The top performers on 95/100, Atkin’s elite ranking comparable with the best in the world, are TOKARA’s flagship Director’s Reserve White and Red blends from the standout 2017 vintage. Both wines made the cut as a Wine of the Year in the Bordeaux Blend categories. Next up is the Reserve Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 on 94 points followed by the 93 point contenders, the 2019 Chardonnay, the 2019 Elgin Sauvignon Blanc and the 2016 Syrah, all from the TOKARA Reserve Collection.
Referring to the Director’s Reserve White as “always among the best white Bordeaux blends in the Cape,” Atkin pronounces the 2017 vintage “especially impressive” and “one of the best recent vintages in South Africa.” In his tasting notes he describes the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend as “herbal, complex and layered, with some smoky wood undertones and flavours of toast and pink grapefruit.”
Atkin regards the equally impressive Director’s Reserve Red 2017 as “every bit as good as the Director’s White” calling it “refined, elegant and leafy, with on point tannins, wonderful freshness, stylish oak spice and the structure to age further.”
Underlining to the finesse of Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon, especially the TOKARA Reserve Collection’s 2017 vintage, Atkin describes the wine as “a textbook expression of the grape,all dried herbs, mint and blackcurrant leaf, with fine tannins, impressive focus and depth and stylish oak.”
‘”Delicious” is Atkin’sexpressive descriptor for TOKARA’s Reserve Collection Syrah 2016 referring to the wineas “meaty and intense with noes of incense and rosemary, grippy tannins and a fine, refreshing finish.”
For a grape variety that often slips under the radar at TOKARA according to Atkin owing to the impressive quality of the rest of the range, the Reserve Collection Chardonnay 2019 gets his stamp of approval: “This is a brilliant first release from Stuart Botha: mealy, taut and well balanced.”
The equally rated Reserve Collection Elgin Sauvignon Blanc 2019 is held as “long, pithy and very impressive” with “saline, peppery and bone dry” qualities as well as some creaminess from lees contact.
Atkin is a UK Master of Wine and accomplished wine commentator with extensive experience when it comes to South Africa. His annual South Africa Special Report, now in itseighth year, is highly regarded internationally as an independent assessment of the country’s wines.
The forward thinking vision of owners GT and Anne-Marie Ferreira to produce world class TOKARA wines without compromise and with a distinct South African identity, has seenthis prestigious Stellenbosch propertyconsistently produce exceptional, award winning vintages for more than 20 years.
For more information on TOKARA wines, visit www.tokara.com.