Aaldering Florence Winemakers Selection 2023 Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

The Winemakers Selection is Florence’s more serious red, the range’s nod to the estate’s blending craft. It carries the same welcoming spirit as the rest of the Florence wines, made to enjoy young, but with a touch more structure and depth. Think of it as the Cape blend of the everyday range.

This is a classic Cape blend, roughly 45 percent Pinotage, 35 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 20 percent Merlot. Pinotage gives the plush, dark-fruited core, Cabernet lends grip and Merlot rounds the edges. The blend was matured in third and fourth-fill French oak, chosen to respect the fruit and soften the tannins rather than add heavy oak flavour.

2023 brought a cold winter and higher rainfall, then temperature swings in September that led to late, uneven budburst. Cooler weather through the season meant small berries and bunches, concentrating fruit and colour. That freshness underpins a blend that feels lively as well as rich.

Deep purple in the glass. Plums and red berries fill the nose, with lead pencil, chocolate and coffee adding warmth and complexity. The palate is full-bodied, showing fruitcake, dark chocolate and brooding fruit over granular tannins that add length and grip. It is drinking well now and will cellar five to eight years. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees.

This has the identity of a proper Cape blend, Pinotage-led yet balanced by the Bordeaux pair, richer and rounder than either grape alone. It is a natural with a Cape Malay bobotie, or simpler pasta and pizza. A comforting, characterful red that punches above its everyday billing.