MANY if not most of South Africa's top red wines released in 2024 are from the 2021 or 2022 vintages – two- or three-year-old wines. Very few of the country's producers routinely offer wines that are older than five years old. Whereas Buitenverwachting of Constantia hold back their flagship red until six or seven years after the harvest – with all the benefits that longer ageing brings with it. ‘Beyond Expectation', the 2017 vintage of the Cab-led blend Christine impressed the critics for Platter's 2025 SA Wine Guide so much so that they put it on a pedestal as one of their Wines of the Year – one of the Top 4 red blends in the book, the others being four or five years its junior, and the most highly rated at 97 on Platter's 100-point scale after a final round of ‘blind' tasting and cross-checking.
BUITENVERWACHTING CHRISTINE 2017
WO Constantia. 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 15% Petit Verdot and Malbec. Dryland, trellised vineyards between 8 and 17 years old. Grapes hand-harvested late February to mid-March and bunch-sorted on conveyer before going through berry-sorting machine. 4 to 6 days cold soak before spontaneous fermentation in cement tanks, juice left in contact with the grape skins for 28 days (4 punch-downs a day). Free-run wine matured in 100% new 225L French oak barrels for 24 months. After barrel selection, wine bottled in November 2019 and bottle-matured for 5 years before release in June 2024. Total production 1900 cases: 11 400 bottles.
Alc 14.3 | RS 1.9 | TA 6.5 | pH 3.5
From MW Meryl Weaver's Tasting Notes for the Platter's Guide: Elegant framework for dense core of ripe black fruit… Balanced, intensity and structure for long and rewarding life…
Cellarmaster Brad Paton's Tasting Notes: The wine offers rich red fruit characters reminiscent of ripe cherry and black currant with dark chocolate and tobacco undertones. Ageing Potential of at least 15 years after vintage.
R550pb ex-cellar.
