Description
Muratie Martin Melck Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is a Stellenbosch red drawn from three prized Simonsberg vineyard blocks, built in a style that balances concentration with restraint. Cabernet Sauvignon from this part of Stellenbosch often carries both structure and aromatic detail, and this wine makes the most of that profile, bringing together dark fruit, spice, and oak in a way that feels polished rather than overstated. It is a Cabernet for drinkers who value both richness and line.
The nose opens with black cherry, plum, and dark berry fruit, layered with cedar, clove, and subtle oak spice. On the palate, the wine is firm but refined, with vibrant acidity helping to keep the fruit focused and the structure fresh. There is clear depth here, but also enough restraint to prevent the wine from feeling heavy, and the finish carries through with length and composure. It would pair especially well with roast beef, lamb, venison, or aged hard cheeses, where its dark fruit, spice, and structural grip can settle naturally into the meal.
Already expressive, this is a Cabernet Sauvignon with enough balance and framework to continue developing over the next several years, while offering plenty of appeal now with some air in the glass.
The nose opens with black cherry, plum, and dark berry fruit, layered with cedar, clove, and subtle oak spice. On the palate, the wine is firm but refined, with vibrant acidity helping to keep the fruit focused and the structure fresh. There is clear depth here, but also enough restraint to prevent the wine from feeling heavy, and the finish carries through with length and composure. It would pair especially well with roast beef, lamb, venison, or aged hard cheeses, where its dark fruit, spice, and structural grip can settle naturally into the meal.
Already expressive, this is a Cabernet Sauvignon with enough balance and framework to continue developing over the next several years, while offering plenty of appeal now with some air in the glass.
The fruit was handpicked from three northwest-facing vineyard blocks planted in the 1990s on the slopes of Simonsberg. After harvest, the grapes were cold-soaked for 48 hours to enhance color and aromatic detail before fermentation with a mix of yeast strains to build complexity.
The wine was then matured for 18 months in French oak, 10% of it new, allowing for spice, cedar, and structure to develop without overwhelming the fruit or site character.
Winemaker: Hattingh de Villiers
The wine was then matured for 18 months in French oak, 10% of it new, allowing for spice, cedar, and structure to develop without overwhelming the fruit or site character.
Winemaker: Hattingh de Villiers
Tucked into the exquisite Knorhoek Valley north of Stellenbosch, Muratie Wine Estate, under the stewardship of Rijk Melck and his family, has been at the heart of a lot of passionate debate. This debate is centered largely around the desire to protect a century’s old wine experience that is a magnet for wine lovers around the world.
