2017 The Chocolate Block Swartland Boekenhoutskloof

(14.5%) One of South Africa's most successful brands, selling at a price that many producers can only dream of, this Syrah-based cuvée with Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier is smooth, youthful and floral, with Asian spices, bramble and blueberry fruit, some tannic backbone and the potential to age further in bottle. 2020-26.

Plush and generous but serious..

A blend of 64% Syrah, 14% Grenache, 11% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Viognier, the 2017 Chocolate Block is dense, rich and fully complex. The nose is filled with red and black fruits and black spices, with well-integrated oak tones of vanilla and nutmeg. There is an underlying minerality about the wine as well. On the palate, the wine is bold and chewy with a tight mineral and tannic grip. The mid-palate is loaded with blackberries, black pepper, dark chocolate and dusty plum. The finish is long and delivers a focused expression of a serious wine and will need time to age, or you will have to enjoy it with a hearty meal to tame the tannins. The full-bodied wine ends with a long finish. 2020-2040.

The 2017 The Chocolate Block contains less Syrah than previous vintages: 64%, plus 14% Grenache, 11% Cinsault, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Viognier, the Cabernet being the only variety that saw new oak. It was matured 16 months in used oak. The important factor is that there is not much more fruit sourced from the estate's vines in Porseleinberg and the Goldmine Vineyards. It has a very well defined bouquet of blackberry, raspberry coulis, crushed rose petals, hints of orange peel and minerals. This is much more detailed and classic in style than previous vintages. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit, a fine bead of acidity, and quite saline and spicy in the mouth . The fresh, quite pure finish lingers in the mouth. This is a very impressive wine, to the point where I feel that "The Chocolate Block" no longer reflects the style of the wine. It is a great achievement that this level of quality is achieved with 2,057 barrels of wine. Bravo.