Schultz Family Wines Dungeons Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Rudi Schultz is best known as the long-serving cellarmaster at Thelema Mountain Vineyards, but his own small label is where his personal taste comes through. He grew up in a surfing family in Somerset West, and he names each wine after a famous surf break. Volumes are tiny and everything is made by hand.

Dungeons takes its name from a big-wave spot off Hout Bay, and it is a pure Cabernet Sauvignon drawn from selected vineyards around Stellenbosch. The fruit is matured in French barriques, a portion of them new, to frame rather than mask the variety. It sits as the flagship single-varietal red in a range that leans on Syrah, and it shows why Stellenbosch remains the Cape’s Cabernet heartland.

The 2021 growing season was cooler than usual across Stellenbosch, with a benign summer that slowed ripening and pushed harvest back by a couple of weeks. Yields were down, but the extra hang time preserved acidity while the fruit reached full phenolic ripeness. Reds from the vintage tend to be dark, well-structured and built to age, and this Cabernet reflects that balance.

Expect aromas of blackcurrant and dark plum lifted by cedar, spice and a savoury, earthy edge. The palate is medium to full, with a core of pure black fruit, fine-grained tannins and a gentle lick of oak. It finishes long and composed, with a flick of pepper. Drinking well now with air, it will hold and develop over the next eight years or so. Serve with roast beef or lamb.

A German retailer lists the 2021 as a Platter’s Guide selection at 90 points and four and a half stars, a nod to its poise. In style it recalls a classic Stellenbosch Cabernet rather than a plush New World version, closer in spirit to a mid-weight Medoc. It suits a considered dinner or a bottle worth opening for people who appreciate the detail. Quietly, it earns its place.