Nothing like a glass of a two grand wine to make you feel super bourgeoisie, am I right?

If you possess a discerning taste for the finest of wines, then you are most likely well aware that you can expect to pay over R5 ooo for some of the most expensive reds South Africa has to offer.

But what makes a bottle so expensive?

While you might think it has something to do with the date on the bottle, you would only be half right. From Business Insider SA, a few other factors that play a role in pushing up the price of that bottle of wine:

Wineries and retailers don’t push up the prices of their wine for no reason.

Wines need to be stored for long periods, transport costs paid, new expensive oak wine barrels bought, and corks tested for quality, explains Wikus Human, who was named SA’s top young sommelier by the South African Sommeliers Association in 2017.

Then, there’s also the effect of the Cape drought:

“South Africa is also going through a period of heavy drought which leads to less yield on farms,” Human told Business Insider South Africa.

“The less yield there is, the less wine there is. Wine farms need funds for the next harvest.”

He said older vines yield less, which increases production costs.

Makes sense.

So, considering all those factors – and excluding aged wines and rare wines bought on auction – below is a selection of some of the most expensive wines you can buy in South Africa.

We’ll start with one red that won’t break the bank, but will prove to be worth every penny.

Boekenhoutskloof Cabernet Sauvignon 2014: R460

Sourced from the same Franschhoek vineyard since 1996, it has been made in a deliberately austere style. According to WineCellar, it has a “firm, slightly chewy style, showing grippy tannins, firm plum and damson fruit and a mineral-edged finish”.

The Journeyman 2015: R1 500 (estimate when available)

 

Dancing perfectly between modern and classic, WineCellar called it “one of the finest South African reds” they have ever tasted. The Franschhoek vineyard from where it gets its grapes only ripens perfectly in certain vintages, resulting in The Journeyman being produced in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and the latest in 2015.

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2015: R1 750

This 100% Pinotage is made from an old single vineyard in Stellenbosch, dating back to 1953:

“Definitely a wine to buy and store for a few years.”

De Toren Black Lion 2015: R2 500

Winemaker Albie Kock used 100% Shiraz grapes in Stellenbosch to make a wine with a “firm tannin structure.”

The Cab Franc 2014: R5 000

A wine with a good structure on the palate, winemakers Niels Verburg and Brian Smith collaborated to make this 100% Cab Franc wine in the Botriver area.

While most of the wines above are available through liquor retailers, some, like The Journeyman, are only available if you get your hands on Boekenhoutkloof’s Treasure Chest.

Look at it – a thing of beauty:

You can find all those details here, like what it comes with and how you can get it.

For those of you love to sip on the good stuff, but don’t necessarily have the wallet to grab those wins above, remember to always buy the animals: a bottle or two of Boekenhoutskloof’s Porcupine Ridge and Wolftrap range can always be counted on to do the job.

[source:businessinsidersa]