Wine lovers come in all shapes and sizes, but who doesn’t want to claim that they landed a bottle of South Africa’s rarest wine?

If you’re clued up and consider yourself something of an aficionado, the name ‘The Journeyman’ may ring a bell, but for the rest of us wine plebs some education might be required.

The Boekenhoutskloof ‘The Journeyman’ is arguably SA’s rarest wine. Produced from a selection of the finest barrels and only made in top vintages, Marc Kent’s estate wine has never been commercially available – until now.

‘2005 gave us our first opportunity to make a Cabernet Franc that was proudly Boekenhoutskloof,’ said Marc, who named the wine after his cockney grandfather who was apparently described as ‘The Journeyman’ on his father’s birth certificate.

Because the Franschhoek vineyard only ripens perfectly in certain vintages, The Journeyman has only been produced in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and now 2015.

For an idea of just how sought after this wine is, Wine Cellar sold a limited number at R1 500 per bottle a few months back. Yes, they sold out in a morning.

Here’s Wine Cellar’s tasting notes on this beauty:

The nose is exceptionally complex, with intense blackcurrant, graphite and cigar box aromas. The cassis, subtle spice, perfume and lead pencil of the nose follows through onto a lithe, precise mid-palate, showing pure red and dark berry fruit flavours and great depth. The wine is suave and poised, yet powerful, with a delicate texture. The tannins are firm, yet very fine and the wine lingers with a subtle spicy, cedary finish.

Dancing perfectly between modern and classic, they called it “one of the finest South African reds” they have ever tasted.

That’ll do – be sure to memorise a few of those terms so you can dazzle your company, too.

The 2015 comprises of 90% Cabernet Franc from a 15-year-old vineyard high up on the property, along with Merlot from an old block next to the winery. It was fermented in new oak and then matured for two years before bottling.

Showing its signature silky tannins, the 2015 seems to offer an extra level of performance. One would expect the Cabernet Franc’s leafy or earthy notes to be evident, but The Journeyman veers more towards a modern style of fine Bordeaux.

Here’s a bottle of The Journeyman, on the right below, nestled snugly next to the also outstanding Porseleinberg:

Right, you’re on board and you want some in and around your face. Here comes the good news – Boekenhoutskloof will be releasing their much-revered and anticipated ‘Boekenhoutskloof Treasure Chest’ towards the end of November.

Fine, they’re being very secretive and we named it the ‘Treasure Chest’ ourselves, but we do have a few details to go on.

12 bottles of the best wine the country has to offer, packaged in a beautiful wood case, and including TWO BOTTLES of The Journeyman 2015.

The full selection:

• 2 x Boekenhoutskloof Semillon 2015
• 2 x Boekenhoutskloof Franschhoek Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
• 2 x Boekenhoutskloof Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
• 2 x Boekenhoutskloof Noble Late Harvest 2015
• 2 x Boekenhoutskloof Syrah 2015
• 2 x Boekenhoutskloof The Journeyman 2015

That’s the stuff of dreams, friends.

So what are you paying for the honour? This year the Treasure Chest sets you back R6 000, and if you want to keep up to speed with the release date (and any other questions you might have) then email Leana at info@boekenhoutskloof.co.za.

Maybe you’re feeling particularly generous and want to splurge on a Christmas gift, or maybe you know that this selection of wines may well turn into a very solid investment going forward.

Or, you know, maybe you just want to sip on some of the country’s best and rarest wine.

Consider this your chance to shine.