Boekenhoutskloof Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon
£49.00
£65.33 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
In Stock — 2 bottles available
94Tim Atkin MW
94Wine Enthusiast
4.5/5 starsPlatter's South African Wine Guide
Boekenhoutskloof is one of South Africa's most revered names, and this is the Cape's answer to fine claret. Expect a dark, brooding glass of cassis, blueberry and graphite, structured but svelte, with the kind of poise that ages beautifully. A serious Stellenbosch Cabernet for anyone who loves the grape at its most refined. Delivered across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
Our Verdict
We've tasted a lot of Stellenbosch Cabernet, and this is one of the few that genuinely earns its claret comparison. What sets it apart is restraint: the fruit is generous, but it's the graphite line and the precision of the tannins that keep us coming back. With 94 points from both Tim Atkin and Wine Enthusiast and four and a half stars from Platter's, the quality isn't in doubt, but what we love is how complete it feels for the money. This is for the drinker who has moved past obvious wines and wants real pedigree. We only hold a little at a time, so don't dawdle if it's calling you.
Tasting Notes
A dark, brooding nose: cassis, black fruits and sweet spice, with a perfumed lift that signals there is more here than sheer power. The palate is opulent and velvety, layering blueberry, plum and mulberry with dark chocolate and that unmistakable Stellenbosch graphite. A bright, lemony acidity keeps all that juicy wild-berry fruit fresh rather than heavy, while plush, finely knit tannins give the wine its claret-like backbone. Black cherry and blueberry crumble linger on a long, earthy finish.
Brooding Black Fruit
Cassis, blueberry, plum and mulberry pile up in dark, concentrated layers, the small-berry intensity that gives this Cabernet its depth.
Graphite Minerality
That classic Stellenbosch pencil-lead, graphite edge runs through the wine, a savoury seam that lifts the fruit and signals serious structure.
Dark Chocolate Depth
Nuances of dark chocolate weave through the mid-palate, adding richness and a luscious, mouth-coating warmth without tipping into sweetness.
About This Wine
Here is the wine that proves Stellenbosch belongs in the same conversation as the world's great Cabernet regions. Boekenhoutskloof needs little introduction; this is a producer that has spent decades quietly setting the standard, and their Stellenbosch Cabernet is the wine collectors reach for when they want substance over noise.
Pour it and the glass turns dark and brooding. There's intense cassis and sweet spice on the nose, then a palate of blueberry, plum and mulberry threaded with dark chocolate and that unmistakable graphite edge that marks out top Stellenbosch fruit. It's full-bodied and velvety, yet a fine lemony acidity keeps everything lifted, and the tannins are plush and beautifully integrated. Black cherry and a hint of blueberry crumble linger on a long, earthy finish.
The fruit comes from prized slopes on the Helderberg and at Vlottenburg, where decomposed granite, sandstone and the cool maritime breath off False Bay give the wine its minerality and structure. Twenty-two months in French oak, much of it new, adds gentle spice without ever masking the fruit.
This wants a proper occasion: a slow-roasted rib of beef for Sunday lunch, venison, or a mature hard cheese. Cellar it confidently or decant and enjoy now. As a gift for a serious wine lover, it rarely misses. We ship it carefully across the UK, straight to the door.
Food Pairing
This wants red meat with a bit of ceremony. A rare roast rib of beef with a rich red-wine gravy is the natural match, the savoury graphite edge cutting through every forkful. A slow-braised oxtail or a venison casserole works just as well on a cold British evening. For a simpler night, a chargrilled ribeye or a wedge of mature Cheddar lets those svelte tannins shine.
- —Rare roast rib of beef with red-wine gravy
- —Slow-braised oxtail
- —Venison casserole with juniper
- —Chargrilled ribeye with peppercorn sauce
- —Mature farmhouse Cheddar
How to Serve
Temperature
Cool room temperature. Pull it from the rack about 30 minutes before pouring so it does not show too warm.
Decanting
Decant for a good hour in a wide-bottomed decanter. This is full-bodied and tightly wound when young; air softens the tannins and coaxes the perfumed cassis and graphite out of their shell.
Glass
A large-bowled Bordeaux glass gives the dark fruit and graphite room to gather and express themselves fully.
Cellaring
Store on its side somewhere cool, dark and stable. This Cabernet rewards patience and will keep evolving gracefully for well over a decade.
Behind the Wine
Stellenbosch Cabernet thrives on patience. Cold, damp Cape winters send the vines into deep dormancy, and cool, moist springs slow the start of the growing season so the fruit takes its time. Drier, moderate weather through flowering and into the warmer months then allows gradual, even ripening, with cool evenings holding on to freshness. The result is small, thick-skinned berries with a low juice-to-skin ratio: concentrated, deeply coloured fruit with the structure and finesse you taste in every glass of this wine.
Ageing Potential
Built to age. The concentrated small-berry fruit, bright acidity and finely knit tannins give this a long life ahead. Drink now with an hour in a decanter, or cellar it for another 8 to 12 years, when the fruit mellows into cigar box, earth and savoury complexity.
The Land
The fruit comes from two contrasting sites: north-west-facing slopes of the Helderberg and a south-east-facing slope at Vlottenburg. The vines grow on deep decomposed granite mixed with Table Mountain sandstone and ironstone known locally as koffieklip. Add the mild maritime influence drifting in off the cool False Bay coast, and you get this wine's hallmark minerality and its classic, graphite-edged profile.
The Winemaking
This is Cabernet made parcel by parcel. Hand-picked grapes are cooled, then individually destemmed and crushed into tulip-shaped concrete tanks for a cold soak and spontaneous fermentation between 27 and 30 degrees. Gentle pump-overs and occasional delestage coax out colour, aroma and tannin without forcing anything. A slow, natural malolactic fermentation follows in barrel, and the wine then settles for 22 months on the OXOline system in 60% new, lightly toasted, long-seasoned French oak from coopers Sylvain and Saury. The outcome is a refined, claret-like wine with dark fruit and graphite.
About the Producer
Boekenhoutskloof
Boekenhoutskloof sits at the head of the Franschhoek Valley on a farm first granted in 1776, named for the indigenous Cape beech trees in the ravine behind it. The modern estate was reborn in 1993, when seven partners bought the property and set about rebuilding it, those are the seven Cape Dutch chairs you see on the label. Marc Kent took over the cellar in 1994 and turned Boekenhoutskloof into one of South Africa's most influential producers, picking up Diners Club Winemaker of the Year along the way. Gottfried Mocke now leads the winemaking. The Chocolate Block, first made in 2002, has become the estate's calling card, and a wine that introduced thousands of UK drinkers to what the Cape can really do.