When Schalk Burger bought the Welbedacht farm, people thought that he went mad! Why would a prolific rugby player get involved in wine? Well, he did a great job so far at the farm situated on the slopes of Groenberg in Wellington since the cellar was built in 2004 and the first harvest in 2005. When I presented this wine at a recent tasting, the commentary before I even poured the wine was “I don’t like wines from Wellington”. The very same person asked me at the end of the tasting where they can buy this wine.
In the glass, this wine offers a deep red colour and a nose of ripe black and red fruit, spices and tobacco leaves. It delivers well on the palate with very ripe fruit, blackcurrant, canned strawberries, ripe cherries and plums. The tannins are soft on the palate and the wine is balanced well. Aromatic flavours of tobacco, fennel and cloves come forward as this wine develops on the palate. It has a milk chocolate finish with a good freshness at the end.
This wine can be served at room temperature and does not need to be decanted. It can be enjoyed on its own or will make a great companion for braised lamb shank and roasted vegetables. This wine is good value for money.
Producer: Welbedacht
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2021
Origin: Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa
Winemaker: Lucilia Ramos
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14%
Average price: R180
Rating: 93/100
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