2018 Taaibosch
Crescendo

BY NEAL MARTIN | MAY 23, 2022Whilst up
to my neck in Bordeaux primeur samples, one sunny evening during a brief return
home for Easter, I took a break from Cabernet and cracked open a South African
wine that had been sent to my home, the 2018 Taaibosch Crescendo. It was a
timely reminder that there are plenty of alternatives to Bordeaux if primeur
prices are unfavourable. A bit of background. In the afterglow of
post-Apartheid, the Cordoba Crescendo became one of the Cape’s premier wines
after debuting with the 1995 vintage. It came from the Helderberg Ward of
Stellenbosch, a sought-after site advantaged by altitude (250m to 380m) and
proximity to False Bay, sea breezes manifesting a cooler micro-climate. The
wine was made by Christ Keet. Unfortunately, the owners’ interest waned and
Keet departed. The last vintage was 2003 whereafter the fruit began to be sold off
for the profit of other producers.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1653076207869-taaibosch+2018.jpg">Fast-forward
a few years to 2017, and new owners, the Oddo family, proprietors of vineyards
in Sancerre and Sicily, bought the estate and renamed it after a species of indigenous
fynbos: Taaibosch. The vines are now 21-years-old and organically farmed on
Table Mountain sandstone soil over granite. Schalk-Willam Joubet, winemaker of
“Rupert &amp; Rothschild” was appointed to oversee the resurrected wine, and
the maiden 2018 was released earlier this year. It is a blend of 60% Cabernet
Franc, 24% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, matured in a combination of
225-litre oak barrels (one-third new) plus 9,000-liter foudres and cement vats
for 36 months. The nose expresses the Cabernet Franc with style, predominantly
black fruit, intermingling with lavender, leather and crushed violets emanating
from the Cabernet. The palate is very well balanced with quite a plush texture and
a finish inspired by the Right Bank, though it is unmistakably from the Cape.
It was difficult to resist another sip, an exemplar for the new-style of more
restrained, terroir-driven Stellenbosch wines. Think what Figeac might taste
like if it suddenly woke up and found itself in Stellenbosch. Be quick to grab
the 2018 as it is sold out in many places, though the 2019 will be released
imminently. 93/Drink 2024-2040. © 2022, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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