La Motte Hanneli R 2007 94 Points

La Motte

Clear, bright, cherry red with slight garnet rim, showing slight evolution for a 5 year old red.

Clean, medium plus intensity, cherries, just ripe plums, complex red berries, subtle, perfect ripeness definition, dry rose petal, earthy, stony mineral, excellent purity of fruit, black olives, delicate cinnamon spice and new leather note.

Dry with medium plus acidity, fresh and lively.

Both the grape and oak tannins are ripe and dry, coating at this stage, arguring well for long term cellaring with enough crunchy delicate fruit to support, savory texture.

Total of 48 months in oak, of which 24 months was in new 225 litre French oak and a further 24 months in second fill 500 litre barrels shows total integration, persistent, long and firm, best revisited from 2017, will keep if cellared properly up to 2022+.

The second vintage of Hanneli R is a  blend of 81% Walker Bay (Bot River) and Elim Shiraz, grown in shale and (koffieklip) coffee stone soil, with 10% Darling Grenache Noir and 9% Darling Mourvedre grown in deep yellow Clovelly (weathered granite) has a total production of only 3000 bottles, shows energy, no over oaking character, made from super ripe fruit clocking in 14.19% abv, yet is totally integrated, unshowy and graceful, at +/- R 800, it is a bargain at this quality level in fact, when time to start enjoying it (+/- 2017), it will look great value by world standard, indeed.

La Motte Hanneli R 2007, should be in each and every serious collectors private cellar, buy now.