2021 Main Road & Dignity Cabernet Sauvignon
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Packaged in a heavy glass bottle, the Restless River 2021 Upper Hemel-En-Aarde Valley Main Road & Dignity Grande Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon walks a delicate line as a big wine, but it's a big wine with elegantly contained intensity. You feel the power of its dark fruit and blackberry flavors, but you also get cola, sage and green spice that give the wine chiseled contours. This is a release of 11,261 bottles. These vines were planted in 1998, making them quite old for the territory. The soils are decomposed granite with koffie klip and a shallow clay bed. This was one of the last harvests in South Africa, at six weeks later than average. A cool climate and long hang time add the special freshness you perceive in this bottle. It ages for 23 months in 225-liter barrel, with 30% new wood, followed by three months in stainless steel and 18 months in bottle.
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Neal Martin
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2021 Main Road & Dignity now includes 20% fruit from Block 7, which was planted in 2017. This vintage was raised in 30% new oak. It has quite a medicinal bouquet, with touches of camphor and a hint of licorice filtering through the red fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with mainly black fruit, while a touch of green bell pepper reflects the coolness of the growing season. There’s fine depth, but this is not quite as refined as the 2020. Even so, it should age well in bottle.