Ridgeback Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Ridgeback sits on the northern slopes of Paarl, a family estate of sixty five hectares where indigenous fynbos and proteas are kept alongside the vines. It is a property that takes a considered, low intervention approach, and this Cabernet Sauvignon is its classic expression, a wine made to show ripeness and structure without ever tipping into weight.

Made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon, it comes off the estate’s warmer, well drained slopes, a site chosen to give the grape the ripeness it needs in a cooler corner of Paarl. Around a third of the fruit is fermented as whole berries after an overnight cold soak, a decision that builds colour and depth. It sits as the estate’s benchmark varietal red.

The 2020 growing season was a fine one across Paarl, remembered as a great year for the Cape. Windy conditions at flowering left smaller berries and a slightly lighter crop, which concentrated flavour, while moderate ripening temperatures and enough water let the fruit come in balanced. The result is a Cabernet with both generosity and freshness.

Cassis and dark plum lead the nose, lifted by a hint of mint before cigar box and dried herbs come through. The palate is structured and generous, its firm, ripe tannins wrapped in gentle wood spice and carried to a long, mineral finish. Sixteen months in French oak, a third of it new, adds polish. Decant it and serve with ribeye or venison; it will reward a few years in the cellar.

This is classically styled Cabernet, closer in spirit to a restrained Bordeaux than a bold New World red, and none the worse for it. If you enjoy a structured Stellenbosch or Left Bank Cabernet, it will feel immediately familiar. It is a wine for a considered dinner or a bottle worth keeping, and one you can open with confidence in its balance and length.