Cellar Favorite: 2015, 2016, 2017 &amp; 2019 PangaeaBY NEAL MARTIN | MARCH 30, 2026Pangaea is a collaborative project between South African winemaker Travis Braithwaite and Michel Rolland, who sadly passed away just before I tasted the last vintage.In recent years, the global winemaking aim has been to make site-specific wines as preached by that winemaker lodestar, the Côte d’Or. Pangaea takes a different approach, blending fruit from five sources. Cabernet Sauvignon comes from several sites in the Napa Valley, Merlot is from Château Fontenil (Rolland’s home estate in Bordeaux), Petit Verdot from Dehesa del Carrizal Vino de Pago in Spain, Cabernet Franc from the Helderberg in South Africa and finally Malbec from Rolland’s estates of Clos de Los Siete and Val de Flores in Valle de Uco in Argentina. Hence the name Pangaea, which refers to the single landmass formed on the Earth’s crust 200-300 million years ago. Each component is vinified in its country of origin then transported to California for blending.&nbsp;The blend changes yearly according to the quality of fruit and extensive blending trials.With its heavy bottle and luxe packaging, as well as the prospect of a wine deprived of typicité through multi-site blending, I admit I was sceptical about quality. Recently, the fine wine market has been flooded with ostentatious wines designed to sell at eye-watering prices to millionaires who want to look like they’re drinking expensively. Nevertheless, I broached these wines individually with an open mind. Crucially, I afforded each a two- to three-hour decant.I was pleasantly surprised. Pangaea is a classy and sophisticated wine. I compared it to the Grange/La Chapelle blend that shares a similar concept yet felt uninspiring when I tasted it last year. I feel the difference is that with Pangaea, much thought went into the blending process so that the final blend is greater than the sum of its parts. Apropos wine, that is easier said than done. Despite the implication of its packaging and Rolland’s perceived association with powerful wines, on the contrary, Pangaea delivers refinement and poise, with silky textures. It feels beautifully controlled. I am curious to see how these wines will develop with another five or ten years. Pangaea is certainly no gimmick, and it is stylistically accomplished, avoiding the pitfall of creating a “huge” wine that just wants to impress. It is more than that.There is no avoiding the price tag. This is expensive at $1,500 per three-pack, and you must wonder what alternatives are out there. That said, apparently the first vintages sold out quickly, though of course, we are now entering a new economic realm for fine wine where consumers quite rightly ask if a bottle is really worth the money.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1774883482021-Pangaea_Vinous.jpg">The 2015 Pangaea is the first iteration, limited to around 2,000 bottles, a blend of 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 17% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. I opened the bottle in the afternoon and wrote down observations, then tasted it again several hours later at a dinner, as I wanted to see how it evolved. Showing few signs of age, the 2015 has a pleasant bouquet with predominantly red fruit, wild strawberry, blueberry and light cassis scents, the Napa component more vocal than others. Over several hours, the aromatics remain steady, less mutable compared to other Cabernet blends. The palate is rounded and plush as I expected, with a mixture of red and blue fruit. The tannins are pliant and caressing, though this blend is more about weight than grip. At 14.7% alcohol, this is no shy, retiring wallflower, though it is less heady than expected. The 2015 feels controlled and is a technically accomplished wine even though, unlike the 2016, it never blossoms in the glass. As a maiden vintage, it is a modest success. 91/Drink 2026-2046. The 2016 Pangaea is far superior to the 2015, and the gap between them in terms of quality took me aback. A blend of 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 19% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot and 6% Cabernet Franc, this has far more expression on the nose, the fruit slightly less forward, which allows other characteristics to lend complexity. Touches of bay leaf, rose and more savoury elements emerge, becoming more ferrous in style. The palate is fresh and shows a little more grip than the 2015, not as bold or Napa-influenced. This leans more into Bordeaux and does not feel so out of place when served blind against both the 1990 Latour and 1985 Cheval Blanc. Whilst I would not place it in the same esteemed company as those legends, it certainly holds its own and invites you to consider how it will mature in bottle. Beautiful! 95/Drink 2026-2045.The 2017 Pangaea is cut from a similar cloth to the 2016, and similarly, I afforded the bottle three hours of aeration. The blend here is 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 29% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Vivid scents of redcurrant and crushed strawberry are overtaken by Dorset plum and subtle citrus scents, well defined and nicely focused. The palate has plenty of freshness and weight, the acidity neatly counterbalancing the ripeness of this wine. It is not quite as nuanced on the finish as the previous vintage and feels more primal, though it evolves and “kicks on” in the glass with subtle notes of bay leaf and freshly rolled tobacco. This might benefit from a few more months in bottle, though I would not begrudge anyone cracking this open now. 94/Drink 2026-2046.The 2019 Pangaea is the only vintage that needs more bottle age, probably another two years or so. The blend is 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 21% Malbec, 4% Petit Verdot and 15% Cabernet Franc. There is a patina of new oak to be subsumed into the lush, brambly red fruit that mingles with dark chocolate and bay leaf scents. The palate is well balanced, with rounded, fluid tannins. Despite its youth, the 2019 is never overpowering or fatiguing. The acidity upholds freshness, and the harmonious finish is stylistically equidistant from Napa and the Médoc. This is another classy vintage of Pangaea, but keep it cellared for the moment. 93/2030-2050.© 2026, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. 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