The Black Lion 2020 vintage is exceptionally multi-layered, with complex aromas of blackberry, spicy pepper notes and a hint of toasty cigar. On the palate, it has a firm yet elegant tannin structure showcasing concentrated purple, black fruit and wood-delivered sweet spices, which lures one into a long, intense finish.
During the ripening process, each of the bunches are individually nurtured and manicured by hand before being hand-harvested and gently de-stemmed. The sorting and selecting of only the finest berries are followed by fermentation and aging in new French Oak barrels.
The winemaking process culminates with each of the 1,162 bottles of The Black Lion 2020 being individually numbered and labeled by hand and gently placed in a specially-crafted black wooden case. This is presented with an iconic key, to unlock and enjoy upon purchase or to ensure the safekeeping of this rare collector’s item with an ageing potential of over 40 years.
Winemaker: Martin Fourie
The winemaking process culminates with each of the 1,162 bottles of The Black Lion 2020 being individually numbered and labeled by hand and gently placed in a specially-crafted black wooden case. This is presented with an iconic key, to unlock and enjoy upon purchase or to ensure the safekeeping of this rare collector’s item with an ageing potential of over 40 years.
Winemaker: Martin Fourie
The truth is in the vine. The guiding philosophy that elevated this boutique estate into one of South Africa’s most respected premium wine producers. De Toren began with a view. Enchanted by the estate’s panoramic vistas stretching from the Helderberg, over False Bay and across to Table Mountain and recognising the untapped potential of this unique site, the foundation for De Toren’s innovative approach to crafting world-class Bordeaux-style wines, was laid.
Working closely with academics from the Stellenbosch University, an extensive soil analysis of the property embarked. A dozen sampling holes were dug on each hectare of the farm, treble the wine industry’s standard practice. Across the estate’s 25 hectares, 15 separate soil types were identified and ultimately 25 clones across the five classic Bordeaux varieties were planted. Here this philosophy of craftsmanship and exceptional care was born and was applied to everything we have done ever since.
De Toren believes that complexity can be found through design. The estate’s vineyards were designed from the ground up to produce world-class wines and enormous attention was given to where and how each vineyard was planted. The design of our iconic Left- and Right-Bordeaux styled blends were planned and decided upon after which the vines were planted to match the make-up of these wines.
Crafting a blended wine is like painting, with each texture, aroma and flavour being a different colour. The De Toren palette is made up of a selection of soils, rootstocks, vines, cultivars and barrels. We utilised 25 different clones across the five noble Bordeaux varieties which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot which were matched to 10 different rootstocks, before being planted across fifteen different soil types. Each variety, clone and rootstock were matched to the optimal soil type to gain as much complexity from the vineyard as possible.
Working closely with academics from the Stellenbosch University, an extensive soil analysis of the property embarked. A dozen sampling holes were dug on each hectare of the farm, treble the wine industry’s standard practice. Across the estate’s 25 hectares, 15 separate soil types were identified and ultimately 25 clones across the five classic Bordeaux varieties were planted. Here this philosophy of craftsmanship and exceptional care was born and was applied to everything we have done ever since.
De Toren believes that complexity can be found through design. The estate’s vineyards were designed from the ground up to produce world-class wines and enormous attention was given to where and how each vineyard was planted. The design of our iconic Left- and Right-Bordeaux styled blends were planned and decided upon after which the vines were planted to match the make-up of these wines.
Crafting a blended wine is like painting, with each texture, aroma and flavour being a different colour. The De Toren palette is made up of a selection of soils, rootstocks, vines, cultivars and barrels. We utilised 25 different clones across the five noble Bordeaux varieties which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot which were matched to 10 different rootstocks, before being planted across fifteen different soil types. Each variety, clone and rootstock were matched to the optimal soil type to gain as much complexity from the vineyard as possible.
