2005 Le Bonheur Prima Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon blend out of Stellenbosch
Tasting
Notes
Le Bonheur is a historic property with its roots dating back to 1790 when the property was granted to its first owner, Jacob De Villiers. The De Villiers family was among the first 200 French Huguenots to arrive in the Western Cape in 1689 after their five month journey on the ship, Zion. The estate soon became an important location in the region, offering fresh water and provisions for travelers between Cape Town, Paarl and the interior.
Grape varietals are planted to the best clones matching the soil and micro climate of the vineyards, which are situated at between 200 to 350 meters above sea level. Each vineyard has its own unique soil characteristics as well as aspect and slope. During harvest the grapes are hand picked and hand sorted with only the best bunches being selected for fermentation. Their motto being, “if the best French Chateau takes the trouble to sort the grapes, so can we.”
The 2005 Le Bonheur ‘Prima’ is a Merlot Cabernet blend. Notes of dark plum, dusty dark currants, mixed with notes of tobacco, dried herbs and subtle lovely dark chocolate on the nose. Medium full bodied, the fruit is juicy in the dark plum spectrum, and the texture is supple with nicely evolved tannins giving a powdery grip on the finish. Not big or bold this takes a more elegant approach yet it is endowed with noted length and persistence, with surprising fruit vibrancy. With five years under its belt this is drinking beautifully and should show well for the next 3-4 years quite easily.
