Le Riche Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Once harvested, the grapes are bunch sorted and pumped into opentop fermenters. Here, Christo and the winemaking team vinify each vineyard block separately, allowing the unique characteristics and flavours of each block to develop. After a year of ageing, the final blend is made, and the wine spends a further year in oak before release. The result is a Cabernet Sauvignon that brims with complexity thanks to the blended fruit from diverse terroir. It can be enjoyed young or will benefit beautifully from cellaring.

The fruit for this wine is sourced from selected vineyard sites within Stellenbosch. The conscientiously considered mixture of cool gravelly slopes facing False Bay and rich red granitic soils around Stellenbosch ensure a beautiful balance of aromas and flavours in the final wine.

22 months in 225L French oak barrels. 18 % new oak.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon

• Tim Atkin – 95 Points
• Platters – 5 Stars

The earliest historical traces of the Le Riche family surname in South Africa date back to 1698, when Lodewyk le Riche and his family left Thimarais in Normandy to journey to South Africa in search of a new life. By the 1900s, their link to nature was firmly established, with some of the earlier le Riche family members being instrumental in establishing what would eventually become known as the Kgalagadi National Park. It was not until the late 1970s that the Le Riche dedication to winemaking would become synonymous with the surname. Le Riche founder, Etienne le Riche, started his career in the mid-70's and was soon recognized as one of South Africa's best Cabernet Sauvignon producers. By 1982 he had created some of the most sought-after wines in the country and jointly founded the Cape Winemakers Guild. It was however his dream to own his own winery that led him to establish Le Riche in 1996. The bespoke winery was initially operated from Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch, in an old cellar that needed considerable renovation. With great attention to detail, Etienne carefully updated the space, and production started. During this time, he also established the business model for Le Riche, which continues to be sourcing the highest quality fruit from a close network of trusted grape growers. This gave him the freedom to focus on the winemaking side of the process, a decision Etienne made with intent.