2013 MR de Compostella, Raats Family Wines, Stellenbosch, South Africa
A blend of five grapes (Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot), and a collaboration of two winemakers, Bruwer Raats and Mzokhona Mvemve, this is balance personified (or should I say vinified). An opulent nose of expensive oak leads onto a silky, sensuous palate which is restrained by freshness and precision. This is the mark of great winemaking: the ability to create a wine of hedonistic pleasure, but knowing when to rein it in. Marvellous.