South African & International Fine Wine
Live Auction, 14 September 2019
Session Two
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Thelema, the Greek word for ‘will’, was a charming dilapidated fruit farm until Gyles Webb came along and purchased the farm with the help of his wife’s family in 1983. Placed at the top of the Helshoogte Pass, Thelema is one of the highest and coolest estates in the area, its deep red soils make it ideal for premium quality wine grape production. At a time when the South African wine scene was focused on quantity rather than quality, Webb was a trailblazing pioneer on a mission to craft world-class wines. Construction began on the winery in 1987, and Thelema produced its first vintage in 1988. Winemaking since 2000 has been in the capable hands of Rudi Schultz, with Gyles's son Thomas involved in running the business.
The mint-laced section of the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon has been produced separately since 2004 and has received a cult following since.
Provenance
Wine Cellar
Critics Ratings
‘The herbal element behind the name shows pleasingly as ever on 10. Big & forceful, all in balance – maybe a touch more severe & less graceful than the Cab Sauv (but that’s a year older), though alcohol 0.5% lower, at 13.8%. Surely 10+ years ahead, satisfying all the way!’ – Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2013, 4.5*
‘The 2010 The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon sees 18 months in French oak of which half is new. It has a potent menthol aroma that lives up to its name – and then some. The palate is sweet on the entry with honeyed red berry fruit, low acidity and a finish that just seems overdone. This is a wine trying way too hard to impress. Drink now-2016. Thelema was one of the first Stellenbosch-based wineries to focus on quality-driven wines during the 1980s. Rudi Schultz joined as head winemaker in 2000 and since then they have fashioned a clutch of excellent wines, in particular reds. I must admit that I found their most recent releases a little less consistent than in the past – a case of one or two seemingly over-eager to impress, especially apropos the Bordeaux blends that I have enjoyed in the past. That was highlighted by a wonderful Shiraz ‘10 that if anything highlighted what was missing in some of its fellow red blends.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate 86/100 (2013)
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