Ernie Els Proprietor's Blend 2018

Platter Review: 5*
Tim Atkin report: 92 points

The Proprietor’s Blend is once again impressive and serious in 2016. Medium- to full-bodied, it is strewn with black fruits, exotic spice and shards of dark chocolate. Sweet, spicy oak melts into a dense, powerful, fruity and structured core. The majority Cabernet Sauvignon gives a cassis purity and salty edge, while the Shiraz component adds a meaty, savoury and spicy edge. This wine is exquisitely textured and finely tuned and can easily age for a decade or more.

Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon [ 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Shiraz, 5% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot ]

The Estate
As one of South Africa’s most recognizable faces in sport and a leading ambassador for the country, Ernie Els has shown what can be achieved through sheer hard work and a passion for excellence. His commitment, discipline and focus have led to exceptional golfing success, and these same key factors are now evident in his premium wines. It was in 1999 that the idea of Ernie Els Wines was first born, and in 2000, Ernie together with award-winning winemaker Louis Strydom created the maiden vintage, a ‘classic’ Bordeaux blend. The marketing synergy between Els’s ‘classic’ golf swing and the wine worked perfectly. From the outset, Ernie Els Wines focused on delivering a premium product that would hold its own amongst the world’s finest wines. Ernie’s dream of owning vineyards and a winery finally came true in 2004 when the Ernie Els winery was established on a beautiful 72 hectare property located within Stellenbosch’s infamous ‘Golden Triangle’ on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain.

Alcohol: 14.84 % vol