Often awarded the title: King of Red Grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon is highly regarded both locally and internationally, being the key ingredient in many award-winning and legendary wines. This noble cultivar has been grown in South Africa for at least two centuries, but it was only in the 1960s when it became a popular, single cultivar wine and since then, many of South Africa’s best red wines have been made from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Bottle of Bosman Wines 2014 Cab Sauv

What is Cabernet Sauvignon?

A natural cross between red Cabernet Franc and white Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cab Sav as it is popularly referred to, is the world’s most popular red wine grape characterised for its big, bold flavours and age-ability.

Cabernet Sauvignon is pronounced kab-er-nay saw-vin-yawn as its origins are French. It is planted prolifically in Bordeaux and is used in many of the most well-known Bordeaux blends from First Growths: Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut Brion, and Château Mouton Rothschild each produce a Bordeaux blend made with Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux cultivars.

Cabernet Sauvignon - Grapes in a Vineyard

In South Africa it is the most planted red grape, being planted across the Cape Winelands, predominantly in Stellenbosch and the other Boland regions of Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington, and then further afield in the Swartland and Robertson.

What does Cabernet Sauvignon taste like?

Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry red wine and typically exhibits dark berry flavours complemented by savoury notes. Typical flavours of a good Cabernet Sauvignon would be: black cherry, black currants, cedarwood, warm spice and graphite. Its prominent tannins and strong flavours make it the perfect accompaniment to hearty dishes such as roasted red meats with rich sauces.

Bosman Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine

What to eat with Cabernet Sauvignon?

A slow-roasted Karoo lamb with mint sauce served with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy would be the perfect partner to a Cabernet Sauvignon. Though a seared succulent steak with a pepper sauce would also be a good option as would something like Osso Bucco, oxtail or duck with cherries.

Cabernet Sauvignon at Bosman Family Vineyards, Wellington

Background

Traditionally, Hermitage/Cinsaut was the predominant cultivar planted in the Bovlei. In 1956 Petrus Bosman (Sr) closed his cellar to focus on his vine nursery, delivering his grapes to the Wamakersvallei Co-op, now part of Wellington Wines where he was a founding member and chairman for many years. He encouraged the planting of Cabernet Sauvignon to the co-op members, because he believed it would lift the overall quality of the wines in the cellar.

In 2006, when Petrus Bosman (Jr) re-opened the cellar, the first wine he made with Corlea Fourie was a Cabernet Sauvignon and since then cellar has become well-known for good Cabs.

Here is the list of accolades received by Bosman Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon:

2016 Platter 4* star
2015 Platter 4.5* star
2014 Platter 4* star
2013 Investec Trophy Wine Show: Best Museum Class Cabernet
2013 Platter 4* star
2011 90 points (Tim Atkin SA Report 2016)
2008 Platter 4* star (2016)
2008 90 points (Tim Atkin SA Report 2015)
2007 91 points (Tim Atkin SA Report 2014)

The most notable award from the above would be for the 2013 Cabernet which in 2024 won the Best Museum Class Cabernet at the Investec Trophy Wine Show. This award shows the wine’s excellent age-ability, a must for a wine collector or connoisseur, vying with the best Cabernet Sauvignons in South Africa.

Cabernet Sauvignon - Bosman Family Vineyards Wines

Vineyard

More current vintages are made from a single vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon called ‘Nuweland’ (new land) so named because it was planted when the Bosmans acquired a new piece of land in the Bovlei in 2003, and reconfigured the boundaries, planting this newly configured vineyard in 2005 on an original French Huguenot farm, now part of Bosman Family Vineyards.

The soils of this vineyard where Cabernet is planted are well-drained, weathered granite that originate from the granite pluton of the Groenberg Mountain and surrounding hills. These soils are different from the rest of the region where soils are sandstone based, creating a unique terroir which results in wines with rich, succulent fruit characters and a touch of minerality.

Winemaking

The hand-picked berries are sorted before cold maceration where the must is kept cool for two days followed by fermentation at low temperatures. Punch-downs make for good colour extraction after which the wine spent another month on the skins before being pressed to develop a complex tannin structure.

Lady Holding a glass of wine and a bottle from Bosman Family Vineyards

Oak maturation

The wine spent 18 months maturing in small French oak barrels of which 25% was new oak.

Colour

A deep ruby with a garnet rim

Cabernet Sauvignon - Lady holding a glass of red wine as the sun sets

Nose

Elegant dark cherry, blackberry and concentrated plum aromas with light notes of pencil shavings.

Palate

A beautiful well-structured mouthfeel with a long, fruit-driven, persistent finish. Tannins are prominent yet accessible, indicating good ageing potential.

Food pairing suggestion

Pair with hearty stews, Osso Bucco or roast beef. A serious wine, true to its cultivar, to be enjoyed at special meals and occasions.

Ageing potential

Drinking well now but can be enjoyed for another 15 years if cellared correctly.

Cabernet Sauvignon Blends

Cabernet Sauvignon also plays a vital role in the Bosman flagship red Erfenis: As human beings we tend to define our lives in terms of great events. In 2010, to mark the birth of the first child of the next generation of the Bosman family, we endeavoured to make a red blend to celebrate and raise a flag to a bright future filled with hope. 

Bosman Wines Erfenis 2017 and a glass of wine

Only made in exceptional vintages, the Erfenis red blend is our polestar, our directing principle that commemorates, defines and sets a standard for the Bosman cellar. 

Vineyards

The components for this blend are from different sites in the Bovlei near Wellington. Half of the wine is made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, selected for its excellent, robust quality, but also to represent the present. The other two components are Cinsaut, harking back to a proud past when most of the red wine grapes in the Bovlei were that cultivar, and Nero d’Avola, a new resilient varietal brought into the country from Sicility by Petrus Bosman in 2004 as an answer to climate change.

Winemaking

The grapes were handpicked, hand-sorted, de-stemmed and lightly crushed. The juice was allowed to cold macerate on the grape skins for two days prior to fermentation. After the onset thereof, regular pump-overs occurred for maximum colour extraction. The wine spent a month on the skins before being pressed. The components are all treated and aged separately for 16 months. Each component undergoes a barrel selection, after which the wine is blended and aged for another 6 months before bottling. 

Picking Grapes in a Vineyard

Oak maturation

In terms of oak management, the main components are matured in French oak barrels, of which 27% is new barrels.

Colour

A deep purple with a youthful, vibrant rim.

Nose

Deep, concentrated aromas of blackberries and ripe plums, the oak lending integrated cigar box and spicy notes. The flavours develop well in the glass or by decanting.

Palate

This much celebrated, judicious red blend shows complex secondary flavours accented by lovely spicy notes and velvety tannins. From the Cabernet, dark fruit and cigar box; from the Cinsaut, plummy fruit; and from the Nero, enticing spice.

Smelling Red Wine

Food

As a blend, this is a wonderful wine to pair with a whole range of dishes from duck with cherries to rich, roasted red meat dishes. It’s a celebratory wine to mark a special occasion.

Ageing potential

Drinking well now by will mature well over the next 15 years.

Both these wines are great examples of good Cabernet Sauvignon. When buying a Cabernet, don’t go for the cheapies, though Bosman Generation 8 Cabernet is a great start. A good Cabernet needs to be matured in imported French oak, and aged for a few years before being released, therefore be prepared to pay a premium, you won’t be disappointed.