Spier Creative Block 5 Bordeaux Red Blend 2017 Coastal Region, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Spier is one of South Africa’s oldest wine farms, in Stellenbosch, and the Creative Block range is its blending flagship. Creative Block 5, the five-part red, is the most ambitious of the set and has become one of the estate’s most consistently decorated and admired wines.

This is a Bordeaux Red Blend, led by Cabernet Sauvignon and filled out with Merlot and the other classic Bordeaux varieties. The fruit is drawn from cooler coastal sites, including Groenekloof and Stellenbosch, which lend the wine freshness alongside its power. Time in French oak adds structure and a savoury, cedary frame.

The 2017 vintage was an excellent one for Cape reds, a dry, low-yielding season that came after several years of drought and concentrated the fruit, giving wines with depth and firm structure, well suited to a serious blend like this one.

Expect deep, dark fruit, graphite and cassis, with cedar and a touch of spice from the oak. The palate is full and layered, with structured, fine-grained tannins and a long, savoury finish. It has the backbone to age for several years yet, and rewards a decant now. Serve with roast beef, lamb, venison, a hearty casserole or a mature hard cheese.

Creative Block 5 has a strong record in the Cape Bordeaux Red Blend rankings, and it is easy to see why. If you enjoy Stellenbosch Cabernet or classic Bordeaux, this is a confident, cellar-worthy red that punches above its price, and a fine showcase of what a considered Cape blend can do.