2006 Boekenhoutskloof 'The Wolf Trap' a mini Chocolate Block ??

Tasting Notes

1/30/08
Marc Kent may be fairly young, we guess in his early 40’s. maybe a little younger, but that being said his prowess as a winemaker grows with every vintage as the wines that are made under his tutelage at Boekenhoutskloof go from strength to strength. Boekenhoutskloof is now regarded as one of South Africa’s top wine estates and Marc Kent has been a big part of that happening. Probably the best way to judge a winemaker really isn’t by the top end, top shelve wines that get all the attention and reviews, but rather by the lower tier wines made under their guidance.
This is why we are so impressed by the 2006 The Wolftrap, as it speaks of high quality and value. We have knick named it the mini Chocolate Block, which to some may be a bit of an overreach but it shares some similarities but at an obviously more scaled down version. A blend of near equal parts of Syrah and Mourvedre and an ever so slight amount of Viognier rounding things out, this was given a bit of French barrel ageing to polish it up. What you get is a wine with an engaging texture, medium-fuller bodied, backed with sleek tannins with good depth and in light of its price, excellent fruit intensity with an exotic slant to the fruit. Although the Viognier is an ever so slight component as a percentage of the blend, it seems to give that extra dimension to the fruit, adding a white stone fruit lift to the nose followed up with some white pepper, a nuance of clove and ginger with some char and an undercurrent of slight gaminess to the red fruits. The palate flavor profile plays off nicely between sweet red fruits and a savory, meatiness with a touch of char on the finish. This should drink nicely over the next 2-3 years, but at this price point it’s an excellent go to option for everyday enjoyment.

Food Accompaniments

Grilled sausages, lamb curry, beef stew

6 Bottle price

Price

SKU

Varietal

$8.99

$9.99

7341

Red Blend