidity, outstanding colour and texture and full ripe flavours balanced by firm tannins. Its great ageing potential makes it a stellar investment in satisfaction for any Cabernet enthusiast. I like to describe it as ‘an iron fist in a velvet glove’, a delicate tight-rope of muscle and power, precision, balance and seductive elegance.
“For 28 years we have made it our business to produce the definitive expression of Stellenbosch cabernet sauvignon, pursuing a steadfast dedication to the veritable ‘King of Grapes’ and the ‘Crown Jewell’ of the region. Combining decades of experience and knowledge, we meticulously select and source only the highest-quality fruit from the best possible terroirs Stellenbosch has to offer.”
Christo said they work with a close network of trusted long-term, established wine farmers with unique vineyards based in Jonkershoek and Simonsberg, along with the upper and lower foothills of the Helderberg Mountain.
“Every ward or region showcases vastly different terroir characteristics, adding compelling complexity to our wines. Following our ethos of quality, elegance and consistency, our winemaking style is orientated around crafting the best Stellenbosch cabernet sauvignons, with minimal interference, letting the exceptional terroir speak for itself.
“The resulting wines show great elegance and class, consistent superb quality and maturation potential. For our Reserve, final blending by our team forms the key step in determining the style and character of our flagship wine. Reserve status is only endowed if the grapes and resulting wine measure up to our exceptional standard. This year we are also releasing three Single Vineyard Cabernets, (only 300 bottles of each) to help tell the story of Stellenbosch and the amazing diversity this region offers.”
Le Riche Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
The cabernet grapes were scrupulously selected from best performing vineyard parcels sourced from the Stellenbosch wards of Helderberg (67%), Simonsberg (22%) and Jonkershoek Valley (11%). The vineyard blocks were micro-vinified separately until final blending. Fermentation in open-top concrete fermenters, manual plunging to ensure optimal colour extraction, extended maceration to increase age-ability and the use of high-quality French oak (70% new) ensure the pedigree of this distinguished wine.
After a year in barrel, the individual batches were blended to form the final wine and returned to barrel for another year before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine matured in bottle for another year before release.
A wine in true Cabernet style, it is massively expressive with fresh plums and blackberries, cherry, violet and cassis grounded in classic cedar and graphite notes, which are mirrored on the palate. The wine is brooding and dense yet sophisticated and elegant.
The structure is powerfully firm with polished, fine-grained tannins and a remarkable acid/fruit balance. The palate is rich, velvety and opulent yet remarkably fresh with a lively purity and a creamy mouth feel. The wonderfully long, complex finish showcases the great potential for maturation.
The Le Riche 2021 Single Vineyard cabernet sauvignons to be released are: Le Riche Simonsberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2021; Le Riche Steynsrust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021; and Le Riche Bosstok Cabernet Sauvignon 2021.
- Le Riche Wines is located in Raithby-Annandale Road, Raithby. For more information or to purchase wines, visit www.leriche.co.za.
