Vilafonté
About Vilafonté
Founded as recently as 1996, Vilafonté; was the promising collaboration between Mike Ratcliffe of Warwick Estate, Zelma Long and Phil Freese, both former key members of the legendary Mondavi team behind Opus One. Few could have predicted just how remarkable this project would become in such a short space of time even with its talented parentage.
Representing the very first American/South African vinous partnership on the ancient continent, there was considerable excitement amongst the fine wine world as to what this meant for the future of South Africa. Well, playing more than a small role in demonstrating the true brilliance of Bokke terroir, Vilafonté; enjoyed an almost immediately incredible international reputation which spread to other great producers now sought-after globally.
Viniculture
This fabulous estate was very much at the forefront of a revolution in South Africa’s (at the time) relatively unknown Paarl region. The trio’s remarkable endeavours have shown that stunning, age-worthy fine wine can be crafted from this terroir – Paarl has emerged as a formidable region to rival any on Earth when at its absolute best.
Two flagship cuvées, Series C and Series M, are produced from this 1.5 million-year-old soil. Densely planted on the bench of the Simonsberg Mountains, the estate draws its name from the oldest document soil type in the world – on which its vines are planted – Vilafonté.
Product Name | Region | Qty | Score | Price | |||||
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Coastal Region | 1 | 97 (WA) | HK$3,840.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (97)The 2019 Series C opens with a broad and structured nose that displays elegant oak tones and a juicy and fresh frame of succulent dark red fruits, offering power and finesse with a delightful mineral essence that overflows with plum skin and spiced cherries. Medium to full-bodied, the Series C offers a fine-grained tannic edge that possesses the focus, elegance and precision of a world-class wine. Vibrant acidity excites the palate with a succulent balance across the mid-palate, revealing layers of complexity as the wine somersaults to a long, lingering, juicy, oak-tinged finish. This is some of South Africa’s finest juice, which has me smitten. Bravo! I’m going to finish the glass! Give it one more year in the bottle and drink it over the next couple of decades. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 99 (WA) | HK$5,200.00 | |||||
Wine Advocate (99)Flirting with triple digits, the 2021 Series C is constructed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Still incredibly tight yet exuding that special “it” factor, the red blend is layered with gorgeous dark red and succulent black fruit tones with gobs of attractive oak essences that sway with power and finesse. If you're a cult California Cabernet collector, you'll want to add this to your cellar as fast as possible. Just under 20,000 bottles rested for about two years in French oak barrels, 81% new. It's utterly profound. |
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Coastal Region | 1 | 94 (DC) | HK$1,515.00 | |||||
Decanter (94)Exciting flavours of sweet mulberry, black plum, cinnamon and cedar. Super fresh and elegant, concentrated yet light on its feet. |