ABRIE Beeslaar. A quiet, modest winemaker who keeps his cards close to his chest. Former cellarmaster at the renowned Kanonkop estate, three-time recipient of the Winemaker of the Year award at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (2008, 2015, 2017) and a member of the exclusive Cape Winemaker's Guild, he doesn't (yet) have a winery or vineyards of his own. He rents space and sources grapes at cellars and farms here and there, though few people know exactly where – primarily in Stellenbosch, although the fact that his Chardonnay 2025 is described as Wine of Origin Western Cape suggests that he's keeping his options open. Strangely, when the 2026 edition of Platter's SA Wine Guide was published in December 2025, there were no details given of his new Cape Bordeaux-style red blend, other than that it was “coming soon” – yet according to Beeslaar, the maiden 2022 vintage of The Sacrament had already been released in February 2025. And no doubt there were wine lovers still scratching their heads when news broke of the follow-up – the 2023 vintage – ranking as one of the Top 3 in an authoritative panel tasting of 90 South African red blends reported on in the March '26 issue of the UK's Decanter Magazine.
Surprisingly, The Sacrament is positioned as Beeslaar's flagship wine, i.e. many would have expected this status to have been pinned to a Pinotage. After all, it was his “love affair” with this grape variety “born and bred in South African soils” that led him to establish Beeslaar as a wine brand in 2011. But who knows what he's got up his sleeve. It's only been just over a year since Beeslaar stepped away from Kanonkop, where his urge to make wine of his own was kindly accommodated by the estate proprietors Johann and Paul Krige. When he went solo in 2024, he said that Pinotage would be at the core of his business, it's now one of the country's most highly rated reds, and now that he has a Cape Bordeaux to rival Kanonkop Paul Sauer – both wines selling at a premium to their award-winning expressions of Pinotage – one wonders whether his dreams include a super-premium Pinotage to rival Kanonkop Black Label at the luxury end of the market?
The 2022 vintage of The Sacrament included Merlot (20%) with Cabernet Franc (20%) in the blend led by Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), whereas the 2023 is 60% Cab Sav and 40% Cab Franc – the Merlot considered not properly ripe. The name reflects “a deep sense of gratitude for the elements beyond human control – soil, climate, and the Creator who brings them into harmony,” says Beeslaar. “As winemakers, we see ourselves as stewards of this process, guided by nature rather than shaping it. This wine stands as a tribute to that sacred interplay.”
Also new to the Beeslaar range is a different red blend, Cape Courage, also with Cabernet Sauvignon to the fore (54%) but using Pinotage (18%) together with the four Bordeaux varieties in the mix for the 2023 vintage. Not enough Pinotage to qualify as a Cape Blend in terms of the definition laid down by the Pinotage Association, which prescribes a minimum of 30%, but perhaps in future… R230pb ex-producer.
BEESLAAR THE SACRAMENT 2023
WO Stellenbosch: a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) from the Helderberg and Cabernet Franc (40%) from Banghoek. The hand-harvested grapes were destemmed, sorted and partially crushed before going into open-top fermenters, where there were gentle punch-downs of the cap every six hours for six days. The wine was matured in 225L French oak barrels (100% new) for 20 months and racked twice during this time in separating it from the sediment. Total production: 5 barrels / 1500 bottles.
Alc 14.5% | RS 2.2g/l | TA 5.9g/l | pH 3.5
From the Producer's Tasting Notes: The inviting nose reveals a blend of cassis, dark hedgerow fruit, dark chocolate and tobacco, complemented by pronounced graphite, delicate herbal notes and savoury elements. The palate is bold and layered, showing a balance of fruit and oak around a dark-fruited core, finishing rich and dry – complex and elegant with ageing potential.
From Decanter's Tasting Notes: Enticing nose with abundant sweet spice interleaved with ripe, smoky red fruit, fynbos and dried herbs; long finish, complex, seductive and refined (Jason Millar). Real class, with layers of fresh complexity, toasty plum and blueberry, wild herbs, leaves and a wonderful mouthfeel (Roger Jones). Incredible intensity and poise, with well-integrated oak, ripe fruit and silky tannins (Victoria Mason MW).
Producers' Pairing Recommendation: red meats, hearty meals, e.g. oxtail, ‘potjiekos'.
R1100pb ex-producer, R1285 from Ex Animo Wine Co in Cape Town.