A golfer and a well-known winemaker teamed up for this taste treat produced near the Kalahari Desert.
Guardian Peak 2004 Frontier Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz/Merlot ($14-$16)
Tastes like: Aromas of black currants, shaved cedar and violets set the stage for ripe blackberry, cassis, spice and earthy/mineral notes on the palate. The flavors are rounded off by a well-structured finish of firm tannins. Ready to drink now.
Grape varieties: 47 percent cabernet sauvignon, 41 percent shiraz, 12 percent merlot.
What’s special about it: This stylish offering perfectly illustrates the art of blending. Each of the varieties contributes unique flavor and character, yet the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Although shiraz is not typically blended with cabernet or merlot, here it adds lushness without masking the complexity of the other two varieties.
Serve with: Full-flavored dishes such as beef carpaccio; goose, duck and other dark-meat poultry; and lamb shanks.
How it’s made: Wine from the three varieties is aged separately for the first eight months in French and American oak barrels. Then the wines are drawn from the barrels, blended in tanks, and returned to barrels for two months before bottling. This two-stage regimen allows winemaker Coenie Snyman to fine-tune the proportions of the blend and allows enough time for the flavors to marry in the barrel before bottling.
Winery: Guardian Peak is a partnership between South African golf champion Ernie Els and lifelong friend Jean Engelbrecht, a noted winemaker. In 1999, the duo established the Engelbrecht Els winery, which produces outstanding but pricey Bordeaux-style blends on the slopes of Helderberg Mountain in the Stellenbosch region. When a long-simmering family feud led to Engelbrecht’s abrupt departure from the highly regarded Rust en Vrede winery last year, Engelbrecht purchased the Guardian Peak label from his former employer and took it into the partnership with Els. Guardian Peak and Engelbrecht Els wines are now made side by side at Engelbrecht Els’ stunning new winery, nestled in the hills of Stellenbosch.
On the label: The winery takes its name from Guardian Peak, the highest point on nearby Stellenbosch Mountain. The pair of Kalahari lions symbolizes the winery’s commitment to protect and preserve the neighboring Kalahari Desert.
Geography: The unique interplay of the Indian and Atlantic oceans creates a multitude of microclimates, ranging from cool areas along the coasts to warm sites farther inland on hilly terrain. Most of the grapes used by Guardian Peak are from Stellenbosch, a semi-mountainous inland region with a superb Mediterranean climate. To grow grapes in the less-favored, arid coastal regions, the winery uses carefully controlled drip irrigation to avoid excessive fruit yields that would dilute varietal flavors.
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