Fairview The Goatfather 2020

Charles Back from Fairview introduced grape varieties such as Viognier, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Petit Sirah to the Cape. This is one of a handful wines in South Africa that has Sangiovese as the main component of the blend. This wine consists of Sangiovese from Paarl, Cabernet Sauvignon from Stellenbosch and Merlot from Darling and Stellenbosch. The wine was matured in French and American oak barrels and is said to be the wine of Don Goatti (a playful reference to Don Quixote, inspired by the goats on the farm).

In the glass, this wine has a medium ruby colour with fresh red fruit flavours on the nose. It follows through well on the palate from the nose with soft tannins, cranberries, plums, cherries, a hint of dark chocolate and some violets. It has a fresh finish with a medium finish of green herbs. This is a really great wine for its price category and an interesting blend that should offer that “something different”.

This wine can be enjoyed on its own but will work well with a tomato-based pasta, lasagne or contrast well with a creamy mushroom risotto. As mentioned above, there are not many similar blends out there in South Africa, so this is certainly something that should be tried and enjoyed. I recommend that this wine is slightly cooled down and left open a few minutes before serving in large red wine glasses.

Producer: Fairview

Variety: Sangiovese 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon 37%, Merlot 13%

Vintage: 2020

Origin: Coastal, Western Cape, South Africa

Winemaker: Anthony de Jager

Closure: 2020

Alcohol: 14.28%

RS: 2.2g/l

Average price: R100

Rating: 90/100