Louis Michel Thibault 2009
Latest addition from respected and celebrated South African Chardonnay pionner, De Wetshof Estate.
A wine name after Louis-Michel Thibault, famous French architect who designed many of the Cape's magnificent 18th and 19th century buildings, and the De Wetshof Estate's main building is based on Thibault's famous Koopmans-De Wet house in Cape Town.
A "Bordeaux Right bank" style with 94% Merlot and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, 100% Robertson grown, from the impressive 2009 vintage, one of South Africa's finest of the last 40 years!
The grapes were sourced from matured vineyard on the estate established in 2000 for the Merlot and 2001 for the Cabernet Sauvignon with the upbringing in specially selected Radoux barrels,by Monsieur Christian Radoux himself, for 18 months.
Ruby red with slight garnet reflections towards the rim.Youthful.
Clean with moderate plus intensity, excellent purity of fruit with ripe plums, mulberries, cassis and blackcurrant fused with earthy, stony minerals core, minty complexity, the oak is complimentary lending layers of tobacco, cigar, graphite and pencil shavings, it was interesting to the evolution of the bottle over 3 days, it just gets better and better.
Dry with moderate acidity, precise, fresh and bright with crunchy ripe tannins, lush, lending a perfect grip to the full bodied structure, delicately juicy with savory note and dark chocolate, the alcohol may be very high at 14.5% abv, yet unnoticeable and smartly integrated.
Very Bordeaux like, by far the finest red blend made in Robertson to date, this sits firmly at the very top echelon of South Africa's and the New World Bordeaux style red blends, and yet not too dissimilar in a way from modern Bordeaux itself, this Thibault way overdelivers on it's price point, a bargain buy at present, considering the very high quality inside.
If enjoyed now, please aerate for at least 1 hours and served at around 16 degrees Celsius, paired with your finest cut of matured beef, cooked theway you liked, game ragout or grilled lamb.
Seductively appealing now, yet have impressive stamina for up to 2028+
