Tokara Telos 2018

The aromas open with impressive cassis, graphite is tightly interwoven with attractive blackberry, dark cherry coulis and cigar box. The palate is sleek, lithe and particularly fine boned with a very polished, sultry elegance and textural focus. There is already impressive complexity but also a modicum of classical restraint.

This is a rare South African expression that boasts a vibrant natural acidity and ripe, fine grained powdery tannins that cushion a beautifully natural sense of balance, harmony and finesse, all elements coming together seamlessly and effortlessly at such an early stage in the wines evolution. A really polished, faultless, old world leaning expression that is undoubtedly a new and impressive tour de force on the South African fine wine scene.


variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot ]
winemaker : Stuart Botha
wine of origin : Western Cape
analysis : alc : 14.5 % vol  rs : 2.7 g/l  pH : 3.48  ta : 5.3 g/l  
type : Red  style : Dry  body : Full  taste : Fragrant   wooded
pack : Bottle  size : 750ml  closure : Cork  

ageing : Drink this wine from 2024+ onwards and cellar comfortably for 20+ years.

in the vineyard : The block lies on the crest of a spur between two valleys, benefitting from 400 million years of exposure to the elements. The soil is a perfect mix of clay, derived from ancient decomposed granite and gravel that has its origins from Table Mountain Sandstone that crumbled and
weathered in a slow march down the face of the Simonsberg Mountain.

In this instance, clay with its great affinity to binding water holds the vines on a knife-edge of water stress offering up only that which they demand as the transpiration rates increase during the warmer ripening season. The effect is very slow ripening of tannins and stronger tannin structure overall. The gravel which punctuates the soil profile down to at least 2.5 m serves as a great moderator – decreasing the clay percentage and allowing appropriate softening of the tannins to coincide with sugar ripeness.

about the harvest: Harvest takes place in two passes each respecting the natural variability that arises from subtle differences in the soil across the block, that is monitored and confirmed by NDVI (Near Differential Vegetative Indexing) each season. The clusters are hand-picked and cooled overnight in a cold store to 5°C before destemming and hand sorting the following morning.

in the cellar : TELOS Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented in two small raw concrete tanks acquired for this purpose. Pre-and post- fermentation maceration ensures gentle but complete extraction from the skins and allows for softer handling of the cap during the peak of ferment. Only the free run component is taken to a selection of French oak barrels, the cooperage selection being determined through fastidious trials that began in 2005 and employed various “prototype” wines

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OTHER VINTAGES

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon