Jasper Raats this week launched a red wine which breaks price records for Merlot or Merlot based wines in SA, with the Misterie from Longridge Wine Estate.
The launch reflected Jasper’s winemaking approach, it was intimate, friendly, informative and sumptuous. His new wine was hidden among four stellar wines mostly from Pomerol, France, and it was amongst the top two for many of the small group, second choice for others to Chȃteau la Fleur Petrus at R4,000 a bottle. Despite two years in wood and another in bottle, the wine showed pristine fruit, elegance and deceptive power.
“Life is a mystery”, said Jasper, the label has a mesmerizing abstract painting by New Zealand artist Matthew Kibblewhite and tells the story of the wine. “It is like looking at the night sky, an enigma, or into secrecy or at the immeasurable”, he said. The wine had to be called ‘Misterie’. Only 3,600 bottles were made of the 2015, and despite its youth its quality was obvious. No-one placed the Italian icon Masetto (R9,000 a bottle) above it, so its pedigree has a good start. It will retail around R2,000 at the Estate.
After such an illustrious start, chef Maritz Jacobs offered risotto and crayfish, then Karoo lamb then poached quince to go with a 2009 MCC, the fabulous 2000 and 2015 Clos du Ciel Chardonnay, a 2008 Longridge Merlot and, of course, the 2015 Misterie with the lamb, and lastly the Ou Steen with dessert.
Misterie is set to join the ranks of South Africa’s ultra-premium wines making waves around the world.