EDGEBASTON is the name of his wine farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg, but Finlayson is the name that most people in the know associate with top winemakers in the Cape winelands. Of course, he’s not the only one: his father Walter was once cellarmaster at Blaauwklippen and then Glen Carlou; his uncle Peter and cousin Peter-Allan are synonymous with the wines of Bouchard Finlayson and Crystallum of the Hemel-en-Aarde, Pinot Noir in particular. Whereas David Finlayson is best known for his Stellenbosch Cabernet – Sauvignon and Franc.

After building a boutique wine outfit into a more formidable business sourcing grapes from a number of properties in Stellenbosch as well as Paarl, expanding both locally and in various export markets, it was felt that the time was right to dispense with the Edgebaston labels and to align the entire portfolio under the David Finlayson brand. Heading up the range are his GS Cabernet Sauvignon and the Camino Africana trio of Chenin, Pinot and Cab Franc. In addition, there are single-varietal whites, reds and blends that are pocket-friendly, some very good value at under R100 a bottle!

The GS Cab is a perennial favourite of critics contributing to Platter’s SA Wine Guide. Camino Africana has also been Highly Recommended in Platter’s, with three vintages placing among the winners at South Africa’s Cab Franc Challenge. And most recently, the 2018 David Finlayson Cabernet Sauvignon got the nod from the country’s Winemag (93/100) before excelling at the National Wine Challenge.

DAVID FINLAYSON CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018
WO Stellenbosch. 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot. Grapes hand-picked and fermented in stainless-steel tanks. Maturation took place in French oak barrels for 14 months: 20% new, 60% second-fill 300L, 20% third-fill.
Alc 14.1 | RS 1.6 | TA 6.0 | pH 3.5
Winemaker’s Tasting Notes: Made to exude absolute purity of varietal character… Cassis and blackcurrent flavours. A fresh, minty herbaceousness backed by mocca vanilla oak. Firm, structured tannins and a long finish on the palate show good ageing potential.
R160pb ex-cellar.