Reyneke Cornerstone Red
£26.00
£34.67 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Only 4 bottles left
If you've been waiting for a reason to fall for Cabernet Franc, this is it. A Bordeaux-style blend from Reyneke, one of Stellenbosch's pioneering biodynamic estates, all cassis, blackberry and gentle spice wrapped around elegant tannins. Serious enough to cellar, generous enough to open tonight. Delivered across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Our Verdict
We rate Reyneke as one of the most quietly serious estates in Stellenbosch, and the Cornerstone is the bottle that proves it. Tim Atkin has classified Reyneke as a First Growth, yet this Cabernet Franc-led blend still feels like a discovery rather than a trophy. What won us over is the balance: organically and biodynamically farmed fruit with real density, but never heavy or jammy. This one is for the drinker who wants substance without showing off, and who cares that the wine's name honours the farm workers behind it. Stock is limited, so don't dawdle.
Tasting Notes
Cabernet Franc leads here, and you can feel it. The nose pushes out cassis, blackberry and dark cherry, threaded with leafy tobacco and a whisper of nutmeg and sandalwood from the oak. The palate stays pure and layered: red and dark fruit first, then black tea, dried thyme and savoury spice. Tannins are fine and firm rather than chewy, with a bright acid line that keeps everything fresh. The finish is long and lifted, more about poise than power.
About This Wine
Here's a wine that quietly does everything right. The Cornerstone is Reyneke's Bordeaux-style red, led by Cabernet Franc with a supporting hand of Cabernet Sauvignon, and it captures exactly what makes Stellenbosch reds so rewarding: freshness and real concentration in the same glass. Expect cassis, blackberry and black cherry on the nose, with tobacco, nutmeg and a whisper of sandalwood adding intrigue. The palate is layered and precise, pure red and dark fruit shot through with black tea and spice, carried by elegant tannins and a bright acid line that keeps everything lifted. That backbone comes from the Polkadraai Hills, where granite-flecked soils and cooling sea air give Reyneke's reds their hallmark restraint. There's craft behind it too. Grapes are hand harvested and cooled overnight, fermented in open-top concrete, then aged eighteen months in French oak, the Cabernet Sauvignon in first-fill barrels, the Cabernet Franc in older wood to keep the fruit centre stage. The result drinks beautifully now but has the structure to reward a few years in the rack. Pour it with a slow-roasted lamb shoulder, a rare ribeye, or a board of mature Cheddar. It also makes a genuinely thoughtful gift for anyone who appreciates wine with a conscience. We ship across the UK, usually within a few days.
Food Pairing
This wants something with savoury depth to meet its tannin and herbal edge. A roast rack of lamb with thyme and garlic is close to perfect, the herbs echoing the wine's leafy side. It also shines next to a rare ribeye, slow-braised beef short rib, or a Sunday roast of sirloin. For something gentler, try a wedge of mature Cheddar.
- —Roast rack of lamb with thyme and garlic
- —Rare-grilled ribeye steak
- —Slow-braised beef short rib
- —Sunday roast sirloin with rosemary
- —Mature Cheddar with quince paste
How to Serve
Decanting
Give this an hour in a decanter. The fine tannins soften with air and the cassis, tobacco and spice aromatics open up considerably, especially on younger bottles still showing oak.
Behind the Wine
Up on the Polkadraai Hills ridge, the vineyards face the sea, and that maritime exposure does the heavy lifting here. Cooling breezes off False Bay slow ripening, holding onto natural acidity while the fruit gains depth. Reyneke farms organically and biodynamically, working the soil rather than spraying it, so the vines dig deep and express their site. The result in the glass is that signature balance: ripe cassis and dark berry concentration framed by a firm, fresh acid line and tannins that stay defined rather than soft.
Ageing Potential
Built to age. The firm tannins, fresh acidity and concentrated fruit give this real staying power. It drinks well now with an hour of air, but rewards patience, so cellar for five to eight years and watch the fruit settle into more savoury, tertiary tobacco and spice notes.
The Land
The Polkadraai Hills bring granite-flecked soils and elevated, sea-facing slopes. That altitude and maritime aspect keep the vineyards cool and ventilated, which is exactly why this wine carries such a firm acid spine and finely drawn tannins rather than broad, jammy fruit. It is terroir you can taste in the tension.
The Winemaking
This is patient, hands-off winemaking. Grapes come in by hand and are cooled overnight before destemming and sorting, keeping the fruit pristine. Fermentation happens in open-top concrete tanks, a gentler, more neutral vessel that lets the Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon speak clearly. The two varieties are then matured separately: the Cabernet Sauvignon in first-fill 225-litre French oak for structure and spice, the Cabernet Franc in second and third-fill barrels to keep its perfume intact. Eighteen months in oak knits it all together without ever burying the fruit.
About the Producer
Reyneke
Reyneke is the name to know when it comes to South African biodynamics. Johan Reyneke founded the estate in the Polkadraai Hills west of Stellenbosch and set about doing things the harder way, organic certification came first, then full biodynamic status, making Reyneke the first fully biodynamic-certified wine estate in the country. Cattle and sheep graze between the rows, cover crops feed the soils, and the famous biodynamic preparations, horn manure, horn silica, go out on schedule. Cellarmaster Rudiger Gretschel has been alongside Johan for two decades, translating that vineyard philosophy into the glass. The whole approach can be summed up in three words they actually live by: less is more.