Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This wine has a beautiful garnet colour. There are berry aromas of cassis, red currant and blueberries on the nose complimented by underlying notes of cocoa, fresh herbs and tobacco spice. The palate is packed with sweet berry fruit, flavours of dark chocolate and briary fruit with hints of dried tobacco on the finish. This wine will drink well now but will benefit from cellaring and will mature well into 2022.

Origin: All the grapes originated from Tokara’s vineyards in Stellenbosch.

Food pairing: Enjoy with grilled veal chops, meaty stews or a fantastic steak.

Alc. 14,5% vol.

Residual Sugar: 2,3g/l

Total Acidity: 5,3g/l

pH: 3,52

Blend: 89% Cabernet Sauvignon/3% Merlot/8% Petit Verdot.

Winemaking:

The grapes were destemmed before passing across a sorting table for the removal of all unwanted material and then crushed directly into stainless steel tanks and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. The must was cooled to between 10 and 15°C for a cold soak before fermentation started naturally. Pump-overs, dellastage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until the fermentation completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation if the quality warranted it and depending on tannin extraction and development.

The wines were put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which they were racked, sulphured and put back to barrel for a further maturation. The wines spent a total of eighteen months in 20% new French oak and the rest being older French oak barriques. During the maturation the components were left on the gross lees for around 8 months before receiving their first racking after which they were racked another 2 times.

The wines received a light fining before filtration and bottling in November 2017.

94 000 bottles were produced.

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

All the vineyards yielded between 3 and 12 t/ha. The grapes were handpicked at optimal ripeness at sugars between 24 and 26 brix and acidities between 4 & 7.0 g/l. 

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

16,75 €

22,53 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1

Tokara Shiraz 2018

The wine displays a red plum colour in the glass. Aromas of plums, blackberries and briary fruit emanate with underlying notes of dried herbs black olives and rosemary. Flavours on the palate are quite spicy with a good support of red fruit notes. The mid-palate is juicy yet the finish is dry with beautiful fine chalky tannin leaving one its impression at the end. Drink now or through till 2022. 

Origin: All the grapes originated from Tokara’s vineyards in Stellenbosch.

Food pairing: A perfect pairing with roast pork loin, quail, or duck breast. Or drink it on its own - even slightly chilled.

Alc. 14,5% vol.

Residual Sugar: 1,6g/l

Total Acidity: 4,9g/l

pH: 3,57

Blend: 94% Shiraz, 6% Mouvedre

Winemaking:

First the fermenters are loaded with 25% whole bunches by hand before the remaining capacity of the tank is filled with destemed and crushed fruit. The grapes are left to cold soak until the fermentation starts spontaneously. They were fermented in stainless steel and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-over’s, dellastage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until fermentation was completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation if the quality warranted it, depending on tannin development. The wines were put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which they were sulphured up and left in barrel for further maturation. The wines spend a total of ten months in barrel, 10% of which is new French barriques with the balance being 2nd to 5th fill barriques. After which the batches are blended and then kept in stainless steel for a further 6 months before being filtered and bottled. The wine was bottled in May 2018. 56 000 bottles were produced. 

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

The vineyards crop at between 8 and 12 t/ha. The grapes were handpicked at optimal ripeness with sugars between 22 and 24.5 degrees brix and acidities ranging from 4.5 to 7.5 g/l. 

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

16,75 €

22,53 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1

Tokara Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2019

The wine displays a stunning light straw colour with a green edge. Inviting aromas of granadilla, caped gooseberries, lemon grass and hints of fesh cut grass entice the senses. There is an amazing freshness as the wine enters the palate, with fresh citrus, grapefruit flavours leading to a creamy mid-palate and a lingering crisp finish. This wine drinks well now but will benefit from correct cellaring until 2028. 

Origin: This 100% Sauvignon blanc is made from grapes grown on Tokara’s Highlands farm in Elgin. Only the best fruit from the best performing blocks on this property are used.

Food pairing: Best served cold and drunk as an aperitif or served with fresh summer oysters, asparagus with hollandaise sauce or fresh grilled yellowtail with salsa verde.

Alc. 13,8% vol.

Residual Sugar: 2,6g/l

Total Acidity: 6,9g/l

pH: 3,18

Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Winemaking:

The grapes were destemmed, crushed and cold pressed immediately in our inert press. The press juice and free run juice were kept separate and settled overnight, before the clean juice was racked off. Only the free run juice from the best blocks is used for the Reserve Collection Sauvignon blanc. The juice was fermented at 15 degrees Celsius in stainless steel tanks with selected wine yeast. 13% of this blend is made up of wine fermented in old larger format barrels and matured there for five months. After fermentation the wine was sulphured and left on the lees for five months with regular lees stirring before stabilization, filtration and bottling. 43 000 bottles were produced. 

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

The vines cropped between 7 to 10 tons a hectare. The grapes were hand picked at optimal flavour ripeness at sugars of around 21.5 and 23 Degrees brix and acidities of between 6.5 g/l to 9.5 g/l. The grapes were then transported in a closed truck to our winery on the Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch.

Awards:

88 Points Neal Martin

91 Points Gilbert & Gaillard

90 Points 10 Year Old Wine Awards

91 Points Wine Magazine USA (Wine Enthusiast)

91 Points International Wine Challenge

Gold SWA International

Veritas Silver

SBIG Top 10 

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

17,75 €

24,65 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1

Tokara Reserve Collection Chardonnay 2019

This wine display’s a vibrant golden colour. Aromas of fresh grapefruit, grilled pineapple, star anise and toasted brioche emanate from the glass. The wine enters the palate with fresh citrus flavours leading to a creamy mid-palate with flavours of vanilla, star anise and toasted almond. There is a continuous saline focus and feeling of freshness throughout the tasting experience of this wine. The finish lingers with notes of toasted nuts. Drink now through till 2028. 

Origin: This 100% Chardonnay is made from grapes grown on Tokara’s Stellenbosch farm on the slopes of the Simonsberg.

Food pairing: Best served with grilled fish and roasted white meats.

Alc. 14,5% vol.

Residual Sugar: 1,7g/l

Total Acidity: 6,6g/l

pH: 3,22

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Winemaking:

The grapes were de-stemmed, crushed and pressed to stainless steel tanks for settling overnight or whole bunch pressed after a night in the cold room with no settling and subsequent racking. Only the free run juice from the best blocks is used for the Reserve Collection Chardonnay. The juice from the de-stemmed batches was then racked and run off to barrel for fermentation with selected yeast. After fermentation the wine was topped and left on the lees with regular lees stirring for 9 months. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation. The barrels were all tight grain French oak 228 litre barrels of which 36% were new the rest were older barrels. The wine was bottled in December 2018. 30 000 bottles were produced. 

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

The vines cropped between 6 and 7 tons per hectare. The grapes were hand-picked between the 3rd and 10th February at optimal flavour ripeness at sugars at around 22 to 23.5 degrees brix and 6.2 to 7.5 g/l acid.

Soils: The soils are all Oakleaf from Granitic origin with varying levels of Sandstone boulders in the soil. It is a deep clay rich soil.

Slopes: The slopes vary between South-Eastern to North Western aspects at altitudes between 300 and 360 m above sea level. 

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

21,75 €

29,99 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1

Tokara Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

The wine displays a vibrant maroon colour. The nose leads with dark berry fruits, five spice and cedar wood. There is a brightness and vibrancy underlying all these aromas with hints of fresh herbs and red currant notes. The palate is rich and brooding with flavours which mirror the aromas. The mid-palate is weighty yet it leads to a textured finish with lingering grainy tannins. This wine drinks well now but will benefit from ageing until 2026. 

Origin:   This wine is a blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The grapes originated from TOKARA’s premium vineyards on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain just outside of Stellenbosch..

Food pairing: Hearty red meat dishes or Parmigiana Melanzane.

Alc. 14,5% vol.

Residual Sugar: 3,0g/l

Total Acidity: 5,5g/l

pH: 3,54

Blend: 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc

Winemaking:

The grapes were de-stemmed, before passing across a sorting table for the removal of all unwanted material and then crushed directly into tanks for fermentation without the use of pumps. There is first a period of cold maceration for up to 5 days before the fermentation starts spontaneously (without the use of selected yeast strains). The grapes were fermented in stainless steel and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-overs, dellastage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until the fermentation completed. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation. The wines were put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which they were racked, sulphured and put back to barrel for a further maturation. The wines spent a total of twenty-two months in 63% new French oak - the rest being older French oak barriques. During maturation the wines received four racking’s, all done barrel to barrel. 11 000 bottles were produced. 

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

Only grapes from the best blocks and from the best parts of these blocks are used. The average yield is between 7 and 10 t/ha. The grapes were hand picked at optimal ripeness between the 24th February and the 24th March. 

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

25,75 €

35,99 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1

Tokara Director`s Reserve White 2017

This wine displays a pale straw colour with striking brilliance that catches the light. The nose shows stunning complexity with fruit notes of ripe quince, passion fruit all intermingled with hints of lemon grass, toasted almonds and freshly baked brioche. The wine enters the palate full and rich reminiscent of the aromas on the nose. The wine finishes with amazing clarity and depth with a slight grip just lingering.

This wine drinks exceptionally well now but will continue to develop and improve till 2026.

Origin: This is a blend of 70% Sauvignon blanc and 30% Semillon. It was made from grapes grown on the highest slopes of Tokara’s Stellenbosch property..

Food pairing: Best served with foods such as grilled fish, roasted Quail and Duck.

Alc. 13,9% vol.

Residual Sugar: 3,6g/l

Total Acidity: 6,8g/l

pH: 3,25

Blend: 70% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Semillon 

Winemaking:

The grapes were de-stemmed and crushed and pressed immediately in our inert press. The press juice and free run juice were kept separate and settled overnight, before the clean juice was racked off. Only the free run juice from the best blocks is used in this wine. The juice was then inoculated and sent to barrel for fermentation. 400L barrels for the Sauvignon blanc and 225 L for the Semillon. All the barrels used were French oak of which 28 % was new. After fermentation the barrels were topped and left on the lees for 9 months with regular lees stirring. The wine was blended in November, stabilised, filtered and bottled soon after. The wine spent a total of 9 months in barrel.

13,700 bottles were produced. 

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

The vines cropped between 7 and 10 tons per hectare. The grapes were hand-picked at optimal flavour ripeness at sugars between 22.5 and 23.5 brix and acidities of 6 g/l to 8.5 g/l. 

Soils: The soils are Oakleaf formed from decomposed granite with colluvial sandstone. With a high fraction of gravel and friable granite.

Slopes: South and South-West aspects ranging from 360 to 540 meters above sea level.

Awards: 

89 Points Neal Martin

Silver Veritas

4½ Stars Platter

93 Points Winemag.co.za

93 Points Gilbert & Gaillard

Gold SWA International

95 Points Greg Sherwood

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

28,75 €

49,87 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1

Tokara Director`s Reserve Red 2017

The wine has stunning depth of colour. Displaying an intense garnet centre and a ruby rim. The nose displays intense aromas of red and black fruits with hints of dried herbs, baking spice and graphite. The wine enters the palate with amazing clarity. The flavours are those of dark cherries, blackberries and ripe plum skin. There is a hint of spice on the mid-palate which leads to fine, firm tannins on the finish.

This wine drinks well now but will benefit from ageing until 2030.

Origin: This wine is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. The grapes originated from TOKARA’s premium vineyards on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain outside of Stellenbosch.

Food pairing: Grilled ribeye steak served with Béarnaise sauce, and potato Dauphinoise..

Alc. 14,5% vol.

Residual Sugar: 2,7g/l

Total Acidity: 5,8g/l

pH: 3,47

Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc 

Winemaking:

The grapes were de-stemmed, before first passing across a mechanical sorting table and then a further hand sorting table before being crushed directly into tanks for fermentation using gravity feed and no pumps. There is a period of cold maceration for up to 5 days before the fermentation starts spontaneously (without the use of selected yeast strains). The grapes were fermented in stainless steel and wooden upright (foudre) fermenters. Pump-overs, délestage and punching down of the cap were implemented twice a day for extraction until fermentation was complete. The tanks were given maceration post fermentation if the quality and tannin profile of the wine warranted it. The wine was put to barrel for malolactic fermentation after which it was racked, sulphured and put back to barrel for further maturation. The wine spent a total of twenty-two months in 62% new French oak - the rest being older French oak barriques. During maturation the wines received four racking’s, all done barrel to barrel. The wine was bottled in January 2018 without fining or filtration. 15 400 bottles were produced. 

CROPPING AND HARVESTING

Only grapes from the best blocks and from the best parts of these blocks were used. The average yield is between 5 and 10 t/ha. The grapes were hand-picked at optimal ripeness between the 9th of March and the 11th of April. 

Awards: 

2016 Vintage New Release

Producer:

Tokara Wine Estate

Helshoogte Road

Stellenbosch

South Africa

32,75 €

46,53 € / L
  • 1 kg
  • Available
  • Ships within 1-3 days1