Product Overview
Importer's Notes:
"The majority of the vines average 20 years old and are western facing. The vines are 90% trellised, 10% bush vines and sit 1,245 feet above sea level, 4.5 miles from the coastline. The soil of the Helderberg region is fertile and mostly homogenous across the region. It consists predominantly of Table Mountain sandstone resting on Cape Granite. The soil has excellent water and nutrient holding capacity and is rich in kaolinite, iron and aluminum oxides, causing the distinct red color associated with the region. Taaibosch is situated on a lens of withered Malmesbury shale, setting it apart from the other vineyards in the area.
The Crescendo is a true reflection of the terroir from which its grapes originate and is characteristic of wine made in the historic region of Stellenbosch. It is the Cabernet Franc in particular, where the purity of the fruit is amplified by the site on which it is grown. Notes of white pepper, clove and red berries give this wine delightful aromatics to pleasure the senses. The tension in the wine lends itself to an elegant finish, bringing together the various elements in a gentle fashion culminating in this well-polished wine."
Varietal Composition: 43% Cabernet Franc, 36% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon
Appellation: WO Stellenbosch
Aging: 13 months in French oak barrels (30% new), then blended, and aged an additional 12 months in foudres and cement
94 Points, "Cellar Selection" - Wine Enthusiast
"This is the maiden release from a new project, a resurrection of sorts of the famed Cordoba Crescendo wines of the late 1990s. A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is dense and concentrated yet balanced and pure. It takes time to fully express in the glass now, but with patience it reveals enticing aromas of brambly berry, black currant, blackberry leaf, crushed violet, graphite and pencil shavings. The medium-weight palate shows a seam of purity, with a granitic minerality that weaves throughout the ripe berry fruits and lands with a saline kiss on the long close. Built for aging; enjoy 2027–2041." -LB, 3/1/22
93 Points - Vinous
"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 & 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." -NM, May/2022
90+ Points - Wine Advocate
"A blend of 65% Cabernet Franc, 30% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Crescendo Red Blend begins with notions of red bell pepper, blackcurrant bud and wild cherry skin. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh, ripe and herbaceous, with notes of cedar and cigar spice and an herbaceous, red-fruited finish. The wine rested for 13 months in 30% new French oak barrels. For those who enjoy Cabernet Franc and are not afraid of the green pepper notes, you'll enjoy this expression. Give it a try." -AM, 6/9/22
