Description
Anthonij Rupert Wines is one of South Africa’s most prestigious estates, producing wines of exceptional quality and ambition from the Cape’s finest vineyard sites. Optima is their flagship Bordeaux-style blend, sourced from select parcels in Franschhoek and Darling, and crafted with a level of care and patience that is rare at any price point. This is a wine built for the long haul, yet utterly compelling to drink now.
Why You’ll Love It
Optima is rich, expressive, and genuinely age-worthy, combining the depth and structure of a serious Bordeaux blend with the warmth and generosity that the Cape does so well. Hand-picked fruit, optical sorting, extended skin contact, 20 months in French oak, and a further two years of bottle ageing before release mean this wine arrives at your table already harmonious and polished. Blackberries, mocha, dark fruitcake, and silky tannins make for a deeply satisfying glass that will continue to reward patience in the cellar.
Vineyard & Production
Grapes are hand-picked from select vineyards in Franschhoek and Darling and transported in small lug boxes to preserve quality. In the winery, whole berries are carefully sorted using an optical sorting machine before fermentation in a combination of large concrete tanks and stainless steel, with extended skin contact of up to five days to extract depth and structure. Each parcel is matured separately for 20 months in 225-litre French oak barriques, 30% new, before blending. The wine then spends a further two years in bottle before release, achieving exceptional harmony and balance.
Tasting Notes
Deep, rich colour with a layered and nuanced nose of blackberries, hedgerow fruits, mocha, and subtle spice. The palate is plush and rounded yet structured, with dark fruitcake, black cherry, baking spice, and delicate hints of pencil shavings. Tannins are refined and seamlessly integrated, giving a supple, silky mouthfeel and a long, elegant finish. A wine that combines depth, complexity, and freshness in equal measure.
Perfect Pairings
A natural match for roasted rib of beef, slow-braised lamb shoulder, venison, game pie, rich oxtail stew, duck confit, or a board of mature hard cheeses. Best served at 16-18°C, and worth decanting for 30 minutes to allow the wine to fully open up.
The Details
Cabernet Sauvignon 37%, Merlot 29%, Cabernet Franc 28%, Malbec 6%
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