The maiden 2018 release of Taaibosch Crescendo last year was an unbridled success. Capturing the imagination of critics and collectors alike, the estate’s rebirth allowed long-term enthusiasts to secure the direct descendant of the original Cordoba, South Africa’s original cult wine. The new 2019 shows that this was no beginner’s luck. Where the 2018 has a sumptuous roundness and crackling perfume, the 2019, from a fresher vintage, is all together more nuanced, vibrant and linear and will require a little patience. When we spoke to winemaker Schalk Willem-Joubert, he explained that "I adore the 2019 and I think it’s the perfect follow-up as it really shows the linearity and precision that we can achieve. It’s not a wine of excess, and I hope it will appeal even more to customers who enjoy a sense of tradition and classicism.”
A recap on its history. Post-Apartheid, the Cordoba Crescendo was South Africa’s original cult wine, and one of the most revered wines in the Cape. A Cabernet Franc-led Bordeaux blend from the Heldeberg Ward of Stellenbosch, vineyard elevation ranges from 230-350m just 7km from False Bay, with a 360-degree orientation and views over Cape Town and Table Mountain – a truly magical spot. That combination of altitude and proximity to the ocean provides a natural cooling system, perfect for later-ripening Bordeaux varieties. Though it’s hard to believe, by the early 2000s, the owners had gradually lost interest in the farm and winemaker Chris Keet was left with no choice but to move on. The last vintage bottled under the Cordoba label was 2003, although the wine was bottled for a few more years and sold off unlabelled at ridiculously low prices. From 2006, the vineyards were maintained but only as a source of grapes for other producers in the area. All signs pointed to the demise of a former icon.
Read MoreIn 2017 the Oddo family bought the property and set about building a fantastically well-equipped winery, surrounded by the original estate vineyards. Owing to European laws which prohibit the use of the word Cordoba, the property was renamed Taaibosch in reference to the indigenous fynbos species that grows in abundance on the estate. After more than a decade of buying and vinifying Taaibosch fruit as CEO for Rupert & Rothschild, Schalk-Willem Joubert was installed from the outset as cellarmaster, overseeing every detail of the new project. In keeping with the legacy of the property, he intends to stick with one wine, which has also been christened Crescendo.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and cement, followed by a long gentle cuvaison of up to 60 days, before it is racked in to cement for malolactic fermentation. The wines are blended and moved to French barrique, a third new, where they rest for 14 months. After that it is re-assembled entirely and split 70% in to foudré and 30% in to cement for another year in order to “refine the mouthfeel and heighten the sense of perfume. We get all the benefit of foudré aging without adding any extra wood tannin or taste.” It is then held back in bottle for a year prior to release. No shortcuts. The 2019 has a cool, lifted, stony red and black fruited bouquet with a fine salinity, trembling freshness and distinguished tannic structure. In our view, Taaibosch Crescendo is South Africa’s best Bordeaux-blend right now and definitely a wine worth following.
“Could Schalk-Willem Joubert do it again in 2019 after such an impressive maiden release? You bet he could and he has even improved on that predecessor. This is more precise and nuanced, presenting a seamless assemblage of Cabernet Franc with 26% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon from the windy western corner of the Helderberg. Complex, layered and restrained, with perfumed 35% new wood, graphite, red berry, blackcurrant leaf and tarragon flavours and fresh, sea breeze-kissed finish. 2024-35” - 97pts, Tim Atkin MW.
“The 2019 Crescendo is a Cabernet Franc-based blend (65%) from 20-year-old vines or older, matured for 12 months in French oak then another year in foudres and concrete. That Cabernet Franc drives the aromatics with wild strawberry, blackberry, cooked meat and brown spices, touches of bell pepper emerging with time. The palate is well balanced with a slightly grainy texture, quite linear and redolent of a decent Saint-Émilion, exhibiting impressive weight and grip on the finish. Excellent.” – 93pts, Neal Martin.