In our delight at certain wines from Swartland and the coolest corners of the Cape Winelands, we shouldn't forget South Africa's most important wine region. Tim and Jancis have been tasting on your behalf. See also the Cape's fighting spirit, an overview.
Tim writes Stellenbosch can do Cabernet very well – though not quite achieving greatness yet. Overall, balancing ripeness, quality of tannins and length is the trick Stellenbosch needs to achieve. Delaire Graff in particular seemed to be using terroir (elevation) to bring lovely elegance to their wine (though acidity is a challenge) and the length was impressive....