Cape Heritage, Sweets, Fortifieds and Spirits
Timed Online Auction, 7 - 14 August 2023
Cape Heritage
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
The GS 1966 Cabernet is shrouded in mystery and remains South Africa’s rarest wine. The GS Cabernet was an experiment by George Spies, then winemaker at Monis, in 1966 and 1968. His aim was to produce a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that had the ability to age, which was not common at the time. There is a mystery surrounding the winemaking, reportedly sourced from Durbanville. The bottles were given away by Spies, reportedly very tannic and rustic in its youth. As the wine matured, rare bottles become recognised by pundits such as Michael Fridjhon and James Molesworth of Wine Spectator. Today, there can’t be more than a 2 dozen pristine bottles in existence.
This wine has been checked and re-corked by Amorim cork under supervision of auction curator Higgo Jacobs, assuring provenance, quality and long life. Seal code su-840631 can be traced on Amorim Recorking Directory
Provenance
The Distell Tabernacle - Stellenbosch
Critics Ratings
‘The nose is complex, showing red and black berries, some leafiness and even a touch of mint to go with the forest floor character you expect on an older wine. Nothing too fragile about the palate – the fruit remains quite succulent and the acidity fresh although the tannins are nicely resolved at this stage. The finish, meanwhile, has a lovely coolness about it indicative of this wine’s Durbanville origins.’ - Christian Eedes, 95/100 (Apr 2022)
‘Slight sweetness and rounded tannins, not quite the fine structure of the ‘66, with more fudgy red fruit and a cool minty touch. Brilliant acidity holds vibrancy to the wine, and makes it look light and ethereal. Impressive, just a nudge below the ‘66.’ - Higgo Jacobs (Apr 2022)
‘Bright maroon, slight bricking. Massive, spicy aromatic, but better on the nose than on the palate, where flavor is Rhône-like and broad (rather than profound and multilayered), with an elegant, refined finish.’ – Michael Fridjhon, 18/20
‘Private bottling. Never commercially available. Michael Fridjhon didn’t think this one of the best bottles – quite a bit of bottle variation. Remarkably dark colour. Rich garnet-brick core. A little minty and herbal and some liquorice, perfumed tobacco. Leathery sweetness on the palate. A little bit tough at the end and slightly metallic on the finish but remarkably youthful and still so much fruit. Coffee and spice on the finish. Tannins and fresh acidity still giving structure and shape.’ - Julia Harding MW, JancisRobinson.com, 17.5/20
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