Author: Dirk Chan
Our online feature this week is the 2018 Neil Ellis Cabernet Sauvignon in 1.5L Magnum format (Stellenbosch, South Africa) – $48.99, regularly $61.99).
In 1984 Neil Ellis sourced grapes from vineyards not of his own and produced wine in rented cellar space. These grapes were sourced in the Stellenbosch district and meant a lot of nosing around the restrictive quota system prevalent at the time.
Neil Ellis is one of the doyens of the South African wine industry. He started as a pioneering négociant in the early 1980’s, seeking out parcels of interesting vines to make exceptional wines under his own name, to nowadays being a well-established family enterprise with a local and international reputation for exceptional elegance and quality producing some 40k cases annually. Neil’s over 40 years of winemaking experience (having started at renowned wineries Groot Constantia and KVW) is reflected in the consistent house style of all the wines produced.
This lovely Cabernet Sauvignon is predominantly sourced from Oude Nektar in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch and shows what Stellenbosch as a collective can do with Cabernet Sauvignon, this award-winning wine celebrates the noble variety within a multi-vineyard blend with its intense dark color, while the nose shows complex blackberry, licorice and cedar notes. The palate is round and fresh with fine, dense tannins. Built to last, I would recommend a half hour decant and pair with grilled red meat. A fine value here (as the regular 750mL bottles are $29.99) and the large format means it can be put away for a few years as well.