2003 Vilafonté “series c”. Paarl-Simonsberg, South Africa. 14.5% alcohol. $70. 1,375 cases made.
Vilafonté is a new ultra premium winery from South Africa. In 1998 and 1999 they planted almost 30 acres to a mix of Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet, Franc, Malbec, and Merlot with most of the acreage devoted not surprisingly to Cabernet and Merlot. The vines are densely planted (2,110 vines per acre) on gently sloping gravelly clay soil. Vilafonté drops crop twice per vintage to increase the concentration of their wines. Zelma Long, a talented and very experienced winemaker who has done stints at Robert Mondavi and Simi in the past, makes the Vilafonté wines.

The series c is their flagship blend of 82% Cabernet, 9% Merlot, 7% Franc, and 2% Malbec that was raised in French oak barrels (54% new). An intense perfume of blackberries. cherries, the tell tale game and earth that marks South African wines, dark toasty oak, a hint of vanilla, and coffee. Velvety but firm tannin dissipate slowly in the mouth - the silkiness of the tannin Is really remarkable. Lots of power balanced with plenty of acidity. If one is looking for the latest heavy weight New World Cabernet laden with sugar then this is not the wine for you. For the rest of us this wine presents a quandary: Where do I find enough cash in the budget to lay down some of this shockingly fine rather aristocratic wine from South Africa? Drink 2010 to 2017. 94 points.

I totally agree with you on these wines Jones - I tasted them with the winemaker last month and "aristocratic" was what I thought as well. Glad you liked them, I'd love to serve this blind to some folks to see what they think.

Interesting. I have been asking about this wine here in South Africa for awhile, but no one is able to locate it or sell it.

Doc

Extremely nice wine! I drank over two days with day two showing no signs of the wine falling apart. More structure than the series "m". Very silky, smooth tannins. If one can get it for around $40-$50 (SA prices) instead of $70 (US prices), then I would buy by the case. I won't open another one till 2010 or so.

Doc

I had another bottle of this recently and it was fantastic. Fortunately Vinfolio was clearing this out and I grabbed all nine bottles they had for $33!

• 2003 Vilafonté Series C - South Africa, Coastal Region, Paarl (9/4/2008)
  Really impressive wine - dark, pitched fruits with ample tobacco and leather characteristics (like AlexRed said) all on a sleek and elegant yet powerful frame - best of both new and old world qualities. It seems like a St. Estephe, perhaps a hypothetical blend of the Cos d'Estournel and their second wine Pagodes de Cos would taste like this? (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Doc, I'll be enjoying this one over the next five years... very happy to have stocked up!