“Our vineyard teaches us humility. The 2023 harvest made the truth of this lesson unmistakably clear.” – Mike Ratcliffe
For Vilafonté, every vintage is a negotiation with nature, but rarely has a deal been so finely struck as it was in the lead-up to these newly released 2023 wines. A long, measured growing season, meticulous block-by-block sampling, and a harvest completed just days before torrential rains swept across the Cape. An opportunity presented itself, and the results speak for itself.
For the first time, Series C and Series M are released side by side, showcasing two distinct expressions of the same philosophy: structure and power, refinement and nuance. Together, they represent not only the success of a single vintage, but the culmination of a journey now spanning over two decades.
“You can’t change the world. But you can change your world.”
On a quiet patch of land, little more than GPS coordinates and an old warehouse, Vilafonté set out to do exactly that. What exists today is not just a vineyard, but an island. Defined by ancient soils, carved into meticulously farmed blocks, and driven by a team united in a singular pursuit: precision.
From their ancient Paarl soils to their meticulous vineyard innovations and unwavering focus on just three wines, every decision is made with longevity in mind.
The 2022 releases are the latest proof point. Wines of structure, opulence, and distinction, shaped by experience, defined by place, and elevated by timing.
The New Vintage
Exclusive Release
Vilafonté
Series C 2023
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 12% Malbec, Paarl
£ 410.00 IB per 6btls excl. Duty & VAT
£ 515.00 per 6btls incl. Duty & VAT
95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocates | 95+ Points – Greg Sherwood MW | 95 Points – James Suckling
“The 2023 Series C offers up classic Vilafonte aromatics of sweet black currants, saline crème de cassis, blueberry compote and wet tobacco leaves. Fabulously opulent and exotic on the nose, the wine has all the Series C hallmarks that has made this one of the most desirable Cabernet Sauvignon blends produced in the Cape, brimming with not only intense pure black berry fruits but also complex earthy layers of tilled loam over hints of graphite, dried herbs and warm buttered brown breakfast toast. The palate is sophisticated, silky, and lithe, neither weighty nor muscular, but rather sleek, picante, and spicy with cedar and vanilla pod notes, a dusting of cocoa powder, and a weightless black currant fruit concentration. There is a youthful, sinewy freshness and a tightly wound core of energy that should see this wine age gracefully for a decade or two.” – Greg Sherwood MW.
Vilafonté
Series M 2023
41% Merlot, 38% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, Paarl
£ 265.00 IB per 6btls excl. Duty & VAT
£ 342.00 per 6btls incl. Duty & VAT
95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocates | 94+ Points – Greg Sherwood MW | 95 Points – James Suckling
“The 2023 Series M displays a seriously opulent, showy Series M plushness and generosity combined with plenty of refinement and purity. The aromatics are vibrant and youthful revealing intense layers of blue and black berry fruits, bay leaf spice, damson plums and black cherry compote with a magical dusting of vanilla pod oak spice. In the mouth, the wine is marked with a fabulously creamy, silky texture, delicate notes of graphite and cocoa powder, saline crème de cassis and mulberry fruits with a pronounced mineral interplay on the complex finish. Once again, I’m super impressed at the intensity, power, and concentration Vilafonte achieves with their Series M cuvee – a wine that epitomises luxury, generosity, and sophistication. Drink on release until 2040+.” – Greg Sherwood MW.
