Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block 2023

This cuvée comes from the Swartland, north of Cape Town, where the Boekenhoutskloof estate farms, among others, the Porseleinberg and Goldmine farms, which supply around 60% of the blend. The Mediterranean climate here is hot and dry; in 2023, low rainfall stressed the vines and reduced yields, but the absence of heatwaves in December and January preserved the balance of the grapes.

The grapes are fermented as whole berries in concrete and stainless-steel tanks, with no additions whatsoever. After a spontaneous fermentation, the wine is transferred to used 225-litre French barriques, with no new oak. Ageing lasts 12 to 14 months depending on the grape variety, before the final blend.

This wine reveals notes of blackberry, blueberry, cherry, black olive, white pepper, coriander seed, liquorice and tobacco. Abundant black fruit comes with spicy notes and a floral touch. The palate is broad and juicy, with a soft texture, lively acidity and velvety tannins that lead to a pure, spicy finish.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s.



Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles.



South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.



The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.