Ahrens Family Seventy No.N Cabernet 2023 Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

The Ahrens Family, founded in 2008 by Albert and Heidi Ahrens, is one of the more thoughtful small labels in the Cape. Albert spent years working vintages abroad, in the Rhone, Priorat and Champagne, and at Lammershoek in the Swartland, before setting up on his own. He now criss-crosses the winelands each year in search of characterful old fruit, working with a light hand to let each site speak.

Stellenbosch Seventy comes as a pair, and this is No.N, the northern half. Ahrens set out to recreate a classic 1970s Stellenbosch red, so alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc he brings back Cinsault, once a mainstay of old Cape blends. The fruit is drawn from older northern vineyards on decomposed granite and iron-rich gravel, and the wine belongs to his Regional range, built to capture a whole ward’s identity.

The 2023 growing season in Stellenbosch was cool and dry, ideal for building flavour slowly, before heavy rain in early March. The Cabernets here ripen later, so careful timing mattered, but the cool year has left its mark in the wine’s fresh, measured character. Ripeness comes without heaviness, which suits this more traditional, structured style down to the ground.

Deep ruby. The nose is classically Cabernet, with blackcurrant, dark cherry and plum, framed by cedar, dried tobacco, pencil shavings and a lift of Cinsault florals. Full-bodied and firmly structured, it carries ripe dark fruit and a hint of sweetness over a savoury, gravelly base and firm, grainy tannins. The finish is long and grippy. Serve with roast beef, lamb or a mature cheese board, and cellar up to eight years.

Tim James, tasting these reds at the cellar, singled out the Cinsault fragrance, the firm tannins and the ripe sweetness, and that structure and lift define the wine. In feel it recalls old-school Cape claret and the more savoury side of Bordeaux rather than a modern fruit bomb. This is a red for a proper meal and a bit of patience, and a nod to how good traditional Stellenbosch can be.