The Chocolate Block

The Chocolate Block 1
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The Chocolate Block 1Boekenhoutskloof red wine blend the chocolate block – organic

Made primarily from grapes grown in the Swartland of South Africa, and vinified at Boekenhoutskloof’s stunning facility in Franschhoeck, The Chocolate Block is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, and a skosh of Viognier.

The Chocolate Block, with its spicy nose profile, is a wine of elegance and linearity. Explosive nose with great depth of spiced berry, fine white pepperiness, and violet-infused perfume. Striking freshness on a firmly structured palate with elegant and supple tannins. Spicy oak aromas covering a rounded mid-palate that reveals layers of fruit with intense purity. Classically styled with integrated tannins and balanced acidity to ensure a long, succulent, and textured finish.

This years edition is 71% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Grenache, 5% Cinsault, 1% Viognier. Produced, matured, and bottled by Boekenhoutskloof, established in 1776 in the furthest corner of the beautiful Franschhoek valley. Boekenhoutskloof means “ravine of the Boekenhout” (pronounced Book-n-Howed) – an indigenous Cape Beech tree greatly prized for making furniture. Their figurehead is an image of a svelte lady carrying the dove of peace and hope, an adaptation of a hallmark used in early Cape of Good Hope silver. Watching over Boekenhoutskloof, she represents intrinsic quality, which they prize above all else.  

The Chocolate Block comes from vines with an average age of 5 to 40 years old. These vines are planted in slate and granite soils and grow in a Mediterranean climate with ocean influences. The yield is between 4,000 and 8,000 kilograms per hectare and the harvest is carried out at the optimum point of ripeness.

Each variety used to make The Chocolate Block is vinified separately.

Dark brooding fruit marks onto a structured, opulent palate with notes of cardamom, cumin, cloves & black pepper. The midpalate is rich, textured & balanced with integrated acidity, cocoa powdery tannins. White pepper lingers on a smooth, lifted finish.   

93 points, Decanter:  Smoulders with smoked meat, fennel sausage, smooth dark chocolate, and Kahlúa-nuanced blackcurrant, plus sweet, bright, red cherry conserve. Lightly mouth-coating tannins (attractive grip and texture) reinforce the dry, rustic, savory profile. Sourced predominantly from Boekenhoutskloof’s Porseleinberg and Goldmine farms in Swartland. Syrah and Cinsault are aged in seasoned 2,500-litre French oak foudres and barriques; Grenache in seasoned 600-litre demi-muids and Cabernet Sauvignon (7%) in new French oak barrique. 

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