Parent Gift Set "Parents' Evening"

Six great red wines, an evening for two

When the children are asleep and peace finally returns to the house, the evening deserves a wine that makes the wait worthwhile. This gift set brings together six exceptional red wines from the Cape, including the flagship wines from Tokara, Constantia Glen and Babylonstoren. Three classic Bordeaux blends meet a single-vineyard Cabernet Franc, a Cabernet Sauvignon from Franschhoek and an original homage to Lebanon's Château Musar. The set spans from the cool Constantia Valley to the slopes of Simonsberg and old bush vines in Wellington. A gift for parents who appreciate great wines and for all those evenings when they want to treat themselves.

The six bottles in the set

• Tokara Director's Reserve Red 2021 Tokara's flagship, grown on the slopes of Simonsberg in Stellenbosch. A Bordeaux blend based on Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented by Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Black cherry, cocoa, tobacco leaf and graphite, supported by fine, dense tannins and a long finish.
• Warwick Cabernet Franc 2022 Single-vineyard Cabernet Franc from a single plot at Warwick Estate on Simonsberg. Red and dark berries, fine herbal spice and silky tannins. A wine that shows how much elegance this variety can express in the Cape.
• Constantia Glen Five 2021 The flagship of the boutique winery in the cool Constantia Valley, made from all five red Bordeaux varieties, hence the name. Raspberry, plum, a hint of chocolate and spice, elegant and long. Falstaff 94 points.
• Hogan Divergent 2023 Winemaker Jocelyn Hogan Wilson pays homage to Château Musar with this blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault from old, ungrafted bush vines. Cranberry, cassis, rose and fynbos, fresh, precise and with a dense fruit core. Tim Atkin 93 points, Christian Eedes (Winemag) 94 points.
• Babylonstoren Nebukadnesar 2022 Named after the Babylonian king credited with building the Hanging Gardens, it is the flagship wine of the renowned garden estate at the foot of Simonsberg. Graphite, cedar, spiced black cherry, plum and violets, with velvety tannins. A wine that delights today and will continue to develop over the next decade.
• Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek 2021 From the organically farmed heirloom vines of one of the defining wineries of modern South Africa, founded in 1994. Classically structured, intense and powerful, with a long, elegant finish. A Cabernet with over a decade of ageing potential.

At a glance: 6 x 0.75 l bottles, red wine, South Africa, dry. Best served at 16 to 18 degrees, ideally decanted.

Vinification

• Tokara Director's Reserve Red 2021: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot, 10% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec. Hand-picked from the best plots, yield 5 to 8 t/ha. Cold maceration for up to 5 days, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel and open wooden foudres with pump-overs, rack-and-returns and punch-downs. 22 months in French barriques (47% new), barrel ageing, bottled uncorrected and unfiltered. Stellenbosch (Simonsberg).
• Warwick Cabernet Franc 2022: 100% Cabernet Franc from a single vineyard planted in 2008. Hand-picked, destemmed, 15 days on the skins with two to three pump-overs daily. Barrel ageing, around two years in French oak (40% new), with only the best barrels selected for the blend. Stellenbosch (Simonsberg).
• Constantia Glen Five 2021: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, with the two Cabernets forming the backbone in roughly equal proportions; proportions vary by vintage. 19 months in 225-litre French oak barriques (around 80% new). Constantia.
• Hogan Divergent 2023: 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Carignan, 23% Cinsault. Carignan from 19-year-old bush vines in Wellington, Cinsault from 47-year-old bush vines on Helderberg, all ungrafted. Spontaneous fermentation in barriques, Cinsault with 30% whole bunches. 9 months in 225-litre barrels, varieties fermented separately and blended in October. Coastal Region (Wellington and Stellenbosch).
• Babylonstoren Nebukadnesar 2022: 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot. Shale and granite soils on Simonsberg. Varieties fermented separately, 23 months in French barriques (85% new), then blended in a tank for one month. Simonsberg-Paarl (Babylonstoren).
• Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek 2021: Cabernet Sauvignon with 12% Cabernet Franc from organically farmed vines on alluvial and granite soils. Hand-picked, spontaneous fermentation in concrete tanks with pump-overs and rack-and-returns, extended barrel ageing. 22 months in French barriques, mostly new. Franschhoek.

Pairs with: Fillet of beef, rack of lamb, game, grilled entrecôte, duck breast, braised dishes, mature hard cheese, truffle, biltong, dark chocolate and quiet evenings for two when the house is finally still.