Game Set "Hunting Fever"

Six Great Reds, a Game Season

When the autumn hunt begins and venison, deer and wild boar make their way onto the plate, you need red wines with depth, structure and subtle spice. This game set brings together six outstanding red wines from the Cape that deliver exactly that: three Bordeaux blends from Stellenbosch, Constantia and Simonsberg, a single-variety Cabernet Franc, a classic Cabernet Sauvignon from Franschhoek and Hogan's Divergent, an unconventional blend of Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault. Several of the wines are the flagship wines of their estates. A set for connoisseurs looking for the perfect bottle to accompany a game menu, and a gift for anyone who knows the thrill of the hunt.

The six bottles in the set

• Tokara Director's Reserve Red 2021 Tokara's flagship, a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend since the first vintage in 2003. Only grapes from the finest plots on Simonsberg. Blackcurrant, blackberry, dark cherry, spices and a hint of graphite, dense and precise. 22 months in French barriques. Stellenbosch.
• Warwick Cabernet Franc 2022 Warwick was one of South Africa's first wineries to bottle single-variety Cabernet Franc, and the grape remains the estate's signature to this day. Single vineyard on granite-rich soils at Simonsberg. Blackberry, ripe red berries, fennel and dried oregano, with velvety tannins.
• Constantia Glen Five 2021 As the name suggests, a blend of all five classic Bordeaux varieties, with Cabernet Franc leading the 2021 vintage. From unirrigated vineyards on the upper slopes of the cool Constantia Valley, just minutes from Cape Town. Blackberry, blueberry, violet, rosemary and cocoa. Falstaff 94 points.
• Hogan Divergent 2023 From Jocelyn Hogan Wilson, one of the Cape's most distinguished independent winemakers. Inspired by Lebanon's Château Musar: Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault, the latter from vines planted in 1976 on Helderberg. Red fruit, herbal spice, fresh and vinous. The maverick of the set.
• Babylonstoren Nebukadnesar 2023 Babylonstoren's flagship red wine, named after Babylon's most famous king. All five Bordeaux varieties from the slopes of Simonsberg, each vinified separately and aged for 23 months in new French oak. Violet, thyme, blackcurrant and cigar box, opulent and age-worthy.
• Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek 2021 Bottled since 1996, the origin of Boekenhoutskloof's reputation. From organically farmed vineyards in the furthest corner of the Franschhoek Valley, complemented by around 12% Cabernet Franc. Graphite, violet, blackcurrant and blackberry leaf, fine-grained tannins. Tim Atkin 96 points.

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: Cabernet Sauvignon with Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec (proportions vary by vintage). Hand-picked between early March and mid-April, double sorted and filled by gravity. Cold maceration for up to 5 days, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel and wooden foudres, pumping over, delestage and pigeage. Malolactic fermentation in barriques, 22 months in French oak (47% new, 27% second filling). Stellenbosch (Simonsberg).
• Warwick Cabernet Franc 2022: 100% Cabernet Franc from a single vineyard with granite-rich soils. Aged for around two years in French barriques with a high proportion of new oak (varies by vintage), with only the finest barrels selected for bottling. Stellenbosch (Simonsberg).
• Constantia Glen Five 2021: 27% Cabernet Franc, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Petit Verdot, 11% Malbec. Unirrigated vineyards, varieties vinified separately. 19 months in barriques. Constantia.
• Hogan Divergent 2023: 38% Carignan from Wellington, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon from young, non-wire-trained vines on Helderberg, 24% Cinsault from vines planted in 1976 on Helderberg. Early harvest, gentle extraction with only two pigeages per day. Aged in older barrels. Wellington and Helderberg (Stellenbosch).
• Babylonstoren Nebukadnesar 2023: Around half Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec (proportions vary by vintage). Shale and granite soils. Each variety vinified separately, 23 months in new French barriques, then blended in a tank for one month. Simonsberg-Paarl (Babylonstoren).
• Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon Franschhoek 2021: Cabernet Sauvignon with around 12% Cabernet Franc. Grapes from the estate vineyard on weathered granite and from two neighbouring vineyards on alluvial soils, organically farmed. Cold maceration and spontaneous fermentation in tulip-shaped concrete tanks at 27 to 30 °C, with frequent pumping over. 22 months in French oak (95% new, light toast). Franschhoek.

Pairs with: Venison saddle, peppered venison, wild boar ragout, venison cutlet with chanterelles, venison entrecôte, game terrine, red cabbage and chestnuts, spätzle with cranberries, mature hard cheese and convivial evenings during the game season.